Lufthansa Group’s decision to pursue a bespoke and complex design approach to intercontinental business and first class for Lufthansa and SWISS produced new passenger-pleasing seating products which unfortunately have been beset by supply crunches and certification challenges.

The wisdom of this choice likely can’t be fully judged until the lion’s share of the two network carriers’ long-haul fleets are equipped with the Allegris and Senses-branded cabins, respectively — and with it, their competitive positioning ascertained.

Notably, however, management has taken a less risky, off-the-shelf approach when sourcing business class seats for the Group’s leisure airlines, Edelweiss and Discover Airlines, and indeed for Lufthansa’s Airbus A380s, which are not earmarked for Allegris.

One of three seatmakers chosen to produce Allegris business class seats (for Lufthansa’s 777/777-9s), Thompson Aero Seating has emerged as the big winner in the Group’s acquisition of more standard long-haul business class seats.

The Northern Ireland-based seatmaker’s celebrated 1-2-1-configured Vantage XL lie-flat, all-aisle-access platform has been chosen for Edelweiss’ six Airbus A350s (in this instance, the XL+ variety which has been optimized for the type), as well as Lufthansa’s eight A380s and Discover Airlines’ 16 Airbus A330-300s.

A front-row, biz-plus-like offering will feature on Edelweiss’ A350s when retrofits begin in January 2027, as well as Discover’s A330-300s, as they enter refurbishment in April 2027, while Lufthansa will continue to offer eight first-class seats on the A380s.

The CMF (color, materials and finish) in business class for Edelweiss and Discover looks smashing and differentiated, with Discover calling its iteration “Ocean Blue” to connote a holiday feeling while offering “comfort in all classes.”

Let’s look at the two designs side by side.

While Edelweiss’ 28 Vantage XL+ seats on the A350s will be clad in soft, light and muted tones, Discover’s 30 Vantage XL seats on the A330s will feature darker and deeper blues with pillows providing pops of contrasting blue colors.

As part of the Edelweiss and Discover aircraft refurbishments, Lufthansa Group’s main purveyor of Premium Economy seats, fast-growing ZIM Aircraft Seating has won more business for its ZIMprivacy product.

Geven and RECARO Aircraft Seating, meanwhile, have snatched up the economy class work packages with Edelweiss and Discover, respectively.

At a time when Lufthansa Group is in the process of ‘evolving from a group of airlines into an integrated airline group’ — see, for example, its Group-wide SpaceX Starlink inflight connectivity selection — the decision to offer a fair amount of product consistency across network and leisure carriers, especially in Premium Economy, makes perfect sense.

Management also could have densified the Edelweiss and Discover economy class cabins with 10-abreast on the A350s and nine-abreast on the A330s, but have not done so.

On the inflight entertainment front, RAVE Aerospace (formerly Safran Passenger Innovations) has in recent years grown its footprint with Lufthansa Group including as part of the Allegris rollout on Lufthansa’s A350s and forthcoming 777-9s.

It’s not immediately clear if RAVE has likewise been tapped to provide IFE as part of the Edelweiss and Discover aircraft retrofits, but Lufthansa confirms to RGN that it will retain Panasonic Avionics as its IFE system provider aboard its A380s.

“The A380 Business Class will receive an upgraded IFE system by Panasonic. The new IFE system features new screens measuring 18″, Bluetooth connection, 3D interactive map, user interface in 10 different menu languages, a comprehensive entertainment program and numerous other passenger features,” a Lufthansa spokesperson says.

Lufthansa’s design partner for Allegris, Pearson Lloyd, was tasked with ensuring that Lufthansa’s brand language carried over to business class on the A380, even though the hard product is different than the customized seats currently rolling out on Lufthansa’s A350s and Boeing 787s.

“Rather than wholesale redesign, the focus was on precise, high-impact interventions: custom materials, targeted industrial design refinements and brand specific lighting. Small moves, carefully chosen, that make a big difference,” the design firm says in a statement published on LinkedIn.

“Colour, materials and finishes did the heavy lifting,” it continues. “A palette rooted in Lufthansa’s classical blue is extended through texture, weave and tonal variation, balancing hard and soft elements to express clarity, quality and precision.

“The result is a confident business class environment with all-aisle access, a fully flat 2-metre bed, and 68 seats per aircraft, delivered in a timeframe that stands out in an industry where delays are increasingly common.”

Related Articles:

• Edelweiss cranks up the premium factor on Airbus A350s
• Connected seatback at the fore as RAVE Aerospace enters new era
• Lufthansa starts selling most Allegris business class seats on 787-9
• Thompson renames VantageXL+ — it’s now the A350/787-optimised XL
• ZIM Aircraft Seating details comeback as it sees sales boost
• Lufthansa lounge at Newark delights with seat choice, Allegris touches
• Lufthansa Allegris front-row Business Suite mostly impresses
• SWISS reveals Senses mockups, readies for product debut on A350
• Lufthansa’s multi-source IFE sees SPI and PAC in play

Featured image credited to Discover Airlines