Lufthansa and gategroup launched FOX: a major change in service on long-haul flights
Lufthansa has launched a new service concept on its long-haul flights called FOX, or Future Onboard Experience, and gategroup, one of the world’s largest providers of aircraft catering and onboard hospitality services, has an important role in the development and operational implementation of the program. The program was officially introduced into wider use on May 6, 2026, after the new service in First Class began at the end of March. It is one of the biggest changes in the passenger experience in Lufthansa’s history, because it does not relate only to menus or individual benefits, but to almost all elements of service on intercontinental flights. Lufthansa states that FOX covers all four travel classes, all aircraft types on long-haul routes, and flights with and without the new Allegris cabin. In this way, the company wants to achieve greater consistency of the premium experience across the long-haul network, regardless of which aircraft operates a particular route.
A program developed for more than two years
According to Lufthansa’s data, FOX was developed for more than two years, with testing, validation flights and cooperation between various departments within the company, crews, passengers and external partners. The emphasis was placed on three areas: personalization, comfort and recognizable Lufthansa moments that the company calls Signature Moments. In practice, this means more choice in meals, more flexible serving times, different crew procedures, new serving equipment and details that should make travel more pleasant in all cabins. The program is being introduced in the year in which Lufthansa marks 100 years since its founding, and management presents it as part of a broader renewal of the brand and long-haul product. Lufthansa Airlines CEO Jens Ritter stated that in 2026 alone the company is investing more than 70 million euros in the new premium service in all classes, with the aim of strengthening Lufthansa’s position as the leading European premium carrier.
gategroup as a key partner in food, equipment and operational implementation
gategroup’s role in the project is not limited to the standard delivery of meals. The company worked with Lufthansa on culinary development, production planning, meal testing, adapting meals to flight conditions and shaping processes that must function across a large network of intercontinental routes. Such a task in aviation is not simple, because a meal that looks good and has the expected taste on the ground must be adapted to changes in taste, smell, texture and serving in the aircraft cabin. That is why workshops, tastings and operational checks were included in the project in order to preserve culinary quality, but also to ensure consistency on thousands of flights. gategroup emphasizes that the goal is to connect creativity in gastronomy with the reality of large aviation operations, where speed, safety, logistics and reliability have equal importance to the appearance of the plate.
deSter, a member of gategroup specializing in equipment and product design for onboard service, is also particularly important. As part of FOX, more than 150 equipment elements were developed for all travel classes, including tableware, serving utensils, oven-suitable containers, comfort products, amenity equipment and redesigned disposable elements. According to gategroup, the equipment was designed to be aligned with Lufthansa’s identity, modern German design and the visual language of the Allegris cabin. At the same time, attention was paid to crew efficiency, weight reduction and sustainability goals, which is important because even small changes in the weight of equipment on a large fleet can have operational consequences.
What is changing in Business Class
The most visible changes in Business Class relate to gastronomy and serving flexibility. Lufthansa is introducing new menus developed in cooperation with well-known chef Johann Lafer, who previously participated in concepts for the company’s short- and medium-haul flights. In the long-haul version of FOX, the aim is to offer meals that look and feel like a more carefully curated experience, but can be reliably prepared and served on an aircraft. One of the more important innovations is breakfast that passengers can choose the evening before, depending on whether they want to sleep longer, eat earlier or adapt the meal to the destination time zone. Among the options Lufthansa mentions are smoothies, French toast and egg dishes, with a broader breakfast selection than in the previous serving model.
Business Class also receives completely new tableware and an additional Lufthansa Signature Moment in the form of coffee and cake served in a classic style. An even more significant change is the Sky Selection concept, which allows passengers to order the second meal on a long flight when it suits them, instead of being strictly tied to a single cabin rhythm. The offer includes various savory and sweet options, from smaller bowls and snacks to dishes such as currywurst and desserts. Such a model corresponds to the trend in long-haul aviation toward greater individualization, because passengers on the same flight often have different plans: some want to work, others sleep, and others want to adapt as soon as possible to the destination time zone.
Premium Economy receives a stronger gastronomic step forward
In Premium Economy, FOX brings the first service to a higher level, with a starter approaching the level of Business Class, a choice of three hot main dishes and fresh warm bread. Lufthansa also mentions a broader drinks offering, more frequent beverage service and a new digestif service. In that cabin, the balance between price, comfort and the feeling of added value is important, so the changes are not reduced only to larger portions or new tableware. The idea is to separate Premium Economy more clearly from the standard Economy cabin through a better service rhythm, higher-quality presentation and more choice, without turning the cabin into a full Business Class service. This very segment has become important for large network carriers in recent years, because it attracts passengers who want more space and comfort on long flights, but do not want or cannot pay for business class.
For gategroup and Lufthansa, Premium Economy is an operationally demanding class because it must offer a visible improvement, but also remain scalable across a broad network. The new system therefore includes upgraded meals, expanded tray presentation and more clearly defined service elements. In practice, this should mean less of a feeling of compromise and more of the experience of travel planned as a separate product. This is also important from a market perspective, because premium economy cabins among major European and Asian carriers are increasingly becoming a key space between economy and business class.
Changes have also been introduced in Economy Class
Lufthansa emphasizes that FOX is not reserved only for more expensive cabins. In Economy Class, more choice of main dishes is being introduced on long-haul flights, and passengers receive an amenity kit with a sleep mask and earplugs for the first time. Such details are seemingly smaller than the changes in Business Class, but they are important because they apply to the largest number of passengers. On long flights, comfort often depends on small elements: the possibility of rest, the rhythm of service, the choice of meals, the availability of drinks and the feeling that the cabin is organized predictably. If implemented consistently, the changes in Economy could have the greatest effect on the perception of service, precisely because they occur in the class where space is most limited and expectations are often most sensitive to small differences.
According to earlier announcements by gategroup, Economy Class under the new concept receives a choice of three main dishes on long-haul flights, introducing individuality into the standard travel class as well. For airlines, this is logistically sensitive because greater choice increases the need for more precise planning, stock levels and waste management. At the same time, passengers increasingly compare the flight experience not only by ticket price and schedule, but also by the quality of cabin service. FOX can therefore also be read as a response to competition among network carriers, especially on long routes where differences in seats, meals and service rhythm are an important part of the decision when choosing an airline.
FOX and Allegris are not the same, but they complement each other
It is important to distinguish FOX from Lufthansa’s Allegris program. Allegris refers to the new generation of cabins and seats on long-haul aircraft, while FOX changes the service, processes, gastronomy and inflight experience. Lufthansa states that FOX applies to all intercontinental flights, regardless of whether the aircraft has an Allegris cabin or not. This is important because the introduction of new cabins in large fleets takes place gradually and lasts for years. Allegris was introduced into regular service on May 1, 2024, on the Airbus A350-900, and Lufthansa states that this product is part of the largest product and service offensive in the history of the Lufthansa Group, worth 2.5 billion euros by 2025. According to company information, Allegris includes new products in all classes, from Economy to First Class, and installation is planned in new wide-body aircraft and the retrofit of part of the existing fleet.
This is precisely why FOX has a strategic role: it enables passengers to receive part of the new experience even on aircraft that do not yet have a completely new cabin. This reduces the difference between flights with different configurations and helps the company introduce a recognizable service standard more quickly. At the same time, it shows that competition among major airlines does not take place only through new seats and cabin products, but also through what happens during the flight: how food is served, how much passengers’ individual needs are respected, how much the crew is relieved by better tools and how recognizable the brand is in the details.
Broader context: premium service as a response to competition
Lufthansa’s decision comes at a time when European network carriers are competing with strong Gulf, Asian and North American companies on long routes. Passengers paying for higher classes increasingly expect flexibility, privacy, higher-quality gastronomy and greater control over the rhythm of travel, while passengers in economy class expect at least a basic level of comfort that makes a long flight more bearable. FOX is therefore an attempt to renew Lufthansa’s service identity in all cabins, but also to articulate the differences between classes more clearly. In doing so, the company emphasizes European character, recognizable rituals and greater individuality, while gategroup presents the project as a model of cooperation in which a culinary idea is transformed into a system that can work on a global network.
For the aviation industry, this is an important example because it shows that investments in passenger experience are not measured only by new aircraft. Inflight service includes thousands of small decisions, from the weight of tableware and the arrangement of trolleys to the way the crew can prepare the second meal without disturbing passengers’ rest. If FOX is implemented as announced, Lufthansa could obtain a more consistent long-haul product while the cabin renewal continues. For gategroup, meanwhile, the project confirms the role of a strategic partner that is not only a food supplier, but participates in the development of the experience, equipment and operational processes. Ultimately, the success of the program will depend not only on the announced dishes and new details, but on how consistently the new service will be implemented across different routes, crews and aircraft.
Sources:- Lufthansa Group Newsroom – official announcement on the launch of the premium FOX service on all long-haul flights (link)- Lufthansa Group – thematic page about the FOX program and its introduction by travel class (link)- gategroup – official announcement on the global launch of FOX and gategroup’s role in culinary development and equipment (link)- gategroup – analysis of cooperation with Lufthansa ahead of the launch of FOX and the development of the long-haul dining concept (link)- Lufthansa Group – official information about the Allegris program and the status of the introduction of the new cabin on long-haul flights (link)
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