Air Transport

German flag-carrier Lufthansa is examining the development of a specialised all-sleeper configuration for the economy-class cabin on long-haul flights, and has been canvassing passenger opinion on the concept.

© Lufthansa
One possible configuration for Lufthansa’s proposed ‘Sleepers Class’

The airline has generated an conceptual image of the proposed ‘Sleepers Class’ cabin, showing a possible arrangement featuring fully lie-flat bunks stacked three-high in a herringbone layout on either side of the cabin, with additional berths in a wide central aisle.

Star Alliance member Lufthansa is considering the sleeper-cabin for specific intercontinental services – possibly overnight flights, such as those to Johannesburg, Sao Paulo and Shanghai – although the carrier says that it has not progressed to the stage of examining potential specific routes.

Under the scheme a passenger would opt to book a bed for the flight rather than a regular economy-class seat. It is unclear whether the beds would convert from a seating layout.

A spokeswoman for Lufthansa confirms that the airline is formally looking into the idea, and running a customer survey, although she adds: “Of course there’s no final decision yet. There are, as such, no certain plans whether or not to realise an idea like this.”

She adds that such a scheme would have to be developed much further, particularly on the regulatory front, before it could become a realistic option for passengers.

Lufthansa says that its studies are only preliminary and there are few further details available. The airline has not indicated the potential capacity of an all-sleeper cabin, nor has it stated which aircraft types might feasibly be configured with the layout. Lufthansa has several long-haul aircraft on order including the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8.

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