Lufthansa is finally selling its complex Boeing 787 business class seats after a certification debacle

"Lufthansa can finally start making money on its Boeing 787 Dreamliners after a certification debacle left one of its most lucrative cabins largely empty for months. The German flag carrier said on Monday that it will begin selling tickets for its Allegris business class on the 787. Allegris, Lufthansa's signature cabin concept, spans economy, premium economy, business, and first class, but the business class rollout has been particularly tricky."

"The first Allegris-equipped 787 followed in October 2025, but certification of business class dragged on due to the cabin's complexity: there are five staggered seat configurations in a single airplane cabin - some with doors or more legroom, others with extra-long beds. This is because the Dreamliner's geometry - including a slightly tighter usable footprint and different fuselage contouring compared to the A350 - made it harder to demonstrate to regulators that passengers could evacuate quickly from every seat, whether staggered, partially enclosed, or fully cocooned, in an emergency."

"The result? For months, only four of the 28 business class seats could be sold - the front-row Business Class Suites - leaving the remaining 24 empty. Business class is a cash cow for airlines, and by flying most of the cabin empty as competitors pour investments into their own premium seats, Lufthansa was essentially leaving money on the table."

Lufthansa will begin selling Allegris business-class tickets on its Boeing 787 after a prolonged certification delay. The Allegris cabin first entered service on the A350 in May 2024 and reached the 787 in October 2025, but business-class certification lagged because the cabin includes five staggered seat configurations with varying levels of enclosure and bed length. The Dreamliner’s fuselage shape and slightly tighter usable footprint made evacuation demonstrations to regulators harder. For months only four of 28 business-class seats were sellable, leaving 24 seats empty and costing the airline significant revenue during its multi-year turnaround. Lufthansa expects to raise sellable 787 business seats to 25 by mid-April.

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