For those of you who have been fortunate to experience Lufthansa’s First Class service on long haul flights, you’ll no doubt recall either having a red Rose waiting for you at your seat or being handed to you by your flight attendant.

Most passengers will see it as a colorful touch to an impeccable travel experience but not stop to think whether this is a tradition or simply part of the decor of the First Class cabin.

So now that I’ve piqued your curiosity, here is the background on this tradition.

Early in Lufthansa’s post-WWII days of the mid to late 1950s, Lufthansa began operating aircraft such as the Lockheed ‘Super Constellation’ and various Convairs to destinations around the world.   At the same time, Lufthansa also introduced a new cabin experience called ‘Senator Service’, the precursor to today’s fantastic onboard experience.

However, the true First Class experience would really ‘take off’ when Lufthansa entered the jet age with the introduction of Boeing’s 707 to passengers on March 17, 1960.

With the 707, Lufthansa raised the bar (quite literally) for Senator Service.   The larger aircraft afforded Lufthansa to carry 24 First Class passengers who would be cared for by a Hostess, a Cook, and a Cabin Chef.  In addition, passengers were able to make use of a dedicated lounge that came complete with Beer served from wooden kegs.   This also marked for the first time in Lufthansa’s history that foreign flight attendants were being introduced due to Lufthansa’s expansion into the global airline marketplace.

What First Class looked like aboard a Boeing 707 —- Courtesy of Lufthansa

And finally, to put the proverbial cherry on top of the experience, the implementation of the enhanced Senator Service aboard the 707  in the 1960s would also usher in the tradition of the Baccara Red Rose that awaits each Lufthansa First Class passenger.   Now you know!