Lufthansa's "super" first class: here's our reader's review

It is still six hours and nineteen minutes until we arrive in Chicago. I see it indicated on the world map that takes up the entire screen of my First Class suite, and I struggle to convince myself that this is real.

After being among the first passengers to try the new Allegris Business Suite on a flight to Toronto last year, today I find myself in the cabin that is the flagship of the Lufthansa redesign.

But to understand how I got there, we need to take a step back.

Thus begins Stan's narrative, our first-time reader/friend who has already shared several of his journeys with us. Some beautiful others definitely more eventful. And of course his story immediately enters the roll of the reviews by our readers. Here is the full story.

A few weeks ago I decide to give myself an early Christmas present. I find a Business Class ticket from Munich to Chicago at a simply unbeatable price, one thousand two hundred euros, to fly on the A350 with the new Allegris configuration, this configuration has been absurdly priced since it came into service, making it an impractical choice for business travel and ordinary people.

After booking, in the following days the Lufthansa app started offering me an upgrade to First Class at almost five thousand euros.

Temptation rejected, of course, although this confirmed something fundamental for me. There was still availability on board.

Upon my arrival in Munich, I tried to Make an upgrade using eVouchers. Nothing to do. Every operator found the same error. It seems that my particularly discounted rate blocks any cabin hopping. At that point I resign myself.

But when I arrive at the gate, now with boarding almost complete, I try my luck again by asking the attendant. A quick phone call, a few minutes of waiting to check my status, and the answer I never expected. Yes, we can do that. Two vouchers and you realize every frequent flyer's forbidden dream, flying First Class.

I am offered not a regular cabin, but the Suite for two.

The impact with the suite is simply impressive. It is a true cabin within a cabin, an enclosed space about eight by eight feet, carved out inside the fuselage.

The idea is that of a small private lounge, like having four seats of a railroad car arranged front and back, completely separated from the rest of the plane.

A forty-three-inch television set dominates the center, flanked by two tablets that manage virtually every possible function, from lights to temperature, from entertainment to the position of the settees (forget the classic seats used by all the other passengers)

In the first few minutes after boarding, there is a veritable procession of stewardesses and stewards.

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Bluetooth headphones arrive, the First Class kit.

The pajamas, slippers, welcome cocktail and refreshing towels.

The first impact is one of pure amazement; you begin to feel everything. Then, inevitably, the first youthful flaws of this futuristic cabin also emerge.

The first is about location:

The suite has no windows. No outward visual reference. This causes the aircraft's gyrations and descents to be perceived much more strongly, especially in the first few minutes after takeoff.

Those suffering from nausea or motion sickness should take this into account, because the sensation can be amplified compared to a traditional seat.

It is a spectacular cabin, but is not a cabin designed for "boomers" although I doubt that many young people will have the finances to fly there.

Almost everything is controlled only by tablet make the experience unintuitive, even such mundane actions as buckling your seatbelt, opening the table or turning on the TV require you to know where to put your hands, literally.

I am not ashamed to say that I watched the five-minute training video, I who have never read an instruction manual in my life and I think I am a early adopter of any electronic gadget.

Fortunately the crew is always present and available, although on my flight even a stewardess had to sit next to me to understand some settings.

I trivially just wanted to display on the big screen the images of the aircraft's exterior cameras, which on the new A350 are as many as five and include side views, but apparently in the dual suite this feature is not available. (Incredibly, this is the same thing that is Happened to the homeless man when he flew Allegris)

The suite, as the cabin manager confirms to me, is designed for single passengers or very close couples. This is because control of the systems is shared and only one person at a time can manage the settings.

The bed becomes a full-fledged double bed, But with an important clarification. There are two mattresses and they remain separate so that both can be belted in even when lying down in case of turbulence. However, there is no option to configure a single bed only.

The couple must do everything together. Either two people sleep or two people stay awake.

I was able to work for about three hours on the computer on a desk-sized table, very stable. A voucher is included to have internet for the entire flight, but performance is far from Starlink levels. 1mb download and upload, still allowed me to participate in a long meeting on Team. Of course, I had only activated video.

Sleeping in this suite is an almost cinematic experience. I felt like an astronaut in a science fiction movie. In the middle of the night, you just touch one of the displays and the cabin lights up showing controls, lights, cameras, position and remaining flight time. It is an alienating feeling, far removed from the traditional concept of air travel.

Kudos go to the seat temperature management. When sitting it seems like a marginal detail, but when sleeping it makes a difference. Often on an airplane you get too hot. Here, a simple tap on the display activates the cooling function. After a few seconds and a few too many buzzes, you start to feel the coolness coming directly from the mattress pad. The bed is complemented by a top-quality comforter, and for the chilly, an additional furry blanket is also available.

However, there is no shortage of flaws. As I slept, I noticed a side air passage slit with slanted slats, which lets in light from the opposite suite across the hall.

In some conditions you can even peek out, and any light that is on is annoying because it ends up directly in your face. Not the best of privacy for a First Class that makes total separation one of its strengths.

Chapter bathroom. Ihe toilet suffers from the usual problem I notice on almost every aircraft, whether Boeing or Airbus. The toilet shaft does not stay in the high position And it tends to fall back. I sincerely wonder what is so complicated about designing an axle that locks properly in place. A trivial detail, but one that is jarring in a very high-level context.

Unfortunately, there is a lack of scents as is the case on Air France flights, but otherwise there is everything needed for care and beauty.

The catering was up to the mark. I chose pata negra ham as an appetizer, a filet with potatoes au gratin as a main course, and, to close, a Magnum ice cream "borrowed" from Business Class. Impeccable service.

I close by thanking the company. This year Lufthansa accompanied me around the world on about a hundred flights. Sometimes traveling becomes a nightmare, other times it still manages to surprise you. This, without a doubt, was the best Christmas present I could have received.

Is it worth 8,000 euros ? In my opinion no, but those who choose this cabin do so to have the privacy of not having to meet other travelers.