Lufthansa not at all Allegris. new cabins postponed until mid-2024, but it gets worse
Last July I had moved two flights in order to be present at the Italian presentation of the new cabins in [...].
Lufthansa
Star Alliance
Last July I had moved two flights just to be there. at Italian presentation of the new booths about to be installed on Lufthansa's new (and old) planes, Italy had been the only non-core nation where the showroom truck had arrived: from economy to new first.
In this article:
Yet another delay
The German company risks going down in history as the worst product launch debacle in aviation history-perhaps only Boeing with the 777x can do worse-but we're talking about a plane versus an armchair. First introduced in 2017, postponed for covid. Re-presented in a big way in early 2023, until this summer's announcement: the first planes would arrive by late November, early December 2023.
Then a first problem: Delays in delivery of cabins of first, so an initial suggestion of flying the planes without a piece of the cabin. Then a total setback with the announcement that the new cabins will Would have debuted by spring 2024.
Now that we are at the end of 2023 comes the announcement, right on the occasion of the release of the record quarterly numbers just announced. The first A350s and Dreamliners with the new cabins will (perhaps) arrive later this summer, not earlier.
The 747/8 problem
Lufthansa, since it unveiled the new cabins called Allegris, has always said that in addition to being installed on the entire new fleet, it would bring the new products on board part of the fleet currently in service, starting with the iconic aircraft namely the Queen of Skies.
LH is the launch customer and the world's largest user of 747/8, the largest version of Boeing's Jumbo ever produced.
As the Aerotelegraph article states. there is a huge problem, or the weight of new products in comparison with Those currently installed aboard the Jumbo.
According to the article, Lufthansa has reportedly discovered that Allegris seats are too heavy and considered equipping 747/8 with the new Business Class only in the lower deck.
The new First Class will not be installed at all, and the upper deck will continue to be configured with the current Business Class product.
According to current plans, Lufthansa's 747/8. Will operate with a hybrid cabin for two years. This means that for the time being the Allegris product will only be installed in the "Main Deck," which is the lower passenger deck of the aircraft. In the first phase there will be a new business class, a new premium economy class, and a new economy class.
But for the time being, First Class in the front of the lower deck remains the same. So after a whole year spent advertising new cabins and even creating road shows, Lufthansa will have nothing to show.
This is no small problem, as the increased weight at the front can cause the aircraft's center of gravity to shift and distribute too much weight across the nose of the aircraft. To avoid this, 700 kilograms of additional weight, in the form of ballast, would have to be carried in the rear after the installation of the first Allegris seats. After a complete renovation, including the first class and upper deck, the problem may worsen, and the front area will no longer be able to carry cargo.
Problems also on A350s
Exacerbating the situation, again according to the article on the German specialized site, would be thehe complex situation of reconfiguring the A350s currently in the fleet and particularly in the installation of the revolutionary first-class cabin. A mini apartment.
In conclusion
The now former #1 of Qatar Al Baker had literally made fun of the Lufthansa CEO. after the launch of the Allegris cabins, but in hindsight it seems he was right on the money. Delayed product, installation problems, extra costs and lost revenues all before even flying once. No, there is nothing to be Allegris in Lufthansa right now.
