The skies keep getting more and more comfortable: The new Lufthansa Business Class seat, which was revealed to the public yesterday, has a full-flat, horizontal sleeping surface measuring 6.5 feet in length. The seat converts quickly to a bed and has additional storage space and an enhanced entertainment system. In a few weeks’ time, when the new Lufthansa Jumbo—the Boeing 747-8—enters scheduled service, passengers will have their first opportunity to try out Lufthansa’s new Business Class cabin.
Back in 2007, Lufthansa conducted a survey of more than 500 frequent flyers in order to find out their preferences and their requirements of a Business Class seat. Once the survey results were reviewed, the airline moved on to the next phase and developed various concepts with the aid of ergonomics experts, designers and seat manufacturers. In 2010, an eight-week trial was conducted on the Frankfurt-New York-Frankfurt route. In all, 1,349 passengers and a test crew evaluated the prototype on flights LH 400 and LH 401 in terms of comfort, ease of use and technical stability.
Other perks of the seat include ergonomically improved cushioning for comfort whether sitting or lying down, as well as adjustable armrests that provide more space in the shoulder area when horizontal. Positions can be adjusted individually and continuously without the need for the passenger to stand up. Additionally, each passenger has more surfaces to place their personal items and additional storage compartments on the actual seat.
Another new feature is the seating arrangement in the form of a “V.” Two neighboring seats are angled towards one another along a central axis. This solution enabled the airline to meet one of the main wishes expressed by customers: to sit or lie facing the direction of travel. This seating arrangement also enabled Lufthansa to virtually double the distance between two neighboring seats at shoulder level, which will give Business Class passengers greater privacy.
The new Business Class seat is a major component of Lufthansa’s largest investment to date in its inflight product. Over the next few years, some $4 billion will be channeled into product improvements for passengers. Retrofitting Lufthansa’s entire long-haul fleet of more than 100 aircraft is expected to take four years.