Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
Lufthansa flies 15 Boeing 747-400s in a single configuration — so there is no version lottery here. The real decision is which deck. The upper deck is a private 22-seat Business cabin in 2-2; the main deck has 45 Business seats in 2-3-2, including the best single seat on the aircraft. Best Business: 4D (solo centre, direct aisle access). Best Economy: 45A/45K, 52A/52K, 54B/54J, 56B/56J. Avoid 32B and 32J — they have no window at all.
Flying the newer Queen instead? Lufthansa's 747-8 has a different Business product and a much longer upper deck.
✈️ Quick Verdict
Fleet: 15 aircraft, one configuration — 371 seats (67 Business / 32 Premium Economy / 272 Economy)
Version lottery: No. Every LH 747-400 is laid out the same way.
Best Business seat: 4D — the only solo centre seat, direct aisle access, nobody to climb over
Best Business cabin: upper deck rows 82–85 if you want quiet; main deck rows 11–12 and 14 if you want a throne-style seat
Best Economy: 45A/45K, 52A/52K, 54B/54J, 56B/56J (great window alignment)
Avoid: 32B and 32J (no window), row 30, row 33, row 58 (lavatory doors)
The Real Decision: Upper Deck or Main Deck
Because there is only one configuration, the question every 747-400 passenger actually faces is which of the two Business cabins to book. They use the identical seat — Collins Diamond Parallel, 64" pitch, 20" wide, converting to a 78" flat bed with an 11.7" screen — but they feel completely different.
| Upper Deck | Main Deck | |
|---|---|---|
| Business seats | 22 | 45 |
| Layout | 2-2 | 2-3-2 |
| Rows | 81–86 | 1–4, 10–12, 14 |
| Direct aisle access | None — every seat is in a pair | 17 of 45 seats (38%) |
| Adjustable armrests | No | Yes (two-way, aisle side) |
| Atmosphere | Quiet, contained, own lavatory | Busier, more crew traffic |
Pick the upper deck if you are travelling as a couple or you value quiet above all. Twenty-two seats in a narrow tube above the wing is one of the calmest Business cabins in the sky, and it has its own lavatory so you are not sharing with 45 people.
Pick the main deck if you are travelling alone. The upper deck has no direct-aisle seat anywhere — if you take a window seat up there, you climb over your neighbour. The main deck's centre section gives you options the upper deck simply cannot.
Business Class — Main Deck (Rows 1–14)
The main deck Business cabin runs 2-3-2 with letters A C / D E G / H K. Note the row numbering: rows 1–4 sit forward, then it jumps to rows 10, 11, 12 and 14. There are no rows 5–9, and no row 13. A booking map showing a gap is not an error.
4D — the best seat on the aircraft
Row 4 is the only row with a single centre seat rather than a group of three. 4D is a solo centre position with direct aisle access on both sides — no neighbour, nobody to climb over, and none of the exposure of a true centre seat. If you are flying alone in Business on a Lufthansa 747-400, this is the seat to chase.
Best of the rest
- Rows 11, 12 and 14 (A/K windows) — great window alignment confirmed at 11A/11K, 12A/12K and 14A/14K, and far enough back to escape the forward galley.
- Rows 1–3 (A/C/H/K) — only four seats per row, so the cabin feels wider up front.
- Centre pairs D/E/G in rows 10–14 — fine for couples, but the middle of three is the weakest Business seat on the jet.
Business seats to avoid
- 4C and 4H — lavatory immediately behind. Same row as the excellent 4D, very different experience.
- 10D, 10E, 10G — lavatory ahead, plus the centre-of-three problem.
- 10A and 10K — these are bassinet positions. Great window, but expect infants.
Business Class — Upper Deck (Rows 81–86)
Twenty-two seats in 2-2 across rows 81–85, with row 86 carrying only H and K — there is no 86A or 86C. Every seat is in a pair, so window passengers step over their neighbour.
- Best: 84A and 85A — great window alignment, deep into the quietest part of the cabin.
- Avoid: 81H and 81K — lavatory ahead, and the first row catches boarding traffic.
- Note: upper deck seats have no adjustable armrests. The main deck's are two-way on the aisle side.
Premium Economy (Rows 24–27)
Thirty-two ZIMmagic seats in 2-4-2 — letters A C / D E F G / H K. Pitch 38", width 19", 8" of recline, an 11.7" screen, 110V AC and USB-A. Four-way adjustable headrest and a ladder-style footrest.
Row 24 is the bulkhead and the only row with an integrated leg-rest rather than the ladder footrest. The trade: no underseat storage, and the tray table and screen live in the armrest, which narrows the seat. 24C, 24D, 24G and 24H sit against partial bulkheads with extra room to one side. 24A and 24K are bassinet positions — take rows 25–27 if you want to avoid infants.
Economy (Rows 29–58)
272 Recaro CL3520 seats in 3-4-3 across two cabins — letters A B C / D E F G / H J K. Pitch 31", width 18", 6" recline, 9" screen. Note the power situation: the 110V AC socket is shared between seats, so bring a USB cable rather than relying on a plug of your own.
The best Economy seats
- 45A and 45K — great window alignment, mid-cabin, nothing nearby.
- 52A and 52K — same, further back.
- 54B and 54J — rows 54–56 lose the A and K seats entirely as the fuselage tapers, which makes B and J the window seats. 54B/54J and 56B/56J have great window alignment.
- 29A, 29J, 29K — row 29 has extra legroom across the whole row. These three escape the lavatory problem that ruins the rest of it.
- Rows 35–42 — unremarkable in the best way. The cleanest block in the front cabin.
Economy seats to avoid
| Seats | Why |
|---|---|
| 32B, 32J | No window at all. Row 32 has only four seats (B, C, H, J) and the two outer ones face a blank wall |
| 29D–29G | Lavatory door immediately behind — the extra legroom is not worth it |
| Row 30 (B–J) | Lavatory door behind; only 30A and 30K escape with a lesser warning |
| Row 33 | Lavatory ahead. 33A and 33K also have poor window alignment |
| Row 57 | Only D–G remain this far back, and the lavatory is behind |
| Row 58 | The last row. Lavatory door immediately behind, no recline in practice |
The pattern to remember: the front of the front Economy cabin is worse than the middle of it. Rows 29–34 look attractive on a booking map because several carry extra legroom, but they are wrapped around a lavatory bank. Rows 35–42 have no legroom bonus and no problems.
Quick-Pick Summary
| Traveller | Business | Economy |
|---|---|---|
| Solo | 4D — the solo centre seat | 45A/45K or 52A/52K |
| Couple | Upper deck 84A/84C or 85A/85C | 54B/54C or 56B/56C |
| Quiet priority | Upper deck rows 84–85 | Rows 35–42 |
| Legroom priority | Any — 64" pitch throughout | 29A/29J/29K (extra legroom, no lav issue) |
| Family with infant | 10A/10K (bassinet) | 43A/43D/43G/43K (bassinet, row 43 bulkhead) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lufthansa fly more than one 747-400 configuration?
No. All 15 aircraft carry the same 371-seat layout — 67 Business, 32 Premium Economy, 272 Economy. This is unusual for Lufthansa and makes the 747-400 one of the more predictable aircraft in the fleet.
Is the upper deck better than the main deck?
Quieter, yes. Better, not necessarily. The upper deck's 2-2 layout means no seat has direct aisle access, so a window passenger always climbs over someone. The main deck has 17 seats with direct access, including the solo 4D. Couples should take the upper deck; solo travellers should take the main deck.
Which seats have no window?
32B and 32J have no window at all — wall only. 33A and 33K have poor alignment. Row 32 is a short four-seat row (B, C, H, J), so these are easy to book by accident when the map shows them at the edge of the cabin.
Why do the row numbers skip?
Business runs 1–4 then 10–14 on the main deck, with the upper deck numbered 81–86. There are no rows 5–9, no row 13, and Economy starts at 29. Premium Economy occupies 24–27.
Is there WiFi?
Yes — Inmarsat GX Aviation, rated in the middle tier at roughly 10–40 Mbps. Fine for browsing and messaging, adequate for light streaming. IFE is the Zodiac Rave system with audio and video on demand.
Comparable Guides
- Lufthansa 747-8 Seat Selection Guide (2025) — the newer Queen, longer upper deck
- Lufthansa A380-800 Seat Selection Guide (2026) — the other Lufthansa double-decker