Discover Airlines is Lufthansa’s leisure subsidiary that’s primarily focused on long haul flights. We’ve known that the airline plans to grow its fleet of Airbus A330s, and also intends to take delivery of some Airbus A350s as of 2027 (which are ex-Philippine Airlines A350s).
The airline has been promising that it would overhaul the cabins of its A330s, and the details of that have just been unveiled. Interestingly, this comes just shortly after SWISS leisure subsidiary Edelweiss Air announced plans to overhaul its cabins, with very similar interiors.
Discover Airlines plans “Ocean Blue” A330 cabin overhauls
Discover Airlines has announced plans to overhaul the cabins of all of its Airbus A330s. This includes new products across all three travel classes, plus a new “business class plus” product. Once reconfigured, each A330 is expected to have 288 seats, including 30 business class seats, 31 premium economy seats, and 227 economy class seats.
Discover Airlines is calling the new cabin concept “Ocean Blue.” This is also intended to pay tribute to the company’s history — the airline started in 2020 as an internal project under the name “Ocean,” so the new cabin concept plays into that. Furthermore, the term describes how the cabins will look:
Inspired by the vastness and colors of the ocean, it stands for the joy of discovery and wanderlust—attributes that perfectly underline Discover Airlines’ character as a leisure airline. The new cabin impresses with its modern and elegant appearance: bold blue tones, clear shapes, selected color accents, and fine details create a high-quality ambience that extends across all three classes. Discover Airlines thus translates the holiday feeling into a design that both demonstrates its close ties to the Lufthansa Group and reflects the airline’s high quality standards.
So, what can we expect onboard? Let’s start from the back of the plane, and work our way forward.
As you’d expect, there’s not all that much to say about economy, though the A330 is generally a pleasant plane in economy, given the 2-4-2 layout. The airline claims that passengers will benefit from more legroom, with a six-way adjustable headrest, and increased storage space.
Premium economy will consist of seats in a 2-3-2 configuration. Discover Airlines is promising one of the best offerings among leisure airlines, with seats having a hard-shell design. The seats will also have privacy screens, additional seat recline, an integrated leg rest, and a built-in reading light.
Business class will be in a 1-2-1 configuration, with the airline finally offering direct aisle access from all seats. It would appear that the airline has opted for the Thompson Aero Vantage XL product, but without a door. This is similar to what you’ll find on ITA Airways, Virgin Atlantic, etc.
The airline will also be introducing a “business class plus” product, which will be in the first row of the cabin, with these seats also featuring privacy doors. These business class suites will feature larger 32″ entertainment monitors, plus a larger footwell for placing your feet during the flight.
The updated A330s will also boast improved technology throughout, including free Starlink Wi-Fi (a Lufthansa Group initiative), 4K screens with bluetooth audio connectivity, and an updated inflight entertainment system. The airline will offer wireless charging in premium economy and business class, as well as USB-A and USB-C ports throughout the cabin.
Here’s how Discover Airlines CEO Ulrich Lindner describes this investment:
“With this investment, we are setting new standards for long-haul leisure flights. Five years after our founding, we are investing a three-digit million euro sum specifically in comfort, quality, and the travel experience of our guests. This is a clear commitment to the further development of Discover Airlines. We are proud of what we have achieved and look forward to welcoming our guests to the new Ocean Blue cabin soon.”
When will Discover Airlines’ Airbus A330s be retrofitted?
Discover Airlines will have a fleet of 16 Airbus A330-300s (the airline is acquiring a couple more from Lufthansa), so when will they be getting new cabin interiors?
- The first aircraft with new cabins will enter service in April 2027, so that’s a little over a year from now
- All 16 A330s will be reconfigured by the middle of 2028, give or take, though don’t be surprised if there are some delays
So this is a fairly efficient project, all things considered, and that’s a benefit of having a smaller fleet. It sounds like roughly one plane will be reconfigured per month, on average.
For what it’s worth, I don’t believe Discover Airlines’ upcoming A350s will be getting these exact cabins, since they’ll already have pretty modern interiors, with direct aisle access in business class, etc.
Bottom line
Discover Airlines’ A330s will be getting some very nice cabin overhauls, with the project expected to take place in 2027 and 2028. The planes will be getting new seats across cabins, including business class seats with direct aisle access, front row business class suites, Starlink Wi-Fi, and updated entertainment.
It sounds like plans for Discover Airlines and Edelweiss Air are very similar, which is logical enough, in terms of ordering new seats. I look forward to seeing these updates “live!”
What do you make of Discover Airlines’ A330 plans?
