Last year, we saw Lufthansa introduce its new Allegris first class product, which debuted on newly delivered Airbus A350-900s. This product is a huge improvement over Lufthansa’s old first class, though there’s a major quirk about the monetization that hasn’t made sense to me. Lufthansa has now addressed that concern, and arguably has gone from one extreme to the other…
Lufthansa’s First Class Suite Plus concept made no sense
Lufthansa’s A350 Allegris first class cabin consists of three to four seats, depending on how you’d like to look at.
Essentially, the two window seats are marketed as the First Class Single Suite, and are already very spacious, pretty typical of what you’d expect from a first class suite.
But then there’s this weird seat in the center section, marketed as the First Class Suite Plus.
In theory, the concept of a double suite is cool, as so many airlines don’t consider couples or families when designing new first class products. However, the reality of this suite is simply that it’s not double as spacious as a single suite, and this really limits your flexibility. For example, the seat has one main tray table, so good luck if the two passengers traveling together are on slightly different schedules.
The point is, I think there would be merit to booking this product if the airline gives you a discount over the standard fare. But I couldn’t imagine paying two full first class fares, only to end up in that rather tight suite.
So that’s the issue, because up until now, the monetization has worked as follows:
- If you book two first class tickets at the regular cost, the airline was happy to seat a pair in those center seats; that’s a big win for Lufthansa, since they can then sell another first class seat
- If a single traveler wanted to book the double suite, they’d have to pay a fee of somewhere around $2,500-3,000, over the standard first class fare
- Since few people seemed interested in either of those options, these seats were most commonly simply assigned to “standard” first class passengers, since this was easy enough to “game” (just don’t select a seat assignment, and if the cabin is full, you’ll then automatically be put in the center suite at check-in)
Lufthansa eliminates all first class seat assignment fees
Lufthansa is radically changing how it monetizes its First Class Suite Plus product (thanks to Jens for flagging this):
- For bookings effective immediately, and for travel as of July 1, 2026, any first class passenger can select the double suite in advance at no extra cost
- If you are traveling as a couple and want to book the double suite, you can receive a 50% discount on the first class fare for the second passenger
Indeed, if you look at seat maps now for travel as of July 1, you’ll see that the First Class Suite Plus product can be selected free of charge.
Wow, a few things come to mind here:
- The double suite hard product is incredible, so it’s pretty compelling to think that you can snag that with a “standard” first class fare, and no premium; obviously it greatly incentivizes booking early
- The discount for the second passenger in Allegris first class makes perfect sense, it’s something I suggested last year when I flew the product, and I’m happy to hear the airline is moving in that direction
- Honestly, the lack of monetization of the center suite almost seems a bit extreme; you’d think the airline would still charge some sort of a more reasonable fee ($250-500) to assign the seat in advance, reserve the seating for HON Circle members and then only open it up to others within 24 hours of departure, etc.
Bottom line
Lufthansa is completely changing how it monetizes its Allegris First Class Suite Plus product.
The first class double suite concept hasn’t made a whole lot of sense with the current pricing, where you need to either book two standard first class fares, or need to pay a premium of $2,500-3,000 as a solo traveler. Those two extreme options meant that the double suite typically just went to someone during online check-in, at no extra cost.
Lufthansa is now updating how it monetizes this experience. All first class passengers can now select the double suite at the time of booking, on a first come, first served basis. Meanwhile if a couple wants to book the suite together, the second passenger receives a 50% discount.
What do you make of Lufthansa’s updates to its Allegris first class monetization?
