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 restrooms cannot be fully used. All the details on this.
Improved Catering at Lufthansa: Project FOX
Future Onboard Experience, or Project FOX for short, 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, allowing for more personalized presentation. Premium Economy Class will also see an expanded offering, and even Economy Class will have a greater selection of hot main dishes.
To make this possible, Lufthansa had to adjust the onboard service procedures. The crew requires 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 Restroom in Lufthansa’s Dreamliner?
As 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 becomes particularly cramped when passengers simultaneously “squeeze” through the aisles to the restrooms.
The solution, as the portal has learned from several flight attendants and travelers: One restroom remains closed during meal preparation. “Affected passengers reported not having access to the restrooms in at least two cases during this time,” writes “Aerotelegraph.”
Lufthansa Confirms “Restrictions” on Restroom Use
In response to a TRAVELBOOK inquiry, a company spokesperson confirmed “restrictions on the use of Business Class restrooms.” These affect only 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 restrooms available. During service preparation, one of them is temporarily closed to provide the crew with enough space to work. “At no time are both restrooms closed simultaneously, ensuring access for our Business Class guests at all times,” the spokesperson emphasizes.
Space Needs Compete with Passenger Comfort
Even though multiple restrooms are generally available, theoretically offering alternatives, it can still happen that several passengers wish to use the restrooms simultaneously. If another of the remaining restrooms, for example, fails due to a defect, it could already become problematic.
In such a case, the airline would refrain from closing a restroom, explains the Lufthansa spokesperson. How this aligns with the airline’s stated additional space requirements for service preparation remains unclear. Additionally, passengers would be receiving their meals during the period when a restroom is typically closed: “Very few guests plan to visit the restrooms during this time,” she assures. This does not take into account that many travelers prefer to wash their hands or use the restroom before a meal.
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Flight Attendant: “Restroom Visits Very Difficult”
A flight attendant who flies on the Boeing 787 tells TRAVELBOOK that the temporary closure of a Business Class restroom is not a new phenomenon. “Even before FOX, the front restrooms in the Dreamliner were closed,” she says.
According to her, during service preparations, the front restroom next to the galley is usually closed. Business Class passengers then have to use the two restrooms at the rear of the cabin. However, one of these is also used by Premium Economy guests. From the flight attendant’s perspective, this highlights a fundamental issue with the Dreamliner: There are simply too few restrooms in the front cabin area relative to the number of passengers, making restrictions during onboard service particularly noticeable.
The space issue 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 have met with 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 meal components are completed during the service. “The protein component is now placed on the main course plate by the galley attendant (‘Galley’ = onboard kitchen, ed. note). This is an additional step. Then there are herb garnishes 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 have not been delivered on board. The crew then cannot serve these despite the offering. Besides the additional workload, this also regularly causes dissatisfaction among passengers.