The rollout of a complicated new business class at Lufthansa has been a colossal headache
Lufthansa is experiencing a disastrous rollout of its new Allegris business-class seat.
The seats don't fit on the upper deck of Boeing 747-8s, and face certification woes on the 787.
The Allegris-related issues are hampering Lufthansa's ability to capture more premium revenue.
Certification and fit issues with fancy new business class seats are hampering one of Europe's largest airlines and its financial turnaround.
German flag carrier Lufthansa confirmed to Business Insider that its new "Allegris" business class doesn't fit on the upper deck of its Boeing 747-8 jets because of their narrow noses.
To proceed with planned retrofits, the company has decided to fit two of the 747s with a staggered layout by the end of 2025 — meaning one level will have Allegris, while the other will have the old seats.
German aviation journalist Andreas Spaeth first reported the issues on Tuesday.
Lufthansa is also unable to receive Allegris-equipped Boeing 787 Dreamliners due to certification issues, adding to the headaches.
The Allegris rollout is meant to refresh Lufthansa's fleet with a more competitive cabin and attract more high-paying flyers as the airline struggles to turn a profit.
Lufthansa's retrofitted 747s won't be consistent, forcing travelers to pay extra attention to their seat assignments when booking.
The project involves configuring the lower deck with 48 of the new Allegris business class seats but leaving the upper deck with the plane's 32 old business class seats.
Customers on the lower deck Allegris cabin will enjoy a posh seat with a sliding door, wireless charging, advanced in-flight entertainment, and direct aisle access.
Those on the upper deck, however, will be stuck with an older 2x2 cabin where window-seat passengers cannot freely access the aisle. The seats also lack Allegris' modern amenities.
Lufthansa confirmed the 747's old first-class seats would remain in place as the airline works out the shaping challenge.
Lufthansa has 34 Boeing 787 Dreamliners on order to replace its aging Airbus A340 quad-jets. Each is expected to be delivered with the new Allegris cabin.
However, the Federal Aviation Administration has yet to certify the seat for the Dreamliner, despite Boeing fitting Allegris onto some of the already-built jets destined for Lufthansa.
The airline's A350 was delivered with Allegris because it has secured full certification by European regulators. The business class design is complicated, with seven unique seating options.
The regulatory hiccup has delayed deliveries of Lufthansa's much-needed new widebodies, impacting its planned network. The FAA told BI that it would not comment on ongoing certification work.
In the meantime, Lufthansa said the airline and Boeing are working to get some of the Allegris-equipped planes into service by the summer but with business rows blocked.
Lufthansa would instead only sell the already-FAA-certified Allegris economy and premium economy cabins and fly with business class empty.
Blocking the money-earning premium cabin could impact Lufthansa's revenue opportunities, but the airline said it plans to deploy the 787s on medium-haul routes with less business demand.
Lufthansa CEO Jens Ritter told journalists in January that the airline is moving six non-Allegris-equipped Airbus A350s to Frankfurt this summer to pad its schedule, the German outlet airliners.de reported.
Lufthansa outlined a financial turnaround plan in 2024 after several quarters of losses driven by frequent aircraft maintenance, plane shortages, high costs, and labor strikes.
In January, Ritter said that despite some improvements in the second half of 2024, profitability is "not there yet."
While Lufthansa is already facing supply chain issues for its Airbus A320s and delays of its on-order Boeing 777Xs, the Allegris rollout has particularly amplified the financial woes.
The delay is forcing Lufthansa to fly gas-guzzling older planes for longer and forgo capacity on long-haul routes, increasing operating costs while simultaneously preventing Lufthansa from cashing in on booming premium demand.
US carriers like Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have taken advantage of this demand for premium seats, especially across the Atlantic.
Lufthansa's fleet of nine Allegris-equipped A350s may help soften the blow to long-haul revenue.
On Tuesday, the airline announced three new US routes for the Allegris A350s from Frankfurt starting in spring, including to Newark, New Jersey, San Diego, and Charlotte.
Read the original article on Business Insider
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