Under Construction: Still working on adding photos
Disclaimer: This is my first TR, so please be gentle! Questions are welcome - I know I don't have anywhere near the amount of detail for some of the menus/etc. but I'll try to fill those in sometime soon. I hope the variety and photos make up for it!
Over the last six months I’ve been busy travelling across the globe, and found ways using points or cheap routing fares to try out seven different carriers’ First Class products. I’ve compiled my notes and favorite experiences and some tips to share. I’ve given each carrier a total score of up to 80, comparing Seat Comfort (up to 20), Amenities, Staff/Assistance, and Catering. Eventually I’d like to try every carrier that offers First, but here’s the list so far with a spoiler:
Overall Standings:
All Nippon Airways (93%) – Best Onboard Catering
Cathay Pacific (91%) – Best Seat Comfort
Asiana (91%) – Best Onboard Amenities
Air France (89%) – Best Airport Assistance/Staff
Singapore (88%) – Best Onboard Assistance/Staff
Thai (81%) – Best Lounge Amenities
Lufthansa (80%) – Best Lounge Catering
mikeyyz
Oct 28, 09, 6:48 am
Before Flying Blue limited F-class redemptions to Gold members, I thought it would be a great opportunity to use up some Flying Blue miles I had saved up from a customer service gesture, and add some from Starpoints, to fly from Montreal to Singapore in First. At 100,000 miles, it was a great deal considering Montreal to Paris alone was 75,000. I believe the redemption now, limited to Gold members only, is more than double that!
After a comfortable train ride to Montreal from Toronto (using up some VIA points of course), I arrived in the newly revamped Air France lounge. I was the only First Class (La Premiere) passenger on this flight, so it was a bit funny to be the only passenger provided with a nice cold plate in the lounge.
They even handed me a feedback form to share my feedback on the snack. I wanted to have my usual shower before the flight, and they gave me a special amenity pack with some L’Occitane stuff. This 777-200 aircraft has only 4 seats in First Class, the most private First cabin I’ve seen with just one row in 1-2-1 config.
Upon boarding, and collecting my awesome all-white Christian Lacroix PJs, my own personal FA served me a quite good meal (he insisted I try the Fois Gras pate or else it would go to waste) and I was off to catch some Zzz, and rising for a quick breakfast + coffee while checking out the view of the Eiffel during landing. Here's the meal:
A Personal Assistant met the flight, asking for me, and escorting me right down the stairs into a waiting Infiniti FX35 (nice choice!) and we were off to the lounge. I went right off to shower, and then spent a few hours working away with some snacks. The lounge was very well designed, and furnished with amenities from the Plaza Athenee, one of Paris’ finest hotels. The shower rooms even had slippers and robes from the hotel!
I asked for an English GQ, and a few minutes later, they had it for me. This tops the Lufthansa FCT for me, as most of their magazines are strictly German. I headed into the city for a few hours of sightseeing, a climb of the tower, and back for an expertly prepared dinner in the lounge (scallops topped with black truffles). As you can see, they had a very generous selection of water and other beverages, all self-serve, except for the main entrees which you ordered from a menu.
The flight was delayed about an hour, so a PA kept the lounge open for me and the other F-class passenger, and I had another shower and curled up in a blanket in the relaxation zone until they woke me for the flight.
I slept most of the way to Singapore, having the meal prior to arrival. They even managed to keep the trio of sorbets perfectly cold! Here's the CDG-SIN main meal:
Thai Airways: Royal First (KUL-BKK{J}-NRT{F}, B777-200 & B747-400)
I was eager to re-live my Thai experience after a great flight with Ms. Mikeyyz a few years ago. I flew from KUL to BKK first, and the Royal Silk service and seats were great. I love the traditional food and the presentation – even the small details left out of business class on other carriers. But the real treat begins with the Royal First service on arrival. I had a long layover until I flew to Narita – about 8 hours, but this wouldn’t be anything close to a tiring layover!
A PA was waiting with my name on a card, and we jumped into a cart to head over to the lounge. This was great, as the distance from the plane to the lounge seemed to go on forever! It must have been a really far gate. After arriving at the lounge, I was given a great private space – they have about 10 in the lounge, providing a desk with plenty of plugs, couch, love seat, and B&O TV. Everything here is served for you – you go and look at the food options, point out what you want, and they bring it for you freshly prepared.
After a few hours of work, I decided I was ready for the complimentary spa treatment provided. For First Class passengers, you get a 1-hour full body massage in a beautifully appointed, tranquil treatment room. After the massage, I asked to use the spa tub, and treated myself to a nice soaking bath. Sadly, they didn’t seem to have enough hot water, so it was only lukewarm, but I finished that off with a shower, and after some tea and relaxing spa treats, headed back for some more work and dinner in the lounge.
The red-eye flight was delayed about an hour because the later flight had been cancelled – I assume to try to accommodate the passengers. They collected us to escort us to the boarding gate, and I was really disappointed to find out that the refurbished 747 that we were supposed to be on was replaced by an old one – with highly worn seats in pairs instead of the new single suites their new planes have. For some reason, they didn’t offer PJs on this overnight flight either: I don’t know of any other airline that doesn’t offer PJs on a overnight flight this long. The crew seemed as surprised as we were, but I managed to have a decent sleep nonetheless, and awoke to a tasty breakfast as we approached Narita.
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I told them to bring me the lobster they were offering before we slept before my omelette:
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Special Experience: Don’t miss a massage at the Royal First spa!
Tokyo Airport can be a confusing place for the first-time user, but I had experienced it before, so I had some idea of where I was going. I had about 4 hours to spend before my flight, so I browsed the shops, amusing myself with some of the bizarre items before heading to the First Class lounge for a shower.
The lounges are very well organized in central hubs near the boarding gate. The first class lounge is (of course!) at the top, and upon entering, there’s someone serving you hot drinks and rice snacks. A self-serve snacks area is set up with oft-replenished Sushi, some really tasty bagels (white chocolate & green tea is my favourite flavor), and some hot items you can order. But don’t get too full: the catering on ANA is not to be missed. The personal attention wanes a bit here – you’ve got to find your own way to your flight at the right time.
Upon boarding the plane, the personal attention in ANA First is non-stop. The attendants provide you with your PJs (more of a flight suit, almost denim-like), and come around with a basket of amenities you can choose from. This plentiful approach – you can choose more than one of a product you like, is a nice touch, but most of the products are ANA-brand and not a top brand, but they seem of high quality. The seats are huge and with a 1-2-1 layout, quite private.
The catering on ANA is just sensational – there’s no way to describe it that gives it justice. The menu is elaborately presented in a box-like case, and many of the cocktail drinks are paired with a snack. From Amusee-bouche to dessert, the meal is just stunning, and the courses just keep coming. You can mix between the American and Japanese menus – I had some sushi on another flight. Once you’ve slipped into a food coma, they’ll make your bed and you’re off to a blissful sleep. I think I slept best on this seat – maybe a tie with Singapore Airlines.
Upon landing in New York, they served me a super quick meal just 45 minutes before landing when I woke up. Sadly, they had already poured out all the Krug, so there wasn’t any left for a final glass. Initially they told me they “ran out”, but I found out later upon inquiring (I was the only one drinking it that I could see) that they actually poured it in the toilet about 1 hour before landing. There’s nothing that could be better about the in-flight experience save for maybe an enclosed suite space.
Special Experience: Grab a Green Tea & White Chocolate Bagel at the Lounge!
Because of some very limited award availability, my F travel on SQ lately has been limited to the SIN-SYD/MEL routes, with their still very excellent SkySuite product. Their staff are truly top-notch – the best, most friendly in the sky, and the quality of their food, beverage choices, and amenities is second to none.
I flew the 747-400 on these routes, and always managed to secure 1B, my favourite seat. It really is the most private seat in the world – at the very tip of the 747’s nose, it’s a single seat with windows on both sides. One crew told me it’s the favorite seat of Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kwan Yew. The SkySuite is excellent for sleeping, and SQ’s Givenchy PJ’s make it that much cozier to do so!
The flight generally begins with your choice of either Dom or Krug. In this most recent case, it was 8 AM, so I had a green tea. Later in the flight, when I asked for some red wine, I noticed they opened a fresh bottle. None of the other 3 passengers where having any alcohol it seemed. When I asked about whether anyone had any Dom or Krug – the FA said no, but she really wanted me to let them open a bottle just for me. I couldn’t stand an entire bottle being wasted over the glass I wanted, so I declined. I was secretly hoping they would just offer me a bottle to go :)
One of SQ’s unique experiences is the ability to pre-order a very specific meal through their “Book the Cook (http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/before/plan/mealrequest/btcselections.jsp)” program. On their web site, you can select from about a dozen main courses depending on the departure city. I usually go with the Lobster Thermador, which was especially tasty today out of Singapore, and the Lamb chops is also excellent, served perfectly with mint sauce.
This morning departure out of Sydney is great, because you have a full breakfast and lunch service. For breakfast, I was able to have eggs and also requested some Dim Sum if there was any left, and the crew happily obliged. I heard from another thread that if you request “Fruit Plate” for the breakfast, you’ll get an amazing fruit plate in addition to being offered the eggs, but I didn’t want to chance missing the eggs, and the fruit on offer is always quite good. I think I tasted about 5 of the teas from TWC, all of which were quite nice. For coffee fans, nothing beats the Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, but I was pretty exhausted from being up most of the night with friends, and wanted to enjoy the entire time between meals asleep.
Lunch time a few hours later:
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The major area where SQ has some work to do is their on the ground service. There’s really no personal assistance at all – unless you pay for the airport’s JetQuay service. The lounges are OK – the new First lounge at T3 is stylish, but nothing is really special about them. Paying customers have access to “The Private Room” – a more personal (and higher quality, I’m assuming) dining space. I guess they figure that Changi Airport’s amenities are already so plentiful, and anyone wealthy enough would use JetQuay all the time, they don’t need to provide anything special?
Special Experience: Book the Cook for your exact choice of meal!
Thanks to their plentiful award availability out of JFK/EWR, I’ve had the pleasure on enjoying Lufthansa’s First class almost a dozen times this summer. Their service on the ground is usually very good, but not as personal as one might hope would be possible with the level of staffing they provide First class services.
In New York, flying out of JFK, you get a much better lounge experience than EWR, with a fully-revamped 3-floor lounge offering a catered dining area for First passengers.
The experience in First is like being at a nice restaurant – the food is very good, but the seats could be much better. In terms of in-flight entertainment, the screens in Business and even Economy (in the A340-600) are bigger than the F-Class screens! The long-overdue revamp of their First hard product is sorely needed, but the FAs are generally quite friendly.
If you’re travelling alone, you want to try to fly the Airbus aircraft, in a 1-2-1 configuration. Otherwise, you’re stuck sitting and sleeping beside someone with not much privacy. This was my least favourite part of their service. But the food wasn't bad... it just wasn't anywhere near as appetizing as other experiences:
In Frankfurt, the First Class Lounge (B22) and Terminal make up for some of these shortcomings. I’ve gotten quite used to a very relaxing Jacuzzi bath in between flights, and the lounge is stocked with high-quality ETRO amenities, and top-class catering. In fact, I’d say the lounge food is better than in the sky.
The lounge situation in Frankfurt is quite confusing – if you’re connecting to an intra-Europe flight arriving from a International First flight, you can’t use the new B22 lounge because they have no immigration facilities. If you have time either way, your best bet is to leave the airport at the ground level (one level below the check-in area), walk about 200 meters west out of the doors, and buzz for someone to welcome you into the First Class Terminal. Here, you’re guaranteed car service to your flight, and the Personal Assistants will be responsible for you fully: you won’t miss your flight! In B22, it’s your responsibility to come to the desk at the right time for your ride to the plane. A small detail, but it helps to fully relax knowing someone else is worrying about you getting on your flight. Also, each time I’ve left B22 for my flight, I’ve been driven in a van with at least 3-4 other passengers. I’ve always left the FCT alone in a private car.
An irksome detail of my experience is that I left a new Solar iPod charger sitting at the window in the lounge. I realized this upon getting into the car to the plane, but the driver said I would miss the flight if I went to get it – so they promised they’d take it to Lost & found for me to have sent to Toronto, or picked up. I knew I’d be back in a few weeks, and they’d sent a message to the plane confirming this, so I thought I’d pick it up then. Last week, upon my return, I was sent by the lounge to the Baggage Tracing, who sent me up to a desk in the check-in area which wasn’t staffed. Eventually someone picked up the phone and looked in the system but needed more time. So I gave her my cell number, e-mail, and told her I’d be in the lounge for a few more hours. I never heard anything! The other day I arrived back in Frankfurt, decided to try the Airport Lost and Found: nothing. They called Lufthansa to check, and apparently Lufthansa didn’t have it. At check-in, I decided to try one more time. The helpful agent called a friend in Baggage Tracing, and they went through descriptions of lost items from that day and gave me the item number. I then had to go back to that desk to call the number (Lufthansa doesn’t know its own lost and found office’s number?) and have someone bring it down. The person ended up being the person I spoke to a few weeks ago, who was kind of embarrassed for not following up with me and finding it (“you wouldn’t want to work up there in our office”). That’s fine, but that’s no excuse for making me waste my valuable time following this up. There were many opportunities Lufthansa staff had to take personal ownership of this issue and help to facilitate my item in my hand with much less of my time involved, but none of them seemed willing or interested. This is a gap in training for dealing with First Class passenger.
Special Experience: If you’re arriving or departing on a First Class flight, walk to the First Class Terminal for a more relaxing departure and personalized experience.
I managed to return to New York from Sydney via Seoul a few months ago, and it really was a good experience. The aircraft operating Sydney-Seoul was up gauged to a 747, which meant older seats, but they put Star Alliance Gold members in the First Class section, which was quite comfy.
After a quick stopover in Seoul – a nice shower with very good amenities and a generous selection of self-serve top-quality drink and good food options, I was off to the gate. While there wasn’t a formal escort to the gate, once I got there, someone escorted me onto the plane, a nice touch. Many single seat options meant a perfectly private experience. I was reminded of the size differences between our countries when they insisted on giving me the XXL PJs! They presented a top-class Bvlgari amenity kit as well as a great pair of slippers that I think are the highest quality (and most re-usable) ones I’ve received on any flight.
You need to pre-order if you want to have the Korean meals in First Class on the long haul flight, but it’s worth it – they’re quite delicious! I got the Beef Ssam Bap. A very unique dining experience was to come...
Finally, it was off to sleep for me. As a parting gift, they offered several choices, but only the Asiana Airlines bag was left when they came to me – I think the other choice is a Bvlgari mug. If you want a choice of gifts, sit on the right side of the cabin! But the staff were very attentive and friendly, and they’re definitely a top-notch carrier!
Special Experience: Call Asiana’s office to pre-order a Royal Korean meal, and sit on the right side to have your choice of gift!
I needed to get from Vancouver to New York overnight, and I was keeping my eyes on the award availability for this evening flight (CX888) for a few weeks before departure. It seemed like a very good value for using AAdvantage miles – on a “real” business or first class product. 25,000 miles later, I was booked in the oft-debated CX business on this new configuration aircraft.
The day before departure, I held my breath as I refreshed the award availability on KVS for the flight, and lo and behold, a First award seat showed up! I called the AAdvantage center, and 7,500 miles later, seat 1K was confirmed for me. I was thrilled to be able to try Cathay First, even if it wasn’t a long-haul flight.
I had to return my car by 6:45pm, but I figured it would give me good time to explore Cathay’s lounge offering, which was supposed to be second only to the HK lounge here in YVR. I headed into the airport and at 7:00, the counter wasn’t staffed yet. Around 7:30, the agents showed up. Oddly, they decided not to staff the First counter, but that was OK, since I had made some friends and was chatting with them in the Economy line. A quick check-in later, I was off to the lounge. An older Caribbean woman who I had reassured earlier about the location of the desks had just checked in ahead of me, and I decided to invite her as my guest to the lounge. After being selected for the secondary screening, we headed up the elevator to find the lounge locked and closed. Embarassing. I checked online, and it showed the lounge was supposed to open at 7:30pm, but it was already 7:50! A few minutes later, someone showed up and opened the doors, and insisted the lounge opened at 8pm, not 7:30. I showed her the site and sent a tweet to @cathaypacificus to let them know – they’ve promised to update it, but why wouldn’t the lounge open at the same time as check-in?
Anyway, enough of that minor blip – sadly, the beautiful lounge had no shower – I love a pre-flight cleanse, but had great snacks and workstations in both the business and first areas, with some dumplings and rice wraps to munch on.
But the real experience was about to begin – boarding was called.
Stepping onto the plane, the jetway was positioned directly behind the first cabin, ensuring privacy for the small crowd of six who turned left at the door. After settling in the spacious seat, and storing my carry-ons in the closet built into the seat, I was offered a drink – so I asked for the Cathay Delight – yum! A mix of kiwi juice and coconut, a refreshing way to begin the trip.
I think I might have been the only one not continuing from Hong Kong – so I was provided with the Shanghai Tang and Coach amenity kits, amongst the most comfortable of all the airline PJs. Rather than hand out separate slippers and eyeshades, these were Shanghai Tang-branded and included in the pouch. The seat included a decent-sized buddy seat for couples to dine, reading lights on each side, and folded directly into a bed, which I prefer over SQ’s version which has to be folded down. It also beats ANA’s otherwise flawless seat by providing much more privacy, which I really liked, since I was travelling alone, making Cathay the winner of best seat!
A quick taxi and takeoff, and even with such strong winds, there was barely a bump as we ascended to cruising altitude. Menus were quickly distributed, and because we were anticipating a 1 hour early arrival, which I was quite disappointed about, I asked for dinner service to be as quick as possible. The professional team happily obliged, and before I knew it, the tasty onion soup was in front of me, with a freshly baked selection of bread accompanying it. I like this nice option – rather than choose one or two breads from a basket, they provide a personal selection of four options, three which I liked very much.
Next up was a mixed salad with smoked duck, which was tasty and light, making way for the main spectacle: rack of lamb! One of my favorites, and Cathay’s version was even better than SQ’s Book the Cook version, which I was very impressed by in the past. A nice slice of fruit flan, and I was ready to sleep. My bed was made in a jiffy, and I asked to be awoken by a glass of Cathay Delight as close as possible to landing.
Somehow, this request slipped the mind of the crew, and I awoke as we were instructed to put our seats up. I could have asked again, I suppose, but I didn’t really care much as I was a bit broken from the short 2.5 hour sleep. Landing in JFK was uneventful, and the stunning lack of facilities consistent with most U.S. airports was quickly apparent. No arrivals lounge to speak of, I joined the small crowd of business folks using the handicapped stall in the washroom behind security (there wasn’t even one in baggage claim) as a change room, styling their hair at the sinks. The only thing Cathay could to do make this experience better would be to make arrangements with one of the local hotels to provide a 1-hour room rental for arriving F passengers. I’d assume only 1 or 2 would take this up on the offer, costing maybe $100-200 a day. With a ticket for this portion of the route alone valued at over $3,000, I can’t see this even making a dent in their profits!
Special Experience: Try one of Cathay’s Signature Cocktails on board!
Nice report, but I can't believe you ranked TG and OZ lounge catering higher than LH's FCT.
And there's no way I would ever give NH an 8/10 for lounge catering - the same as you gave SQ's FCL. Dry sushi and packaged sandwiches? Instant noodles? Please.
mikeyyz
Oct 28, 09, 9:02 am
Nice report, but I can't believe you ranked TG and OZ lounge catering higher than LH's FCT.
And there's no way I would ever give NH an 8/10 for lounge catering - the same as you gave SQ's FCL. Dry sushi and packaged sandwiches? Instant noodles? Please.
You're right - it was hard to write this all at once and weigh all factors appropriately! I've given NH and CX -1 and LH 11/10 deservedly in this category now as they are above and beyond the highest expectation in that category. It doesn't change the overall rankings, but I agree that LH is superior here. I think TG and OZ are comparable - TG freshly makes all of its lounge offerings, although not as plentiful as the FCT food, it's certainly top-notch. I also found OZ had a really high standard of food in their lounge.
onedog
Oct 28, 09, 11:41 am
Great trip report so far. I've enjoyed the details and photos. ^
Waiting for the rest.
Thanks for sharing.
Ondog
AJLondon
Oct 28, 09, 1:08 pm
Interesting TR. The close up food pictures are quite cool!
As a parting gift, they offered several choices, but only the Asiana Airlines bag was left when they came to me – I think the other choice is a Bvlgari mug.The mug is Versace for Rosenthal IIRC.
Moomba
Oct 28, 09, 1:17 pm
You're right - it was hard to write this all at once and weigh all factors appropriately! I've given NH and CX -1 and LH 11/10 deservedly in this category now as they are above and beyond the highest expectation in that category. It doesn't change the overall rankings, but I agree that LH is superior here. I think TG and OZ are comparable - TG freshly makes all of its lounge offerings, although not as plentiful as the FCT food, it's certainly top-notch. I also found OZ had a really high standard of food in their lounge.
Ah yes but you must remember you were comparing lounge food at a CX out station and LH, NH, OZ and TG home ports ;)
Excellent reports and pictures. I agree; of all the F seats I have been in the CX seat wins. I like being able to curl up my not insignificant legs like I am on a lounge chair at home. :)
camsean
Oct 29, 09, 12:49 am
Great so far, and very well organised as well.
At least you got the ipod back!
Flyingfox
Oct 29, 09, 10:19 am
Great report thus far and enjoy the pictures!^
You listed NH as having the best catering, but in your SQ report you say that SQ's catering is "second to none" - ? which is it for you?