David7

@sophialite Are you German or do you speak German? Would like to hear if you have - or anyone else has - any experience regarding FAs in LH F treating people who speak German and those who don't differently.

sophialite

I'm American, but fluent in German. I actually don't like to let on that I know German, so all of my communications have been in English. It gives me the added benefit of hearing conversations when others think I can't understand them.

1) I don't think there's difference in treatment per se. I get a lot of freebies when I fly in F. But I think it's more because other passengers don't know to ask for them. For example, I'll sometimes ask for a whole box of chocolates on Swiss. And on LH I sometimes ask for more of the pretzel-bread for home. They have oodles and I'm usually dragging 15 or so crinkling bags out of the plane at the end of the flight :-)
2) I do think the MdCs and Pursers and FAs tend to have longer conversations with German-speaking passengers, but the content of these conversations isn't really substantive in any way. In other words, I'm very much OK with the fact that my conversations with them tend to be curt. I do have a few exceptional experiences where the staff has been very friendly and open (not including the times when I bring them gifts).

PeanutYYZ

I find this very interesting -- maybe if more people knew what freebies were available, they'd have a better impression of LH/LX service in F! Personally I'm the sort of person who doesn't think to ask for things unless it is clear that they are available (e.g., if the menu said something like "box of chocolates available upon request", I would have no problem asking, but otherwise I would never even consider that this was possible), so I would benefit greatly from a crowdsourced list of such "freebies". I'll try out the box of chocolates thing when I fly LX F on Saturday! Would love to hear other ideas for what people have asked for.

sophialite

To be fair, I don't view it as something I'm entitled to. I just view it as, if I'm nice and everyone has already been served, no harm in asking. The worse you'll hear is a "no." I think if they officially offer these things, people will inevitably be disappointed on the occasion they don't get something they've asked for.

But the way I view it, if there's no explicit prohibition, there's no harm in asking. I'll frequently ask for two, sometimes three servings of the caviar. I've asked them to save it for breakfast because I usually skip dinner on the plane. I saw a post on here about someone asking for a whole bottle of Dom and getting it. I ask for pretzels. I frequently save the pyjama bag and use it to carry free Haribo from the FCL/FCT (who else is going to eat it??!?!?). A lot of posters here ask for more WiFi vouchers on LX once they spend their 50MB. I've been turned down only once and that was because they ran out of them by the time I ask.

Anyways, the privilege of flying F, aside from all the obvious perks, is that people would and should do everything in their power to fulfill a request. Of course, you need to actually, you know, make the request.

f4freeJunior

Do you also ask the crew for the bed linens, the cutlery, .. the TV?

The idea of first class is to offer its passengers a wide range of products to chose from. Not really to take home whatever item they might have left (and that is potentially missing on the inbound flight) .

I have been given bottles of wine and champagne onboard LX/LH F (and even in C) a couple of times (honeymoon flight, service recovery etc.) but I would never have asked for it. And on the few occasions where I have been the solo traveler in the F cabin I also got more goodies obviously.

Back on topic; I did never experience a difference in service whether I was on an award flight, an upgraded flight or in full fare F and also not when I was at the age of the OP. On whatever airline I have been fortune to fly upfront.

sophialite

If the FAs give it, it's not my problem. If you have an issue with it, you're more than welcome to stop me on my next flight. Happy to send you my details over PM. I'll even walk all the way back to C to tell you what I'm taking when I do it.

Nic33

IMO, the chocolate box is not worth it. The Sprüngli chocolates that are given is F are expensive, but not of much better quality than the industrial chocolate that is available in C. Get a bottle of booze if you can instead...

sophialite

PeanutYYZ

I mean, sure, I'm partial to Läderach myself, but Sprüngli isn't so bad, especially if it's conveniently being handed to you while you're on a plane and you haven't remembered to buy other chocolates on the ground in advance

Nic33

A lot of food and drinks end up in the trash can or in the faucet on an aircraft. Often, a few hours into the flight, I ask whether there are leftovers of dishes that I liked. I have noticed that LX crews are a bit reluctant, but the LH crews happily provides me with additional calories. No harm dfone to my view.

worldclubber

Nic33

If the LX dudes were less Swiss German centric, they would consider the amandes princesses from Auer in Geneva or truffles from Blondel in Lausanne.

f4freeJunior

I will of course not stop you. But to me it feels awkward to load up on "freebies" on a plane or in a lounge just because of an F tix. Is it the right thing to do just because a FA might be too intimidated to say no, or because I did not a accommodate enough time to organize a present for someone? Anyway I guess I have been educated differently. To each his own.
Always happy to meet new FTers so feel free to PM your details. You can meet me on 2K next week twice, no need to walk back to C .
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sophialite

Kleffen