Madone59

Very, very well said! This is exactly why I do love the LH F product. Great start, looking forward to the rest ^

SFO777

Great analysis. Indeed, we also really feel "at home" when we are on board. Other airlines have better hard product, better soft product, better food and wine, better IFE. But IMO, no airline treats its F pax better at their hubs than LH. And that alone is enough to move them up the list and make LH our favourite airline... except in the summer when DEN gets the shaft and only two class service.

DaveNCL

Personally I would of been mortified at this point rather than gloating.

tng11

All love for Lufthansa aside, I think once you fly anything but F it all starts going downhill. Especially in their intra-Europe "Business Class" which isn't anything more than a Y seat with the middle blocked off and a extra cold meal. I can't fathom paying premium prices for such a product, but for today's purpose it will do fine.

Lufthansa Flight 105
Munich to Frankfurt
Business Class, Seat 1A
Airbus A320
February 13, 2015
Scheduled: 12:00-13:05
Actual: 12:38-13:11


2015-02-13 12.02.46 by jurastudent, on Flickr


2015-02-13 12.02.27 HDR by jurastudent, on Flickr


2015-02-13 12.10.14 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Checking the seat map before departure - I like how 1C was blocked off even though I didn't request it. Another good example of LH treating its F passengers right. ^


2015-02-13 12.13.36 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Due to air traffic in MUC, we were going to be about half an hour late leaving the ground, but the pilot promised us that it would be a short flight today and that we would make it to FRA with only a very slight delay.

I declined the entire service and just stared out the window for the balance of the short 33 minute flight:


2015-02-13 12.55.02 by jurastudent, on Flickr

In fact, the flight was so short that apparently the attendants hadn't even served the entire Y section their drink yet and it was time to prepare for landing. In the J cabin, the attendants were scrambling to clean up the trays and while they were wheeling the cart back to the galley, forgetting to lock the door facing outwards. Door popped open and a couple of trays with food spilled out over the aisle.


2015-02-13 13.07.29 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Hoping for a remote gate and limo ride today:


2015-02-13 13.12.26 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Nope, no such luck. We deplaned at the A gates and I made my way by foot to the FCT. I reclaimed my luggage at FRA so I could put away the amenity kit and get a change of clothes, and my bag was first off the belt again (another thing I love about HON-tagged baggage.)

tng11

Much like their F cabins, the Lufthansa F lounges are muted and understated, but undeniably classy in their own right. The FCT is one of my favourite airport experiences since it truly removes all the stress from travel. Not having to deal with snotty security or immigration officers, queues, other rude passengers, etc. is genuinely what makes LH F stand out amongst the rest.


IMG_9428 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9425 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Up the elevator to the lobby:


2015-02-13 13.54.11 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Greeted by a lovely PA - I let her know that I would be travelling to Shanghai tonight and that I would have a guest that would be joining me here at the FCT (gojko88 from FT.) After a very cheerful security clearance experience (the security officers got quite a kick from watching me struggle with putting my laptop back into my backpack), some lunch was in order!


IMG_9437 by jurastudent, on Flickr

As always, the buffet spread was fantastic!


IMG_9434 by jurastudent, on Flickr

And my favourite selection of cold cuts - with Loch Fyne smoked salmon and Jamon Iberico!


IMG_9435 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9436 by jurastudent, on Flickr

The mushroom ravioli at the bottom left was absolutely sensational! I had seconds and thirds of the ravioli along with the smoked salmon and ham.


2015-02-13 14.08.42 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Today's Valentine's Day menu also had a crab and avocado salad in mango sauce, which was beautifully presented:


IMG_9431 by jurastudent, on Flickr

I couldn't help but be tempted by the fantastic spread of sweets - with cakes by Demel (one of my favourite cake shops from my time in Vienna) and a crisp and flaky apple pastry.


IMG_9432 by jurastudent, on Flickr

My PA returned with my new boarding pass (note the ticket jacket this time), but I had been moved to 1K, even though I had 2A up to the point I walked in. She promptly went back and fixed it, giving me back my coveted 2A (I always take 2A in LH F no matter which aircraft since I hate bulkheads.)


2015-02-13 14.41.11 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Seeing as I had a few hours to kill, I chose to take a full bath this time around.


IMG_9452 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9453 by jurastudent, on Flickr

I've got all my ducks lined up in a row


IMG_9456 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Afterwards, for the first time I decided to check out the Cigar Lounge since there was no one inside (I didn't partake in the end - I can't stand smoking/cigars!)


IMG_9446 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9445 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9448 by jurastudent, on Flickr

I had most of the FCT to myself today:


IMG_9444 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9442 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9439 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Sometimes I wonder how long those gummies have been there:


IMG_9441 by jurastudent, on Flickr

These chairs are some of my favourite in an airport lounge. I settled in one for the next few hours, watching Season 18 of South Park (the show is one of the very few to get better over the years!)


IMG_9450 by jurastudent, on Flickr

With about 90 minutes before departure, my guest gojko88 arrived after being stuck for some 30 minutes in the immigration queue in the main terminal. We chatted for the next little bit about flying in general and our travels - and I also encouraged him to eat here instead of eating on-board as he was in J.

The time flew by, and precisely with 45 minutes to departure, we were escorted down to the limo pick-up area and stamped out of Schengen:


2015-02-13 17.19.56 by jurastudent, on Flickr

And finally - after a few visits of getting nothing but the Mercedes van, I've managed to get the S-Class! (Our ride was shared with another HON in J.) Although it was going to be a very short ride to Z62 tonight.


2015-02-13 17.21.39 by jurastudent, on Flickr


2015-02-13 17.22.09 by jurastudent, on Flickr

An elevator ride up to the upper deck - our driver dropped me off at the door and put me into the hands of another spectacular crew:


2015-02-13 17.26.31 by jurastudent, on Flickr


2015-02-13 17.26.40 by jurastudent, on Flickr

tng11

Lufthansa Flight 728
Frankfurt to Shanghai
First Class, Seat 2A
Airbus A380-800
February 13th, 2015
Scheduled: 17:55-11:35+1
Actual: 18:31-11:21+1

Fortunately for gojko88, Lufthansa was flying its retrofitted business class product tonight instead of those angle-flat seats that are simply unacceptable on a premium airline these days. But it was no match for this:


IMG_9491 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9463 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9460 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9457 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9464 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Tonight's crew was simply lovely. They were energetic, cheerful and proactive not unlike some of the Asian carriers. I opted only for a glass of orange juice to start off (having learned my lesson with alcohol on the earlier flight.) Seeing as how I already had an amenity kit and pyjama set that was perfectly good from the last flight, the purser suggested that I should take them as gifts for others (she hilariously remarked that I could sell these kits on eBay and how back in the day people would pay hundreds of dollars for these kits when they were the only airline giving them out.) I ended up taking a female kit to give to my mother, and a pair of pyjamas to send back to my guest - and have him be the envy of the J cabin.

The design without overhead bins is wonderful. Even though it's the same product as the A330/A340, the A380 feels much more spacious!


IMG_9477 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9478 by jurastudent, on Flickr

I'm also impressed that after almost 5 years in service and with such a light colour palette, Lufthansa has managed to keep its A380 cabins in very good shape.


IMG_9496 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9497 by jurastudent, on Flickr

The large bathrooms are also great for changing, but I feel like they could have done more with all that space (shower room, anyone?)


IMG_9488 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9489 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Tonight, there were only 2 other passengers joining me in the F cabin. They were seated in 1A and 1K, so there was plenty of room to spread out and once the privacy shields were raised, it felt like having a charter.

The captain announced that our flight time to Shanghai was going to be just over 10 hours and that we would be departing on-time from Frankfurt. Announcements were made in German, English and Mandarin (though I noticed that they turned off the Mandarin announcements for the F cabin when they realized I spoke English.)


IMG_9493 by jurastudent, on Flickr

The lights were dimmed, and we were ready for takeoff!


IMG_9499 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9501 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Once airborne, the crew wasted no time in getting the dinner service started:


IMG_9508 by jurastudent, on Flickr

An amuse bouche of something with goat cheese:


IMG_9507 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Let's start with some caviar again:


IMG_9508 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9510 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Just one toast point, please:


IMG_9512 by jurastudent, on Flickr

While everyone was tucking into their caviar, the crew wasted no time in getting the beds made up so we could hop over whenever we liked.


IMG_9514 by jurastudent, on Flickr

After some encouragement, I caved and had a glass of champagne to go with the caviar:


IMG_9520 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Tonight's menu was a mix from Harold Wohlfahrt of Schwarzwaldstube and the Pudong Shangri-La. The appetizer selection was as follows:

I chose the scallops and the beetroot carpaccio - both were quite disappointing as the scallop didn't have much flavour and the beets were a little too "earthy" for my liking.


IMG_9519 by jurastudent, on Flickr

The choices of mains were as follows:

I went with the Duck, which was fantastic. One of the first main courses that I've truly been satisfied with in LH F.


IMG_9525 by jurastudent, on Flickr

I was getting full at this point and was tempted by the cheese plate and both desserts:


IMG_9526 by jurastudent, on Flickr

I stuck with the two desserts as follows:

Simply put, the chocolate souffle was to die for!

IMG_9527 by jurastudent, on Flickr

The mango soup was okay - one of my favourite Chinese desserts. The lime zest on top was a little too bitter and overpowering.


IMG_9529 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Given that the loads tonight were light, meal service was wrapped up in a relatively quick 80 minutes.


IMG_9530 by jurastudent, on Flickr

I retreated to my bed, hoping to get some sleep.


IMG_9524 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9517 by jurastudent, on Flickr

But not before I was tempted with a sinful selection of Peters chocolates:


IMG_9533 by jurastudent, on Flickr

The bed was wonderful and the cabin ambience was ideal for sleeping. The last time I flew the Lufthansa A380, I got some of the best rest I've ever had on a plane simply because I didn't feel as dried out as normal due to the humidifier in the F cabin. For whatever reason, no matter what I tried, I kept tossing and turning for the next few hours before giving up and heading back to my seat. During this time, the attendants noticed that I was having trouble falling asleep and tried giving me everything from herbal to mint tea, Evian spray, hot towels to help me fall asleep. No dice. It just wasn't meant to happen on this flight.

About 90 minutes from Shanghai, breakfast began:


IMG_9537 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Yes, I'll have a coffee. Maybe two or three more after that please:


IMG_9538 by jurastudent, on Flickr


IMG_9540 by jurastudent, on Flickr

And ahhhh, the fresh scrambled egg dish finally! I've had 4 LH F flights with breakfast service prior to this and I've always noted the absence of the fresh egg dish - either it's some crepe option or the disgusting omelette puck that belongs in Y.


IMG_9541 by jurastudent, on Flickr

Landing into Shanghai, it was incredible seeing the development and economic activity happening in the region:


2015-02-14 04.12.37 by jurastudent, on Flickr

The tailcam is another reason to love the A380:


2015-02-14 04.24.04 by jurastudent, on Flickr

There was a great diversity of aircraft parked at PVG today:


2015-02-14 04.38.38 by jurastudent, on Flickr

It was another wonderful LH F flight, and possibly the best one I've had to date. The catering was at an acceptable level, the crew was just awesome in their friendliness and proactive behaviour, and there was plenty of privacy and space to spread out. The escort service at PVG also worked very well, given that we had VIP lane access when the Foreigner queues were horrendously understaffed (though I had about a 20 minute wait as they were verifying my transit details.)

mattc2

Excellent report as usual.

Though one thing I would've done is booking the one way all the way to HKG.

So it'll be like YYZ/YUL-MUC/FRA-PVG-TPE-HKG

You'll save over $200 in scam charge this way, because HKG regulates fuel surcharge.

I just tried to price a one way ticket online
YYZ-FRA-PVG - both segments are LH F, total charge is $588/person with $493 in scam charge

Then
YYZ-FRA-PEK-HKG - this time only first segment is LH F, the other 2 are on CA J, total is $359, with only $246 scam charge.

My theory is that scam charge is partly based on destination. so perhaps you could have added PVG-TPE-HKG on CA or BR to do a fuel dump :P

tng11

Thanks Madone59! I was just having a look at your most recent report - jealous that you got the New Year's duck and Cristal on board! Our meal options were pretty similar ex-FRA, but I think mine were plated better.

SFO777, glad we are on the same page on this one! LH is spot on and well-balanced in the execution of their F product. I'm never left absolutely "wowed" by a flight with them, but I've never left disappointed. The precision and consistency in how the product is executed will keep me coming back.

YYZ unfortunately, is also losing F service in about 2 weeks. But with plenty of choices nearby (e.g. JFK, EWR, ORD, BOS, IAD, YUL) I won't be too sad.

I was hoping that I was communicating my mortification at the situation - I couldn't imagine the gossip that would have gone on in the galley (though I'm sure it happens quite often - an F passenger drinking too much and then throwing their guts up.)

Thanks mattc2!

The problem with your analysis is that you're not comparing apples to apples. The second itinerary with the second leg on CA (no YQ on CA) is why it's so much cheaper. Try pricing out YYZ-FRA-HKG or YUL-MUC-HKG with both segments on LH F and you'll see the cost is also close to $600.

Carq

I was joking, that´s why I used emoticons. Sorry if I sounded rude. Your TRs are a good reading and it was a pity that you wasn´t able to finish them.

farbster

This is a nice TR, but I do agree. Also, if you knew you had sullied the bathroom, why didn't you just get a towel or toilet paper and clean it up? Then you could have gone back to the seat without a comment.

tng11

Not to be defensive - but I did try to clean up as much as I could, but there are still some areas where I couldn't do a good job without the right tools. I think it's better to let the crew know about it than to just leave it there!

Madone59

tng11 LH didn't have Cristal on your flight? Sorry mate!

blueline7

Savouring every minute of your trip report! I have never done LH F and have never been to Shanghai, so this is a real treat.

comper

Personally I would be mortified if I had done this.

Not quite sure what you expect the flight attendants to do.... You are at 30,000 feet, it's the same dustpan and brush and cloth you would use! You may find your over indulgence blocks off a toilet for the duration of the flight. Maybe next time if you can't handle your booze stop before getting yourself into that situation?

I was ill on a plane once (not due to alcohol, but food poisoning) I never expected the flight crew to clean up after me. I used a cloth and water and despite the flight crew offering to assist me, it was my mess and I would never dream of leaving the bathroom in a state.

I just hope I don't have to share a cabin on a plane with you if this is the attitude you take.

CMK10

Excellent report so far with some stunning photography.

I'm looking forward to the HK Pics too ^