Lufthansa First Class (2026): The Allegris First Routes, First vs Business, and the One Program That Books It
Two first classes under one name: the new Allegris suites on a handful of Munich A350s, the 2012-era cabin everywhere else, and an award door that has narrowed to a single program.
By Biirdee Travel, Luxury Travel Concierge · Updated September 23, 2026
The Short Answer
Lufthansa sells two different first classes in 2026. Allegris First, the new one, flies only on a handful of Munich A350-900s, and the desk library's September 2026 list puts it on San Francisco, Chicago, New York JFK, San Diego and Mumbai, with Singapore joining in October 2026. From the US that is four cities: San Francisco, Chicago, New York JFK and San Diego.
Everything else is the earlier generation. Our desk has ticketed that first class on Frankfurt flights to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami, and on Munich flights to Miami and Boston. The desk's aircraft notes are plain about the Frankfurt 747-8: its first class stays 2012-era until about 2027 or 2028, so it sells as the flagship without being the new product.
The bigger change is how you book it. Since about June 2026, Lufthansa has released no first class award space to partner programs, so Miles & More is effectively the only way to use miles for it, per the desk library. Our own ledger shows the shift: 41 of the 43 Lufthansa First awards our desk ticketed used Miles & More, and the last one booked through Air Canada Aeroplan departed in September 2025.
Key Takeaways
- Allegris First flies from Munich on the A350-900 to San Francisco, Chicago, New York JFK, San Diego and Mumbai, plus Singapore from October 2026, per the desk library.
- From the US, that is San Francisco, Chicago, New York JFK and San Diego. Lufthansa First on any other US route is the earlier generation.
- Book the aircraft, not the route: Allegris First is specific to the Munich A350s, so an aircraft swap removes it, and Frankfurt still flies plenty of the older product.
- Miles & More is effectively the only program with Lufthansa First award space since about June 2026; 41 of our desk's 43 Lufthansa First awards used it.
- No US bank points transfer to Miles & More, so the door is open mainly to travelers who already hold the miles.
Every Lufthansa First Class Route in Our Data
The desk library's Allegris First routes, Singapore's start date, and the routes where our desk has ticketed the earlier-generation first class. Schedule confirmed between 1 and 2 September 2026.
| Route | Cabin | Distance | Est. flight time | Status | First-party evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco–Munich | Allegris First (A350-900) | 9,437 km | 12h 1m | Flagship route | Desk library; Ticketed by Biirdee |
| Chicago–Munich | Allegris First (A350-900) | 7,270 km | 9h 22m | Flagship route | Desk library |
| New York JFK–Munich | Allegris First (A350-900) | 6,481 km | 8h 24m | Flagship route | Desk library |
| San Diego–Munich | Allegris First (A350-900) | 9,673 km | 12h 18m | Flagship route | Desk library |
| Munich–Mumbai | Allegris First (A350-900) | 6,312 km | 8h 12m | Flagship route | Desk library |
| Munich–Singapore | Allegris First (A350-900) | 10,058 km | 12h 46m | From October 2026 | Desk library |
| San Francisco–Frankfurt | First (earlier generation) | 9,149 km | 11h 39m | Seen in our data | Ticketed by Biirdee |
| Los Angeles–Frankfurt | First (747-8) | 9,322 km | 11h 52m | Seen in our data | Ticketed by Biirdee |
| Miami–Frankfurt | First (earlier generation) | 7,764 km | 9h 58m | Seen in our data | Ticketed by Biirdee |
| Miami–Munich | First (earlier generation) | 8,043 km | 10h 19m | Seen in our data | Ticketed by Biirdee |
| Boston–Munich | First (earlier generation) | 6,181 km | 8h 2m | Seen in our data | Ticketed by Biirdee |
Lufthansa First vs Lufthansa Business
What each cabin looks like in 2026, per the desk library (September 2026).
| First | Business | |
|---|---|---|
| The new product | Allegris First on Munich A350-900s: San Francisco, Chicago, New York JFK, San Diego and Mumbai | Allegris business on the Munich A350-900s and the Frankfurt 787-9s (the 787-9s have no first class) |
| The older product | The 2012-era first class on the Frankfurt 747-8, until about 2027 or 2028 | 2-2-2 on the 747-8 upper deck, the A340s and older A350s and 787s; the Munich A380s get an interim 1-2-1 through mid-2027 |
| In Frankfurt | The First Class Terminal, a separate building for Lufthansa group first class passengers and HON Circle members on departure | Not included, unless you hold HON Circle status |
| On miles | Miles & More only, priced dynamically; the desk's working figure is roughly 91,000 miles one-way between the US and Europe | Miles & More prices Lufthansa-operated business dynamically too |
| Budget on top | Carrier surcharges of $800 or more on an award | About €1,150 in carrier surcharges on a transatlantic award, plus Allegris seat fees: about €100 or more for extra-privacy and long-bed seats, €400 to €600 for the front-row suites |
Booking Lufthansa First With Miles
Miles & More opens Lufthansa First about 360 days out, and since June 2025 it has priced Lufthansa-operated awards dynamically: the miles track the cash fare, with no published cap. The desk's working figure is roughly 91,000 miles plus about $800 one-way between the US and Europe, but dynamic means it moves: the one Lufthansa First seat our award scanner recorded from Los Angeles to Europe in September 2026 priced at 197,988 miles. Check the live price before promising either number.
Getting the miles is the hard part. No US bank currency transfers to Miles & More (Amex, Chase, Citi, Capital One and Bilt all do not); the only paths are Marriott Bonvoy at 3:1, which is slow, and earning on the US Barclays Lufthansa card. So Miles & More is the answer for travelers who already hold the miles, not a transfer top-up. Miles expire 36 months after they are earned unless the member holds Lufthansa status or a Miles & More card with qualifying activity. Our Miles & More guide covers the program in full.
Read the fare conditions every time. Miles & More awards now carry the refund rules of the fare family they are booked into: Light and Basic awards are non-refundable, and First Flex keeps an €800 refund fee after the May 2026 fee changes were mostly reversed.
The Traps We Steer Clients Around
The swap. Allegris First is specific to a subfleet of Munich A350-900s; an aircraft change keeps the route and loses the suite. Check the seat map at booking and again before departure.
The 747-8. The Frankfurt 747-8 gets Allegris business on its main deck from 2026, but its first class and upper-deck business stay 2012-era until about 2027 or 2028. It is comfortable, private first class; it is not Allegris.
Germany in 2026. Lufthansa strikes in February and April cancelled more than 800 flights, and the desk watches labor news on every Frankfurt and Munich itinerary. The EU Entry/Exit System produced multi-hour border queues at Munich and Frankfurt in summer 2026: when the first Schengen stop is a connection, build in 60 to 90 minutes more. And since Frankfurt Terminal 3 opened in April 2026 with 57 non-Lufthansa airlines, check the terminal on every Frankfurt booking. Munich, with its compact Lufthansa Terminal 2, remains the most forgiving big hub.
Where These Numbers Come From
Every route in these tables is checked against the schedule snapshot behind our route pages, so a route appears only if the airline flies it; distance and flight time are the same estimates those pages use. The evidence column says how we know first class is on it: "Desk library" is Biirdee's own carrier and aircraft reference, updated September 2026; "Ticketed by Biirdee" means our desk has issued first class tickets on that airline there between November 2024 and September 2026; "Award scan" means our award scanners have seen first class seats released on it; "Fare scan" means our fare scans have priced a first class fare on the nonstop. Data as of 23 September 2026.
Our desk issued 48 Lufthansa first class tickets between November 2024 and September 2026, 5 for cash and 43 on miles: 22% of the first class tickets we issued on the airlines in this library. The 747-8 on Frankfurt–Los Angeles comes from our own flight records on that route. Our fare scans have not priced a nonstop Lufthansa first class fare, so this guide quotes no cash price.
Lufthansa First Class FAQs
Which Lufthansa flights have Allegris First?
The Munich A350-900s that carry it: San Francisco, Chicago, New York JFK, San Diego and Mumbai, with Singapore from October 2026, per our desk library. Lufthansa First on any other route is the earlier generation.
Can I book Lufthansa First with United or Aeroplan miles?
Not in practice since about June 2026: Lufthansa releases no first class award space to partner programs, per our desk library. The last Lufthansa First award our desk ticketed through Aeroplan departed in September 2025; since then it has been Miles & More.
How many miles is Lufthansa First?
It is dynamic. The desk's working figure is roughly 91,000 Miles & More miles plus about $800 one-way between the US and Europe, and our award scanner recorded 197,988 miles for one Los Angeles to Europe seat in September 2026. Check the live price.
Is the Frankfurt First Class Terminal included?
For Lufthansa group first class passengers and HON Circle members departing Frankfurt, yes: it is a separate building, used on departure only. Business class passengers without HON Circle status are not admitted.
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