Review: Lufthansa First Class Boeing 747-8

Review: Lufthansa First Class Boeing 747-8

FROM: MIA
TO: FRA
CABIN: First
DATE: October 2021
REVIEW RATING:
SEAT MAP: 747-8
BEN SAYS: Lufthansa first class is one of my favorite ways to cross the Atlantic -- I love sitting in the nose of the Boeing 747-8, and the amenities, service, and food, were all excellent.
73

I can’t even begin to say how much we enjoyed our Lufthansa first class flight. There’s something so special about sitting in the nose of the 747, and I think the pandemic’s impact on travel makes me savor experiences like this even more than ever before.

How I booked our Lufthansa first class tickets

If you’re trying to book Lufthansa first class with miles through a partner frequent flyer program (which is the best way to do so), you can only book at most 15 days in advance. The Miami to Frankfurt route is notoriously difficult to snag first class award seats on, given that the cabin often fills up with paying passengers.

Fortunately we lucked out in this case. Just under a week before departure two first class award seats opened up, so we booked the following:

10/11 LH463 Miami to Frankfurt departing 4:50PM arriving 8:00AM (+1 day)
10/12 LH1040 Frankfurt to Paris departing 4:20PM arriving 5:35PM

I redeemed 100,00 Air Canada Aeroplan miles per person for these tickets, and the taxes & fees totaled $75 per ticket. I had booked while there was a 20% transfer bonus from Amex to Aeroplan, meaning I really only paid around 84,000 Amex Membership Rewards points per ticket.

What an awesome itinerary! As you can see, we had a very long layover in Frankfurt (the midday Frankfurt to Paris flight didn’t have award availability), but I sure didn’t mind. It would be like the good old days of spending a day in Lufthansa’s incredible First Class Terminal, one of my favorite lounges in the world.

Lufthansa first class ground experience Miami

Lufthansa certainly makes you wait until you’re on board to enjoy the first class experience, especially when departing Miami. On the plus side, the check-in hall was quite empty. We were quickly helped in the line for first class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members, and the check-in associate was friendly and professional.

Lufthansa check-in counter Miami Airport (MIA)

Lufthansa used to offer first class passengers escorts through security, but that doesn’t seem to be a thing anymore. On the plus side, I was happy to see the short security lines to get into the concourse, given that they can be out of control in the international terminal. We were airside within 15 minutes of arriving at the airport. Remind me again how this was voted America’s best airport?!

Miami Airport (MIA) airside concourse

All Lufthansa premium passengers have access to one of the two Turkish Airlines Lounges at Miami Airport, and in this case I was visiting the one I hadn’t previously reviewed.

Turkish Airlines Lounge Miami (MIA)

The lounge is open to just about all premium passengers, as well as Priority Pass members, so there was a slow-moving queue to get into the lounge.

Turkish Airlines Lounge entrance Miami (MIA)

The lounge itself was totally okay for Priority Pass or a contract lounge. It got extremely crowded a bit after we arrived, to the point that virtually every seat was taken. We just spent the time in the lounge getting caught up on some work. Fortunately we didn’t have that much time to kill in the lounge.

Turkish Airlines Lounge Miami (MIA)

Boarding for the flight was scheduled to start at 4:10PM, 40 minutes ahead of scheduled departure time. Sure enough, that’s exactly when boarding started, with first class passengers being invited to board first.

Lufthansa departure gate Miami (MIA)

Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 first class cabin & seats

It had been at least a couple of years since I flew the Lufthansa Boeing 747-8, and boy was I happy to be back onboard! The 747 is my favorite plane in the world, and as an avgeek there’s nothing like sitting in the nose of the plane. At the door we were greeted by the friendly crew, and one of the first class flight attendants escorted us to our seats.

While Lufthansa’s first class cabin isn’t the most private out there, I find it to be elegantly understated. The cabin features a total of eight seats — there are three rows with one seat on each side, and then in the last row there are also two seats in the center section.

Lufthansa first class cabin Boeing 747-8
Lufthansa first class cabin Boeing 747-8
Lufthansa first class cabin Boeing 747-8

While I’d ordinarily choose to sit with my travel companion in the center section, in this case I couldn’t help but select seats 1A & 1K for us, right in the nose. Why?

  • With so many airlines retiring 747s, who knows how many more opportunities I’ll have to sit right in the nose
  • It’s not often you get to sit both in front of the cockpit and in front of the forward gear
  • Lufthansa has buddy seats in first class, so you can still dine face-to-face

So I sat in 1A, while Ford sat in 1K.

Lufthansa first class seat 1A on Boeing 747-8
Lufthansa first class seat 1K on Boeing 747-8

There are no doubt more private first class suites out there, but Lufthansa’s product is still well designed and functional. There’s a wall-mounted personal television, and then underneath that is the ottoman. The ottoman can also act as a storage compartment, and can slide closer to you, should you want to easily rest your feet on it.

Lufthansa first class seat ottoman

To the right of the seat are the seat controls, while to the left of the seat are the entertainment controls.

Lufthansa first class seat controls
Lufthansa first class entertainment controls

Then along the left side of the seat are two small storage compartments.

Lufthansa first class seat storage

One of those storage compartments has Bose headphones, which are attached to the seat by a wire. This seems like a great solution, compared to other airlines — this way you can keep them from takeoff until touchdown, and the airline doesn’t have to worry about them being stolen.

Lufthansa first class headphones

The Lufthansa first class tray table is large, and folds out from the far end of the seat.

Lufthansa first class tray table

Underneath the armrest are USB and 110v power outlets, which are easy enough to access.

Lufthansa first class power outlets

In terms of privacy, each first class seat has a partition that can be raised, which essentially gives you a cocoon, without actually having a door. When you’re in the first row this gives you the most privacy, since there’s no one seated in front of you who can look back at you. On this particular flight there were just a total of four passengers in first class (including us), so the cabin felt private regardless.

Lufthansa first class privacy shield

Lufthansa has electronic window shades in first class, so you can raise or lower the window shades with the touch of a button.

Lufthansa first class windows

I also love how you can feel the curvature of the plane when sitting in those — there’s a closet in the front, but that’s it.

Sitting in the nose of the Boeing 747

A couple of other things to note about Lufthansa’s 747-8 first class cabin. While the nose of the 747 has some overhead bins, each passenger also has a dedicated storage locker behind the cabin, where they can store their bags and hang any clothes.

Lufthansa first class closet Boeing 747-8

My only real frustration with the cabin (and the cabins on so many European airlines) are the lack of individual air nozzles.

Lufthansa first class overhead console

Lufthansa first class amenities

For me it’s always a bit like Christmas when you board first class on a great airline, based on the amount of gifts you receive. To start, there was a pillow and blanket at my seat. This isn’t the bedding that’s used when it’s time to sleep, but rather it’s just intended for lounging around.

Lufthansa first class amenities

Within moments of settling in, I was offered an amenity kit, pajamas, and slippers.

Lufthansa first class amenities

The amenity kit itself was from Van Laack, and featured socks, a shoe horn, eyeshades, a comb, earplugs, a dental kit, headphone covers, and a few samples of La Prairie products (including the “skin caviar,” which I immediately packed as a small gift for my mom, as she’s a fan).

Lufthansa first class amenity kit
Lufthansa first class amenity kit

Lufthansa has probably the best padded slippers you’ll find on any airline, as they’re outrageously comfortable.

Lufthansa first class slippers

Then there were the Van Laack pajamas, which included pants and a collared shirt. Personally I find these pajamas to be mighty “formal,” though my dad has started to repurpose the shirts of the Lufthansa pajamas for everyday use, so if you see someone in Tampa at a restaurant wearing Lufthansa first class pajamas, now you know who it is…

Lufthansa first class pajamas
Lufthansa first class pajamas

On top of that, we were offered vouchers for free Wi-Fi, which is a nice touch.

Lufthansa first class free Wi-Fi

After being offered all of those gifts, we were served some pre-departure drinks, along with macadamia nuts. We ordered champagne, which in this case was the lovely 2004 Cuvee Louise. With the rose in the background, I think the below picture sums up the beautiful simplicity of the Lufthansa first class experience.

Lufthansa first class champagne & macadamia nuts

Lastly, we were also offered the menu and wine list for the flight.

Lufthansa first class menu & wine list

A beautiful departure from Miami

The pandemic has caused me to take flying less for granted, and I have even more of an appreciation for just looking out of the window and enjoying the views. Our boarding process was quick, and by 4:25PM the main cabin door closed, by 4:45PM we pushed back, and by 4:55PM we started our taxi.

There was a LATAM 767-300 on one side of us, and the other side of us was an Air France A350-900 that was just arriving (exactly the same flight we’d take on the way back).

LATAM Boeing 767 Miami (MIA)
Air France A350 Miami (MIA)

We had a roughly 15 minute taxi to runway 9. While I love runway views no matter where on the plane I’m sitting, it’s extra special in the nose — just look at that beautiful “hump” shadow that I got to enjoy, thanks to how far forward I was sitting.

Taking off from Miami (MIA)

We rocketed off pretty quickly, and had the typical beautiful views on departure. As someone who usually lives in Miami, I can’t count how many times I’ve seen the Lufthansa plane take off from Miami, so it was cool to be onboard for once.

View after takeoff from Miami (MIA)
View after takeoff from Miami (MIA)
View after takeoff from Miami (MIA)
View after takeoff from Miami (MIA)

Lufthansa first class dinner service

The crew sprung into action quickly after takeoff to commence the service. The two ladies working first class simply couldn’t have been lovelier. They seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs, and they also loved Ford’s enthusiasm for speaking German (he only started learning last summer, and I’d say he’s nearly fluent at this point).

While Lufthansa has a dine on demand concept, most people on a redeye want to eat as quickly as possible after takeoff. The dinner menu for this flight read as follows:

Lufthansa first class dinner menu

Then the Lufthansa first class drink list read as follows:

Lufthansa first class drink list

Then the Lufthansa first class wine list read as follows:

Lufthansa first class wine
Lufthansa first class wine
Lufthansa first class wine
Lufthansa first class wine
Lufthansa first class wine

The crew generally sets up a little display in the middle of the cabin, between the two seats in row two, and in front of the pair of seats in row three.

Lufthansa first class canapés

After takeoff we ordered another glass of champagne. We wanted to switch to the 2004 Grand Cuvee Rose Alexandra Laurent-Perrier that was listed on the menu, but the crew apologized that it wasn’t available. Instead Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle had been loaded, which we were also very happy with. This was served with the amuse bouche, which consisted of pepper and asparagus (which was rather bland and hard to eat).

Lufthansa first class dinner — champagne & canapés

Ford and I decided to dine face-to-face, so he sat in 1A (my seat), and I took the buddy seat. The meal started off with the signature caviar course, with the traditional garnishes.

Lufthansa first class dinner — caviar round one

Service in Lufthansa first class is more or less back to how it was pre-pandemic, except there are no warm towels, and there are no trolleys. The flight attendant graciously offered us some more caviar (in fairness, the other passengers weren’t having any, and presumably it would have otherwise gone to waste), so we couldn’t say no.

Lufthansa first class dinner — caviar round two

During our dinner we were treated to the most gorgeous sunset imaginable.

Sunset during dinner service

Next up was the appetizer course. These appetizers come on trays, and passengers can try everything if they’d like. We made the decision to just order one of each and share. The appetizers were quite good, and included:

  • Shrimp ceviche with marinated vegetable mix
  • Achiote seared beef, farro salad, prickly pear cactus vinaigrette, and chive oil
  • Chilled ratatouille parcel, artichoke escabeche, and pomegranate balsamic glaze
  • Baby spinach salad, pickled red onion and fresh raspberries, blue cheese crumble, and dressing

I can’t say any of the dishes were particularly memorable, but we did enjoy all of them.

Lufthansa first class dinner — appetizers

Next up were the main courses. I ordered the lump crab cakes, roasted corn and tomato succotash, grilled baby zucchini, grilled patty pan squash, and spicy tomato hollandaise sauce.

Lufthansa first class dinner — main course

Ford had the pecan and molasses crusted beef filet, green pea risotto, seasoned broccolini, sautéed sunburst squash, grilled red pepper, pinto bean, corn, and cremini ragout.

Lufthansa first class dinner — main course

We were then offered dessert, but we couldn’t eat any more. At that point the crew offered us each a small box of chocolates to conclude the meal.

Lufthansa first class dinner — chocolates

The meal took around 2.5 hours, and that was only because we wanted to eat at a leisurely pace, and have some time between courses. The crew couldn’t have been more polished or genuinely friendly.

Lufthansa first class lavatories

After the meal I asked the crew to make my bed, so I checked out the lavatory. Lufthansa has two lavatories behind the first class cabin, exclusively for first class passengers. This is an excellent ratio of bathrooms to seats. The bathrooms are a great size, and each even has a window.

Lufthansa first class lavatory Boeing 747-8
Lufthansa first class lavatory Boeing 747-8

The bathroom had one bottle of cream from La Prairie, as well as a facial mist from Evian.

Lufthansa first class lavatory amenities Boeing 747-8

Lufthansa first class bed

Lufthansa’s first class bedding is exceptionally comfortable. The pillow is well padded without being too thick, there’s a legit mattress pad, and the duvet is fluffy but not too hot. Personally I consistently sleep well in Lufthansa first class, and this was no exception.

Lufthansa first class bed

My only complaint is the lack of individual air nozzles. It can get a bit stuffy in the cabin, especially if you’re right in the nose, where airflow is limited.

I ended up falling asleep with about 5.5 hours until our arrival in Frankfurt, and woke up just over two hours before landing, so I got a solid three hours of sleep.

Lufthansa first class entertainment & Wi-Fi

Before going to sleep, I checked out Lufthansa’s entertainment selection. Lufthansa’s entertainment system is probably the most disappointing part of the first class experience. The screen is extremely low quality, so you feel like you’re watching a TV from 15 years ago.

Lufthansa first class entertainment system

The below pictures of the airshow aren’t blurry because I’m bad at pictures, but rather that’s just the clarity of the screen.

Lufthansa map enroute to Frankfurt
Lufthansa map enroute to Frankfurt
Lufthansa map enroute to Frankfurt

The quantity of movies and TV shows is fine but not amazing, but personally I always bring my own entertainment on Lufthansa, or choose to instead use the Wi-Fi.

Lufthansa entertainment selection

And that brings us to Lufthansa’s FlyNet Wi-Fi, which is a highlight of the Lufthansa first class experience. First class passengers get a code for free Wi-Fi, which has generally good speeds, especially for a transatlantic flight.

Lufthansa first class Wi-Fi

For those paying, Lufthansa’s Wi-Fi offering sure is more expensive than in the past. You can get a messaging pass for $8, a lower speed pass for $20, and a high speed pass for $34.

Lufthansa Wi-Fi pricing

Lufthansa first class breakfast service

About 90 minutes before landing, the crew came by my seat to offer me breakfast. The menu read as follows:

Lufthansa first class breakfast menu

I wasn’t hungry — it was the middle of the night back at home, and I had finished up a big meal just four hours prior. However, I figured I’d take one for the team, so I ordered something. I ordered a cup of coffee and an orange juice (with the latter being a mistake — I forgot that Lufthansa only loads freshly squeezed orange juice on flights out of Germany, and not on flights to Germany).

Lufthansa first class breakfast — drinks

I decided to order what’s consistently Lufthansa’s best breakfast option, which is scrambled eggs with chives. There aren’t many airlines that offer fresh eggs onboard, so that’s always a treat.

Lufthansa first class breakfast — scrambled eggs

An unusual arrival into Frankfurt

At around 7:15AM Frankfurt time, the captain announced that we’d be landing in about 30 minutes, and moments later we began our descent. While I tried to capture some pictures of the route on the airshow, I can’t believe that the below is what it looks like in 2021. 😉

Lufthansa airshow approaching Frankfurt
Lufthansa airshow approaching Frankfurt
Lufthansa airshow approaching Frankfurt

Just as we had a beautiful sunset shortly after departure, we had an equally nice sunrise on our approach.

Sunrise enroute to Frankfurt

We circled around, and ended up touching down in Frankfurt at 7:50AM.

Lufthansa airshow approaching Frankfurt

I feel so bad for the weather Germans have to put up with all too often…

View on final approach to Frankfurt

We had a roughly five minute taxi to our arrival gate, where we pulled in shortly before 8AM. We pulled up to the gate, but to my surprise, the jet bridge wasn’t actually used. Instead passengers were deplaned via the second set of doors and the rear doors.

With long haul capacity being down as much as it is, I’m not sure exactly why this would happen, let alone on a rainy day where passengers have to carry their luggage down stairs. But I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t mind. How often do you get an engine view like this while deplaning?! I almost fell going down the stairs because I was so distracted by the beauty of that wing and those two monsters.

Deplaning Lufthansa Boeing 747-8

And getting to walk along the side of a 747-8 isn’t half bad either.

Deplaning Lufthansa Boeing 747-8
Deplaning Lufthansa Boeing 747-8

The other benefit is that if you’re in Lufthansa first class and you don’t arrive at a gate, you’re driven to the terminal separate from other passengers.

Lufthansa first class ground service Frankfurt (FRA)

We’ll pick up there in the next installment, with our very long layover at the First Class Terminal

Bottom line

Lufthansa first class is such a fantastic way to cross the Atlantic. For one, sitting in the nose of a 747-8 is so much fun, but beyond that, the cabin elegance, amenities, service, food, drinks, and Wi-Fi, make this a phenomenal product.

Unlike some other airlines, Lufthansa has more or less maintained its typical first class service during the pandemic. Lufthansa first class continues to be my favorite way to cross the Atlantic with miles (along with Emirates first class).

What do you make of Lufthansa’s first class product?

Conversations (73)
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  1. Josh G. Guest

    I love everything about Lufthansa first class except the temperature of the cabin which I find stifling.

    Way too hot.

  2. N3 Guest

    Lucky, how strict was Lufthansa about keeping your mask on if not actively eating or drinking?

  3. Laura Saxon Guest

    I read your article for the first time yesterday and loved it. What a great flight. The in flight menus sound lovely and the fold down bed sounds awesome. My parents and I flew to Italy last month for a three week cruise with our favorite cruise company, Viking Ocean cruises, for our second Viking cruise since getting vaccinated for COVID, and Lufthansa has you wear your mask the whole time, except when eating, and...

    I read your article for the first time yesterday and loved it. What a great flight. The in flight menus sound lovely and the fold down bed sounds awesome. My parents and I flew to Italy last month for a three week cruise with our favorite cruise company, Viking Ocean cruises, for our second Viking cruise since getting vaccinated for COVID, and Lufthansa has you wear your mask the whole time, except when eating, and you have to wear it while asleep as well, but the food was excellent. We even had ice cream on our outbound flight from Athens.

  4. Pekak Guest

    Please make YouTube video reviews. Readers would get so much more out of it.

  5. Spartone Guest

    What program is Ford using to learn German?

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ Spartone -- A combination of things. He started by using italki, then he enrolled in Goethe-Institut while we were in Berlin last year, and nowadays we just practice daily. We talk in German to one another, and he talks in German with my parents.

    2. Sebastian Guest

      The carpet looks filthy and the wine selection could be improved, I. È. No Italian wine.

    3. Vancouver - Char Diamond

      Yes, for studying German, the Goethe-Institut is prolly the most effective route - German is not an easy language yet German is logical (for example the letters always retain their pronunciation unlike English)

    4. Vancouver - Char Diamond

      thank for this post on catering for the short-haul flight within Europe; I appreciate your candour on the highs and lows of flights. This short-haul flights suggests that Lufthansa is penny-wise yet dollar poor..

    5. Ludwig Guest

      Observing your breakfast menu, I can't help wondering whether all Pax on board managed to use the toilet inside the 10-15 minutes left till touch down.

  6. Bill W. Guest

    I've flown this several times as well, and enjoyed it. But by today's standards, this is an outdated product & experience. Good service and food, but Lufthansa is 10+ years behind on the hard product in F (and don't get me started on their pathetic business class). I'd rather use my Star Alliance rewards on ANA F class any day.

  7. Gene Guest

    Outdated.
    Lot's of modern business class cabins look more premium than this non-sense.

    1. speedbird Guest

      I think Lufthansa's First Class cabin is one of the classiest in the skies. It certainly looks much nicer than any Business Cabin out there. ME3 First Class looks way too gaudy for my taste.

    2. Kent Guest

      Functional but immemorable is how I would define Lufthansa's product. I have no complaints with it, but I also don't get excited about it. It, I think, reflects the German stereotype of functionality over passion very well. I am glad their cars as not as boring as Lufthansa's First product.

  8. Emily Guest

    I feel that it is time to introduce Lufthansa to innovation and progress.

  9. Tony Guest

    Lucky- you and I are so much alike when it comes to the 747-800 and the service one gets in first class. The difference between us is that I'm not as generous as you about sharing my flying secrets!

  10. Tony Guest

    Lucky- you and I are so much alike when it comes to the 747-800 and the service one gets in first class. The difference between us is that I'm not generous as you about sharing my flying secrets!

  11. WB Guest

    That meal service looked amazing!

  12. Robert W Guest

    Before the Pandemic we flew First Class Lufthansa from Munich to Shanghai (starting in London) and returning into Frankfurt. Like the writer on the outward journey I had seat 1A after another passenger offered his seat to me to sit nearer to my husband in 2A. A very generous offer and much appreciated. This was our first time in First Class and being up front in the 747 was very special.

  13. BK Guest

    Seems a little odd that they offer fresh orange juice when departing from Germany, but not on a flight departing from, of all places, Florida.

    1. Kyle Guest

      Availability and price in North America comes nowhere close to Europe. Just last week in Amsterdam a half liter of fresh squeezed OJ cost 2 euro whereas in America at my local grocery store, same machine, cost $5 for .2L...

    2. K Bart Guest

      All the crap america is allowed to spray on its crops,

  14. WW Guest

    Wonder if Lufthansa are still deemed to have a Skytrax 5'star award; for it's 'imaginary' Business Class. A Business Class that still hasn't been properly introduced. Embarrassingly dishonest, for both Skytrax and LH.

  15. Alexf1 Member

    Curious about the use of stairs on arrival at the gate. Suspect this may be Covid related such that they want to ensure everyone has the necessary certs before entering the terminal. At Frankfurt (from memory) when you arrive, you enter the transit area (ie where the duty free and cafes are) where there are departing passengers and staff as well.

  16. Brian S Guest

    No beer selection on a German airline? :o (or did I just miss it?)

  17. Janet Guest

    Reading this just about killed me. I’m flying Boston to Frankfurt on Lufthansa in a couple of weeks, …in economy restricted. Going with a tour company, and that’s how they booked me. There are no upgrades allowed on that fare, which I’d planned to purchase. I also have a five hour layover in Frankfurt. I’m just hoping I can purchase lounge access. Wish me luck!

  18. Martin Weiss Guest

    Nobody in Europe needs air nozzles, and it is besides some others one of the most annoying thing for Europeans with US carriers, cold planes and constant cold airflow, touche...

    1. Mike Wallas Guest

      Its the worst on European Airlines. Hot sweaty and BO. Gross. Why would anyone pay for that when you can have a cool and fresh cabin

  19. Kbulo Guest

    Flew twice eastbound transatlantic in 1A and have to say that I didn’t really love it. Not sure if it was headwinds but it was more noisy, with a sense of more vibration bumps than usual hitting the nose.

  20. S Diamond

    Lucky reviews, among the best things out there for travel/airplanes. Good job.

  21. Mick Guest

    Great review! Miss it!

    Do you find the early takeoff time annoying? I prefer transatlantic take offs after 7/8pm and that’s from ord. Although flew to Munich in 2019 on LH F and it was still pretty good at 350pm. I guess it depends on what responsibilities you have on the other end.

  22. François Guest

    Can't wait to book it again soon! (but only ex-FRA for the FCT and the duck haha)

  23. Eliyahu Guest

    Dying with laughter thinking about your dad wearing Lufthansa pajamas out in public as casualwear

  24. Adrian Guest

    I am really impressed with Lufthansa's offering. It is almost back to normal 100% while most European and US airlines continue to offer a sub-par product in premium cabin. Can't wait to read about the rest of your experience!

  25. Steve Guest

    Awesome to live vicariously again through your excellent reviews! I have not flown a lot of international first class, but I have done the Lufthansa first on the 747 too. I know there is a focus now on having private first class suites, etc. but I actually enjoy being able to SEE other people flying with you and really enjoy that aspect of Lufthansa. Call me old-fashioned I guess. Glad to see these things returning...

  26. Abidjan Guest

    Great report, Lucky. I actually like the old airshows. Nostalgic.

  27. Hiro Guest

    Nice review.

    "Pillow is well padded without being too chick" - meant to say something else?

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ Hiro -- Fixed, thanks! Was supposed to say "thick."

  28. Cedric Guest

    that's a very solid wine list. Great variety.

  29. Colin Guest

    Ben, do you (or anyone else) happen to know where I could find the music Lufthansa plays when watching the map on the entertainment screen? It was probably the highlight of my flights on Lufthansa.

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ Colin -- We may have similar tastes... is this the music you're referring to?
      https://onemileatatime.com/so-i-think-weve-found-lufthansas-awesome-onboard-music-track/

    2. Colin Guest

      This is a great song, Ben. Am a fan of this one for sure. I'm not convinced it is the same one I remember hearing when watching the inflight map for hours though!

  30. Steve Diamond

    wait when did the 747s get the dreamliner engine nacelles?

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ Steve -- It's exclusively on the 747-8s.

  31. Steven M Guest

    "The other benefit is that if you’re in Lufthansa first class and you don’t arrive at a gate, you’re driven to the terminal separate from other passengers."

    This alone might be worth the 100K miles to a number of readers here :)

  32. JK Guest

    How did you get from FRA to Paris. Flying Singapore to FRA in 2022 and want to get straight to Paris. Train? FRA to CDG flying? Love the reviews.

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ JK -- I flew as part of the same award ticket. Personally I'd probably fly, but if you wanted to spend some time in Frankfurt, the train wouldn't be a bad option either.

  33. Vancitycvw Guest

    I recently flew Lufthansa first class from Frankfurt to Johannesburg on their 747-8. Ground service was incredible but inflight service was forgettable. I always feel that LH cabin crew pay a lot more attention to their German speaking passengers compared to their non German speaking passengers. Especially in business and first. I was seated in 1 A and waited almost until departure for a glass of welcome champagne. Service throughout the flight was lacking. My...

    I recently flew Lufthansa first class from Frankfurt to Johannesburg on their 747-8. Ground service was incredible but inflight service was forgettable. I always feel that LH cabin crew pay a lot more attention to their German speaking passengers compared to their non German speaking passengers. Especially in business and first. I was seated in 1 A and waited almost until departure for a glass of welcome champagne. Service throughout the flight was lacking. My breakfast service was an afterthought and I had to repeatedly ask for a coffee. All this time flight attendants were chatting away with other German passengers. They accidentally threw away my slippers during the breakfast service- I requested another pair and my request was just brushed off saying ‘ its not an option’. I realize that crew can be a hit or miss but with LH its definitely more a miss for me.
    I flew BA first back to Europe - a completely different story. Flight Attendants were warm, friendly and attentive. The new BA first cabin is also a lot cozier and more modern than the dated LH first cabin. LH first way overrated in my opinion.

    1. Milo2 Guest

      Our experience in Lufthansa business class is the same as yours! we were ignored, and one flight attendant was actually very rude to my partner (he's English) when he requested a coffee.

    2. Paul Guest

      I flew this route last night and the cabin service was impeccable. Everyone in the cabin seemed to get the same amount of attention. Regarding the seat, my only small gripe is the sluggish entertainment remote control and the screen size/distance relation makes for a smallish video size. The scrambled eggs were tasteless and scrambled dry. I will give them a miss on my return flight in 2 weeks

    3. H-T Member

      I too have experience the rude German attitude of the crew once on a long haul flight and stopped flying them long haul ever since. The maximum I’d give LH is a euro (short sector) flight while I’ve since given my long haul business to BA; the BA crew, more often than not, have the professionalism, consistency and can-do attitude that I have yet to see LH crew master. On a side note: I’ve see...

      I too have experience the rude German attitude of the crew once on a long haul flight and stopped flying them long haul ever since. The maximum I’d give LH is a euro (short sector) flight while I’ve since given my long haul business to BA; the BA crew, more often than not, have the professionalism, consistency and can-do attitude that I have yet to see LH crew master. On a side note: I’ve see the same can-do and friendliness and professionalism from VS and KL too long haul. Sorry LH but you’re not in the same league.

  34. KM Guest

    Great review! Hoping to snag F space soon for our trip next month. If not, we will be on the upper deck in business. Is it awkward "buddy" dining with others in the cabin?

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ KM -- Great question! In this case it wasn't, based on where the other passengers were seated. If the cabin were full, it might be a bit awkward, since you're basically looking directly at some other passengers, though at a distance. Then again, I guess that's no different than British Airways' old business class. ;)

  35. D3kingg Guest

    What a deal with the 20% AMEX transfer at 84K. When I flew Lufthansa First FRA-ORD on September 3 in 1A. Same champagne. Different amenity kit Porsche. The pajamas were van laack brown color.

    What hotel are you staying at in Paris ? Cant wait for that.

  36. Omar Guest

    Flew this last month on same route and they only had 1 bottle of the Alexandra loaded. Many of the good wines were also not available. Seems like they are cutting corners there.

  37. Harry Lochler Guest

    I have to laugh at "shoehorns" being given out as amenities. Like is there some giant warehouse full of them from decades ago and they're just trying to use them up before abandoning this silly, wasteful trinket as an amenity?

  38. GW Guest

    Which route has the best availability for LH F for west coast?

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ GW -- Both west coast routes (LAX & SFO) are rather tough. I'd say SFO is marginally easier, but you'll usually find a lot more availability out of ORD, followed by EWR. LAX, SFO, and MIA, are all tricky. I'd just recommend monitoring first class availability in the couple of weeks leading up to the flight, and hope that a majority of the seats are unsold.

    2. Steve Guest

      Ben - what is the best method of monitoring this? I'd use LifeMiles. Check everyday starting 30 days out? It seems that this out of reach for most of us unless we have the luxury of last minute travel.

    3. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ Steve -- You could pay for an ExpertFlyer subscription, though alternatively go to Google Flights and just see how many seats are still being sold in first class on a particular flight. It should be pretty easy to figure out, given that there are at most eight seats. Then within 15 days just keep an eye on award availability (personally I use Air Canada's website most often).

    4. JPGisBD Guest

      Ben, what are the routes that have the best availability for LH F departing Germany? Thanks!

    5. JvdB Guest

      Ben, agreed with the above, in addition, LH tends to have excellent availability out of MEX as well as YYZ

  39. Mike k Guest

    My wife and I flew last week from fra to sfo also in seats 1a & 1k. Food and service was very good. Seat 1k video was not working except for map. Made for a very long day! Fra 1st class terminal was the highlight. Would I do it again “no”.

  40. Ella Guest

    I was worried I’d missed my chance at LH First, with all the pandemic changes. I had plans for 2020, but didn’t we all have cancellations? So here’s to a future trip! Thanks for a wonderful report - and I’m glad to see wines in F are so much better than in business.

  41. Greg Guest

    The no rose champagne thing seems to be route specific. SFO-FRA a couple months ago was told 'not avail on this particular route.'

    Wish LH would up the game of the mains and starters quality, BA for example does a better job there, but it is...reliable

  42. Scott h Guest

    We flew business with Lufthansa from Munich to sfo last week. While it wasn’t the 747, nor first, it was an awesome experience. The service was over the top and simply wonderful. They run a good shop.

  43. DCharlie Guest

    Fine, dependable and comfortable is how I define Lufthansa F. I fly regularly between ORD and FRA for work. While I don’t consider the product memorable, I also can’t find fault with it - which is fine by me. I’m not really that impressed by the bling that other airlines pack into their F products. Incidentally I also like SQ Suites and ANA’s new F product. Again - none of them are especially memorable, but...

    Fine, dependable and comfortable is how I define Lufthansa F. I fly regularly between ORD and FRA for work. While I don’t consider the product memorable, I also can’t find fault with it - which is fine by me. I’m not really that impressed by the bling that other airlines pack into their F products. Incidentally I also like SQ Suites and ANA’s new F product. Again - none of them are especially memorable, but perfectly comfortable and functional. These are two attributes I value most.

  44. AW Guest

    An honest to goodness premium travel review!!! Awesome.

    Nature is healing?

  45. Clem Diamond

    This is one of the last "famous" first class products I have yet to try, it does look lovely despite the lack of privacy. How were the main dishes? Based on your other comments it looks like the food may not exactly be the best?

  46. echino Diamond

    Not worried about sitting right behind the radar, in the nose?

  47. Matt Guest

    Nice review and can’t look forward to enjoy Lufthansa First again!

    Small correction: the power outlets actually support both 110V and 230V without the need for an adapter (auto-sensing), which makes life so much easier

  48. Sosie Pal Guest

    Love it thanks, Ben. Now I can confirm that I was right with the picture on the weekly review that made me wait for this review.

  49. Antonio Guest

    Hmm Caviar, Le Prairie cream that's what I wanted to read no boring travel etiquettes or gossip filling articles...

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

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Pekak Guest

Please make YouTube video reviews. Readers would get so much more out of it.

1
Ben Schlappig OMAAT

@ Spartone -- A combination of things. He started by using italki, then he enrolled in Goethe-Institut while we were in Berlin last year, and nowadays we just practice daily. We talk in German to one another, and he talks in German with my parents.

1
BK Guest

Seems a little odd that they offer fresh orange juice when departing from Germany, but not on a flight departing from, of all places, Florida.

1
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