Review: Lufthansa First Class A340 Los Angeles To Munich

Ben,
What miles did you use this time?

I agree with you: their product now looks tired - 1990s retro, even.

And no air nozzles = Low Cost Carrier: they just decided to prioritise saving a few bucks on the aircraft purchase price over decades of passenger comfort.

This may have been a wow product back in the day. But in a world of Qsuites (and that's just Business Class!), this "First Class" is out of time.

Any idea why Lufthansa doesn’t have air nozzles? It’s a one time expense that really makes a difference in comfort.

The amenity kit you get is really hit or miss. They still offer Rimowa on some flights, but I'm not sure which ones (or if there is any consistency on which flights you get them). Last time I saw it was on SFO-MUC in early February.

And about the air nozzles, I've heard that the crew can adjust the temperature on each individual seat on request. Never asked about this personally though or if it's just on some specific planes.

Their first class pretty much looks worse than Oman, Qatar and Gulf Air’s business class and certainly not better than BA's. Yet you still seem to have more praise than critisism in this review.

I guess its the German part of your nostalgia that kicks in when writing reviews on anything German?

I always think the Lufthansa First Class cabin looks average in photos but in person feels really high end and luxurious.

For First Class options across the Atlantic, only Air France La Premiere beats it, so it still stands out to me! Thats before even considering their amazing lounge offerings and car services in Germany.

They took some bacon off your eggs? Goodness, what if you were muslim? I think you should have demanded a fresh batch.

The charges and fees for this airline are exorbitant, to put it mildly!!
Any better way to use miles in the USA?

Lucky, I think there is a mistake in the menu that you ended up copying. Where it says "Watermelon, radish", the comma is not supposed to be there. It looks like they are serving watermelon radishes.

Also, it looks like you served the berry plate, not the fruit plate, for breakfast.

@ Gerry -- True, the fuel surcharges are often high, though British Airways has even higher fees in most instances (and a product that's not as good), and Air France first class can only be booked by elite members of their own programs, so this is really the only accessible European first class product. You can book through some programs and avoid fees, like if you book through LifeMiles or MileagePlus.

@ Christian -- It's a great question, and one I've often asked airline executives. Apparently the cost of installing them is significant, and I think a lot of airlines don't think it's something people care about. Of airline executives I've spoken to it's a polarizing topic -- some are 100% for air nozzles and want them on all their planes, while some look at me like I have two heads when I bring it up.

@ HT -- Gulf Air's new business class isn't flying yet. It's not better than their old one. As far as Oman Air goes, Oman Air is great, but their business class isn't quite as good as Lufthansa's first class. Qatar Qsuites is fantastic, and better than many international first class products. But the quality of the food and drinks, as well as ground experience, can't compete with Lufthansa.

But I get that you're not really here to leave constructive comments based on your commenting history, so I'm guessing I'm wasting my time.

@ ivan -- I used Aeroplan miles. Cost breakdown is in intro post. 🙂

Ive been flying old seats and REALLY liking them.

*Lufthansa first Class is elegant and comfortable. I dont need a silly door to my seat. There are no suites on airplanes except for the Etihad residence. Just doors around seats. I like the open layout. The seats on Lufthansa are PERFECT! Comfy as can be and no forwards backwards stuff (Etihad) or having to do crazy things to my seat to sleep (Singapore) or sleep at a funny angle or sideways (American, BA, Etihad A380 F etc)
*I flew UA 2-4-2 Biz Class and would say although the configuration sucks its a great seat adn super comfortable. I can lie down and doze off in 65 degree cabin watching a movie.

All these new cabins are great but the seats are just weird. Sleeping at a 30 degree angle to the forward movement of the plane, sleeping with your feet jammed into a cubby hole. Some of the old seats are just better than the new stuff coming out.

Lufthansa is not fully committed to having a first class going forward hence they are not investing. At best they see it as a niched product for some routes so until they make up their minds it's unlikely they will make any changes.

@Lucky, A question on the headphone setup, where they are wired in like here is there still an option to use your own headphones or are you forced to use the provided ones as there is no available socket for your own?

Thanks

I have flown Lufthansa first class several times and I love it. Last year I flew it JFK-FRA on the A380 and Usher was sitting right across the aisle from me! I was in 2K and he was in 2G. He was jealous of my window seat as apparently he made a last-minute booking and none were available, haha.

I appreciate the airiness and elegance of the cabin, and I think the seats are actually more comfortable than on Emirates (not the new product), for instance, where everything is hemmed-in. My one gripe with the hard product is that the side table for drinks is SO far forward! I have to learn forward very much and practically get up out of the seat to pick up and place down the glass.

One other observation: once flying FRA-ORD on the 748 I was served several delicious, barista-quality cappuccinos. But on the A330 FRA-JFK the cappuccino was watery and tasteless. Are the machines/procedures different on the 330 and 340?

@ Chris_IOW -- You are forced to use their headphones, unfortunately. At least they're good ones.

Ben, as you said, all Lufthansa First Class cabins have similar seats, but did you feel any difference on the A340 for being an much older plane? I mean, maybe old seats, or a not so comfortable cabin? Would you rather fly in any other Lufthansa plane because of the first class cabin itself (not the aircraft model)?

I'm sorry, but if there are no doors then this is not a first class hard product -- to me. Obviously, opinions differ. See above. It sounds like LH has a good soft product, and a very good ground experience in first class.

I have started taking a little USB fan on flights since not only LH but the Asian carriers keep their planes wayyyy too warm. Can make a huge difference to have a little airflow. I will say UA was wise keeping the nozzles on the 300-ER's...maybe thats the best part of Polaris..also the UA Gel pillows are a nice cool way to keep ones noggin cooler on sultry flights..

Ben, nice report
Yes, it is time LH considers in renewing the F product..But it is in a way great to see, the product is still consistent..I am glad the food this time was a hit and not a miss..often they expetiment with the starters and is just..yuck!..Hopefully they bring back the Rimova kits and improve those cosmetic products..still stingy comparing to others.
About the air nozzles..LH should start hearing what their guests are telling them for ages..install them pls.!
Regarding your cappucino, you kow you can have a stronger one if you have just ask! About the eggs, you can ask for a new batch if the one served is not good enough for you..do not behave like a seasonal traveller!
I would prefer more lighter colour in the cabin. From the photos it looks old and drab with the beige colour.

Ben, lass dich nicht über deine deutsche Herkunft provozieren..Ich finde es gut, dass du sie akzeptierts und neugierig bist. Du machst einen guten Job, weiter so. Vielleicht können wir mal gemeinsam in der Zukunft reisen!

Thanks Lucky, great review.

Given how the differential between First and Business has been shrinking over the years, I think where airlines can still excel in F is through the off-plane services (lounge, chauffeur, concierge).

Thus, even though I agree that in terms of seat itself, there's nothing revolutionary about Lufthansa's F, as a full package, it's still one of the most reliable and elegant products out there.
Plus even on board, you do get full flat bed and guaranteed aisle access, which you don't get in the J cabin.

Lucky, are the F class cabins, and the seat dimensions, identical on the A330, 340-300 and 340-600 aircraft?

Can’t get over the fact that you don’t like bacon. Lol

@Lucas Lufthansa's latest A340-600 was delivered in 2012, around the same time as their first 748

@Lucas My bad, it was 2009. Still that is very new.

The description of the brownie as "lukewarm" is the result of an inexact German to English translation. In German, you often describe food as "lauwarm" that we in English would just call "warm".

I just checked Lufthansa's website and also Flightradar24, it appears the LAX-MUC route is now the A380 and no longer the A340 as of March 25th. Also, LAX-FRA is now using the A340 instead of the A380 so looks like they just swapped equipment on the routes. Not sure if this is permanent.

How do you find out which LH destinations offer first class?

LH used to fly an A330 MUC-DEN, but it’s an A350 now, which I understand doesn’t have a first class cabin. However, they fly a 747 FRA-DEN. Does that plane offer first class? Or only certain 747s?

Excellent post and report...can't believe the flight was March 9 - the excitement has been building:-)

Interesting, Gary. I thought the 340-600 fleet was based in Munich.

Wow, this looks so dated. Maybe it looks better in person.

Is it unusual to use carts in first class? Ben has mentioned a few times he doesn't like carts for food service in business, so I'm surprised a) that it's acceptable in first class and b) the use of carts wasn't commented on, or criticised.

Ben
just curious here why are not you showing us how you got to Lisbon?Did you have a problem and disturbed to share it us?

@ Myles -- I shared the details of that in the first post:
https://onemileatatime.com/taag-trip-report-introduction/

I'm not writing trip reports on those two segments since they were just standard intra-Europe flights and I've reviewed both TAP and Lufthansa regional business class recently.

@ John -- To be clear, the carts I take issue with in business class are ones that are solely used to make the service more efficient. I *love* when airlines have carts where you can see what you're ordering, and then they plate your course in front of you.

@ Tom D -- Only A380s, 747-8s, select A340s, and select A330s have first class. None of the A350s and 747-400s have first class.

5-Star Skytrax airline huh. lol

@ Lucky
Thanks for the info..just curious here was your TAP a good one regarding catering?

Lufthansa was my very first experience in first class (on the 747), and I will have fond memories of them. Unfortunately, I have to agree with Lucky, their product just isn’t that competitive, and their business class leaves a lot to be desired. I’d rather fly Air Canada across the Pacific, at least I won’t get someone sitting right beside me.

I hate doors in business/first cabins so I appreciate Lufthansa's hard product. You still feel like you are flying and not at the dentist. The wine list is always great on LH. The food is hit and miss. Ground service and lounges are always top notch.

The love fest is evident in this post, though there is nothing wrong with being partial. It would be interesting to read Lucky’s review in conjunction with a review by Tiffany or someone else (beside’s Lucky’s boyfriend) on the same service to get a more nuanced perspective.

My goal in life is to fly Lufthansa First Class from FRA, to get a seat in the nose and also experience the free 3hr Porsche driving at the first class terminal.

Lucky, I, like you, also avoid bacon.

Great review-as always! 🙂

Looks as tired as the A350 they used on their SEA to FRA inaugural.

Lucky, which was the aircraft that had the separate/permanent bedding next to the seat?

Hi Ben--I know that LH only makes its first class product to other Star Alliance members a certain number of days in advance. However, I have noticed recently that I can't find availability for advance first class flights on LH using Miles and More say a month or six months in advance. Is this something new?

I'm in the camp of liking the "open plan", as opposed to being boxed into a cocoon, so the LH layout looks great to me.

Also, I don't get Lucky's complaint about the drawn-out gourmet meal service. So what's the point in flying First Class if you just want go to sleep right away? Then it would be better to downgrade to a lay-flat Business Class seat and just sleep.... Instead, enjoy every minute of the service in First Class dude!

I find the cabin temperature issue with Lufthansa is nearly uniformly worse on routes to/from MUC than FRA. This comports with the reputation of Bavarians as those who hate all things fresh and cool air (which is hilarious, seeing that BMW has awesome climate control). I've never had a problem with baking in my own skin on FRA routes, but nearly always end up sweating up a storm on MUC routes. Not only that, but even after I say something, I just get a shrug and some Muenchener FA pointing out one or two people with a blanket and then giving me a glass of water with exactly 2 ice cubes (in J!) to rely on.

@schar
The Porsche ride is not for free. It's 99 euro with 150km / 90 miles included.
you might luck out on that, if there's non available. Better chances to get one on weekends.

You could actually ask the crew to cool the cabin down - Have you tried that?
I hate it when its to warm. I can understand in Economy but not in Biz or First because you have blankets etc. When I fly LH F, I always friendly dictate the temperature 😛
They can handle each Cabin individually.
Most of the time they heat it up because the have to sit in the galley freezing or they think it makes pax sleep, both things I dont really care about.

Look at that lack of privacy. In First Class of all places. It's terrible that you can see another passenger in this British Airways cabin.

Wait what? It's Lufthansa. Oh that's fine then. Let's crack out a totally different set of metrics. You know the original set that somehow failed to ever recognise that they were years behind the curve when they still had 2x2 seating

Their plan for European domination is in progress. They got Austria early, then the Swiss gave it up, next Belgium. Fortunately Holland , France and Poland are better prepared these days.

@ Paolo

LH EU domination?? Exaggerated much, are we?? Really, as if AF and KLM will just sit there and drink tea!!

Lucky, having read all your Lufthansa reviews in the past and thought first class with them was the epitome of travel, it has to be said it’s looking dated from a hard product viewpoint, the picture you have looking to the left and seeing both other travellers at what seems arms length doesn’t look as good as in business class in VA I know the soft product is exceptional but how much longer can this keep them in the game - great review though

@Gary/ @adi_T - Lufthansa have recently scheduled services from/ to Munich with five A380s for the following daily services in summer season: LAX, HKG, PEK. Therefore, some A340s have been shifted to operate the FRA routes instead.

They (namely Lufthansa) experiment with (connecting) pax flows to presumably create a better airport (ground) experience. Also, achievable yields are "apparently" better in/thru Munich. The winter schedule '18 sees additional A380 changes out of MUC (MIA, PVG, SFO), which can be found on routesonline or elsewhere.

@Lucky, netter Bericht - would love to fly Lufthansa First Class one day (:

Can you book LH F with Krisflyer miles?

Nope, sorry, not a fanboy

Disappointed and unimpressed. LH 747 flight in F IAD-FRA in November seat 1A. At the door, “1A, your seat is over there” he pointed. From then on I had to ask for everything. No offer to take my jacket. Seat 1A has no storage, so I had to ask. Apparently some VIPs in F who received constant attention. Food was pretty horrible as well. Oso bucco with risotto nearly inedible, really looked like cow poo. When I commented to Purser, I was told “others liked it” No offer of dessert, FA clearing my table until I asked about dessert. “Oh, you want dessert?”

2 FAs for eight seats, AWFUL service. Worse, this was a PAID ticket, not some upgrade or miles weenie. Scrath LH F from any must do list.....just don’t.

@Mathias
The temperature can only be adjusted per cabin, not per seat. The purser will do it at her/his control panel. When asked they usually do it in small increments of 0.5 to 1 degree and then wait for a few minutes to avoid a too long period of air throughput which would be very annoying (info from my wife, purser on LH 380 and 340).

@travelermb
Have you tried and contacted LH customer's dep.? It should not happened like that..food can be a miss sometimes but there are plenty of choices..flying hungry with LH in F..your own fault!
Attentive service is one of LH's attribute in F..in a full cabin or not.
If you are telling the truth, than the purser and its F crew should be reprimanded for not being professional enough in giving you a premium service..setvice lapses like this should be reported..no excuse for focusing on VIPs..you are also one of them as a revenue F pax!

@myles yes this an accurate experience I contacted customer service and was told simply: “To demonstrate our commitment to customer service, we would like to offer a dinner invitation, for a total of USD 150. ”. A check came about a week later.

@travlermb

Thanks for responding..
150 USD is something, but they should have given you more..a revenue F ticket is not cheap..an upgrade voucher at least for you future F flight or a decent amount of cash and miles..
do not forget!..your are the paying guest who did not receive the proper service you have paid for..LH did not deliver decently..so it is only right to get a decent compensation..

I just can't get over the situation with your main meal experience and the answer of the purser or FA to you...I would have answered..." I am not everyone!..just because everyone liked it..I have to like it as well!..Is not it your job to give every F pax a good experience..why not recommend something different?.."

I know too direct..hey, Germans like to be spoken diectly, no sugar coating..so they can handle it..probably it is just what they want..

@Joe yea, its 99 euro for the insurance, but "free" for 3 hours. Just have to make a reservation of course, not gonna risk not having it. 😉 still looking forward to it

I must admit, I wanted to reach into the computer to stop that plate of mixed nuts slipping off the table.

@lucky

where is the next installment??...the locals are getting restless...even want nuts to stop slipping off...what?...

@Tom D
The 747-400 is used for the Den-FRA route. Unfortunately, it does not have a First Class cabin.

@Lucky interesting about the takeoff roll and gradual climb out on the A340.
The only time I ever flew Lufthansa was back in the 90's on an A340 from Frankfurt to Tel Aviv.
The fish meal in economy was memorable.

Interesting... I was thinking now that indeed there was a switch between a340/a380 between FRA and MUC? I will fly first from FRA to LAX early May and I think this will be a340. Returning flight to MUC is a380 if I am not wrong.

LH Miles&More has some of the most absurd policies out there. Once award tickets are issued, the change fee of $60 only applies to the date and flight option(s). You cannot change the city (e.g., CPH FRA to ARN FRA) even if the required award mileage is the same without LH requiring that you cancel the entire reservation and then try to make a new booking provided that the award inventory is still available. This is a nightmare when trying to change award bookings in First Class for which LH has very little inventory as it is.

@ SQFirst

as your name is suggesting..why not try SQ in First??

@Myles
Maybe you missed the memo that SQ only flies JFK-FRA but not other routes likes ORD-FRA so SQ isn't always possible

@SQ First

my bad! You are right SQ unfortunately do not have ORD-FRA..would rather see SQ taking more 5th freedom flights from from Europe to North America and vice versa..SQ still dictates the premium benchmark within Star Alliance..

@ Lucky- I think I need to come to the defense of Lufthansa here.
I have found LH F class as one of the best in the world taking account the following:
Check in process- with escorts through security and to the plane at LAX and SFO
First Class lounges in FRA (esp the F terminal) and MUC
Private transportation to the long haul plane as well as to/from connecting flights if flying on a plane that's on the tarmac without a gate
Food and wine quality, particularly the Champagne and caviar
Seat comfort, width and leg rest
Bed comfort, mattress pads, down duvets and pillow size
Professional and friendly flight attendants
Consistency- with hard products and service
Arrival services - When I arrived at the baggage claim at LAX, I found all my luggage already stacked on a luggage cart ready to go.

I don't particularly need a great amenity kit these days, and I don't think sliding doors around 6 or 8 seats in a first class cabin add to a more luxurious experience (although there is a partition that slides forward to increase privacy in bed mode). Perhaps for those people who don't fly that frequently, the doors are nice but for flying long haul nearly every 10 days, a comfortable bed that helps me sleep 8+ hours is what I give the highest marks for and Lufthansa has one of the top 3 beds in my opinion (CX and LX are the other two, although I have yet to fly the new EK F).
Although individual AC nozzles are nice, if the cabin is too hot, then a simple request to lower the temperature always would suffice.

I certainly don't feel that the seats are dated or need to be refreshed. I felt that the old blue seats had to go and while the bed + seat temporary set up in the 747s were amazing, I really do like the LH's first class seats, beds and service from check-in to HON baggage handling for F class pax.
Cathay also has an excellent first class product in flight but zero services for first class pax on the ground (not even a free buggy in HKG). TG, NH, JL, MH, BA, and EK in my opinion don't offer the same quality or consistency as LH first class. The new LX first class on the 777-300 ER is the only airline I find better.
Sorry for the long post and of course everyone has their own opinions based on their experiences but these are mine for what they're worth.

@Lucky
Can you elaborate more on the issue of air vents at each seat? If this is so costly, why did LH bother to do it for the entire short-haul fleet but not the long-haul fleet? Also, I find the cost issue somewhat hard to believe given that U.S. airlines are always looking to cut corners and yet most have air vents at each seat on the majority of their long-haul fleets. In fact, the old US Airways wasn't in good financial condition when they ordered the first A330-300s and all seats (except row 1 which used to be First Class) were fitted with personal air vents.

Lucky, I flew on Wednesday and they have new piyamas! Aleluya! No scrubs anymore but nice cotton made!

its a bloody shame that lufthanse is taking its old polluting a340s and 747s from the grave to serve so called first class...