July 16, 2026, 3:33 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
With a new onboard service concept, Lufthansa aims to enhance the travel experience for its long-haul passengers in all travel classes. The focus is on a revamped culinary offering, accompanied by changed service procedures on board. However, while the enjoyment is set to increase, one travel class may temporarily lack a basic necessity: Apparently, during meal preparation, the toilets cannot be fully used. All the details on this.
Improved Catering at Lufthansa: Project FOX
Future Onboard Experience, or Project FOX, is the name of Lufthansa’s new onboard service concept. The airline announced it in October 2025 and has been gradually introducing it on long-haul flights since the spring of this year.
Project FOX particularly stands for enhanced and modernized onboard catering across all classes. In Business Class, for example, the previously convection-heated complete meals receive a fresh upgrade: Individual components are heated separately, making the dishes more personalized. Premium Economy Class will also see an expanded offering, and even Economy Class will have a greater selection of hot main courses.
To make this possible, Lufthansa had to adjust the onboard service procedures. The crew needs not only more time but also more space to prepare the meals. And it is precisely this space that is reportedly lacking in certain long-haul aircraft, which are among the most modern and efficient in the entire fleet.
Closed Toilet in Lufthansa’s Dreamliner?
As currently reported by “Aerotelegraph,” it is precisely the Boeing 787-9, also known as the Dreamliner—a plane that Lufthansa promotes for its innovative cabin design—whose galleys apparently do not provide enough space for the more elaborate meal preparation. It reportedly becomes particularly cramped when passengers simultaneously “squeeze past” in the aisles to reach the toilets.
The solution, as the portal claims to have learned from several flight attendants and travelers: One toilet is closed during the time the meals are being prepared. “Affected passengers reported not having access to the restrooms in at least two cases during this time,” writes “Aerotelegraph.”
Lufthansa Confirms “Restrictions” on Toilet Use
In response to a TRAVELBOOK inquiry, a company spokesperson confirmed “restrictions on the use of Business Class toilets.” These affect a few aircraft models, including the Boeing 787, and only during the preparation for the first service.
Those traveling in the Business Class of the Dreamliner typically find two toilets available. During service preparation, one of them is temporarily closed to provide the crew with enough space to work. “At no time are both toilets closed simultaneously, so access for our Business Class guests is always possible,” the spokesperson emphasizes.
However, even if multiple restrooms are generally available and there are theoretically alternatives: It can, of course, happen that several passengers want to use the restrooms at the same time. If another of the remaining toilets, for example, fails due to a defect, it can already become problematic. Especially since many people like to wash their hands or actually use the restroom in preparation for a meal. A full bladder quickly detracts from the enjoyment—no matter how much the meals are upgraded.
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Flight Attendant: “Toilet Visits Very Difficult”
A flight attendant who flies on the Boeing 787 tells TRAVELBOOK that the temporary closure of a Business Class toilet is not a new phenomenon. “Before FOX, the front toilets in the Dreamliner were already closed,” she says.
According to her, during service preparations, the front toilet next to the galley usually remains closed. Business Class passengers then have to use the two toilets at the rear of the cabin. However, one of these is also used by Premium Economy guests. From the flight attendant’s perspective, this reveals a fundamental problem with the Dreamliner: In relation to the number of passengers, there are simply too few toilets in the front cabin area, so restrictions during onboard service become particularly noticeable.
The space issue, therefore, does not seem to have arisen solely from the new onboard concept. However, for other reasons, the changes intended to offer guests a higher-quality service experience are also facing significant criticism from parts of the cabin crew.
Insider to TRAVELBOOK: “I Hate the New Onboard Concept!”
TRAVELBOOK spoke with another flight attendant who is already using the new “FOX service” on the Boeing 747. Her verdict is clear: “A complete disaster.”
She particularly criticizes the significantly increased workload in Business Class. Unlike before, individual components of the meals are only completed during the service. “The protein component is now placed on the main course plate by the galley attendant (‘Galley’ = onboard kitchen, ed. note). That’s an additional step. Then there’s the herb decoration and the pouring of the sauce. This means a lot more work in Business Class,” she explains.
According to her account, the implementation of the new concept is also faltering in other areas. For instance, on many flights, individual dishes or components listed on the menu were not delivered on board. The crew then cannot serve these despite the offer. Besides the additional workload, this also regularly causes dissatisfaction among passengers.