Which Routes Feature Lufthansa First Class?

Lufthansa offers one of the best first class products across the Atlantic, and for that matter, it’s one of the best first class products between the United States and Europe that’s bookable with miles.

With the winter airline schedule officially kicking in as of the end of October, I wanted to recap which Lufthansa planes feature first class, which routes they fly, what to expect from the experience, and how to redeem miles for the product. There are a lot of seasonal changes coming to the aircraft and routes featuring first class, so let’s go over all those details.

Lufthansa planes with a first class cabin

Over the past several years, Lufthansa’s footprint of aircraft with first class cabins has shrunk considerably. This was already set in motion pre-pandemic, and was made worse by Lufthansa’s decision to ground so many aircraft. Fortunately we’re now seeing that trend reversed, as there’s a significant increase in the aircraft and routes featuring first class.

For the winter 2023/2024 season, you can expect first class to be available on three aircraft — the Boeing 747-8, Airbus A340-600, and Airbus A380. Specifically:

• Lufthansa has 19 Boeing 747-8s, which fly from Frankfurt to key, high yield, and high capacity markets; these will stay in Lufthansa’s fleet for years to come, and they’ll even be reconfigured with new cabins
• Lufthansa has brought back 10 Airbus A340-600s, which fly from both Frankfurt and Munich to key destinations where there’s demand for first class; expect these planes to only remain in Lufthansa’s fleet temporarily
• Lufthansa is bringing back eight Airbus A380s, which fly from Munich to key destinations where there’s significant premium cabin demand; these planes are coming back long term, and will even be reconfigured with new cabins

Lufthansa routes operated by Boeing 747-8s

For the winter 2023/2024 season, Lufthansa will operate Boeing 747-8s with first class exclusively out of Frankfurt. You can expect these planes to operate from Frankfurt to the following destinations:

• Buenos Aires (EZE) — on an ongoing basis
• Chicago (ORD) — on an ongoing basis
• Johannesburg (JNB) — on an ongoing basis
• Los Angeles (LAX) — on an ongoing basis
• Mexico City (MEX) — on an ongoing basis
• Miami (MIA) — on an ongoing basis
• Newark (EWR) — on an ongoing basis
• San Francisco (SFO) — on an ongoing basis
• Sao Paulo (GRU) — on an ongoing basis
• Shanghai (PVG) — on an ongoing basis
• Singapore (SIN) — on an ongoing basis
• Tokyo (HND) — on an ongoing basis
• Washington (IAD) — on an ongoing basis

Lufthansa routes operated by Airbus A340-600s

For the winter 2023/2024 season, Lufthansa will operate Airbus A340-600s with first class out of both Frankfurt and Munich. You can expect these planes to operate from Frankfurt to the following destinations:

• Bogota (BOG) — on an ongoing basis
• Chicago (ORD) — on an ongoing basis
• Hong Kong (HKG) — on an ongoing basis

You can expect these planes to operate from Munich to the following destinations:

• Boston (BOS) — on an ongoing basis
• Miami — as of January 1, 2024
• New York (JFK) — on an ongoing basis
• Newark (EWR) — on an ongoing basis

Lufthansa routes operated by Airbus A380

For the winter 2023/2024 season, Lufthansa will operate Airbus A380s with first class out of Munich. You can expect these planes to operate from Munich to the following destinations:

• Bangkok (BKK) — on an ongoing basis
• Los Angeles (LAX) — on an ongoing basis

Those are the first two routes to see the return of the A380. However, with at least four A380s returning to Lufthansa’s fleet in 2023, you can expect two more routes to get these planes. I’d guess that Los Angeles and/or San Francisco are the most likely markets to see this service.

What about Lufthansa’s new first class product?

Lufthansa has announced its new Allegris premium cabin products, including all new first and business class seats. So, when can we expect to see these products rolled out?

Lufthansa’s new Allegris business class was supposed to debut as of late 2023 on newly delivered 787-9s, and as of early 2024 on newly delivered A350-900s. Unfortunately this product has now been delayed until 2024, due to supply chain issues. Also, don’t expect any existing aircraft to be reconfigured with these seats in the coming years.

Lufthansa’s new Allegris first class was supposed to roll out in early 2024, on newly delivered Munich-based Airbus A350-900s. Unfortunately this product has also been delayed, and there’s no real timeline for when it will be introduced. Over the coming years, you can expect at least 10 A350s to feature these cabins, though we don’t yet know on which routes they will operate. Also keep in mind that the new first class will represent a massive capacity reduction, as there will be a single row of first class seats.

What to expect from Lufthansa first class

Lufthansa offers a solid first class experience on its Boeing 747-8. When departing Frankfurt, the awesome experience starts on the ground, as you can use Lufthansa’s incredible First Class Terminal.

While there, don’t forget to pick up your duck, since that’s always a fun feature of Lufthansa first class.

From there you’ll be driven across the apron to your plane, which sure is a treat.

Lufthansa’s 747-8 first class cabin features a total of eight seats, spread across three rows. There are three rows of single seats on each side, and then in the third row there’s a pair of seats in the middle. With so many airlines retiring the 747, it’s such a treat to be able to sit in the nose of the queen of the skies!

Lufthansa’s inflight catering in first class is generally great as well, with a caviar service to start, along with a variety of appetizers, main courses, and desserts.

While Lufthansa’s inflight entertainment selection is just okay, the airline does have inflight Wi-Fi, and first class passengers even receive a voucher for complimentary access.

I’ve found service in Lufthansa first class to be pretty consistently excellent, and to strike the right balance between being professional and personable.

Lufthansa’s A340-600 first class and Airbus A380 first class also consists of eight seats, but the seats are instead spread across two rows in a 1-2-1 configuration. The Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich is also pretty awesome, and in many ways I prefer it to the Frankfurt lounge.

How to redeem miles for Lufthansa first class

You can redeem miles from all kinds of Star Alliance airlines for travel in Lufthansa first class. I’d note that generally Lufthansa makes first class award seats available to members of partner airline frequent flyer programs at most 15 days before departure.

The good news is that Lufthansa pretty reliably opens up these seats as the departure date approaches, assuming there are empty seats (this might not be 15 days out, but rather more often than not will be in the days leading up to departure).

So, what are the best programs for booking Lufthansa first class? Here are some popular options that partner with transferable points currencies, with pricing listed for one-way travel between the United States and Europe:

• The Avianca LifeMiles program charges 87,000 miles
• The Air Canada Aeroplan program charges 100,000 points (for up to 6,000 miles of travel)
• The United MileagePlus program charges 121,000 miles

None of those programs have carrier imposed surcharges on these awards, which is why I’m highlighting them.

Bottom line

Lufthansa’s first class footprint has increased very nicely. For the winter 2023/2024 schedule, you can expect to find first class on Boeing 747-8s and Airbus A340-600s based in Frankfurt, and on Airbus A340-600s and Airbus A380s based in Munich.

Hopefully 2024 is the year in which we’ll see the introduction of Lufthansa’s new first class product on select newly delivered Airbus A350-900s based in Munich. Then again, it’s likely that there won’t be many opportunities to redeem miles for it.

Hopefully the above is a useful summary of which routes you’ll find these planes on, what to expect, and how to redeem miles for the experience.

Any other questions about Lufthansa first class that I missed?