Lufthansa 710 Frankfurt (FRA) – Tokyo Narita (NRT) Wednesday, December 28 Depart: 1:25PM Arrive: 8:35AM (+1 day) Duration: 11hr10min Aircraft: Airbus A380 Seat: 2D (First Class) Once aboard we headed left into the eight-seat first class cabin, which is in the nose on the upper deck (unlike Qantas, where it's on the lower deck). While…
Continue reading: Chasing the A380: Lufthansa A380 First Class Frankfurt to Tokyo
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Can't wait to try the A380 on LH! Another wonderful trip report.
Agree with you on the storage cabinets. Good job by Lufthansa on that!
Flew LH 462 FRA-MIA on the A388 in biz on 1/21, unfortunately my upgrade did not go through.
I was surprised that there are no amenity kits in biz, and the service was medicore at best, i was disappointed with the service, although i think it has to do with the number of biz class seats (pretty full). I have to say, i kind of prefer the B744 in biz to the A388. Maybe I need another flight.
@ Ralph -- I didn't actually lock it, but I believe you can enter a four digit code to lock it with.
@ OG -- Yeah, I guess my perception might be a bit off from seeing two flights in business that were totally empty. It's also worth keeping in mind that the A380 crews are VERY junior (I'll explain why on the return portion of the report), so they're still largely getting used to the service. You might be on to something, though, because I do like sitting in business class in the nose of the 747...
Lucky, Exactly my thoughts.
By the way, I noticed that there is a "team" that serves each "mini cabin" I was seated in 12A, so pretty close to the front of the first "mini cabin" and they serve back to front - the people seated in the first row or two did not have a choice for their meal. FYI for those who will be flying in business and are considering seat choices.
Great report!
Did you feel anything of the humidifier which they offer in First Class?:-)
@ Jake -- Totally forgot to mention that. I don't know if I can give an "honest" answer since I had heard about it before the flight so psychologically would probably say "yes" even if it was no different than any other plane. But I will say that my skin didn't feel dry at all after the flight (which it usually does), and I was very well rested. So I'd give a cautious "yes" and say I did notice it. Or at least my mind told me to notice it!
another fantastic review and photos. i love to hear of exemplary service, it's so rare. some just get it right and have a knack for thoughtful precision as though they really care. gives me goosebumps when it's done right!
when in Japan I always stay at the hotel the crew stays in, we then end up being the only Western chaps in Makuhari outside Tokyo!
This is a great report on the new LH A388 F! I would thrilled to be able to book an award like this. I do wonder why LH has not upgraded their C product? IIRC, LH is supposed to get a new C product for the 747-800.
@OG/Lucky
I felt MUC-JFK in C on the 380 in December, and I was actually surprised at how good the service was (and our flight was FULL). I tend to find LH's service in business pretty ho-hum most of the time, so it was great to get solid service on my first 380 flight. Looking forward to hearing more about the junior crews.
Great post - Except - Where is the wine list? I predict that, as the years go by, you will become more interested in wine. Not that there is anything "wrong" with Diet coke (especially with lime)...
By the way, why don't you find LH's amuse bouche amusing? From the looks of the rest
of the menu, it should have been tasty.
Perhaps you could add the wine list in a reply. Thanks.
I don't quite get all of the "quiet" comments about the A380, all such reports seem to be mostly from people near the very front of the plane (on either deck). I flew SQ JFK-FRA-SIN last week (C award, apparently the stars aligned just right) and I was right over the wing because the forward seats were all taken, and it seemed only slightly less noisy than I remember over-wing seating being for 747s or 777s.
@ AUSTEX -- Totally slipped my mind, will get it ASAP.
@ Whakojacko -- Fair point, I've only flown the A380 in first class. That being said, first class is substantially quieter than first class on any 747 or A330/340 I've ever flown.
How would you say the food and seat of the LH A380 compare to that of Qantas' A380?
The LH F Japanese menu looks better than the UA F Japanese menu I tried last year (which was OK but nothing special).
I'd have probably done that (and who knows, maybe US will allow LH F redemptions again someday ;)), but I am a sucker for trying the local cuisine where I am traveling- I usually order Thai food on TG and load it up with hot pepper powder, and ask for the pepper paste on OZ. I can get a steak anywhere at home, but soba's a bit more difficult (though not impossible on the West Coast of the US).
Oh, and I thought the ride I took in 23K on an EK A380 was pretty good and quiet, too...
@ Qwerbo -- When traveling alone I do prefer the Qantas A380 seat, which I find to be one of the most comfortable in the sky. When traveling with someone else, though, it's nice to be able to actually sit next to them.
Qantas has a damn good product. I'd also give their food a slight edge, as it's simple yet delicious.
But for me, service on Lufthansa is the best out there, and their ground services are top notch.
@ben have you chased the korean air A380 yet?? I'm going to in 2 weeks! Can't wait! all upper deck biz class!
I flew this service from Tokyo to Frankfurt back last year in business class. I'm not a fan of Lufthansa as an airline (I would rank it far behind LX, CX, SQ and EK), but even so I found the flight exceedingly uncomfortable. The business seats are not conducive to sleeping, and if you're a particularly tall and slender person, you'll find it difficult to find a comfortable position to rest in.
I especially detest the lack of privacy in the LH C cabin: in this instance the man seated next to me spent a good portion of the flight peering over at my side of the cabin, and gave me a lascivious wink upon our disembarkation. The only positive I took away from it is that the A380 is a notably quiet plane, with take-off and landing being particularly smooth. The service was also pleasant. (The German pilots and male attendants on Lufthansa are drop-dead gorgeous, by the way.)
I would always order the Japanese kaiseki menu on any flight to/from Tokyo, but particularly departing NRT. Japanese cuisine is flavourful, refined, and healthy in a way that no Western one can match.
@deux centimes
"Japanese cuisine is flavourful, refined, and healthy in a way that no Western one can match."
On the refined and healthy, maybe. But while I do enjoy Japanese food, when it comes to French or Italian cuisine...it's a bit lacking. YMMV.
Lucky, can you mix and match from the Western and Japanese menus? The options on the Western menu seem a little less than usual...almost at the level of Etihad 😉
The only bad thing about your reports is having to wait for the next installment! Love em 🙂
@ Matt -- Not as far as I know, at least not for arrivals at Narita (vs. Frankfurt, where they have a welcome lounge).
deux centimes: on the A380, maybe, but LH's A333 the 343s have a 12 person C mini-cabin somewhere on the plane. So not too awfully crowded. The A380 C cabin must feel like a business class dorm, though.
I slept OK in 3G on a LH A333 recently on FRA-SEA (6 foot 4), but I'm a side sleeper- plus you get a bit of a cutout in the bulkhead.
I had the exact same food on my FRA-KIX on 744 new F a month before your flight. That Japanese beef tenderloin was really tough, probably low grade beef and filled with sauce, which already hindered the best taste of beef !
Even though 380 F is nice, but other than large bathroom, I don't think it is comparable to new F on the 744 which have a separate real bed next to the seat. I certainly did not regret my choice FRA-KIX instead of FRA-NRT, though my flight had really lousy service in F, despite there were only 4 pax out of 8 seats.
Glad you had good service, Lucky. Of the 4 F-class flights I've had on LH, only one was great. Other were all mediocre and I'm not sure why given that loads were always less than full. Crews definitely seemed "over-it", if you know what I mean.
Hoping my next F with them is actually worth it.
Love your posts!
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@ putongo -- Shocked/sorry to hear that! Out of curiosity, what routes were you flying?
Of the 8 the 1st class seats of 747-8 which would you say for a couple traveling would have the most privacy and quite?
@ Lana Butler -- Row one is definitely most private. While center seats in row three are probably closer to one another, I love sitting in the nose, even if traveling with a companion.
Great Review! --A have a First Class Flight on an A380 next month, and came across your comments. I have flown many FC INTL Flights. However, this is my first on an A380, and though have flown LFT. AIRLINES twice before, it's always been BC. Many thanks again for a most informative review. --I look forward to my own experience! --Best, -Patrick Lowe