The FINANCIAL — The retrofitting of Lufthansa’s new Premium Economy on the airline’s fleet is on schedule. Today, experts from Lufthansa Technik have completed the installation of Premium Economy class seats in an Airbus A340-300 with the registration D-AIGO.
Thus, a total of 53 aircraft now offer the popular extra comfort in Economy Class on approximately 2,000 new, well-equipped seats. Passengers can thus already enjoy the airline’s new travel class on half of all long-haul jets, according to Lufthansa.
The retrofit order is carried out according to the type of aircraft. Therefore, all Boeing 747-8 and Airbus A380 aircraft on routes from the Frankfurt hub already have Premium Economy on board. A total of 15 of the Airbus A340-600 aircraft stationed in Munich and both A340-300 aircraft in Dusseldorf also feature the new seats.
Thus, Lufthansa jets are already flying to the 33 most important long-haul airports with Premium Economy on board. The destinations include New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Sao Paolo, Beijing, Singapore and Hong Kong. The first customer ratings for the latest class show a high level of satisfaction – the seating comfort, the service and the excellent value for money are praised in particular.
The remaining aircraft of the type Airbus A330-300, A340-300, A340-600 and Boeing 747-400 will be retrofitted in the coming weeks. The retrofitting is expected to be completed in autumn 2015.
On the new Premium Economy Class:
The seat is up to three centimetres wider depending on the type of aircraft. In addition, the separate wide armrest for each seat and the centre console between the seats ensure extra privacy and thus a total of about 10 centimetres more space to the side. The backrest can be tilted further back and the seat spacing is much more generous at 38 inches or 97 centimetres. Thus, personal space has increased by about half compared to Economy Class. The adjustable headrest can be folded at the sides and gives comfortable support. Height adjustable footrests from the second row and – for design reasons – leg supports with integrated footrest in the front row provide additional comfort. With two pieces of luggage up to 23 kg, each passenger has twice as much free baggage allowance as in Economy Class. For a surcharge of 25 euros, passengers also have the opportunity to enjoy the amenities of many Lufthansa Business Lounges before their flight. Access to the Welcome Lounge in Frankfurt is possible for a fee of 50 euros. The check-in and boarding process and the hand baggage regulations are similar to those in Economy Class.
On board, Premium Economy passengers can expect an upgraded service: Passengers can control the extensive in-flight entertainment programme using their own touch-screen with a screen size from 11 to 12 inches (28 to 30 centimetres). In addition, each seat offers a USB port and an electrical outlet so passengers can use their own devices. A diverse selection of newspapers and magazines complements the entertainment programme.
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