- Introduction: Birthday Hotel Hopping In Paris
- Review: Lufthansa First Class Boeing 747-8
- Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt Review & Guide
- This Is Lufthansa’s New Business Class Catering?!?
- Review: Ritz Paris Hotel
- Review: Four Seasons Paris George V
- Review: Cheval Blanc Paris
- Impressions From Our Trip To Paris
- Review: Air France Business Class Boeing 777-200
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.
In this post:
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 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?!
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
To the right of the seat are the seat controls, while to the left of the seat are the entertainment controls.
Then along the left side of the seat are two small storage compartments.
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.
The Lufthansa first class tray table is large, and folds out from the far end of the seat.
Underneath the armrest are USB and 110v power outlets, which are easy enough to access.
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 has electronic window shades in first class, so you can raise or lower the window shades with the touch of a button.
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.
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.
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 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.
Within moments of settling in, I was offered an amenity kit, pajamas, and slippers.
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 has probably the best padded slippers you’ll find on any airline, as they’re outrageously comfortable.
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…
On top of that, we were offered vouchers for free Wi-Fi, which is a nice touch.
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.
Lastly, we were also offered the menu and wine list for the flight.
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).
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.
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.
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:
Then the Lufthansa first class drink list read as follows:
Then the Lufthansa first class wine list read as follows:
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.
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).
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.
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.
During our dinner we were treated to the most gorgeous sunset imaginable.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The bathroom had one bottle of cream from La Prairie, as well as a facial mist from Evian.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 first class breakfast service
About 90 minutes before landing, the crew came by my seat to offer me breakfast. The menu read as follows:
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).
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.
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. 😉
Just as we had a beautiful sunset shortly after departure, we had an equally nice sunrise on our approach.
We circled around, and ended up touching down in Frankfurt at 7:50AM.
I feel so bad for the weather Germans have to put up with all too often…
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.
And getting to walk along the side of a 747-8 isn’t half bad either.
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.
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?
I love everything about Lufthansa first class except the temperature of the cabin which I find stifling.
Way too hot.
Lucky, how strict was Lufthansa about keeping your mask on if not actively eating or drinking?
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.
Please make YouTube video reviews. Readers would get so much more out of it.
What program is Ford using to learn German?
@ 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.
The carpet looks filthy and the wine selection could be improved, I. È. No Italian wine.
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)
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..
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.
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.
Outdated.
Lot's of modern business class cabins look more premium than this non-sense.
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.
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.
I feel that it is time to introduce Lufthansa to innovation and progress.
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!
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!
That meal service looked amazing!
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.
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.
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...
All the crap america is allowed to spray on its crops,
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.
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.
No beer selection on a German airline? :o (or did I just miss it?)
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!
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...
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
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.
Lucky reviews, among the best things out there for travel/airplanes. Good job.
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.
Can't wait to book it again soon! (but only ex-FRA for the FCT and the duck haha)
Dying with laughter thinking about your dad wearing Lufthansa pajamas out in public as casualwear
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!
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...
Great report, Lucky. I actually like the old airshows. Nostalgic.
Nice review.
"Pillow is well padded without being too chick" - meant to say something else?
@ Hiro -- Fixed, thanks! Was supposed to say "thick."
that's a very solid wine list. Great variety.
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.
@ 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/
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!
wait when did the 747s get the dreamliner engine nacelles?
@ Steve -- It's exclusively on the 747-8s.
"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 :)
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.
@ 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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?
@ 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. ;)
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.
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.
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?
Which route has the best availability for LH F for west coast?
@ 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.
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.
@ 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).
Ben, what are the routes that have the best availability for LH F departing Germany? Thanks!
Ben, agreed with the above, in addition, LH tends to have excellent availability out of MEX as well as YYZ
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”.
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.
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
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.
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.
An honest to goodness premium travel review!!! Awesome.
Nature is healing?
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?
Not worried about sitting right behind the radar, in the nose?
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
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.
Hmm Caviar, Le Prairie cream that's what I wanted to read no boring travel etiquettes or gossip filling articles...