New Years in Rome and Malta via Lufthansa and BA First Class

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Jan 4, 2017, 2:02 pm

#46

Yahtzee

Join Date: May 2009

Location: Boston, MA

Programs: AA Million Miler, Mosaic, Delta Platinum

Posts: 1,561

Quote:

Originally Posted by work2fly

Great report - looking forward to the rest!

Just my opinion, I'm not sure what to think about the matching wallpaper, nightstands, headboard and upholstery in the Hassler suite...it kind of makes me dizzy

Wow, that's some wallpaper.

Jan 4, 2017, 2:58 pm

#47

SFO777

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Original Poster

Join Date: Nov 2007

Location: Denver • DEN-APA

Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist

Posts: 21,602

Quote:

Originally Posted by nequine

Great to read another trip report from you!
A family member has recently had to start flying LH and absolutely hates it and they would rather take a detour to fly with anyone else but them even though they LH have the quickest route.

Thanks very much nequine. Ouch on your relative's LH experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TPJ

Great report (as expected

).
I flew LH F some 3 weeks ago from FRA to MEX and I liked it. The F/A's were really nice. It was a different story on the way back in C. I am not sure how they can compete with such the mediocre (let my feet meet your feetproduct..

Thank you TJP. Glad to hear that you enjoyed your LH F flight. I think you got lucky with your crew that day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by diningdecadence

remind me again how you book LH SFO777? 1st class lounge/terminal is still on my bucket list, although disappointing to hear about the in air service decline.

Thanks diningdecadence. I used LH M&M miles and booked the flights about 4-5 months ago. M&M has limited transfer partners but I have a Barclays M&M card and also transfer some SPG points. M&M opens F seats on some routes up to a year in advance so it can be a lot better to book F than wait until T-14 when LH releases seats to its Star Alliance partners.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielW

An amazing location for your hotel in the middle of Rome, SFO777, such beautiful views from your 6th floor suite out onto the Spanish Steps and the city skyline. Some very photogenic and tasty looking food at Moma too, maybe LH can learn a thing or two from them

.Looking forward to Malta.

Thank you DanielW. I think LH might be a lost cause.

Quote:

Originally Posted by louislitt

"A Bose Moment" - Love this!! Need to use this term more in my trip reports! Happy New Year btw! Look forward to the rest of the report

Thanks very much louislitt. Happy New Year to you and my favorite FT handle. ^

Quote:

Originally Posted by offerendum

I guess she is the all time favourite FA of Mre SFO777

You know that she is.

Funny that I forgot to mention her to Mrs. SFO777 though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatnLoud

Great report, I stay at the Hassler a couple of times a year as I have a client not far from there. I have to agree that their pricing policy can be generally quite random. Whilst not venturing into the higher suite categories, you can, not infrequently, get some real bargains for a hotel of this calibre. I am starting to feel that the lobby is becoming a bit shopping mall-y or maybe I'm just getting a bit older! When I was there in November, I was actually approached by some bloke trying to flog some designer nonsense.
However, I think I'm addicted to those little trays of afternoon cakes with their great coffee - the cappuccino canoli type thing is the food of the Gods - and this makes up for a lot.

Thank you FatnLoud. Ouch on the hard sales thing in the lobby. We never experienced that. It's just a wonderful old world hotel with an amazing staff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunderroad

My thoughts exactly. If I understand your itinerary correctly, SFO777, you'll be flying BA's sub-Y legroom J cabin from Malta to LHR, so I imagine you'll have some comments on that.

(Though, semi-seriously, perhaps you should opt for exit row Y?)
Also looking forward to your impressions of Malta, as it's on our bucket list.
In the meantime, happy trails!

Thanks very much Thunderroad. For better or worse, we're flying Air Malta to LHR and connecting to BA. Hoping for a better result than our FCO-MLA flight which ranks right up there with the most miserable flight experience ever. Paid Business Class ticket. Downgraded to Economy with a change of equipment. Showed up at FCO to be told that the flight would be operated by a Lithuanian airline on a wet lease basis. Utter chaos as seat assignments were all messed up. Our 1D and 1F had been involuntarily switched to 1D and 2F. Managed to change these to 1C and 1D at the check-in counter but that wasn't the end of the story. At boarding, we got an error message that 1C had been assigned to another pax. Finally had to settle for 1D and 3C at the gate. Some fat old DYKWIA political type and his Imelda Marcos-like wife had apparently got someone to bounce us from our seats. She was in Mrs. SFO777's old 1F and he was sitting in 1D even though he was assigned 1C. I mentioned the seating issue to the pleasant Lithuanian FA and he told us to just take 1A and 1C and he'd work it out. We squatted there and decided we weren't moving. In the end, we got the last laugh as someone sat in 1E in between fatso and Imelda.

Quote:

Originally Posted by work2fly

Great report - looking forward to the rest!
Just my opinion, I'm not sure what to think about the matching wallpaper, nightstands, headboard and upholstery in the Hassler suite...it kind of makes me dizzy

Thank you work2fly. Yeah, that matchy matchy stuff was a little over the top. We found that the more we drank, the better it looked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yahtzee

Wow, that's some wallpaper.

I'm thinking decorators run wild??

Jan 4, 2017, 4:15 pm

#48

offerendum

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Mar 2006

Location: Germany

Programs: Some

Posts: 11,520

Air Malta! Have flown once and experienced the worst legroom ever

Jan 4, 2017, 4:35 pm

#49

Guvner067

Join Date: Sep 2014

Location: Melbourne, Australia

Programs: AY Platinum, UA Premier Platinum, OneWorld Emerald, VA Platinum

Posts: 558

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yahtzee

Wow, that's some wallpaper.

I thought it was one of those 3D posters where you have to squint to see the bedhead.

Jan 4, 2017, 4:59 pm

#50

McG

Join Date: Oct 2008

Programs: BAEC

Posts: 887

As Air Malta downgraded you and they are an EU carrier, you are entitled to 30% of the fare back from them under EU261 legislation.

Jan 4, 2017, 5:20 pm

#51

krazykanuck

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 2008

Location: IAH

Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond

Posts: 12,790

Quote:

Originally Posted by work2fly

Just my opinion, I'm not sure what to think about the matching wallpaper, nightstands, headboard and upholstery in the Hassler suite...it kind of makes me dizzy

Yeah... if I came home to that after a night of too much vino I'm not sure I'd be able to figure what's a seating surface or what...

Jan 5, 2017, 12:44 am

#52

SAtraveller

Join Date: Jan 2013

Location: Vancouver

Programs: Aeroplan, BA, QR

Posts: 362

Thanks for the bittersweet TR, SFO777. I'm sad to see that Lufthansa First has been slipping so badly. I've been saving up for an F flight with them and I suppose I'll have to find a new carrier to have fun on

Jan 5, 2017, 1:58 am

#53

offerendum

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Mar 2006

Location: Germany

Programs: Some

Posts: 11,520

Quote:

Originally Posted by McG

As Air Malta downgraded you and they are an EU carrier, you are entitled to 30% of the fare back from them under EU261 legislation.

At least

Normally Business on Air Malta is more or less useless but has triple prices.

Jan 5, 2017, 4:30 am

#54

BA5E

Join Date: Aug 2008

Location: Iver

Programs: BA GOLD/OWE BA Amex Prem Plus Tesco Airmiles Qantas Bronze IHG SPG Eithad

Posts: 2,902

subscribed and about to start reading, know it will be good, together with the photos.

Jan 5, 2017, 6:43 am

#55

steveman518

Join Date: Mar 2014

Location: EWR

Posts: 2,112

Another typically exciting beginning to another exciting SFO777 TR. I'll be curious to see how the Mrs feels about BA this time around...perhaps time makes the heart grow fonder?

I'm also hoping your recent LH F experiences don't bode poorly for LH F when it makes an appearance in my TR-LH F (immediately following CA F) will be my first experience in F...

Jan 5, 2017, 7:31 am

#56

CosmosHuman

Join Date: Feb 2008

Location: CLE

Posts: 1,886

Great report. Malta is on my bucket list.

Jan 5, 2017, 9:34 am

#57

MarkCron

Join Date: Jan 2011

Location: DTW

Programs: DL DM, National EE, Hertz PC, IHG PL, Bonvoy Amb

Posts: 1,342

Quote:

Originally Posted by krazykanuck

Yeah... if I came home to that after a night of too much vino I'm not sure I'd be able to figure what's a seating surface or what...

that Hassler decor is absolutely hideous

Jan 5, 2017, 11:46 am

#58

CappuccinoAddict

Join Date: Jul 2015

Programs: UA Platinum, Starbucks Gold

Posts: 873

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveman518

if it's your first experience in F, you'll love it! Especially compared to Air China haha

Jan 5, 2017, 8:12 pm

#59

luluv

Join Date: Jan 2014

Posts: 68

SFO777, thank you for the trip report so far! I actually had a great flight on LH F the week before Christmas, but it was mainly due to the superstar FA who was taking care of our cabin. They really can make or break the experience.

Would you happen to know the brand and dimensions of Mrs. SFO777's rollaboard? It looks to be about the size I am hunting for.

Jan 6, 2017, 3:56 am

#60

want2fly4less

Join Date: Oct 2012

Location: Hamburg

Posts: 484

Nice trip report , SFO777.

But you haven`t experienced Air Malta on an ugly day (a few years ago.)...

Fog in MLA in the evening at appr. 8 PM .

Diverted to CTA. Waiting on the plane until 11pm-1am. Finally allowed to deboard to the non-shengen area of CTA. A glass box...

Continued in the next morning. A joyful night...