OREANDA-NEWS. Thirty-five years after the introduction of its Business Class, Lufthansa is once again offering passengers a new travel class, which can now be experienced for the first time on selected routes from Munich. Initially, the new Premium Economy Class service will be offered on flights to Tokyo Haneda, Hong Kong and Shanghai. In mid-February, it will be extended to flights to Seoul. Additional destinations will be served from Munich in the summer, once more Airbus 340-600 aircraft have been refitted. “The new Premium Economy Class offers significantly more space, comfort and many added benefits. To date, booking levels have significantly exceeded our expectations. That shows that we are meeting the requirements of many business and leisure travelers,” says Thomas Klühr, member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board, Finances & Hub Munich. In terms of price, the average Premium Economy fare is closer to the Economy fare than to the Business Class fare. The new travel class is currently being rolled out across Lufthansa’s long-haul fleet.

50 per cent more room and German engineering

The new Premium Economy seats were designed in cooperation with müller/romca Industrial Design in Kiel and produced by ZIM Flugsitz, an airline seat manufacturer based near Lake Constance. Depending on the aircraft type, the new seats are up to three centimeters (just over an inch) wider than in the normal Economy Class. Each has its own, broad armrest, which allows for greater privacy and in total provides about 10 cm (4 inches) more space at the side. The back rest has ample recline, while the seat pitch of 97 cm (38 inches) is almost 17 cm greater than in Economy Class, which means that passengers have about 50 percent more room. The head rests can be adjusted continuously and the side wings pivoted for added comfort and support. From the second row back, the seats have height-adjustable foot rests to provide extra comfort. For technical reasons, a padded front leg rest is built into the first row of seats. Practical features around the seat, including a bottle holder, a power socket and plenty of storage space for personal items, also help to ensure a relaxed journey.

Additional services for Premium Economy passengers 

Passengers travelling in Premium Economy Class can check in two bags, each weighing up to 23 kg, free of charge, which is twice the allowance in Economy Class. For an extra 25 euros, they can also enjoy the comfortable amenities provided in the Lufthansa Business Lounges. Previously lounges could only be accessed by status customers and were not available to other passengers on a pay-per-use basis. Check-in and boarding procedures as well as hand luggage restrictions are same as for Economy Class.On board, an enhanced service awaits Premium Economy passengers. They are greeted with a welcome drink at their seat, where they will also find a bottle of water and a top-quality amenity kit with practical travel accessories. Meals can be selected from a dedicated menu and are served on porcelain tableware, in keeping with the new travel class. Passengers can navigate the extensive in-flight entertainment program using their own touch screen monitor built into the seat in front. Alternatively, they can use the remote control, which doubles as a controller for computer games. The monitor, with an eleven or twelve inch screen depending on the aircraft type, is at least two inches larger than the monitor in Economy Class. A wide range of newspapers and magazines complete the in-flight entertainment offering.  The new Premium Economy Class fares are closer to the fares in Economy Class than to those in Business Class. The upgrade for a round-trip flight across the North Atlantic or to Asia varies according to the length of the route, but on average is about 600 euros. Fares to Shanghai, for instance, start at 1,419 euros. Passengers travelling to Tokyo Haneda can enjoy the new travel experience for as little as 1,819 euros. Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Communications Lufthansa German Airlines Southern Germany