Lufthansa unveils back seat economy: Pay to sit in back of plane (seriously)

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Sometimes I wonder if Lufthansa is actually trolling the public. As most OMAAT readers are probably aware, the carrier is known for its Allegris business class having five different seating options (I think it was initially seven, but maybe they realized that sounded like too many).

Well, Lufthansa is adding a new seating concept, including the new "First Row Seat" and "Back Seat." The idea behind this arguably isn't actually that unreasonable, but the way this is being marketed is downright strange.

Lufthansa's new First Row Seat & Back Seat basics

Lufthansa Group has announced how its member airlines (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, etc.) are expanding seating options with the First Row Seat and Back Seat concept… this is an "enhancement," naturally! Let me just share the announcement in full:

Effective July 22, 2026, the airlines of the Lufthansa Group will introduce two new seat categories on short- and medium-haul flights: the First Row Seat in Business Class and the Back Seat in Economy Class.

The enhancement further harmonizes the Lufthansa Group's continental seat portfolio and adds two seating options.

The new chargeable seat categories at-a-glance:

First Row Seat (Business Class):

• Seat located in the first row of the aircraft
• Offers the exclusivity of the front row and the convenience of quicker boarding and deboarding
• Remains available at no charge for HON Circle Members and Senators

Back Seat (Economy Class):

• Seats located in the last four or more rows of the Economy Class cabin (depending on aircraft type)
• The most affordable advanced seat reservation option in Economy Class – priced below the Classic Seat
• Remains available free of charge for HON Circle Members and Senators* and customers traveling on an Economy Flex fare

What's Lufthansa's intention with this seating change?

So, what's actually going on with Lufthansa's new branded First Row Seat and Back Seat concepts?

• Previously, Lufthansa Group saved the front row of business class for Miles & More HON Circle and Senator members, while now others can pay extra for those seats as well; people will have mixed feelings about that, depending on whether or not they have status
• Previously, all Classic Seat options in economy cost the same, while now you have Back Seat, where the cost to assign seats in the back is lower than other seats; that means there's now four categories of economy seat assignments

In theory, the concept of dynamic pricing for seat assignments isn't unreasonable. For airlines that charge for seat assignments, it's not unusual to see variable pricing depending on the specific product. A seat toward the front costs more than a seat toward the back, an aisle or window seat costs more than a middle seat, etc.

The thing is, it's odd to specifically market a seat as Back Seat, and then ask people to pay for that. Some might wonder why people would want to assign seats in the back of the plane, assuming they don't get free seat assignments. I assume this is for people who value being guaranteed seats together, but want the lowest cost possible.

Also, how much do you want to bet that the old Classic Seat cost will become the new Back Seat cost, and then the Classic Seat cost will be increased, if that hasn't been done already?

To me, this is just such typical Lufthansa Group over engineering, and not seeing the forest from the trees. "The enhancement our customers really want is to be able to pay to select a seat at the back of the plane, let's even market it as such!"

Bottom line

Lufthansa is promoting an "enhancement," whereby it's introducing the First Row Seat and Back Seat concept, for short and medium haul flights.

The First Row Seat allows business class passengers to pay to assign seats in the first row, rather than saving them for elite members. Meanwhile the Back Seat concept allows economy passengers to assign seats in the very back of the cabin for less than the cost of regular economy seats.

In theory, it's reasonable to have variable pricing to assign seats within a cabin. But to somehow market something as Back Seat and then promote it as an enhancement seems mighty strange to me.

What do you make of the Lufthansa Back Seat concept?