The standard “Eurobusiness” class is not widely appreciated amongst travellers. Passengers often pay a premium for what they perceive as limited added value. Lufthansa is now exploring options to address this issue on its Airbus A320neo fleet.
The German airline is currently considering equipping some of its Airbus A320neo aircraft with business class seats similar to those found on widebody aircraft. This initiative is initially a trial phase. If successful, Lufthansa might decide to implement this upgrade across its entire fleet.
The initial focus will be on longer routes. Lufthansa operates several flights to destinations in the Middle East and North Africa with its Airbus A320neo aircraft. Therefore, the planned upgrade will initially apply to routes with a flight time of four hours or more, such as Tel Aviv, Cairo, and Amman. According to Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr, this move aims to improve the product.
Experience
Lufthansa is not the first European airline to experiment with this concept. New Star Alliance partner ITA Airways has also already installed full-fledged business class seats on some of its aircraft. Additionally, Lufthansa’s subsidiary Eurowings will also gain experience with more premium seating.
“We have (…) decided that Eurowings will lead with a so-called Full Recliner, as you might know it from the US,” said Spohr. Of this seat, which can “recline significantly further,” Eurowings will install only four per row. Eurowings plans to test this product on its route between Berlin and Dubai.
Should the tests prove positive for these three airlines, Lufthansa could consider further expansion of the implementation. However, the German carrier emphasizes caution, as this involves “of course, very different investment amounts, opportunities, and risks,” according to Spohr.