A big upgrade is coming for a big airplane.<\/p>\n
Lufthansa on Friday confirmed details surrounding its plan to replace the outdated business-class cabins on its double-decker Airbus A380 jets.<\/p>\n
The retrofit will see the airline lose its current 2-2-2 configuration of business-class seats in favor of a 1-2-1 layout, bringing the fleet more in line with the current industry standard. The new seats will feature Bluetooth connectivity and flexible partitions.<\/p>\n
There are two catches, though: Lufthansa won’t install its flagship “Allegris” business-class cabins<\/a> on the superjumbo jets. Instead, the Munich-based airline plans to use a preexisting product from seatmaker Thompson, with slight customizations. Additionally, in order to give each business class seat direct access to the aisles, Lufthansa will shrink the cabin from 78 seats to 68.<\/p>\n Still, the new seats are likely to be a welcome improvement over the older product. They also come on top of a major reversal of fortunes for the palatial<\/a> plane. While Lufthansa announced plans to retire the A380 during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline returned it to service in the summer of 2023<\/a> amid a surge in pent-up travel demand as pandemic restrictions lifted.<\/p>\n While the return of the A380 was initially planned as a temporary measure while Lufthansa awaited certification and delivery of Boeing’s next generation 777-9 jet, ongoing rolling delays in that program have meant an evident extension for the A380, of which Lufthansa currently flies eight.<\/p>\n Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter<\/p>\n Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG\u2019s experts<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"\/images\/EmailSignUp\/daily-mob.svg\"\/)
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