Pingtung

Table of Contents:

A short hop on IAD-BOS in UA F
A look at the Boston Airport and LH SEN Lounge
BOS-MUC in LH F
The Munich FCL
MUC-ARN in LH C
A visit to Stockholm
ARN-MUC in LH C
MUC-SIN in LH F
SIN-KUL in SQ C - Meal service on a 208 mile flight
A visit to Kuala Lumpur
KLIA and KUL-BKK in TG C
Thai F Ground Services - Are you ever left alone?
BKK-CDG in TG F Suites
Transfer in CDG - Recommendation: Don't connect here.
CDG-FRA in LH C and a visit to Frankfurt
Frankfurt LH First Class Terminal Visit
FRA-ZRH in LX C and the Zurich FCL
ZRH-YUL in the new LX F
Transfer at YUL not made easy and YUL-IAD on UA Y
Conclusions

Introduction

When I was younger (I'm still in my early 20's), I used to dream of sitting on the upper deck of a 747. I was told by my parents that it was for First class passengers and we'd never be flying on that. I was bummed and hoped that one day I could travel up there. Well, having done a bit traveling recently, I finally decided to spend the miles to experience the wonders of F class, albeit lacking the upper deck of a 747. After having read through many trip reports here, I felt it was only appropriate I submit one of my own. As I have never traveled in F or C internationally and have always been stuck in Y (minus the one time I was in EVA's Evergreen Deluxe), it's hard for me to truly be critical of the products I experienced, but I did try to make note of the differences between flights.

As many here know, one of the best uses of UA miles is to travel in C/F across the Atlantic to reach Southeast Asia. There are a lot of combinations that make this route reasonable to assemble, but when you seek out specific route and cabins, the process become a lot more time consuming. After a few days of hunting and a few phone calls to the 1P line, I finally got my trip ticketed as follows in early January for April:

IAD-BOS-MUC-ARN-MUC-SIN-KUL-BKK-CDG-FRA-ZRH-YUL-IAD

I would be spending close to 5 days in Stockholm, 3 days in Kuala Lumpur, and one day in Frankfurt.

I’m not much of a writer, but I hope you enjoy the report and if you have any questions, just let me know and I’ll try my best to answer. Hat tip to jacob_m who's style I've modeled my report after.

Pingtung

I arrived about 2 1/2 hours before departure and entered an empty departures level. IAD is a ghost town in the late morning and early afternoon so check in was quick. I actually approached a UA agent, who wasn’t busy at the time, to help me check in and so I could ask a question or two, but she quickly shooed me away to a kiosk. Given the quick deferral, I decided I should probably ask my questions later as they were more out of curiosity then anything. I’ll never understand why agents are so quick to direct passengers to the machines which are taking away their jobs.


Empty check-in counters

With the bag tagged I headed toward the nearly empty Dulles Diamond Checkpoint. A scanner was in use, but I was able to time it right so that I was sent through the metal detectors. I had a little bit of time before the Lufthansa lounge would open at 1:30pm so I went over to the RCC to wait for a bit. The RCC’s are nicer than waiting out in the airport, but otherwise offer nothing more than basic amenities.


Inside the Mobile Lounge


Quiet time in the RCC


Hard to miss this entrance


A spread that beats the living daylights out of the RCC


Seating area in the Senator Lounge

I was the only one in the Senator Lounge for the 20 minutes I spent there so it was nice to really get a good luck at the place. While the lounge is a bit out of the way from the C/D gates, it is well worth the trek if you have time.

IAD-BOS
UA154
A320
First

I arrived at the C17 gate well into the boarding process and I was the last one to board before the gate closed. With a lack of traffic at this hour, we quickly taxied out to Runway 30 and began our takeoff roll.


A319 to Boston in Battleship grey colors


Some apple juice to get this trip started


Arrival into Boston

The flight was otherwise uneventful, the usual UA service with an episode of 30 Rock on the overhead screens. The trip up the coast is great if you are on the left side of the plane and it is a clear day as you get a view of Philadelphia and New York City on your way up.

Pingtung

I had a few hours to kill so I spent some time in the RCC before heading over to the E Terminal.


Entrance to the Boston RCC


View of the E terminal from the C terminal

The walk over to the E terminal is landside and was fairly straight forward, though it does take you down some quiet corridors.


Well at least I know where to go for parking violations


Lufthansa check-in counters

It was still over 2 ½ hours until departure so the economy lines were still fairly short and there was no wait for the F or C lines. I quickly got a reprint of the boarding pass and inquired about the Boston LH Lounge renovation and was told that they had postponed the renovation until May. I had hoped to check out the AF lounge that was to be the temporary home so I was slightly disappointed.

After getting through the shoe carnival we call security, I grabbed a rocking chair near the window and waited for my plane’s arrival.


Terminal E in Boston


The just arrived A346 to Munich

I then headed over to the LH Senator lounge, which is all of 8 lounge chairs, 3 tables, and 2 computers. There are no window views and with the lounge being so small, I headed to the gate an hour early. The renovation/expansion of this lounge is much needed.


Small LH Senator Lounge

I arrived at the gate and awaited the boarding call. It was finally time to experience F class.


The flight that would be my first true F experience

Pingtung

BOS-MUC
LH416
A340-600
First


LH F Seat


Some champagne and macadamia nuts pre-departure

I was warmly greeted and my coat was quickly taken. I was given the amenity kit and PJ’s (thankfully a fitting S/M one) and took a seat just soaking it all in. I began to explore all the storage space the LH F seat offers and boy is it a lot. The storage space is much appreciated and I think a great aspect of the seat.


Hot towel with a classy rose petal

I didn't bother posting drinks other than wine for any of my flights, if anyone is interested I can send it over to you.

I always chuckle a bit at how quickly pilots for non US carriers turn off the seatbelt sign. It had to have been no longer than 10 minutes after takeoff that the seatbelt sign was turned off and the FA’s began dinner preparations. This near 10 minute wait would pale in comparison to SQ on a future SIN-KUL flight in this report where the seatbelt sign was turned off about 3 minutes after takeoff.

The meal service was fun for a first timer and was carried out professionally and at a nice pace. The load was 4/8 with one skipping meal service and another having a small appetizer before calling it a night so the service was attentive. The flight was rather bumpy during meal service so attempts at pouring wine at the seat did not turn out well so the FA apologized for having to skip the elegance of seat pouring, no big deal to me though. Oddly enough, even with the turbulence the seatbelt sign remained off and it took a brief bout of moderate turbulence at the end of dinner service for the sign to come on.

On a different note, during dinner service I watched the film Little Fockers. While a good distraction during dinner service, it was a clear dud and had few if any comedic moments. Oh how the franchise has fallen since that great Meet the Parents film.


Amuse bouche was roasted vegetables


Table setup


Seared Tuna appetizer


Chicken thigh with sausage and tomato


Flan and some fruit to finish it off


Some nice amenities in the bathroom

I found the food to be decent, obviously better than anything I’ve ever had back in Y class, but I especially enjoyed the presentation, it is half the fun in eating.

After dinner service, the FA placed a water bottle in the compartment behind the seat arm and gave me some good night chocolates, nice touch. I quickly turned in for the night or at least tried too. While the seat is comfortable to sit in, I am a fairly light sleeper and found the seat “ok” as a bed. I actually prefer the top half of the seat in bed mode to be slightly elevated as I can feel the blood rushing to my head when in the fully flat mode. I found the slight crease between the seat back and the seat bottom to be a slight nuisance to my lower back and that coupled with the on and off again moderate turbulence led to a tumultuous few hours of rest.

I probably got no more than an hour of shuteye before I decided to call it quits and elected to stay awake for the remaining 2 hours of the flight.


The American Breakfast

Breakfast was ok, but I do find the freshly squeezed orange juice to be an excellent component of their breakfast service. There’s just nothing quite like waking up to a glass of fresh OJ and Lufthansa does this right.


Preparing for Landing


Arrival in Munich

We parked at a remote stand so I was looking forward to the car service I had read about here. Upon disembarkment, there were four drivers ready to take the F passengers to the terminal and I was quickly whisked away and taken to the terminal. There, I was sent through a security checkpoint with no line and was told, in German, to take my bag out of the bin. I don’t understand German so another F passenger passing through the checkpoint had to inform me of the request. Each airport has a different policy on whether bags should be in bins and I just wish they would agree on one. I usually just listen to what they tell those in front of me, but that tactic falls apart when you go through security checkpoints that have no line! After going through the checkpoint and getting a patdown (no groping here in Germany) for setting off the metal detector, I was taken to the F lounge where I went through passport control and was warmly greeted into the F lounge. It was a quick and painless 10 minutes from disembarkment to sitting in the lounge, well done Lufthansa and Munich.


Being driven to the terminal

Pingtung

The FCL was somewhat crowded when I arrived, though there were still plenty of seats available. I headed straight for the shower rooms and with a room available, I quickly settled in. The shower area was spotless and offered all the amenities one would need.


Counter top in a shower room


Shower head

After a wonderful shower, I chose a seat in the lounge area and was given a cold hand towel and was asked if I wanted a drink. I wasn’t in the mood for much, so I just requested a glass of still water. With three hours to kill I did some reading and watched an episode of Psych that I had brought along with me. As time went by people began to slowly trickle out and by the time I headed over to the dining area for a quick snack, there were only four other people in the entire lounge. Indeed, this was a nice tranquil place to wait.

The dining area had a large buffet and also a menu where you could order a few dishes. While the buffet spread looked great, I wasn't too hungry as you are well fed in F, boy would I kill to spend some time in here if I was traveling in Y.


Bar area in the Munich FCL


Nuts and chocolates were located throughout the lounge


A great buffet spread


Some of the options at the buffet


Some smoked items


An order of the Bavarian Meatloaf

Since this was the first F lounge I had ever visited, I was naturally impressed. The catering was spectacular and service great as the lounge attendant asked every hour or so if I needed anything else. I was only taking sips of the water so I didn’t need much. The lounge is fairly small, but it offers everything you could ask for on long haul travel. Sure, all the pampering of F travel is nice, but ultimately, in my opinion, the best part of F travel (when done right) is the seamless and enjoyable transitions from point to point.

With a little over an hour before my departure time, I elected to head out into the terminal and at first, the Lufthansa attendants at the door were a bit confused as to where I was going, but I explained that I wanted to walk around for a bit before the flight. I suppose that most F passengers don't just go "walk around" the terminal, but it was a new airport and I wanted to experience everything.


Some free offerings in the terminal, why can't we have this in the States?


Want some free reading material?


Gate area on the Schengen level

The Munich airport is easy to navigate through and I wouldn’t hesitate to transfer through this place if I was traveling in Y. I am based out of IAD so I am accustomed to the ugliness of United’s C&D terminal so it is always refreshing to see what a welcoming airport looks like. Next, it is time to head to Stockholm.

roadwarriorafrica

Looking forward to the report pingtung. Great start so far.

Gatwick Alan

Nothing wrong with you as a writer !!, I'm really enjoying the report so far

greg99

What a great start - looking forward to the next episode!

Greg

will2288

Great Trip Report. I am looking forward to the upgraded lounge in BOS.

In the picture titled 'Preparing for Landing' what is that slanted bin behind seat 1D. I have never seen a picture of the seat looking like that. Does anyone know?

lols

" I’ll never understand why agents are so quick to direct passengers to the machines which are taking away their jobs."

well said !

Looking fwd to more reports.

e.d.

TravisMT81

great report, look forward to reading the rest!

xenole

Nice report.

To be honest, the food on the Boston-Munich flight sounds awful. Other than the coffee desserts, thee's not a thing there I would eat, and that's one thing that puts me off first class flying.
At least there seemed to be some really good things on offer in some of the lounges.

Pingtung

MUC-ARN
LH2416
A320
Business



There was a light load today and boarding was done in two groups - Anyone with status or traveling in Business and everyone else. I also noticed that, along with one agent scanning BP’s, there was a self board lane that was used by 10-15 people.


A320 ready for departure


So long Munich


Meal service in C class

The lunch meal consisted of a hot dish, an orange chicken with risotto and broccoli, along with some small appetizers. I actually found this to be rather tasty and a significant improvement to most of the domestic F meals that are served.

After meal service, and an offering of a refill during their return from the drink service in Y, the FA’s did one round of trash pickup in Y and then disappeared into the galley for the next 45 minutes and were not seen from again until they began preparations for landing. While polite in their interactions, it was an otherwise disappointing experience having an empty cup for a good 40 minutes before they bothered to come around to pick it up, and only then to prepare the cabin for landing.

The clouds were thick during landing and there was no visual of the ground until about a minute prior to landing, I kept looking outside and thinking, "when we will be break the cloud layer?".


Immediately after breaking through the clouds


Gloomy day at Stockholm-Arlanda

Pingtung

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

It's part of the seat and serves as a privacy barrier when it is upright. The FA tried a few times to lock it back down, but a few minutes after securing it, it would pop back up to a 30 or so degree angle. No one was in 1D or 2D so it didn't impact any of the F passengers.

The chicken wasn't bad compared to food on the ground, but as it was my first experience with F food, I was impressed with anything that wasn't a single tray with foil and plastic wrap over it

Moomba

Great report. Looking forward to your future posts.