Lufthansa will be the launch customer of the 777-9 in 2020.
While Lufthansa has opted to forgo first class on its new aircraft, also called the 777X, it will offer an updated business class product. Up until now, we’ve speculated about what it might look like…will Lufthansa once again roll out a business class product that is already outdated at the date of installation?
The wait is over, as Lufthansa revealed on Twitter two images from its new business class product.
I’d characterize Lufthansa’s new business class product as a slightly roomier United Polaris seat. The staggered configuration is similar, affording passengers much more privacy than the current seat plus direct aisle access. But unlike United’s seat, there are individual “throne” seats in the center section.
Count on these extremely spacious seats being reserved for Miles & More HON Circle members. Perhaps they will be available for a steep additional fee at check-in. Nevertheless, the seat looks remarkably better than the current business class, finally giving a Lufthansa a competitive business class hard product.
CONCLUSION
The new business class product looks great and I look forward to trying it…in a few years. For Lufthansa’s sake, I hope it remains competitive in 2020. In any case, it will be a step improvement over the current product.
(H/T: One Mile at a Time)
“also called the 777X”
Does X no longer mean 10?
The X was never supposed to stand for 10, it was just a notional designation for the next generation of the 777, which includes two aircraft models, the 777-8 and -9. I guess X was supposed to sound vaguely futuristic, and it also rhymes with “next.” This is a little like how Airbus designated the A380 as A3XX when it was in the early stages of conception and design.