Go West Young Man: Back to China with UA J/CA F/LH F
Jan 11, 2017, 10:18 pm
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: EWR
Posts: 2,112
Jan 13, 2017, 1:39 am
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: EWR
Posts: 2,112
Time to zing through this before the return flights!
There isn't particularly much to do in Shengzhou (嵊州), so naturally most of the time was spent with relatives again (especially with their need to question why I wasn't married or seeing anyone). When we did go around town it was to visit areas where family members used to live.
a school some of my family members attended
into the hills
narrow streets
stray dogs everywhere
The one day we went out of town was towards Xikou (溪口) and the Xuedou mountain (雪窦山). The area itself and the mountain's namesake temple are decently pretty, but it's most known for being the birthplace of Chiang Kai-Shek (蒋介石) and the location of house arrest of General Zhang Xueliang (张学良). And all the houses and whatnot, because China.
But first, the mountain! It had rained the previous day, so the smog was mostly gone, but there was a lot of fog. It didn't really help see much, especially at the temple.
The giant Buddha at the top of the stairs-before the stairs were constructed the statue sat on the ground
Because there's always a bus in China-pitch was about 28" at best...
There are some spectacularly beautiful spots on the mountain, but with all the fog you couldn't see anything (especially the waterfalls)
fog
more fog
With all of the obsession with Chiang Kai-Shek and General Zhang's living quarters/etc, naturally I was a little bored because it's really overkill to show everything about someone's life. Imagine if you went on a tour of the three childhood homes of any prominent historical figures and the shop their family owned. While the interiors were more or less panels with information on them, some of the exteriors were quite nice. However after a day of walking around from site to site, it was good to get off the mountain back to town.
After spending a few days with relatives, it was time to leave China. Just like our arrival at CSX, we were departing HGH at 3 different times, with me being the middle. After arriving in Hangzhou, I dropped my stuff off at the JW Marriott for the day and headed out for a bit. The JW Marriott is pretty nice, especially for a hotel in China, with the executive lounge up to the standard of an international JW Marriott (and nice views of west lake during the day, so I'm told). After a bit of time in the city it became time to begin the journey home.
Coming up: 40 hours to home with CA F and LH F! (aka the stars of the show and what you all came here for
)
There isn't particularly much to do in Shengzhou (嵊州), so naturally most of the time was spent with relatives again (especially with their need to question why I wasn't married or seeing anyone). When we did go around town it was to visit areas where family members used to live.
a school some of my family members attended
into the hills
narrow streets
stray dogs everywhere
The one day we went out of town was towards Xikou (溪口) and the Xuedou mountain (雪窦山). The area itself and the mountain's namesake temple are decently pretty, but it's most known for being the birthplace of Chiang Kai-Shek (蒋介石) and the location of house arrest of General Zhang Xueliang (张学良). And all the houses and whatnot, because China.
But first, the mountain! It had rained the previous day, so the smog was mostly gone, but there was a lot of fog. It didn't really help see much, especially at the temple.
The giant Buddha at the top of the stairs-before the stairs were constructed the statue sat on the ground
Because there's always a bus in China-pitch was about 28" at best...
There are some spectacularly beautiful spots on the mountain, but with all the fog you couldn't see anything (especially the waterfalls)
fog
more fog
With all of the obsession with Chiang Kai-Shek and General Zhang's living quarters/etc, naturally I was a little bored because it's really overkill to show everything about someone's life. Imagine if you went on a tour of the three childhood homes of any prominent historical figures and the shop their family owned. While the interiors were more or less panels with information on them, some of the exteriors were quite nice. However after a day of walking around from site to site, it was good to get off the mountain back to town.
After spending a few days with relatives, it was time to leave China. Just like our arrival at CSX, we were departing HGH at 3 different times, with me being the middle. After arriving in Hangzhou, I dropped my stuff off at the JW Marriott for the day and headed out for a bit. The JW Marriott is pretty nice, especially for a hotel in China, with the executive lounge up to the standard of an international JW Marriott (and nice views of west lake during the day, so I'm told). After a bit of time in the city it became time to begin the journey home.
Coming up: 40 hours to home with CA F and LH F! (aka the stars of the show and what you all came here for
)
Jan 18, 2017, 2:00 am
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: EWR
Posts: 2,112
From the JW Marriott I rode one of the airport express busses from a nearby station. There are a good number of express bus lines from Hangzhou to HGH, allowing travelers to reach the airport from multiple areas of the city instead of having to traveling to a central bus/rail line, and are fairly cheap at no more than 20RMB. Journey times are typically less than an hour, so don't fall for the hangarounds that try to tell you that you'll miss your flight and try to usher you into a "taxi". In this case I arrived at HGH domestic terminal in under 45 minutes.
After passing security I walked to the Air China lounge (also referred to as the F1 lounge) by gate B9. The lounge itself almost seems temporary, as the "lounge" seems to be three walls put up without a roof against the terminal wall with a ventilation system above that can be seen from the terminal.
Lounge interior
toilet level: western, and crowded (yes that's the second urinal directly across from the sink)
However, since I arrived just past 8pm, most of the hot food options had been cleared, and what remained was mostly packaged snacks and fridges stocked with drinks. What did annoy me was the continued requirement at Chinese airports to have a mobile number to receive a confirmation to use the wifi...though I was able to close out the prompt on one of the networks every 5 minutes and use the wifi.
I arrived at the gate at boarding time to find the agents making announcements for other flights over the PA before eventually telling us that we were delayed due to "air traffic control".
gate area
After about a 40-minute delay, we eventually boarded our flight to PEK.
CA1566
HGH-PEK
Airbus 319
Seat 2L
CA's A319s contain 2 rows of F , and are certainly not as nice as the A321s and starting to show their age. The seats look similar to those in AA's MD-80s, though with a different color scheme and much firmer seats.
obligatory legroom shot + legrest
This crew was adequate, and definitely came up short compared to the stellar screw on PEK-CSX. Slippers weren't proactively offered, and not much was either aside from the PDB and the customary hot towel. Meal orders were also taken on the ground, with the FA showing us their meal card for reference. The card contained three entrees (none of which I remember), but I only asked for the fruit course since I had just eaten dinner in Hangzhou.
Overall the flight was uneventful, with the FAs being much more proactive during the flight than they were on the ground, constantly topping up water (and the tea of the demanding princess next to me). Interestingly there was CA-branded toiletries in the F lav, though I was a little apprehensive to try any of them (and I don't use cosmetics anyways).
After arriving I made my way through transit security and customs and heading towards the CA T3E F lounge. This visit should be qualified and can't really be compared to the T3D domestic F lounge, since this time I arrived at the lounge past midnight (at least it's open 24 hours). Upon entry the attendant noted that my gate was really far away (with a lot of emphasis)
setting up camp
overlooking the barren terminal
like so empty
really empty
dining is a little...limited at midnight
cold options
all the hot options...tasted ok, but looked a lot less than ok
There were several stations containing packaged snacks and drinks as well. This late at night there really isn't much, and after having a small snack and brushing my teeth, I headed over to the gate, which was over 10 minutes away. Overall the lounge is adequate for a midnight stop, and I have no idea how operations are during the day.
After passing security I walked to the Air China lounge (also referred to as the F1 lounge) by gate B9. The lounge itself almost seems temporary, as the "lounge" seems to be three walls put up without a roof against the terminal wall with a ventilation system above that can be seen from the terminal.
Lounge interior
toilet level: western, and crowded (yes that's the second urinal directly across from the sink)
However, since I arrived just past 8pm, most of the hot food options had been cleared, and what remained was mostly packaged snacks and fridges stocked with drinks. What did annoy me was the continued requirement at Chinese airports to have a mobile number to receive a confirmation to use the wifi...though I was able to close out the prompt on one of the networks every 5 minutes and use the wifi.
I arrived at the gate at boarding time to find the agents making announcements for other flights over the PA before eventually telling us that we were delayed due to "air traffic control".
gate area
After about a 40-minute delay, we eventually boarded our flight to PEK.
CA1566
HGH-PEK
Airbus 319
Seat 2L
CA's A319s contain 2 rows of F , and are certainly not as nice as the A321s and starting to show their age. The seats look similar to those in AA's MD-80s, though with a different color scheme and much firmer seats.
obligatory legroom shot + legrest
This crew was adequate, and definitely came up short compared to the stellar screw on PEK-CSX. Slippers weren't proactively offered, and not much was either aside from the PDB and the customary hot towel. Meal orders were also taken on the ground, with the FA showing us their meal card for reference. The card contained three entrees (none of which I remember), but I only asked for the fruit course since I had just eaten dinner in Hangzhou.
Overall the flight was uneventful, with the FAs being much more proactive during the flight than they were on the ground, constantly topping up water (and the tea of the demanding princess next to me). Interestingly there was CA-branded toiletries in the F lav, though I was a little apprehensive to try any of them (and I don't use cosmetics anyways).
After arriving I made my way through transit security and customs and heading towards the CA T3E F lounge. This visit should be qualified and can't really be compared to the T3D domestic F lounge, since this time I arrived at the lounge past midnight (at least it's open 24 hours). Upon entry the attendant noted that my gate was really far away (with a lot of emphasis)
setting up camp
overlooking the barren terminal
like so empty
really empty
dining is a little...limited at midnight
cold options
all the hot options...tasted ok, but looked a lot less than ok
There were several stations containing packaged snacks and drinks as well. This late at night there really isn't much, and after having a small snack and brushing my teeth, I headed over to the gate, which was over 10 minutes away. Overall the lounge is adequate for a midnight stop, and I have no idea how operations are during the day.
Jan 22, 2017, 8:22 pm
#38
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: EWR
Posts: 2,112
Soon after I headed over to gate 35, which was over a 10 minute walk. After I arrived, I noticed that all international departures after midnight were delayed until 3AM, and our flight was no exception, being pushed back 40 minutes to 3:20. It wasn't really worth going back to the lounge, so I just camped out at the gate.
endless walk
CA965
PEK-FRA
Boeing 777-300ER
Seat 2L
Finally, my first international F flight!
Boarding eventually began through two lanes: economy, and premium economy (just extra legroom), J, F, and status holders. This led down one walkway that led to two jet bridges to doors 1L and 2L. For those of us on FT it's fairly obvious that door 1L is in front of F and 2L is between F and J. Of course there were no signs so everyone just kind of streamed through whichever doors, and there were a fair number of passengers standing and looking around in F as if their seats were there before they were ushered out of the cabin.
boarding
Upon arrival I was immediately greeted by name and escorted to my seat. I could tell that the FAs were very relieved that I answered that I would ok with the service being done in Chinese (my English given name was on my ticket as opposed to my Chinese given name). I immediately sat down and opened the slippers (the FAs will typically do it, but I was super fast), and was presented with PDBs, a hot towel, and a menu, and was asked if I wanted PJs. The amenity kit, a basic kit containing L'Occitane lip balm and lotion was already at the seat. The seat itself is an open suite with the seats staggered between the middle and window seats to better privacy. Like many asian surfaces, the seat is pretty firm (which I really like).
Seat
hot towel + seat controls
obligatory legroom shot
PDB + nuts
small closet
side storage with work pre-set seat positions
amenity kit
menu
supper
breakfast
Wine menu (I'm just kind of guessing, since it's printed a little weird and pictures would take up way too much space), condensed (I also know nothing about alcohol since I don't drink)
-Reds-
Fronsac Château de la Rivičre 2010
Fronsac Les Sources du Château de la Rivičre
Château Puynard Premičre Côtes de Blaye
Great Wall dry red wine
-Whites-
Petit Chablis Domaine du Chardonnay
Bourgogne Premičre Cuvée Domaine Martin
Graves Château des Moulins ŕ Vent
Bourdeaux Blanc Château Jacquet
Great Wall Sungod Château Reserved Riesling dry white wine
-Champagne-
Beaumont des Crayčres Grand Réserve Brut
-other alcohols I'm too lazy to state the categories for-
Camus Grand Marque Camus
Johnnie Walker Black
Gin
Vodka
Bailey's Original Irish Cream
Bols Cream de Menthe Green
Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
Heineken
Yanjing draft beer
Imported beer
The FA serving the right side of the plane was absolutely fantastic, able to anticipate needs with a great smile. They seemed genuinely happy to be there and the service was impeccable. She came over to take my meal orders on the ground and asked if I would like to be woken for the second meal service if I was asleep. Soon after we departed for FRA with me being very excited about having 4(!) windows for the flight. We departed 6/8 with every passenger being Chinese and with the two middle seats in row 2 being empty.
Before we hit 10,000 feet the FAs were already up and about, and as soon as our ascent became very gradual the meal service began.
showtime
congee with "green bean" (mung bean)
I didn't ask for the sandwich, but I ended up with one anyways as it seems to be sandwich and congee or yogurt
I was happy with the congee and fruit, but the sandwich was a little too bread-heavy and the cheese definitely tasted like something out of a cafeteria. After the table was cleared, I changed into the size L (the sizes run small) PJs while the FA turned down the seat. I slept pretty well for about 4 hours before waking over western Russia.
F lav
bed mode-the screen from 1H was a little bright
After waking unfortunately the seat was stuck in bed mode and wouldn't come back, so I had to move over to 2D for the remainder of the flight. The FAs help me move my belongings over before commencing the breakfast service.
middle seat with the partition up
showtime
bread basket
noodles
looks like the FAs were trying to get all the food finished, as the sago pudding was delivered as well
I was a huge fan of the noodles, and those disappeared really fast, along with all the rest of the sides and the extra dessert. Overall the flight was absolutely fantastic with great friendly service. I'm sure the experience varies, especially for westerners where communication may be a barrier, but I came away very happy. The food was also pretty good, which is different from a number of CA F reviews out there. I would be happy booking another CA F flight if the soft product is in the same league again.
looking over my previous seat at landing...no windows
up next, the FCT and LH F!
endless walk
CA965
PEK-FRA
Boeing 777-300ER
Seat 2L
Finally, my first international F flight!
Boarding eventually began through two lanes: economy, and premium economy (just extra legroom), J, F, and status holders. This led down one walkway that led to two jet bridges to doors 1L and 2L. For those of us on FT it's fairly obvious that door 1L is in front of F and 2L is between F and J. Of course there were no signs so everyone just kind of streamed through whichever doors, and there were a fair number of passengers standing and looking around in F as if their seats were there before they were ushered out of the cabin.
boarding
Upon arrival I was immediately greeted by name and escorted to my seat. I could tell that the FAs were very relieved that I answered that I would ok with the service being done in Chinese (my English given name was on my ticket as opposed to my Chinese given name). I immediately sat down and opened the slippers (the FAs will typically do it, but I was super fast), and was presented with PDBs, a hot towel, and a menu, and was asked if I wanted PJs. The amenity kit, a basic kit containing L'Occitane lip balm and lotion was already at the seat. The seat itself is an open suite with the seats staggered between the middle and window seats to better privacy. Like many asian surfaces, the seat is pretty firm (which I really like).
Seat
hot towel + seat controls
obligatory legroom shot
PDB + nuts
small closet
side storage with work pre-set seat positions
amenity kit
menu
supper
breakfast
Wine menu (I'm just kind of guessing, since it's printed a little weird and pictures would take up way too much space), condensed (I also know nothing about alcohol since I don't drink)
-Reds-
Fronsac Château de la Rivičre 2010
Fronsac Les Sources du Château de la Rivičre
Château Puynard Premičre Côtes de Blaye
Great Wall dry red wine
-Whites-
Petit Chablis Domaine du Chardonnay
Bourgogne Premičre Cuvée Domaine Martin
Graves Château des Moulins ŕ Vent
Bourdeaux Blanc Château Jacquet
Great Wall Sungod Château Reserved Riesling dry white wine
-Champagne-
Beaumont des Crayčres Grand Réserve Brut
-other alcohols I'm too lazy to state the categories for-
Camus Grand Marque Camus
Johnnie Walker Black
Gin
Vodka
Bailey's Original Irish Cream
Bols Cream de Menthe Green
Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
Heineken
Yanjing draft beer
Imported beer
The FA serving the right side of the plane was absolutely fantastic, able to anticipate needs with a great smile. They seemed genuinely happy to be there and the service was impeccable. She came over to take my meal orders on the ground and asked if I would like to be woken for the second meal service if I was asleep. Soon after we departed for FRA with me being very excited about having 4(!) windows for the flight. We departed 6/8 with every passenger being Chinese and with the two middle seats in row 2 being empty.
Before we hit 10,000 feet the FAs were already up and about, and as soon as our ascent became very gradual the meal service began.
showtime
congee with "green bean" (mung bean)
I didn't ask for the sandwich, but I ended up with one anyways as it seems to be sandwich and congee or yogurt
I was happy with the congee and fruit, but the sandwich was a little too bread-heavy and the cheese definitely tasted like something out of a cafeteria. After the table was cleared, I changed into the size L (the sizes run small) PJs while the FA turned down the seat. I slept pretty well for about 4 hours before waking over western Russia.
F lav
bed mode-the screen from 1H was a little bright
After waking unfortunately the seat was stuck in bed mode and wouldn't come back, so I had to move over to 2D for the remainder of the flight. The FAs help me move my belongings over before commencing the breakfast service.
middle seat with the partition up
showtime
bread basket
noodles
looks like the FAs were trying to get all the food finished, as the sago pudding was delivered as well
I was a huge fan of the noodles, and those disappeared really fast, along with all the rest of the sides and the extra dessert. Overall the flight was absolutely fantastic with great friendly service. I'm sure the experience varies, especially for westerners where communication may be a barrier, but I came away very happy. The food was also pretty good, which is different from a number of CA F reviews out there. I would be happy booking another CA F flight if the soft product is in the same league again.
looking over my previous seat at landing...no windows
up next, the FCT and LH F!
Jan 22, 2017, 8:23 pm
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: EWR
Posts: 2,112
Thanks for following along! This was a great trip for me and I hope you saw some new things 
Thanks for reading! It's always great to read about unique experiences on FT
Thanks for reading! It's always great to read about unique experiences on FT
Jan 31, 2017, 9:59 am
#41
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: BTR/MSY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,258
Very nice report. I really enjoyed the sections on rural China, as you don't many TRs on that. I went to Wuhan a couple of years, but that's as deep into China I have ventured.
Also, I'm jealous you're fluent in Mandarin. I am horribly out of practice. In fact at the JW Marriott in Beijing last year, the front desk agent told me to just stick with English lol.
Also, I'm jealous you're fluent in Mandarin. I am horribly out of practice. In fact at the JW Marriott in Beijing last year, the front desk agent told me to just stick with English lol.
Jan 31, 2017, 12:06 pm
#42
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: YYC - not the centre of the universe
Programs: AC*S100K 1MM, LH FTL, Hyatt Globalist, Accor Plat
Posts: 4,768
I was pretty sure that when I flew the 777-300ER from IAH to PEK I had sliding doors in my F suite.... but now I looked at (Google) pictures and realized that CA never had doors on the suites. Hilarious that my mind somehow "enhanced" their product in that way... 
steveman518 - amazing report - liked the China rural pictures. Reminded me of my time in China. Since I'm not Chinese I can't quite relate.
steveman518 - amazing report - liked the China rural pictures. Reminded me of my time in China. Since I'm not Chinese I can't quite relate.
Feb 1, 2017, 1:38 am
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: EWR
Posts: 2,112
Alright, now that I'm caught up with work and life, time to keep this TR rolling to the part where my TR goes from unique to being just like every other TR!
Deplaning was done out of both doors 1L and 2L, but 1L was connected first and we were off to immigration, where the officer asked how long I was remaining in Germany to which I responded, "as long as it takes to walk over to the first class terminal". It was a nice short walk to stretch my legs out around 7am...from the very opposite end of the terminal from the FCT.
walking along arrivals
omg it's actually happening...first visit!
After entering and being escorted through security, I immediately headed for the shower area, where I was given a room with one of the light bulbs burnt out. While the shower itself was nice, there was no fan, and it felt very humid in the room while I was dressing (and it didn't help that I took a really hot shower).
dim shower room
Meanwhile in the general bathroom around the corner, there's automatic glass doors between the sinks and the stalls (ok this bathroom obsession thing is a little odd...)
Given the sheer number of LH FCT reports, I'm going to spare you all the pictures of the lounge itself, and instead focus on my amazing breakfast (only 2 hours after the one on CA). The breakfast buffet spread is amazingly impressive, with everything tasting amazing. As this was my first western meal in about 10 days, I may have eaten a little too much...especially some of the Do&Co items.
trip 1/3-ish...I was being a heathen and using the bread plate for non-bread items-whoops!
After breakfast I went and relaxed in the corner of the lounge overlooking departures and arrivals. Since this was my first strong stable internet connection since I left the states, I got a little bit of work done until it was time to board the flight. I do have to say the lounge is a little smaller than I thought it would be from the pictures I saw, but it never felt crowded at all during my stay during the morning US departures.
why hello there
those chairs are seriously comfortable
the view
LH440
FRA-IAH
Airbus A380-800
Seat 1A
Needless to say I was beyond excited for this flight, as this would be just my second F flight after the flight in I had arrived at FRA. I had to wait for LH to release inventory at about T-12 and spent 30 minutes on the phone with UA trying to wrestle with their new stupid award change policies before an experienced agent was able to push it through. This was originally booked as FRA-SEA on the 744s with no F.
When it was time to depart, I arrived at the elevator down to the transfer, only to be joined by 3 others on the flight to IAH. And in typical fashion, my passport was held back for some additional processing before we boarded the van. Perhaps next time I'll get a ride myself! Unfortunately we weren't given the chance to do extensive plane spotting, since the first plane we saw was our ride to IAH.
Once we took the elevator to the jet bridge we were greeted by the FAs and shown to our seat. I was a bit starstruck while the FAs showed me around the cabin and the locker where I could store my belongings. (Lockers! and no overheads!). After I settled into my seat I had a PDB of water to go with the macadamia nuts, and had the menu brought over along with PJs and the amenity kit. During boarding the purser and both the FAs in the F cabin introduced themselves, which was a nice touch.
the cabin
obligatory legroom shot
PDB, nuts, and amenity kits-the kit definitely is smaller than it looks in the pictures some of you take-less wide angle people!
what a time to be alive, where I can watch live cricket (BBL06) on a plane
We departed with a full F cabin, with the last arrival arriving at the very last minute due to being delayed on the way to the airport (and the only other passenger in the cabin who didn't speak German). We were quickly airborne and on our way to Houston.
Iran Air jet on the ground
Soon after take-off the FAs came around and took orders for the main for lunch. The menu is as follows:
I ended up cutting off a page, but it contained the 2015 Huxelrebe Beerenauslese (dessert wine), Bailey's Irish Cream, and Niepoort Portwein LBV
The amuse-bouche was an odd take on the caprese, with the tomato taking the form of a tomato mousse and the basil taking the form of a pesto. While it was alright, mousse overwhelmed and that part was used sparingly and left half-finished. (+ ginger ale, I know, I'm lame)
Afterwards, showtime!
This was the first time I had a proper caviar course (though I've had a lot of roe), and naturally I had no idea what I had been missing out on (and I had no idea what I was doing, but I thoroughly enjoyed it) (+ stem of Tattinger glass)
Up next was the appetizers and salad rolled out on a cart to choose from-I skipped the quail egg course (the empty hole in the middle). I liked the salad, particularly the pomegranate dressing, as well as everything else other than the terrine (just wasn't quite to my liking).
I proceeded to devour the soup course, which had a small amount of kick to it and a hearty amount of prawns.
For the main I had the fried winter cod, which was sensational (aside from the over-fried onions), and something I'd order on the ground. The fish was very flaky and the sauce went well with everything. Even the vegetables weren't overcooked.
Unfortunately, with this being my third meal in about 5 hours, I was so full I declined the cheese course (though it devastated me to do so and it looked so tempting from the cart) and had both desserts. I supposed being used to Asian desserts again these were a little over-sweet, but that didn't stop me from finishing both of them (raspberry buttermilk tart with lemon and verbena ice cream, chocolate truffle & apple and rosemary caramel ice cream).
pralines to finish
Overall this was a spectacular meal service, with this being the best meal I've had on a plane thus far. The FAs were very professional and pretty warm, helping to explain some of the foods to me that I previously had very little exposure to (I cook Chinese food at home too).
At this point I was stuffed to the point I couldn't sleep, so I walked up and down the plane a few times to "help" digest. I noticed that LH doesn't have an FA discreetly watch over/follow like CA did when I walked the plane, though the 380 is a giant plane and it takes a while to walk through both decks. After a few laps through the plane I changed into the ridiculously comfortable PJs while my bed was made.
The F lav is larger than the bathroom in my condo
like it actually is
When I returned to my seat the bed was made and the shades were closed.
from the bed
all tucked in
light above the seat
After napping on and off for a few hours, it was time for a small bite before landing. While I wasn't that hungry, I figured why not. I only ordered the pasta and apple pie, otherwise I wasn't sure that I would be able to finish. I liked the pasta, but I wish there was more of the fantastic sauce, and the pie was a good reminder that I was returning back to America.
showtime + black tea
pasta + pie
Soon afterwards it was time to prepare for landing, and I changed out of the PJs and put everything away. I was a little sad that the flight had to come to an end, but for now I have enjoyed the taste of F. The flight was absolutely spectacular, with immaculate service and delicious food, and has set the bar for my future F experiences (n=2 for now!). Though I would say that I enjoyed the FA service on CA more since they were much warmer (me speaking Chinese on CA and not German on LH), but overall LH has a much better product.
Last up: one more flight home to complete 40 hours gate to gate!
Deplaning was done out of both doors 1L and 2L, but 1L was connected first and we were off to immigration, where the officer asked how long I was remaining in Germany to which I responded, "as long as it takes to walk over to the first class terminal". It was a nice short walk to stretch my legs out around 7am...from the very opposite end of the terminal from the FCT.
walking along arrivals
omg it's actually happening...first visit!
After entering and being escorted through security, I immediately headed for the shower area, where I was given a room with one of the light bulbs burnt out. While the shower itself was nice, there was no fan, and it felt very humid in the room while I was dressing (and it didn't help that I took a really hot shower).
dim shower room
Meanwhile in the general bathroom around the corner, there's automatic glass doors between the sinks and the stalls (ok this bathroom obsession thing is a little odd...)
Given the sheer number of LH FCT reports, I'm going to spare you all the pictures of the lounge itself, and instead focus on my amazing breakfast (only 2 hours after the one on CA). The breakfast buffet spread is amazingly impressive, with everything tasting amazing. As this was my first western meal in about 10 days, I may have eaten a little too much...especially some of the Do&Co items.
trip 1/3-ish...I was being a heathen and using the bread plate for non-bread items-whoops!
After breakfast I went and relaxed in the corner of the lounge overlooking departures and arrivals. Since this was my first strong stable internet connection since I left the states, I got a little bit of work done until it was time to board the flight. I do have to say the lounge is a little smaller than I thought it would be from the pictures I saw, but it never felt crowded at all during my stay during the morning US departures.
why hello there
those chairs are seriously comfortable
the view
LH440
FRA-IAH
Airbus A380-800
Seat 1A
Needless to say I was beyond excited for this flight, as this would be just my second F flight after the flight in I had arrived at FRA. I had to wait for LH to release inventory at about T-12 and spent 30 minutes on the phone with UA trying to wrestle with their new stupid award change policies before an experienced agent was able to push it through. This was originally booked as FRA-SEA on the 744s with no F.
When it was time to depart, I arrived at the elevator down to the transfer, only to be joined by 3 others on the flight to IAH. And in typical fashion, my passport was held back for some additional processing before we boarded the van. Perhaps next time I'll get a ride myself! Unfortunately we weren't given the chance to do extensive plane spotting, since the first plane we saw was our ride to IAH.
Once we took the elevator to the jet bridge we were greeted by the FAs and shown to our seat. I was a bit starstruck while the FAs showed me around the cabin and the locker where I could store my belongings. (Lockers! and no overheads!). After I settled into my seat I had a PDB of water to go with the macadamia nuts, and had the menu brought over along with PJs and the amenity kit. During boarding the purser and both the FAs in the F cabin introduced themselves, which was a nice touch.
the cabin
obligatory legroom shot
PDB, nuts, and amenity kits-the kit definitely is smaller than it looks in the pictures some of you take-less wide angle people!
what a time to be alive, where I can watch live cricket (BBL06) on a plane
We departed with a full F cabin, with the last arrival arriving at the very last minute due to being delayed on the way to the airport (and the only other passenger in the cabin who didn't speak German). We were quickly airborne and on our way to Houston.
Iran Air jet on the ground
Soon after take-off the FAs came around and took orders for the main for lunch. The menu is as follows:
I ended up cutting off a page, but it contained the 2015 Huxelrebe Beerenauslese (dessert wine), Bailey's Irish Cream, and Niepoort Portwein LBV
The amuse-bouche was an odd take on the caprese, with the tomato taking the form of a tomato mousse and the basil taking the form of a pesto. While it was alright, mousse overwhelmed and that part was used sparingly and left half-finished. (+ ginger ale, I know, I'm lame)
Afterwards, showtime!
This was the first time I had a proper caviar course (though I've had a lot of roe), and naturally I had no idea what I had been missing out on (and I had no idea what I was doing, but I thoroughly enjoyed it) (+ stem of Tattinger glass)
Up next was the appetizers and salad rolled out on a cart to choose from-I skipped the quail egg course (the empty hole in the middle). I liked the salad, particularly the pomegranate dressing, as well as everything else other than the terrine (just wasn't quite to my liking).
I proceeded to devour the soup course, which had a small amount of kick to it and a hearty amount of prawns.
For the main I had the fried winter cod, which was sensational (aside from the over-fried onions), and something I'd order on the ground. The fish was very flaky and the sauce went well with everything. Even the vegetables weren't overcooked.
Unfortunately, with this being my third meal in about 5 hours, I was so full I declined the cheese course (though it devastated me to do so and it looked so tempting from the cart) and had both desserts. I supposed being used to Asian desserts again these were a little over-sweet, but that didn't stop me from finishing both of them (raspberry buttermilk tart with lemon and verbena ice cream, chocolate truffle & apple and rosemary caramel ice cream).
pralines to finish
Overall this was a spectacular meal service, with this being the best meal I've had on a plane thus far. The FAs were very professional and pretty warm, helping to explain some of the foods to me that I previously had very little exposure to (I cook Chinese food at home too).
At this point I was stuffed to the point I couldn't sleep, so I walked up and down the plane a few times to "help" digest. I noticed that LH doesn't have an FA discreetly watch over/follow like CA did when I walked the plane, though the 380 is a giant plane and it takes a while to walk through both decks. After a few laps through the plane I changed into the ridiculously comfortable PJs while my bed was made.
The F lav is larger than the bathroom in my condo
like it actually is
When I returned to my seat the bed was made and the shades were closed.
from the bed
all tucked in
light above the seat
After napping on and off for a few hours, it was time for a small bite before landing. While I wasn't that hungry, I figured why not. I only ordered the pasta and apple pie, otherwise I wasn't sure that I would be able to finish. I liked the pasta, but I wish there was more of the fantastic sauce, and the pie was a good reminder that I was returning back to America.
showtime + black tea
pasta + pie
Soon afterwards it was time to prepare for landing, and I changed out of the PJs and put everything away. I was a little sad that the flight had to come to an end, but for now I have enjoyed the taste of F. The flight was absolutely spectacular, with immaculate service and delicious food, and has set the bar for my future F experiences (n=2 for now!). Though I would say that I enjoyed the FA service on CA more since they were much warmer (me speaking Chinese on CA and not German on LH), but overall LH has a much better product.
Last up: one more flight home to complete 40 hours gate to gate!
Feb 1, 2017, 1:49 am
#44
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: EWR
Posts: 2,112
Very nice report. I really enjoyed the sections on rural China, as you don't many TRs on that. I went to Wuhan a couple of years, but that's as deep into China I have ventured.
Also, I'm jealous you're fluent in Mandarin. I am horribly out of practice. In fact at the JW Marriott in Beijing last year, the front desk agent told me to just stick with English lol.
Also, I'm jealous you're fluent in Mandarin. I am horribly out of practice. In fact at the JW Marriott in Beijing last year, the front desk agent told me to just stick with English lol.
I was pretty sure that when I flew the 777-300ER from IAH to PEK I had sliding doors in my F suite.... but now I looked at (Google) pictures and realized that CA never had doors on the suites. Hilarious that my mind somehow "enhanced" their product in that way...
steveman518 - amazing report - liked the China rural pictures. Reminded me of my time in China. Since I'm not Chinese I can't quite relate.
steveman518 - amazing report - liked the China rural pictures. Reminded me of my time in China. Since I'm not Chinese I can't quite relate.
Feb 8, 2017, 4:06 pm
#45
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: EWR
Posts: 2,112
And time to finish the TR! Naturally flying domestic won't compare to LH F...so this will be a bit short
After arrival at IAH I headed to the Centurion Lounge to shower nap until my flight back to SEA. Out of the lounges that I have visited, I liked this one the least-the front desk staff was a little surly, the shower room had almost no water pressure and no soap, and the towel left me covered in lint. It also didn't help that the shower itself wasn't clean either.
After napping away my connection, I headed over to my gate to board the flight back to SEA.
UA1977
IAH-SEA
Boeing 737-900ER
Seat 4A
definitely not the greatest airport out there
obligatory legroom shot
Our flight departure coincided with the championship game of the College Football Playoffs, so that was playing on almost every screen on the whole plane. I napped from the middle of the first quarter to the end of the third right through the dinner service. After I woke, I asked the FA in the galley if there were any meals remaining, and there turned out to be the chicken tandoori, which was the only passenger meal remaining, or the lobster mac and cheese, which was the crew meal. Since the chicken didn't look too appetizing, I went with the lobster mac and cheese, which turned out to be half decent.
I spend the rest of the flight watching the game, which had a spectacular finish, before landing back in SEA soon after.
And that brings this trip to an end. Thanks for following along! ^
After arrival at IAH I headed to the Centurion Lounge to shower nap until my flight back to SEA. Out of the lounges that I have visited, I liked this one the least-the front desk staff was a little surly, the shower room had almost no water pressure and no soap, and the towel left me covered in lint. It also didn't help that the shower itself wasn't clean either.
After napping away my connection, I headed over to my gate to board the flight back to SEA.
UA1977
IAH-SEA
Boeing 737-900ER
Seat 4A
definitely not the greatest airport out there
obligatory legroom shot
Our flight departure coincided with the championship game of the College Football Playoffs, so that was playing on almost every screen on the whole plane. I napped from the middle of the first quarter to the end of the third right through the dinner service. After I woke, I asked the FA in the galley if there were any meals remaining, and there turned out to be the chicken tandoori, which was the only passenger meal remaining, or the lobster mac and cheese, which was the crew meal. Since the chicken didn't look too appetizing, I went with the lobster mac and cheese, which turned out to be half decent.
I spend the rest of the flight watching the game, which had a spectacular finish, before landing back in SEA soon after.
And that brings this trip to an end. Thanks for following along! ^