nologic

My parents are planning on redeeming miles to take LH round trip from BOS-TLV in F next August.

Some of the potential segments are showing the equipment as 744 and some as 346.

I have only flown LH in F once, about 5 years ago, in 2x2 seating upstairs on an 747. Service and food were excellent. Seats are fine, but 2x2 is way below the standard of the private first suites that dominate F on most airlines these days.

What should LH have in terms of seats by next August? Is there likely to be any difference in physical between the 744 vs. 346? Will these be new generation or old generation seats?

Also, what champagne is LH serving in F these days?

Lastly, any difference/reference connecting thru FRA vs. MUC?

wideman

Unless your parents want to stop over in Germany, the only choice is FRA: the BOS_MUC flights require an overnight for the MUC-TLV flights, in both directions.

nologic

You're right! Thanks. BOS-FRA-TLV is wide open on the date they want to go.

Returning is potentially open, but the natural same day connection from TLV thru FRA flight requires a 5am TLV departure.

That's ugly. Requires leaving TLV city around 2AM to make the 5am flight.


I am trying to encourage them to take the later 3-4pm departures and overnight at the airport (FRA or MUC). Enjoy the TLV -FRA//MUC flight...have a nice dinner, and go to hotel, sleep and chill and take the flight to BOS on the next day.

They have nothing but time, but have probable travel with 3 big bags for which they need porters as they are in their 70s. So, collecting bags at 8pm, going to hotel, etc., seems to be them to be sort of a "big" effort vs. checking thru.

Still, Id like to know the difference, if any, in the flying and connecting experience of MUC vs FRA, and secondly the seats/service vs. my experience 5 years ago.

Also, thanks for waking me up that the TLV-MUC-BOS is a 1+ connection!

cwood

If the connection is less than 24 hours you can check it all the way to Boston...tell your parents to pack an overnight bag for carry on. That way they do not need to deal with it. Plus this will just count as a connection so if your program allows a stop over they will be able to add a place on beyond Boston.

The luggage will overnight in FRA and the airline will deal with it.

nologic

That's great to know about the 24 hour rule as they are within 24 hours. What about the other questions?

nologic

They live in Boston and will originate from Boston. How does it help them to add a place? What place? How would they get back? They would be using CO miles...

Yoshi212

Why not do TLV-FRA-BOS there and BOS-MUC-TLV on the way back. 2 nights in Germany in 2 different cities so you have some variety. could even extend the stop in Munich maybe for a few days instead of just an overnight. They'd get the experience of the First Class Terminal in FRA and been told the First Class Lounge in MUC is also quite a nice experience. As far as champagne I don't know.
Mock booking:

Total Trip Duration: 24 days / 23 nights
Thursday, October 28, 2010 Flight 1
Lufthansa 687

* First
* Boeing 747
* Meal
* 4hr 15min
* 1830 miles

Depart: 3:45pm afternoon Tel Aviv Yafo, Israel Tel Aviv Yafo Ben Gurion Intl (TLV) Non-stop
Arrive: 8:00pm evening Frankfurt, Germany Frankfurt International (FRA)

Friday, October 29, 2010 Flight 2
Lufthansa 422

* First
* Boeing 747
* Meal
* 7hr 45min
* 3660 miles

Depart: 1:00pm afternoon Frankfurt, Germany Frankfurt International (FRA) Non-stop
Arrive: 2:45pm afternoon Boston, MA Boston Logan International (BOS)

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 Flight 3
Lufthansa 425

* First
* Airbus A340
* Meal
* 7hr 25min
* 3841 miles

Depart: 7:40pm evening Boston, MA Boston Logan International (BOS) Non-stop
Arrive: 9:05am morning Munich, Germany Munich Franz Josef Strauss (MUC)

This is an overnight flight.

Saturday, November 20, 2010 Flight 4
Lufthansa 688

* First
* Airbus A340
* Meal
* 3hr 35min
* 1645 miles

Depart: 9:30am morning Munich, Germany Munich Franz Josef Strauss (MUC) Non-stop
Arrive: 2:05pm afternoon Tel Aviv Yafo, Israel Tel Aviv Yafo Ben Gurion Intl (TLV)

cwood

If they originate in BOS - -they can add one additional stop (more than 24 hours) on top of TLV.

With the carrier you selected this can really be anywhere in Europe - - and with the award you selected almost anywhere in the middle east.

For instance...they could fly BOS - FRA in F -- then fly to say Warsaw...and then on to TLV and back to BOS through FRA...they just need to keep it all on the Star Alliance. (again -- something like BOS - FRA - ZRH - TLV - FRA - BOS).....there are a lot of choices!

If they want to get really creative -- they can also do an open jaw with TLV as one end and just buy a ticket to the other end of the jaw.

nologic

I can see how they can extend their stay and stopover in one additional city in Europe. I don't know if they want to do that. I thought you were suggesting an additional city in the US, and I didn't see how they could get home if they did that. They could go to ZRH. What other Star A airlines have long haul premium F from TLV to Europe? Also, no one has responded to the question about the seats. Does LH have current generation F suites or are they still 2x2? Is there a difference between the 744 and the 346 in terms of the F seats (thinking about next August)?

SFO777

LH First seats on both the 744s and the 330/340s are the old seats... quite comfortable but not new generation suites. While the 744 is 2x2 upstairs, the 346 is 1-2-1.
IMO, the 346 is far preferable as the configuration of the cabin gives it a much more spacious feel. Add in only 8 pax, two lavs and a better pax:FA ratio and it is our preferred choice.

ismann

Also a (very low probability) chance that the 346 they fly on could have been refitted with the new F by next summer. Not something to expect, but at least it's infinitely more likely than on a 744.

johndeere19

Yup, the current plan looks like there will be at least 2 MUC based 346s and 1 FRA based 343 refitted with new first by next summer...there's also some rumors about updating the 744s but not with the full suites similar to the 388, just new materials, etc. I've heard much better things regarding the 343/6 layouts with everyone having aisle access over the 2+2 layout of the 744.

craz

OP if your folks arent looking to spend any real time in Europe then why limit it to LH?

They could fly BOS-EWR-TLV on CO where CO has bed-flat beds which are way better then LHs Biz and maybe not as good as LHs FC (I never saw what LHs FC looks like) or US out of PHL or AC out of YYZ all 3 use a bed-flat seat and fly nonstop from their hub here in NA so you wont have to deal with a 5am flight out of TLV or spending a night wherever due to the time they land @ XXX in Europe

If they wanted some down time in Europe that would be a different horse of cause

gopherman1

If they want to see the city, I recommend stopping in MUC, as I find it more interesting than FRA. However, if they want a treat, the First Class Terminal in FRA is pretty awesome and would be a fun experience for them.

SFO777

Perhaps because CO, US and AC are, in the end, still just Business Class.