US. to Europe on Lufthansa Business Class
Lufthansa is the national carrier of Germany and one of the largest airlines in Europe. It bridges the gap between Europe and the U.S., offering many flight routes between major cities on both sides of the Atlantic. As such, it’s one of the airlines of choice for Americans planning to visit beautiful European destinations like Paris, London, and Rome.
One of the best ways to travel from the U.S. to Europe with Lufthansa is in business class. This affords you a range of unique comforts and luxuries that the typical economy-level ticket simply does not provide. Read on to learn all about flying in Lufthansa business class from the U.S. to Europe, including benefits, seat types, and the booking process.
The Benefits of Flying Business Class From the US to Europe
Before we dig into the details of Lufthansa’s business class flights, it’s worth taking a moment to explore reasons why you’d want to book a business ticket. After all, business class is famously quite an expensive way to travel, especially with a top-tier airline like Lufthansa. It’s not for everyone, but it definitely provides a whole host of advantages that take flying to a new level.
A Luxury Airport Experience
For big international flights, like trips from the U.S. to Europe, you usually need to be at the airport around three hours before departure. That means even taking into account the time you need to check in and pass through security, you can spend quite a while waiting around before getting on board your aircraft and taking off.
It can be tedious to sit around that long, especially when you’re surrounded by noisy crowds. However, Lufthansa business class passengers get to relax and unwind in luxury lounges, complete with food, drinks, Wi-Fi, private seating areas, and more. Business class ticket holders also get to check in quicker and board the plane before everyone else.
Baggage Business Class Benefits
If you’re heading overseas to Europe, there’s a good chance you’ll stay over for at least a week, if not more. As such, you might need to take quite a lot of luggage with you containing clothing items, devices, and other personal possessions. The regular baggage allowance afforded to economy passengers may not quite suffice.
Fortunately, business class ticket holders get extra baggage allowances. With Lufthansa, you can check two bags into the hold weighing up to 32 kilograms (70 pounds) each. You can also take two bags on board weighing up to 8 kilograms (17 pounds) each, and one extra personal item. With so much allowance, you should be able to take everything you need.
Upgraded On-Board Comfort
Finally, and arguably most importantly for many travelers, business class brings many on-board comfort advantages. That means bigger seats, more legroom, fewer people around you, tastier food, free drinks, and upgraded, personalized levels of service just for you. In short, the entire flight is better in almost every imaginable way when you have a business-class ticket.
This is particularly important when flying from the U.S. to Europe, as journey times across the Atlantic can be quite long. Many routes are more than 10 hours, like Los Angeles to Paris or Chicago to Athens, for example. Even the relatively “short” flights like New York to London still fall into the “long-haul” category at around seven hours, on average.
Lufthansa’s US Airport Lounges for Business Class Travelers
As mentioned, the benefits of flying Lufthansa business class begin as soon as you arrive at the airport. Once you’ve checked in and passed through security, you won’t have to wait around for boarding to begin in the large, crowded, and noisy public areas. Instead, you can step into one of Lufthansa’s exclusive luxury lounges and enjoy all the amenities it has to offer.
There are Lufthansa business class lounges in all of the following major U.S. cities:
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Dallas/Fort Worth
- Denver
- Detroit
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- St. Louis
What can you expect inside? Well, each lounge is different. But each one aims to deliver a top-quality experience, with comfort and convenience at the top of the agenda. You’ll usually find a range of amenities like comfortable seating, workspaces, speedy Wi-Fi, toilets, newspapers, and self-service food and drink stations.
Some lounges go even further, with sleep zones, awesome airside views of planes taking off, TVs, and work-related amenities like copiers. However, it’s important to note that your experience will vary depending on the airport you’re flying from. The larger and busier airports – like LAX – tend to have bigger and more impressive lounges to match.
Note: If you have a Lufthansa business class ticket, you’ll usually be able to access the United Polaris lounges, too, provided your departure airport has such a lounge.
Additional Airport Perks
As well as lounge access, Lufthansa business class passengers can enjoy additional airport perks before boarding the plane. These perks include:
- Priority Check-in: A dedicated line and set of check-in desks reserved for Lufthansa business class passengers. This allows you to skip the usual queues and drop off your bags quickly, giving you more time to enjoy the lounge.
- Extra Baggage: As detailed above, you also receive additional baggage allowance – both hold and carry-on baggage – when you book a Lufthansa business ticket.
- Advance Boarding: Business class passengers are typically invited to board the plane first. That gives you time to get comfortable, stow your bags and possessions in the storage areas provided, and settle down before take-off.
Lufthansa Business Class US to Europe – The On-Board Experience
Arguably the best bit about flying business class with Lufthansa from the U.S. to Europe is the on-flight experience. While most passengers are stuck in relatively cramped seats and crowded cabins, business-class travelers enjoy additional comfort, intimacy, luxury, and privacy. They have a dedicated part of the plane, situated near the front, and much fancier seats too.
In fact, given that all flights from the U.S. to Europe count as long-haul, you’re guaranteed to get the very best Lufthansa business class experience (short-haul business class passengers aren’t usually quite as luxurious). Plus, as Lufthansa rolls out its new and improved Allegris seats on more routes between the U.S. and Europe, the experience is only going to get better (more on that below).
Lufthansa Business Class Seats From the US to Europe
For now, if you fly business class with Lufthansa from the U.S. to Europe, you’ll be able to enjoy one of Lufthansa’s traditional business seats. These are lie-flat cloth seats that are usually positioned in a 2-2-2 formation, though 2-2 and 2-3-2 variants are featured on certain aircraft. They’re very comfortable, with multiple unique benefits.
You can, for instance, lower the seats all the way back to basically create an individual bed for you to nap in. This is a great way to rest and pass the time, particularly on those 10-plus hour transatlantic routes, like San Francisco to Munich. The seats also have various other recline positions to suit your needs, along with adjustable firmness levels.
However, they’re not perfect. There are a couple of flaws, like the fact that window-seat passengers don’t get direct access to the aisle. This is being addressed in the aforementioned Allegris seats. Featured on new A350 and 787 planes, Allegris seats offer more privacy, comfort, and options for Lufthansa business flyers, including private suites, extra-long beds, and more.
However, do note that, at the time of writing, Allegris seats aren’t yet available on any routes from the U.S. to Europe. Instead, they’re only available on flights departing from Munich and heading to specific destinations, such as Vancouver and Toronto. However, it is expected that, in the months and years ahead, Lufthansa will roll out these new and improved seats on more routes.
Entertainment and Amenities With Lufthansa Business Class America to Europe
Another advantage of opting for a business class ticket with Lufthansa from America to Europe is the in-flight entertainment. All business class seats come with their own private 4K monitors and access to the Lufthansa entertainment system. That system hosts a library of entertainment content, like new and classic films, music, audiobooks, podcasts, and games.
You’ll get your own pair of noise-canceling headphones to watch and listen to whatever you like without any interference from the ambient aircraft noise. Plus, the business class seats typically have ports to charge your devices and even Bluetooth connectivity for connecting your devices to the in-flight screen if you desire.
On top of all that, business class travelers flying from the U.S. to Europe with Lufthansa also receive a small amenity kit. In it, you’ll find socks, earplugs, a toothbrush, and some European cosmetic products.
Fancy Food and Drink for Lufthansa Business Class Flights to Europe
If you’re flying Lufthansa business class to Europe, you’ll also be well-fed throughout your journey. Lufthansa serves not one but two meals for its transatlantic voyages. One of them is a full three-course meal, with a whole menu of options to choose from – including vegan and vegetarian choices – and the other is a smaller but still substantial pre-arrival meal.
From roast chicken to fish, steak, pasta, and more, there are lots of main meal selections to choose from. You’ll also be able to enjoy delicious desserts like ice cream and cake and sumptuous starters. Snacks are available in between meals, and all alcoholic drinks (and other beverages) are complimentary.
Lufthansa Business Class US to Europe: How to Book
To book your Lufthansa business class tickets from the U.S. to Europe, you have a few options. You can either:
Book and Pay in Full Directly With the Airline
Roundtrip tickets from the U.S. to Europe can cost anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 or more, depending on which route you’re taking. If you have the budget to do so, you can simply book and pay for your business flight in full.
Request an Upgrade Before the Flight
Another option is to begin by booking an economy or premium economy, and then requesting an upgrade before you fly. Sometimes, upgraded business class tickets are available for less than they would usually cost. The downside here is that there may be no tickets left if you wait too long.
Pay for Some or All of the Ticket With Miles
You can also pay for part or even all of your business-class flights with Lufthansa miles. As long as you’re a member of the Miles & More program, you’ll rack up miles with every flight you take. You can exchange from 20 to 50,000 of them to cover the cost of a business class ticket.
Summing Up
Overall, flying from the U.S. to Europe with Lufthansa business class tickets is a spectacular way to travel. This airline truly delivers the kind of business experience that many travelers dream of, with fantastic lounges, super service, and top-quality seats. So, if you want to fly over the Atlantic feeling like a VIP, this is the way to go.
If you prefer First class, be sure to check out Lufthansa’s stunning First Class cabins for your trips from the US. to Europe.
FAQs
How much are Lufthansa business class fares from the U.S. to Europe?
The average range for a business-class ticket is $2,000 to $5,000 for each round-trip fare.
How can you get cheaper business-class flights to Europe with Lufthansa?
The best way is to get an upgrade on the day of the flight, as Lufthansa offers its business class seats for far less than the usual prices if they’re not sold out by that point. You can also exchange some of your Miles & More miles to slash the cost of your ticket.
Is Lufthansa’s business class worth it when flying to Europe?
Business Class travelers adore Lufthansa’s Business Class class seats and cabins when traveling from the US. to Europe. It offers comfortable seating, gourmet food, and highly acclaimed service.
What European cities does Lufthansa fly to from the US?
Lufthansa connects dozens of major U.S. and European cities. Some examples of places you can fly directly to from U.S. airports like JFK include Barcelona, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Zurich, Milan, Dublin, and Oslo.