On 5 March, at the ITB trade fair in Berlin, Lufthansa made official a small revolution that is set to attract many business travellers. For the first time in almost 35 years, the German airline is introducing a new travel class, Premium Economy, designed to combine comfort and economy. The new seats in this hybrid between economy and business classes will take to the skies from November 2014. They will gradually be introduced throughout the long-haul fleet by summer 2015, with 21 to 52 seats per aircraft, starting with the Boeing 747-8.
In concrete terms, passengers will benefit from increased comfort - up to 50% of extra space - and various practical improvements including headrests, footrests, storage spaces and electrical sockets. In addition, Premium Economy passengers will be able to access the airline's business lounges for a supplement of €25, and their baggage allowance will be double that of Economy passengers.
This new travel class is part of a move upmarket initiated at the front of the aircraft by the German carrier: "Following the introduction of its new lie-flat seats in Business Class, Lufthansa has widened the gap between Economy and Business Class. As a result, there is now room for its new Economy Premium", said the airline's management at the presentation in Berlin. This "further step towards becoming a five-star airline" should attract "more than 1.5 million passengers a year", according to Jens Bischof, member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board responsible for Sales, Pro-Products and Marketing.
