Lufthansa First Class, FRA-IAD

The 747-8 is, of course, a completely different layout from the 744 -- no separate beds this time. We weren’t able to get the two middle seats for this flight, and instead took 2K and 3K, two window seats.



The seat had an ottoman (with storage) that doubled as a nice seat to share a drink or chat with someone, though the tray table isn’t nearly large enough to dine together.



A table in the center of the cabin was used to arrange magazines and drinks throughout the flight:



The seat itself was more comfortable for lounging than the one on the 744 (as the latter didn’t recline all that much), and I’d choose it over the seat+bed for a day flight, though I’d be happy with either



The service on this flight, unfortunately, was nowhere near the level of our DEN-FRA one, and that was apparent from the start.

The FA was certainly a nice lady who would likely be a fine FA in coach, but she was not at all at home in FC:

- While pouring my fiance’s champagne, dropped a piece of the foil into her glass, fished it out with her fingers, and then served it as if it nothing had happened.
- Stepped on one guy’s foot, continued to address him in German even though he didn’t speak a word of it, and then later dropped a bottle of water on him while he slept.
- Accidentally stuck her finger in the caviar bowl and licked it clean.
- Served the amuse bouche and put my fork directly on the table:



Now, I don’t know if the cocktail napkins they normally put the forks on are any cleaner than the table, but it sure feels that way to me.

More service hiccups followed, but first, lunch:

Pretzel and garlic bread...both delicious:



Butter that I assume the FA neglected to read:



Caviar:



I’m never this much of a slob on the ground (though my fiance may disagree), but when you combine tiny plates and a choppy flight, my tray table always looks like it’s being used by a five year-old:



At this point I put up the privacy screen, which makes the seat feel much more like a “suite”:



For appetizers, a salad with chanterelles:



Lettuce mousse, which I didn’t expect much of, but turned out to be my favorite of the course:



And venison ham with brussel sprouts and goat cream cheese:



My fiance had the pearl barley, cabbage and duck soup, which was very good:



And we both chose the walnut gnocchi for our main course, which was...not that great. Rubbery and microwaved-tasting:



Though when I say that WE had the gnocchi, I mean that I had it, and my fiance’s still hadn’t arrived about 20 minutes after I finished. Ten minutes later, she asked the FA about it, and it turned out that she had forgotten.

She forgot to serve her entree.

I mean, c’mon. There are 8 people in this cabin. I’ve never even seen this happen on United.

No apology, just a brisk walk to the galley to pull the dish out of the oven.

By now, we were both full, and also scared to see what would happen if we ordered anything more. I decided to take a nap, and asked for turndown service, which consisted of dropping a pile of bedding on my fully-upright seat:



To contrast, here’s what turndown service looks like from one of Lucky’s TR’s:



It was about then that my IFE froze up on me. I told the attendant, and here’s how the exchange went:

Me: My TV isn’t working. None of the buttons work.
FA: Ah, that should be reset.
Me: Okay, great, thank you.

Ten minutes later, I flagged her down as she wandered around the cabin.

Me: Excuse me, it’s still not working.
FA: Oh, right, let me go tell the purser to reset it.



After that, no follow-up, and ten minutes later it still wasn’t working, so I went back to the galley to ask again.

Then, she motioned for me to follow her, and led me through the business class cabin to where the purser was sitting, and told me to tell her what was going on. At this point, it was beginning to feel like Dell tech support.

It took another two tries and 20 minutes to get things sorted out, with me having to take initiative on following up.

I took a nap, and those two uninterrupted hours were the best part of the flight. I honestly didn’t think that the seat, in lie-flat position, was any less comfortable than the separate bed on the 744.

About 90 minutes before landing, the FA asked if I’d like a snack. She went through the options, and I chose the “tomato and cream cheese sandwich”.



I took a bite and tried to recall, from previous trips to Germany, anything that would indicate that “tomato” is the German word for “smoked salmon,” failed, and proceeded to choke down the soggy fish sandwich.

Soon after, we landed at Dulles. To our pleasant surprise, there was a Lufthansa employee outside of the plane waiting for the FC passengers. He walked us down to a Mercedes Sprinter van and drove us to Customs, depositing us right next to the Global Entry kiosks. Ground service at a non-hub airport is a wonderful touch, and it was great to avoid the ugly Dulles moon buggies.

Overall, the hard product on this flight was fantastic...the new 747 is a beautiful plane and LH’s FC seats are supremely comfortable. The service on this flight left quite a lot to be desired, though our own previous experience -- and all of the reports I’ve read -- suggest that this was an anomaly, and it won’t keep me from flying LH F again.