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When Lufthansa unveiled its new Allegris cabins in 2023, the airline promised a fresh take on long-haul travel. But, instead of a single type of business class seat, Allegris offers five different options — from extra-long beds to enclosed suites — all on the same aircraft. The idea was to let travelers choose the experience that best fits their preferences.
But here’s the catch: that choice doesn’t come free. Even if you book Lufthansa Allegris using points and miles, you may be surprised to find that you can’t simply pick the seat you want without paying extra.
I found this out firsthand when I booked a Lufthansa Allegris business class award. Here’s what you need to know about selecting Lufthansa Allegris seats — so you don't get stuck in a “Classic Seat.”
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Picking an Allegris Business Class Seat on Lufthansa Is Costly — Even on Award Bookings
Lufthansa’s best business class cabins have been flying on a small subset of its Airbus A350-900 fleet for nearly two years, primarily out of its hub at Munich International Airport (MUC). The cabins are officially known as “Lufthansa Allegris,” but the airline sometimes just refers to them more simply as its “new seat concept.”
And what a concept it is. These cabins are unique to Lufthansa and feature five (yes, five) different types of business class seats. Having just flown one long-haul, I can say it was mostly a fantastic way to cross the pond.
But after booking this Lufthansa Allegris business class award from Munich (MUC) to Charlotte (CLT) using Air Canada Aeroplan points, I was quickly reminded that simply booking business class doesn’t guarantee you the option to pick anything other than a “Classic Seat.”
To put it bluntly, the Classic Seat offers the least amount of privacy and is the closest to the aisle.
And to pick anything other than a Classic Seat, you'll need to be a Miles & More HON Circle or Senator member. Otherwise, you'll need to break out your wallet — or roll the dice to see what you're assigned at check-in.
What Does It Cost to Pick an Allegris Business Class Seat?
Unfortunately, paying for the seat you want is not exactly cheap either. On the Munich to Charlotte flight in particular, here's what it cost to pick something other than the Classic Seat I was ultimately assigned at check-in:
- Business Suite: $750 Canadian Dollars (~$545 USD)
- Extra Space Seat: $255 Canadian Dollars (~$185 USD)
- Privacy Seat: $210 Canadian Dollars (~$153 USD)
- Extra Long Bed: $210 Canadian Dollars (~$153 USD)
- Classic Seat: Free of charge
Note that the cost seemed to be listed in Canadian Dollars as I booked through Air Canada Aeroplan.
Can you see the seat selection fees in advance of booking? Maybe. Lufthansa used to publish a fee table for selecting Allegris seats on its website. However, that page has since been removed.
In my opinion, $200+ was too steep a price to pay on top of the miles redeemed to book the flight. Plus, it would've cost double since I was traveling with a companion.
So, I followed advice I'd read elsewhere to hold off until 30 hours before departure when check-in opened, as this was allegedly when Lufthansa released seats for free selection.
But that never happened, though. I was assigned a Classic Seat at check-in. Meanwhile, my wife was assigned an Extra Long Bed seat across the aisle. And there was no option to switch at any point without paying up.
Seat selection pricing never changed, either
From the time I booked in early August until just a few hours before departure (when the seat map locked), the fees to select a non-Classic seat never changed. What's more, the Allegris business class cabin still departed half empty.
Once in the air, the flight attendants graciously allowed passengers to move around, as long as it didn't involve moving into a Business Suite — the only seat type with sliding doors and a taller privacy divider…
…or into an Extra Space Seat, which came with the largest in-flight entertainment screen I have ever seen on a plane.
But since a few of the paid seats weren’t fully operational due to issues with the reclining function, we decided to stick the flight out in our originally assigned seats. They were perfectly fine for a daytime flight between Europe and the U.S., though it’s hard to deny that a little extra privacy would’ve been nice.
Bottom Line
If flying Lufthansa’s new Allegris business class cabins is on your award travel bucket list, I’d definitely recommend finding a way to check it off. However, realize that not all Lufthansa Allegris seats are the same. Instead, there are five different business class seat types on the same aircraft. And unless you have Miles & More elite status or are willing to pay, you risk ending up in a Classic Seat.
While a “Classic Seat” doesn't sound bad, note that these seats have very little privacy, the headrest is uncomfortably close to the Privacy Seat in front, and the partition is low enough that tall passengers have a nearly unobstructed view of your neighbor’s in-flight entertainment screen.
All that said, Lufthansa Allegris is a nice way to cross the Atlantic, but go in with the right expectations. Booking business class with points doesn’t guarantee you the best seat. And, unless you’re willing to pay extra, you should be ready to fly in a Classic Seat.
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