Review of Lufthansa Business Class

With a dual hub system in Frankfurt and Munich, Lufthansa is well-equipped to offer numerous connections and top-notch facilities, given the volume of passengers that it carries. Premium check-in areas and security lines are of huge advantage at its two main hubs, and it offers special check-in lanes and other boarding perks at almost all other departure airports.

Read more about Lufthansa services at Frankfurt Airport or Munich Airport on Lufthansa.com.

Lufthansa's German hubs feature excellent lounges for Business Class passengers with an even more elevated option, Senator Lounges, for its most frequent fliers. Star Alliance Gold travellers from any cabin can also use them. Expect open bars with tasty wine, German beer and cocktails, plus buffets with hot and cold items. Business Class and Senator Lounges are similar in style, with the main difference in the food and beverage offerings. In the Frankfurt and Munich lounges, showers are an especially nice option for those in transit who want to refresh during their journey.

Other notable features of Lufthansa's lounges include relaxation areas, soft German pretzels, a variety of salty and sweet snacks, including Haribo Gummy Bears and a range of desserts.

Free Wi-Fi, private workstations and phone booths, international magazines and newspapers, and power outlets are all available in the lounges.

Lufthansa's network of lounges includes many German airports, including Berlin, Dusseldorf and Hamburg. Globally, passengers will find lounges in airports including Detroit, Dubai, London Heathrow, Milan Malpensa, Newark and New York JFK.

At Frankfurt Airport, a dedicated Welcome Lounge is available for arriving Business Class passengers. The lounge features shower facilities, a quiet zone, workstations, and a bistro area with a breakfast buffet.

When flying from destinations without a Lufthansa-branded facility, Business Class passengers can access other premium lounges, including those belonging to other Star Alliance members. Lufthansa's on-the-ground experience is solid and deserves kudos for a wide network of well-provisioned lounges.

More information about Lufthansa Business Class lounges and Senator Lounges worldwide, and the Welcome Lounge in Frankfurt.

Lufthansa's long-haul fleet consists of various aircraft types, including the double-decker Airbus A380, Boeing 747 and numerous Airbus A330, A340 and A350 aircraft along with newly acquired Boeing 787 Dreamliners, intended to replace the A340-300 over time. The airline is undergoing the largest investment in its history – introducing the Allegris range of products and a completely redesigned Business Class cabin with direct aisle access. 

The new Allegris generation of Business Class seats converts to a fully-flat bed with an extra-long sleeping area of 2.2 metres. Passengers enjoy a greater degree of privacy from the alternating herringbone configuration of 1-2-1 rows with 1-1-1 rows containing a central throne seat which offers passengers increased desk space. Couples will enjoy the central double seats with a narrower pitch, and thanks to holders on selected seats, families can have a baby cot alongside them. The front row of the Business Class cabin sees the all-new oversized Business Plus Suites, providing even more space, high sliding privacy doors, a large IFE screen and a personal wardrobe. All seats feature high-definition in-flight entertainment screens with noise-cancelling headphones, wireless charging and Bluetooth connectivity. A multi-use tablet controls the seating positions, ventilation, lighting and entertainment settings.  

The colour tone of the Lufthansa Business Class cabin features grey, navy and brown accents with the airline's crane logo emblazoned on the wall. While newer aircraft such as the Boeing 777-9s – due to arrive in 2025 - A350-900s and Boeing 787-9s will feature the latest Allegris products, Lufthansa's older fleet of Boeing 747s will continue with the existing 2-2-2- Business Class main cabin configuration and a single-aisle 2-2 configuration on the upper deck. However, Lufthansa plans to retrofit the 747-8s in the future.

There is no charge to reserve seats in advance on Lufthansa, which is highly recommended to ensure the most comfortable flight. One criticism of Lufthansa's older Business Class seat is that the footrest for many seats is close to the neighbouring seat. This means it is not uncommon for people's feet to touch, especially in the centre seats. These seats are also angled toward one another. There are no privacy dividers between any seats.

On some aircraft like the Airbus A350, Lufthansa offers a tail camera allowing those seated in the centre section to see exterior views.

Seats have electronic controls giving many different positional options, including a slightly reclined position, cradled angle to enjoy a movie or fully flat for maximum rest. Tray tables extend from the side of the seat and are wide enough for working on a laptop, watching an iPad or tablet or enjoying the airline's impressive catering.

A pillow and blanket come wrapped in a ribbon, and storage pockets on the side of the seat hold a water bottle and amenity kit. On especially long flights, the airline provides a seat topper similar to a mattress pad for extra cushioning.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes images, videos and seat maps for most airlines and aircraft. Search results also include details such as seat pitch, width and recline. This way you can see the seat and cabin configuration of the flight in which you are interested, before making your choice.

A few years ago, Lufthansa overhauled its Business Class dining experience to be more similar to what is normally reserved for First Class. For the main service, everything is served atop a linen-lined table instead of trays. It is a special touch that few other airlines offer in Business Class - not to mention the number of options the airline gives its passengers on long flights.

Rather than use unsightly trolleys for food service in the aisles, everything is served from the galley by a dedicated flight attendant that takes responsibility for a subsection of the cabin. This allows for more personal interaction between passengers & crew and feels more like a restaurant experience.

Drinks and nuts preface the meal, and Lufthansa gets additional high marks for using full-size wine glasses rather than the tiny thimbles used on many other carriers. German beer is often presented in glass bottles, which continues the restaurant-style approach.

Soon, a choice of appetisers and salads arrive with warm bread from a basket. Separate bread plates, silverware and salt and pepper shakers are also presented directly on the linen-lined table. The main course on long-haul flights changes every two months and typically consists of a beef, poultry, seafood or pasta selection. Lufthansa earns praise for its holiday-themed meals throughout the year, including items like guinea fowl around Christmas.

After the hot main course, dessert follows, offering a sweet course or fruit and cheese selection with after-dinner drinks. A cold express meal service is available at any time in place of the complete dinner service for passengers requiring more time to relax or work and consists of a choice of appetiser, cheese and dessert.   

Depending on the length of the flight, a second meal is served on a tray before landing, appropriate to the time of day - either a cold or hot breakfast or dinner with a dessert option.

The service is leisurely albeit efficient, allowing for an enjoyable meal without cutting into time to rest, work or enjoy the entertainment system.

On late-night departures - or shorter redeye flights - the meal service is abbreviated in favour of more sleeping time.

Information about the Lufthansa Business Class service on short night flights.

The airline has recently announced an enhanced long-haul flight Business Class experience, emphasising the fusion of culinary excellence, German bread heritage, and prestigious collaborations including the Lufthansa Aperitif Avionic crafted in partnership with Ziegler.

New creations extend further with the introduction of a vegetarian amuse-bouche, ranging from antipasti to sushi. Fresh fruit additions to the dessert menu and a modular snack selection cater are now also on the menu.

From June onwards, every passenger will receive a bespoke box of Lindt chocolates as an exclusive parting gift.

Unfortunately, Lufthansa does not offer a dine-on-demand service, but a small snacking station is often available in the galley to tide passengers over until the next meal. Most cabin crew will also oblige any request to save a meal for a specific time if they can.

Unlike most other airlines, Lufthansa has a useful functionality on its website to let you check the menu for your Lufthansa flight. Menu cards are published about two months before departure.

Special meals for dietary and religious requirements are always available, but these must be reserved in advance. In addition, Lufthansa usually services destination-friendly dishes on many flights. For example, on Indian flights, regional dishes, always vegetarian-friendly, are stocked in great quantity.

A service much appreciated by families is the special children´s menu developed by Alexander Herrmann. Children´s meals can be booked up to 24 hours before departure.

More information about Lufthansa Business Class dining.

A tray of welcome drinks, including water, juice or sparkling wine, is a tradition aboard Lufthansa. After takeoff, a full bar includes different labels of Champagne and wine. These can consist of Champagne Duval-Leroy Brut Reserve, three white and three red wines, beer including Warsteiner Premium lager and Erdinger wheat beer – not to mention a long list of liqueurs and spirits, including Jack Daniel's and Bombay Sapphire Gin.

Master of Wine Markus Del Monego oversees the selection of wines to be served in Lufthansa Business Class.

More information about wines in Lufthansa Business Class.

Other nice touches include still or sparkling water, non-alcoholic beer, fruit juices, and Dallmayr Kaffee Premium Selection coffee. Espresso and numerous hot teas are also on the menu.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on which Champagne is served in Business Class and First Class on many airlines. We do our best to keep track of any changes, but feel free to let us know if there is something we missed.

Lufthansa crews display German efficiency although service can vary depending on each person’s personality. Some flight attendants are more talkative than others, but all deliver upon the high standards for which the airline is known. 

Flights to Asia may include native cabin crew based at the destination, allowing Lufthansa to offer a customised service experience and local languages.

During Oktoberfest, you may notice some crew donning traditional German attire, which is a jovial way to bring a regional touch to 35,000 feet, even for passengers just transiting Germany. Ground staff sometimes participate in this initiative.

Instead of providing individually wrapped headsets to each passenger, the airline has them hard-wired to each seat. Amenity kits include earpiece covers as a sanitary measure. This approach may not appeal to everyone, but it is both eco and cost-friendly for the airline. Sound quality is decent, although the entertainment options vary by aircraft type.

Most planes have large touch-screen entertainment systems, from Hollywood cinema to short subject films, sitcoms, cartoons and live sports on long-haul flights. There is something for every age level and personal taste. Lufthansa has always been a leader in audio entertainment, with a vast selection of global music, including African, Arabic, Korean, Indian and Latino, as well as a selection of audiobooks, podcasts and games.

The option to use a remote control for the screen is typically available, and depending upon aircraft type, it can be responsive, albeit sometimes difficult to manoeuvre.

Detailed information about inflight entertainment and the current programme is available on lufthansa.com.

Wi-Fi is available aboard the majority of the airline’s aircraft with pricing based on the type of speed needed. The cheapest option is best for texting while faster speeds are good for email or downloading files. Data caps mean that those with a lot of work to accomplish will want to buy the most expensive plan. 

Updated pricing and more information about Wi-Fi on Lufthansa.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on inflight entertainment and Wi-Fi.

Lufthansa provides an excellent range of amenity kits that rotate seasonally; some are more functional than others. There are also unique versions for holiday periods that are particularly festive. Inside, they include an eye mask, socks, dental kits and other inflight necessities like lotions and lip balms. Customers on overnight flights also receive comfortable sleeping shirts/pyjamas.  

Eye masks, mouthwash, disinfecting wipes, dental kits and moist towelettes are stocked in the lavatories.

Before any meal, hot towels give passengers a chance to refresh.

On widebody aircraft, parents flying with an infant can pre-reserve a bassinet to use at selected seats in the cabin.

More information about flying Lufthansa with children.

While intra-European flights are almost always operated with narrow-body aircraft and economy class-style seats with the centre seat blocked, Lufthansa deserves credit for its consistent inflight service. New Lufthansa menus offer Business Class passengers on short- and medium-haul flights Tasting HEIMAT – a rotation of classic German cuisine from six different German cities, accompanied by a curated choice of excellent wines. Special meals and children's meals are available to order up to 24 hours before departure on flights of more than 75 minutes duration.

The airline offers an open bar, including a choice of red or white wine, sparkling wine or beer, and a decent cocktail selection. Juices, soft drinks and still or sparkling water round out the choice. Aisle carts deliver service, but it is usually quite attentive and friendly.

Lufthansa has introduced new in-flight entertainment options for passengers on short and medium-haul flights.

Through the FlyNet® Wi-Fi portal, passengers can now enjoy unlimited access to approximately 45 well-known German and English-language magazines on their personal electronic devices. This service is also available on long-haul flights, featuring the new Allegris cabin and an enhanced in-flight entertainment system across all travel classes. For the first time, digital magazines can be read on seat monitors in all classes. Additionally, passengers can still download a selection of eJournals before their flight and throughout their journey, based on their travel class and Miles & More status. They have a choice of around 1,600 titles in 40 languages. On European flights, passengers can now enjoy a new selection of podcasts via the FlyNet® portal, featuring a variety of genres such as business, travel, science, and entertainment, available in both German and English, free of charge.

Read the BusinessClass.com review of Lufthansa Business Class

Details about the Lufhansa Business Class experience on short and medium-haul routes.

Like other airlines, Lufthansa places a strong focus on being environmentally responsible. It offers a carbon neutral option where travellers can offset the environmental impact of their flight by paying a small fee. The airline is also investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft and operational measures on the ground and in the air.

Recycling programs in the lounges and onboard its flights continue the same theme. Catering products use sustainable materials with a focus on reducing waste. Lufthansa is also using one of its aircraft to help collect environmental data for climate research.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on CO2 emissions for each flight. Our quality algorithms also give a higher score to flights operated by the most modern and environmentally friendly aircraft.