NRT-FRA Lufthansa Business
We got to the gate to find our beautiful A380, named "Berlin," waiting for us.
While boarding was a bit of a hectic cattle call, I can't imagine it being any other way with such a large plane. We found our seats, located in the rear "mini" business cabin upstairs (the business cabin is partitioned into three smaller sections), and settled in.
Lots of storage by the windows, giving the window seats a huge advantage over the middles.
The seat had a fun massage function:
Plenty of room:
Middle storage and power/USB outlets:
Amenity kit:
I'm an over-researcher. I'll read dozens of reviews before booking a flight, hotel or tour, and this trip was no exception. So I was a bit concerned getting on this flight, as Lufthansa outfitted their newest plane with their old business class product, and I could find nothing but poor reviews of the seat.
To that end, my opinion will be somewhat contrarian. I actually really liked it. Though this was a daytime flight and I didn't have to get a full night's sleep, I found the angled lie-flat seat to be perfectly comfortable for sitting and lounging, as well as for a short nap. I wouldn't hesitate to fly it again.
Our FA's were very attentive and warm throughout the flight, and the drinks kept coming, starting with some pre-departure champagne.
Soon after takeoff, meal service started. Though we partook in some absolutely delicious Japanese food throughout the past few weeks, we were a bit burnt out on it, so we both opted for the western option. Unlike our Asiana flight, food was served from carts, though with 80-some business passengers, I can't imagine any other way to do meal service without having it drag on for half of the flight.
Poached shrimp appetizer:
Eggplant cannelloni appetizer:
The beef tenderloin, while it had an unappetizing-looking green "crust", was actually quite tender:
Though we both had the tenderloin, they were inconsistently cooked. Mine was closer to medium-well:
While the fiancee's was on the medium-rare (or even rare) side:
They brought around a dessert cart with fruit plates, cheese plates and cheesecake. I had the fruit and cheese plates, both good:
After lunch, I fell asleep for an hour or so, read a bit, watched some TV (Bourdain's "Layover" episode on New York City -- we're visiting for a weekend in a couple of weeks, and wanted some good food ideas) and part of Man On Wire, after which the FA's came around with some snacks. The options included a couple of different cakes and some fruit, and I opted for a banana. No photos of the actual banana, but it looked and tasted like a regular banana.
For reference:
The flight went by very quickly. An hour or so before landing, we got another light meal…
While plating isn't their strong suit, the food was consistently above average in taste.
Blurry photo of marinated cuttlefish salad:
Pasta with cheese and tomato/mushroom sauce:
Fruit:
And before we knew it, we were on the ground in Frankfurt, where we breezed through customs and boarded a subway train for a short 15-minute ride downtown to the Westin Grand...