Routing: LH718 from Munich to Seoul, January 2, 2010, and LH719 from Seoul to Munich, January 10, 2010

Below is an extract from my blog report on this great trip. You can find more details, and hi-res versions of the pictures: http://www.luxurytravelblog.net/The_...2_Entry_1.html


Willkommen in Munich
The Lufthansa bosses have clearly decided that Asia is the future, and anyone travelling First Class to one of its major cities has to be treated like a minor Deity. We stepped off the London flight to be greeted by the driver of a gleaming black Mercedes, who transported us in considerable style past the usual immigration nonsense and bureaucracy straight to the Lufthansa First Class Lounge.

Munich Lounge


I always thought it would be hard to beat Virgin�s incomparable Club House at Heathrow. Lufthansa Munich doesn�t quite do that. My favourite experience remains having a three-hour Virgin breakfast one Sunday on the way to New York, eggs benedict and the Weekend FT. But this one comes pretty close. Like Virgin, you get a cooked breakfast (or lunch, dinner) in the restaurant.



The shower facilities also give Baron Branson something to think about, as they have jacuzzis as well as showers (I didn�t indulge). Where they have the edge is in the standard of service, as even Virgin staff suffer now and again from the British �whatever� attitude when you ask them for something. I�ve always thought German standards of service overall are the best in Europe, and this experience reinforces that view. Finally, which other airline lounge gives guests their own special rubber duck!



On Board


Then it was time to fly to for Seoul. In a way, what I am about to write can be considered a period piece, as Lufthansa has now unveiled a complete revamp of its First Class service for its new fleet of A380s. But in a crazy way, unveiling a super-swanky A380 is easy! Offering outstanding service on an A340-300 with several years of hard graft under its wings is much harder.

Our A340-300 certainly passed the test. Let�s start with my favourite: the food. It was all glorious, and our pictures probably speak for themselves. I went for as many Asian options as I could, and had my introduction to the legendary Korean vegetable dish: kimchi (below).



Since we flew, Lufthansa has enhanced its Asian cuisine offer by hiring noted Korean chef Hyo Nam Park to offer �classical French cuisine with an Asian touch�. According to the Korea Times:

�Park presents classical French cuisine such as almond jelly topped with caviar goose liver parfait, lobster lasagna in a saffron cappuccino sauce, medallion of veal and potato pyramid, ice cold souffle with lemon sherbet and chocolate tahini cream. He added subtle Asian flavors to French cuisine and created his own style of innovative and inspiring dishes.�

Moves like this are clear signs that Lufthansa is thinking about its Asian routes as a service which requires special attention. That�s smart thinking about the future which most other European airlines are not emulating.

High Amenity


As good as the food was, the best of Lufthansa First Class is to be found in the accessories, which have become notably less impressive on most airlines in recent years. As a result of our two flights, I am now the proud owner of two Lufthansa Rimowa amenity kits (above) - which seem to sell for ridiculous prices on eBay, and one pair of specially-designed Van Laak pyjamas - the most stylish you�ll find anywhere at 30,000 feet.

The Lufthansa cabin crew were terrific, and we landed at the super hi-tech Seoul Incheon airport feeling fresher than we did leaving London.

Sadly, this will probably be the last time we can ever travel First Class on Lufthansa to Asia or anywhere else long haul. Someone has leaked the fact that the Germans are going to scrap my Diamond Club Card next year and replace it with �Miles & More�, meaning you�d have to fly virtually every second day or the year to earn a Gold Card and access to the fabulous facilities on offer at Munich and the other German airports.

END

"Someone has leaked the fact that the Germans are going to scrap the Diamond Club next year and replace it with ‘Miles & More’, meaning you’d have to fly virtually every second day or the year to earn a Gold Card and access to the fabulous facilities on offer at Munich and the other German airports."

Ah, come on? It's not that bad !
(You only have to fly every third day! )

I'm sorry to disappoint you but the treatment you received has nothing to do with Asia being the future or your being considered a minor Deity. It's simply because flights from the UK are considered unimportant and park at a remote apron position.

And they obviously didn't want you to enter Germany since the upper floor of the MUC First Class Lounge is in no man's land and definitely not in Germany. Have you ever been to an airport lounge where you have to surrender your passport to enter?

Great Trip report Geoffsb!! I always love your blog and the photos!! Pity we won't see you both on the LH A380 F .. well hope that the Diamond club doesn't go away too soon!

Christian

Thanks for the report.

Thanks for your report !

However, sorry I have to disagree with you, the food especially the Korean option which is a bibimbap doesn't look good at all, very unappetizing.

Compare to bibimbap that serve in OZ F, LH doesn't even come close, the preesentation is simply poor, perhaps they should invest some money to serve Korean food in proper china especially in F. LH may have nice amenities and FCL in FRA, but their food presentation left much to be desired.

Other than that, LH F seat on their 346 and 744 is another reason so far I still hesitate to fly on, their F seats are just too old style, no privacy whatsoever, just a seat that can go 180 degrees horizontal flat, that's all about it.

Btw, what is it really inside the Rimowa amenity kit ? I guess it is just about the kit instead of full size bottle of fragrance like in SQ F's amenity kit ?

Well, I'm sorry to disappint YOU, as you simply have your facts wrong. Every other time I have used German airports to transit East, UK passengers have been required to go through a very laborious passport control - probably because Britain is not part of the Schengen agreement. On this occasion, not only did we have to show our passports to the German official outside the First Class Lounge, we also had to hand them over to him while we were inside!

As for UK flights being 'unimportant', wossat all about? Sheer spite? I would imagine Munich has more flights to and from Heathrow than any other European airport outside Germany. The parking spot may - again - have had something to do with Schengen.

Thanks for a nice report! You got a black rubber ducky?!?! I want one! I was there last summer and I got a few in the traditional yellow! I want a black one!!!!

How was their kimchi? mmmmmmmm!

I believe the black rubber ducky is also becoming a collector's item! As for the kimchi, it compared favourably to the breakfast, lunch and dinner kimchis I had in Seoul for a week. What can I say? depends whether you like your Asian veg fermented or not!

It seems a few more smilies were needed in my previous post?

Apron arrivals have nothing to do with Schengen/non-Schengen. Some arrivals from the UK do park at gate positions and you can walk to the First Class Lounge without having to show your passport to anybody until you are inside the lounge. That was my experience when I went through MUC only a week before you did on my way from MAN to NRT.

The door of the First Class Lounge on Level H is effectively a border because the lounge itself is in Schengen with the door on the lower floor opening onto the Schengen area.

I go through German airports several times a year travelling eastwards from the UK (with a UK passport) and I've never had to go through passport control during transit, not at least until the end of March which was the last time I went through MUC.

I'll find out if things have changed in a couple of weeks.

Somewhat OT... I haven't flown their ICN route, but judging from their F service to/from NRT, I was very surprised to read that the OP thought the Korean food was good.

To NRT, their F Japanese food was disgraceful: unattractive serving bowls and presentation, bad choice and quality food, inedible Japanese rice. Worse yet, the F/A didn't know how to properly serve the meals (dishes came out in wrong sequence and were placed on wrong trays) and had no idea which sake I selected because the labels were all in Japanese.

Ex-NRT, their Japanese food in F was better but still marginal. The F/A was Japanese this time and knew more about how to serve the Japanese meal; she also agreed that the Japanese catering in the other direction is quite bad in general.

It's no wonder that, despite the full F cabins, there was not a single Japanese in the F cabin on those flights.

Very nicely done report - Thank-You!^

I thought they did have special Korean dishes/tableware for the Korean meals - perhaps it is only ex-ICN?

Thanks for the report.

thanks to sobore and everyone else who have said they enjoyed our report. G

seoul again!!! <3