Chasing the A380: ANA First Class Lounge Tokyo Narita, Lufthansa A380 First Class Tokyo to Frankfurt

Interesting to hear about how Lufthansa operates with the flight attendants. I wonder what the British teenager said... 😛

You should have pounded the crap out of him first and then shown your EU passport....

Finally! WIth all of the other, intervening post, I thought you'd never get back to it. Thanks.

I was also underwhelmed with the ANA Suite Lounge. I kept thinking there was another section, but no. Although, the Noodle Bar is a good offering. That Chestnut Dessert didn't look very appetizing...

Two comments :

a) EASA regulations restrict cabin crew to being able to operate on 3 basic aircraft types. Airlines can "combine" variants within these types with national regulatory approval but for the most part segregation by aircraft type qualification is the standard for all European carriers as a result of this.

b) I've known a number of the India based Lufthansa crew over the years and all of them have been able to speak German to a high standard. Granted, it may be a different story in Japan though.

@Lucky - did the ANA Suites Lounge have any doughnuts this time. The past couple of times i visited, they did not. That and the noodles were always the highlight of this lounge.

Also, did the rude Brit somehow think you were in the wrong line, or was he just being a jerk in general? I hope you responded to him in German.

INDIA!

@ Sean -- Makes sense, though I figured they'd break it down by longhaul (330/340/380/747) and shorthaul (737/320).

@ Carl -- Funny you mention that, because last time I was there I remember the donuts and how they always displayed them at once, and had one person that was almost replacing them full-time, whenever one was taken. Sadly no donuts this time!

As far as the Brit thing goes, there was a group of maybe five teenagers and there were several immigration lines. They didn't appear to be in any one line, so I nicely asked "excuse me, are you in this line?" They responded with (in a mocking accent) "of course we're in the line, you stupid American."

Lucky,
i see that for this trip, you had overnight stays in Frankfurt and used the FCT when departing FRA...I'm wondering, if i had like a six hour or longer layover at FRA, would i be able to get through immigration, and walk or make my way to the FCT for the experience?

@ Zach -- You absolutely can, and I highly recommend doing it. I'll even do it with only a three or so hour layover. It takes maybe 20 minutes to get there upon arrival.

Hi Lucky, sounds like another good trip! Side question: What are the chances of getting two seats on AA miles in Cathay First from Phuket to a US gateway to catch an AA flight home? Looking to travel in May. Also, can we make a stop in Hong Kong on a one-way award ticket since it's their hub?

Thanks,

@ Robert -- Fairly good with a bit of date flexibility. If anything you'll have an issue with availability from Phuket to Hong Kong and not Hong Kong to the US. No stopover of more than 24 hours would be allowed in Hong Kong, though, without increasing the cost of the ticket.

Would rather be anything but a Brit.

Thanks for the quick response! Really appreciate your blog. Now back to working on pts n miles for me and the wife..

Again, what's with the skimpy menu? Also Lucky, did you not eat the entree because it wasn't good, or you were full? Or both?

The cheesecake looked amazing. The second desert...not so much.

@ Andy -- They seem to have skimpier menus on flights to Japan since they have both the western and Japanese menus. I didn't eat the entree because it was inedible, and I didn't order a replacement because I was basically full.

Can you order from both menus like you did on the previous flight, or was a one-time thing?

@ Andy -- Absolutely, you can mix and match.

Good report lucky. When are you going to post your India trip report?

@ ikonos -- I've been traveling far too much for my own good lately, unfortunately. I'm hoping to post it next, but then again I'm so far behind on the report that I'm not sure if I should just stay up to date on my other reports first or not.

Great report lucky, I hope to fly LH F A380 someday soon. With regards to the imbecile teenager, feign a Brit accent and tell him, "piss off you stupid wanker!"

I read with interest when you discussed the junior crew for the Lufthansa A380. It reminded me of a time many years ago when my wife flew for TWA and the 747 arrived. The aircraft started out very junior and as I recall my wife, Kay, with 6 mnths, was the senior on the flight (no pursers initially for domestic). It wasn't that the senior gals were adverse to learning a new aircraft. It was that they were superstitious, assuming the plane would go down. After it survived "miraculously" the first 6 months, it totally flip flopped and became very senior. Jim

Nice trip report.

Wine lists?

Excellent report--many thanks! Given the extremely small number of First seats on such a large aircraft, I'm surprised (and a little disappointed) at the limited F menu and offerings. Other carriers manage to provide three Western and three "local" entrees so I don't understand why Lufthansa doesn't. And it sounds like quality control is lacking (e.g., your beef dish).

My experience with the ANA suite lounge re: refills has been different. While they don't come around often, I was offered refills a couple times when I was there in December, although that may have been because it was particularly empty.

Lucky,

I love you, you know that. But why show the EU passport. I am, admittly, left leaning in politics, but I am still very proud to be an American, and no teenager, Brit, American, or other can say or do anything to make me feel less proud. Sorry, just the way I feel.

Lucky - focus on the India trip reports. The latest few have seemed to be just retreads in comparison. You had real adventure in India and the Maldives, not just photos of a plane and a hotel, right?

@ beachfan -- I've been traveling since I posted the outbound installment, so I haven't had access to the menus. As soon as I get back home and do, I'll be sure to post them.

@ sam -- Well it was to make him feel like an idiot, in this case. He chose to stereotype and think of me as an "ugly American" (his thoughts, not mine). If I would have shown him my US passport I would have played into that. I wasn't about to get in a fight with him at immigration, so it was clear he felt like a total jackass when he saw my EU passport.

@ Eric -- Fair enough, I'll do my best!

Great review again. Less of the Brit bashing tho guys, some of us are nice! 🙂

Maybe this punk ass teenage Brit should take a history lesson and see who helped them win WWII. If it weren't for allie shipping to Britain across the north Atlantic they would have starved!

Not a fan of the UK this past year.

Like the A380 posts!

"...explaining that Lufthansa is first and foremost a German airline, and a German passenger shouldn’t be forced to communicate in a language other than German (which I agree with)."
Really? Sounds a bit hypocritical coming from a guy who regularly complains about the lack of English in Asian-based airlines. So much for yoyr credibility...

"What I always find bizarre about the service in the lounge is that the moment you settle in one of the staff comes by to offer you a cold towel and drink, though that’s the last you’ll see of them. They don’t do refills. I don’t understand why, but as with many things in Japan, they have a procedure and follow it without exception."
Wow. Another dumbass comment about an entire (Asian) culture by an ignorant European-American (Yes; you're European). During my last visit (which is now), the attendants did come around to refill my drink. They also moved my cups and plates to the new seat that I had moved to. I didnt even have to ask. Again, so much for credibility. You really don't know anything. Just do everyone a favor and stop reviewing anything that has to do with East Asia. Stick with your Europe and North America.

BTW, there are a total of FIVE attendants in the lounge. How could you not see them?

@ Jason -- Not sure what your confusion is about. I've visited the lounge probably a dozen times and never been offered a drink refill. It's great you were offered a refill, but I've never been offered one.

@lucky
I'm confused? Lol. This is coming from a person who generalizes the entire people/culture of Japan from a few benign personal experiences at some airport lounge. Are you people born ignorant or is this something that is taught by your parents/education?

@ Jason -- "You people?" Pot. Kettle.

Exacty. You people...