LUFTHANSA is to allow business-class passengers to select their own seats on flights as part of a major investment in check-in facilities at Heathrow this year.
The outlay will run in tandem with the German carrier’s enhancements to its UKsummer flights.
Self-service check-in desks in Terminal Two are to be upgraded to provide more flexibility for passengers.
Passengers can use credit cards or their frequent-flyer card to receive boarding passes at the check-in booths as part of the new features.
Lufthansa only has the check-in machines at Heathrow, although the carrier is expected to roll them out at Stansted and Manchester.
A spokeswoman said: “The improvements to the self-service check-in facilities were unveiled at the ITB exhibition in Berlin.
“They have been updated with new features such as seat selection.”
The investment in improved check-in facilities comes as Lufthansa widens its Heathrow and Stansted network.
From May 2, the airline increases its Heathrow-Frankfurt schedule to 10 daily flights from eight. The move follows partner British Midland dropping off the route.
Lufthansa will use two of British Midland’s slots to add the services. The UK carrier currently offers four daily flights but said it was unnecessary for it to continue the route when Star Alliance partner Lufthansa operates a service.
From Stansted, Lufthansa is to add flights to Cologne, Nuremberg and Hanover this summer.
The Cologne flight will be thrice daily from May 15.
Nuremberg will be daily on weekdays only, with a double-daily flight on the weekend.
In June, Lufthansa will start daily flights to Hanover for the Expo 2000 exhibition in the German city until the end of October. The airline will also offer a daily Hanover flight from Manchester during the show.
Augsburg Airways, a franchise carrier for Lufthansa, has launched double daily London City-Munster/Osnabruck for the summer. Flights operate on weekdays and Saturday only and are aimed at services personnel.