World’s first nine-class plane unveiled, with the best first class yet

Does Lufthansa feature in your travel plans for anything other than trips to Germany? Thought not. But you might want to think again. The German flag carrier, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this month, has just launched the world’s first jet with nine seating classes to choose from. I got a sneak peek at its new Airbus A350 at Munich Airport, and was impressed by the innovations – especially at the pointy end of the plane.

The first thing I saw when I walked on board past the iconic crane logo, designed by Otto Firle in 1918, was the Allegris first class. There are just three suites across the cabin, making it the most exclusive first class in the sky. Its closest rival, Air France, has four separate seats in its La Première cabin. (Etihad also has its Residence class, which is just a single, three-room suite, but it’s technically a level above first class.)

The Allegris First Class suites are elegantly minimalist, with blue leather and fabrics offset with back-lit blond wood finishes and gold accents. They come with 91-centimetre-wide seats which recline into 210-centimetre-long beds. Each suite has sliding shutter doors which are high but, irritatingly, don’t quite reach the ceiling, as the walls on Emirates first class suites do on its Boeing 777 jets. The doors are light and made of sturdy fabric which means they won’t rattle when the plane hits turbulence – a common problem with heavier plastic doors.

Big-screen TVs and heated seats

There’s in-suite stowage for hand luggage, which means there are no overhead bins which creates high ceilings. The TV screen is as big as you’ll find at home – up to 43 inches (109 centimetres) on the diagonal – and there’s an ottoman with a seatbelt so couples can comfortably dine together.

The mood lighting and temperature is controlled by an iPad, including for the first time on any carrier the temperature of the upholstery. On the inside of the closet door is a near full length mirror.

The central suite, First Class Plus, has even more space. It has two adjacent seats with no divider, nor a large gap between the seats, which recline to become the biggest double bed on a commercial jet – 183-centimetres-long and more than 120 centimetres wide.

Until Qatar Airways, Emirates and Singapore Airlines unveil their new first class for their hangar-fresh Boeing 777X jets, this is – overall – the best first class in the sky.

Like the Allegris first class, the seats in business class also have upholstery heating and cooling technology, and there are four seat options, more than on any other carrier. The front-row suites have no seats in front of them so have more space and storage, as well as higher walls for greater privacy.

Some seats are centrally located in the cabin with no seat on either side and larger table space. These “thrones” are ideal for working. If you want to sleep, some of the seats recline to create an extra-long single bed – 218 centimetres versus the 198 in the regular suite. That’s longer than first class on most carriers. The remaining business class seats are regular seats either on the aisle or by the window.

All premium economy-class seats are similar and come with a stylish blue fabric and faux wood finish, and have partitions at head height for extra privacy. Unusually, the shell of the seat is fixed which means the upholstery slumps down forwards when you recline, but the seat-back does not angle back into the face of the person sitting behind you. This is great for those who hate it when the person in front sits back, particularly on a long day flight, but it remains to be seen whether it will be as comfortable for sleeping.

The front row of economy is a new class because not only does it have extra legroom, but also your TV screen is on the back of the last row of premium economy seats in front of you which means it is 15.6 inches (39.6 centimetres) on the diagonal, 25 per cent larger than the usual economy screen. There are four rows of extra legroom economy seats on the new A350s, with 6.9 more centimetres. For the first time on a major European carrier, you can book the adjacent seat to create extra room. This effectively takes the different seat options you have on the jet to nine.

Class war

Critics say that offering so many classes – each of which comes at a slightly different price – is bamboozling. I disagree. Frequent flyers are incredibly fussy and like to choose “their” seat, whatever their preference may be. Now they – we – have more choice than ever.

Lufthansa uses its latest jets with the new cabins to fly from Frankfurt or Munich to Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok, Shanghai, Beijing, Cape Town and Johannesburg. They are a great alternative to flying via Turkey or the Gulf. Shop around and they can be cheaper than the Gulf carriers too. The airline has a joint venture with Singapore Airlines, making for easy connections in Singapore for travellers from Australia.

Still not convinced to go German? Try this. You can fly the Queen of the Skies. Lufthansa is the only major European airline committed to flying the beloved and iconic 747 jumbo. Its 27-strong 747 fleet is being refurbished to include all Lufthansa’s latest seats, including business class upstairs in the “bubble”. Catch it while you can.

The Telegraph, London