ARJ85

So here i go - my first tripreport!!!
(but not in my first language - so please excuse my english skills - also i
didn`t plan to write a tripreport: That explains the lack of pictures...)

During easter my friends with the crane had a very good promotion:
Longhaul Business Class flights to a bunch of interesting destinations for just
999 Euro!
I didn`t have the time for a long holiday (well not for another one after two
weeks in Australia earlier this year) but a few days in China would still be
possible - two days in Nanking - and a few more in Beijing to be precise.

As Lufthansa only flies non-stop from Frankfurt to Nanking and not from my
home-airport Munich it was quite convenient, that i had a training scheduled
near cologne one weekend in August - so i planed my trip to start right after
the training.

As all my first class flights so far originated in Munich i had never
experienced the famous First Class Terminal in Frankfurt - so i decided to
spent a few miles for a Upgrade to Business Class. The upgrade process was
really easy - just log on to your Miles & More Account, choose the flight you
want to upgrade, click upgrade and you are done (and 65.000 Miles poorer of
course)
After all this planning i was finally good to go - until the training in cologne
got canceled so i had to book an additional flight from MUC to FRA for the
start of my journey (economy class - it really isnt a long flight and as im
flying first class that day on lufthansa from frankfurt i still get First Class
Lounge access in Munich.

Is anyone already bored? Keep reading - pretty soon i will really talk about
airplanes and also show some pictures...

The same day my trip started my father was flying to Hamburg - just a hour
later - so we shared a car to the airport. As always it was a easy ride - i
think i live in the perfect distance to the airport - far enough away so it
doesnt bother me - but close enough so that its easy to get there.
I had already checked in online so i just had to drop off my bag (quick and
easy as always in Europes best airport) and then assisted my father (who
really isnt a frequent flyer at all)

After security control i had to take a really different choice:
As i mentioned earlier, with my First Class Ticket for the flight FRA-NKG i
would be allowed to visit the First Class Lounge in Munich - you even can
take a guest with you - but the guest has to be on the same flight. So what
should i do:
-> Abandon my own father to enjoy the First Class Facilities??
-> Settle for the Senator Lounges where you also can bring a guest that just
has to be on any Lufthansa flight??

Not that you get the wrong idea of me - i didnt really consider option A - of
course the two of us went to the Senator lounge
(Later i read that thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...ce-thread.html
on the Miles & More Forum, i now of course
know that the correct approach for that situation would be:
-> pack lots of Tupperware boxes
-> go to the first class lounge on your own
-> raid all you can find on the buffet and bar
-> leave the lounge
-> surprise your father with all nice stuff you got and have a nice picknick
somewhere at the airport)

It was my first visit to a Senator lounge. So far i had only been to Business
and First Class lounges. I think you can call the Senator Lounge a Premium
Business Lounge - its nicer than the standard Lufthansa Business Lounge (for
example more and nicer food options) but of course not close to a First Class
Lounge.

The Lounge seemed quite empty (it was around 8.30 AM when we arrived)
but i guess a tuesday in August is not the busiest travel day of the year... We
had a nice breakfast there and my dad was even a little impressed that i
managed to get him - who was only travelling on a cheap 88 Euro ticket -
into the Lounge (Thanks to you guys around here)

The flight to Frankfurt was nothing special - just muy regular MUC-FRA A321
experience:
-> start
-> drink service
-> landing
-> me still having my coffee cup in my hand
Those flights are really almost to short to provide any kind of serious service...

I now had about eight hours until my flight to Nanking - so i went to the city.
(do i get banished from flyertalk now for not maximixing the „first
experience“ and spending all eight hours lounge hopping in Frankfurt?)

The connection from the Airport to the City is very good: not only run
frequent S-Bahn (Suburban-Trains) to the city - the Airport even has its own
railway station that is connected to the german long-distance train network.

Some impressions from Frankfurt:

Germanys highest building - the comerzbank tower


And for everybody wondering what this building is about: The whole world
will see it in the news when our football team returns from the 2014
worldcup...


After returning to the Airport i went straight to the First Class Terminal. And i
must say - from the very first moment it really was a great experience. No
waiting or anything else bothering at all. You get greeted at the door and
escorted to a desk where you hand over your documents. Then you go
straight to (your very own) security screening and after just a few seconds
you already are in the lounge itself. As i had not eaten since breakfast i went
immediatly to the dining area (i was really hungry - so no time for
pictures...) You have a a la carte menu but also a nice buffet with warm and
cold dishes. Some fancy stuff but also some basics like Leberkäse. Soon after
sitting down with my first course (and some champagne) my PA came back
with my newly printed boarding pass (as conveniant as online check in may
be - but i really like real boarding passes)

Then i went to take a shower - OK to be honest i just wanted a First Class
Rubber Duckie :-) The shower facilities are really nice.


and after opening a few more doors i also found a rubber duckie (which is
watching me right now as i write this trip report)


I still had some time to kill so i settled in one of the chairs the lounge
provides (there was lots of space because the lounge was quite empty) and
had some snacks


So what is my conclusion after my first visit to the FCT? It really is a great
lounge - in fact the best first class lounge i have seen so far. But not so much
better that i would in the future fly via frankfurt just to visit the FCT when
there is also a nonstop flight to my destination available.

While sipping on my third Sprite (I did not sample the over 50 different kinds of whiskey available at the bar)


my PA approached me and told me my limousine was ready to take me to
my plane. (Reality check: Only 4 years ago i had my first long haul flight in
the back of a crowded 747 with a few hundred other people and now its my
plane???) One floor down you first go to a border police desk where you get
back your passport and then to your limousine. It was a smooth 5 minute
ride to our Airbus 340-300. After reaching the planes parking position our
driver guided us to an elevator and then directly onto the plane where she
said goodbye and wished us a nice flight.

My car as seen from the plane


And you know what i liked most about the whole FCT experience? The only
time i really had to wait for something was 5 seconds while my bag passed
the X-RAY machine at security ;-). No waiting at check in, no waiting at bag-
drop, no waiting at security, no waiting at boarding, no waiting on the
jetbridge until everybody finds his seat.

When arriving at the airplane door i was greeted by a flight attendant who
showed me to my seat and took my jacket.
While still on the ground i was offered champagne (which i declined and went
for Orange Juice instead) and a bowl of nuts


(FunFact: i just realised i only eat macademia nuts in Subway-Sandwich Cookies and on Lufthansa Flights)

The flight from Frankfurt to Nanking was on a A340-300 - Flight time is about
ten and a half hours and the distance is 5.366 Miles.

We left Frankfurt right on time and service started soon after take off. A
flight Attendant (which always adressed me by name) handed out menu and
wine cards and asked if i wanted to eat right now or later. Thats the great
thing about first class - you are the master of your own time. I was not
hungry right now so i just got a little more to drink


Now about the seat: I had Seat 2/A - i prefer the second row. And Despite all
the bashing i find the Seats really comfortable!

(the following picture is from another trip - showing seat 2/K but they are the same)


What adds a nice touch is the red rose you get on every seat


Lufthansas First Class Cabin on all Airbus Aircrafts consists of 8 Seats in 2
Rows (1-2-1) so every seat has direct aisle access.

Earlier that year i flew Etihad-First to Australia with their new First. And while
that seat really turns into a great bed - i didn`t really like the suites. I do
prefer a more open cabin.

Whats not up to current standards is the inflight entertainment. The TV-
Screen is really really small and the selection also rather limited.

Of course this will change with the new First Class that was introduced with
the A380 which will be refited to the rest of the fleet - but this will take a few
years. But to be honest - the whole flight i used only one program - the
flight map. And i still didnt get bored. For the few hours i didnt sleep or eat i
had my new iPad. (Now a little off topic - but i really love that device! Not
only for entertainment - there are also so many ways i can use it in my
company.)
Short after Takeoff also the purser came by and introduced herself.

Now to the fun part of flying First

First a amouse bouche


There was a selection of four appetizers available of which i choose the
following two:
Salmon roulade filled with celery and apple


Caviar with the traditional garnishes


The Caviar comes with vodka in a ice chilled glass


As next course was a Salad available - which i skipped.

From the different main courses available i decided to go with the scallops


followed by a selection of cheese


and a really delicious dessert (kind of a ice-cream-bar covered with chocolate)


Sorry for not mentioning the wine - i have to admit i dont know anything
about wine - just went with the flight attendants recomendations - but i can
say it tasted very good.

I really enjoyed the meal. The food tasted great and the service was excellent.
And time really passes if you spend more than two hours eating...

After that - and one episode of „how i met your mother“ on my ipad i went to
sleep.
Lufthansa of course provides Pyjamas for its first class customers. They are
really comfy - some complain about the trousers which are rather thin - but
that works for me as i usually find it a little too warm on planes. While i went
changing in the Bathroom the flight attendant provided me with a blanket
and a pillow and i soon went to sleep. They also ask if they should wake you
for breakfast or if you want too sleep as long as possible. I slept until about
two hours before landing.

There are of course lots of choices for Breakfast available, including Muesli
and omelettes for example. I wasnt really hungry so i just went with a little
selection


Soon thereafter we started to descent to Nanking Airport - and thus ending
the first part of my trip.

So how would i rate the whole experience? Aside from a few minor flaws
(which will be fixed as soon as the new seats are installed) i dont know what
can be improved. The ground experience was perfect - as was the service on
board, the food was great and i really enjoyed the whole trip.

The next two parts will cover the days i spent in Beijing and the return trip to Munich.

If you have any question or anything else - just ask.

elitetraveler

Thanks, nice pictures ^

shaggy_mutt

Wow, great start! No need to apologize for your English - it's way better than my Deutsch.

BTW just curious, but how'd you choose Nanjing as a destination? Or was it a more convenient way to get to Beijing for you?

ARJ85

Thanks for the kind words.
And no - it was not more convenient to go via Nanjing (in fact it would be quite a detour if i only wanted to go to Beijing) i also wanted to see Nanjing.
But more about that in the next part of my report

HIDDY

Nice report ARJ85. ^

Kind of confirms my suspicions that F is a better experience on the A340 than the 747.
Your beer looks better,your helping of caviar looks bigger and you got a shot of Vodka to go along with it.....I wasn't offered any.

ARJ85

Now let me start the second part with a few words about Nanjing. At home i
earned a few strange looks when i told i was going there on vacation. When
talking about China most people i know think about two citys: Beijing and
Shanghai of course. (and Hongkong of course) What you dont think about is
that there are huge citys like Nanjing (with more than two times the
population of Berlin for example) you dont know anything about. And thats
why i wanted to visit one of these citys

among lots of other things to see in Nanjing is the
Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum


And now we come to the main reason i went there. As this is a frequent flyer
forum you all know what a planespotter is, you probably heard about ship- or
train-spotters. Well then i would call myself a skyscraper-spotter.

So here i present,
with 381 meters to the roof
number 9 in the world
with 450 meters to the top of the antenna
number 6 in the world

the NANJING GREENLAND FINANCIAL CENTER 南京紫峰大厦


(ok now you may call me crazy)

Sadly the weather wasnt too good the two days i spent in Nanjing.
But now up to Beijing.

There are quite a few airlines flying Nanjing-Beijing i choose Shanghai-
Airlines because of three reasons:
1. Price,
2. Departure Time
3. They use a 757 which is at least a little more interesting than the boring
A320 you get all the time with every airline here in europe.

Nanjing Airport is nothing special - actually you would expect something
bigger for a city that size. I arrived way too early so i had lots of time to
wander around the airport and do some spotting.





Until finally the 757 that would take me to Beijing arrived


Flight time NKG-PEK is one hour and 41 minutes - Distance is 589 Miles

The seats on that flight are the usual economy class seats you know from
airlines around the world. What i didnt expect, that even if its a less than two
hour flight you get a warm meal on the flight (Even a choice of two dishes!)
It was nothing fancy - just some noodles but tasted good. Also drinks were
free of course.

And thats how i got to Beijing. I spent 4 Days in Chinas Capital - visiting most
of the typical sights and taking lots of pictures, a few of them i would like
to share with you:

Mao Picture on the „Gate of Heavenly Peace“


A part of the huge forbidden city (Hall of Supreme Harmony)


The forbidden City from above


I also visited the site of the 2008 Summer Olympics
This is the so called Water Cube


and the Olympic Stadium (aka Birds nest)


here we see a huge bunch of rikschas waiting to cycle tourists through the hutongs




I also spent one day with a trip to the great wall (visiting three different places)

This is the first part you see on your way from Beijing


and this is the Mutianyu part (which i liked the most - much less crowded
than Badaling for example)





Too soon it was time to leave again. The return flight from Beijing to Munich will be covered in the third part of the report.

ARJ85

Hi,
so far i have never flown first on a 747. But maybe the amount of caviar i got had something to do that aside from me there was only one other passenger in the cabin. I was even offered a second plate of caviar.
About the beer - dont be too dissapointed - it was just "Erdinger Weißbier" which i dont like that much - but of course they dont carry any of the local breweries i prefer on board.

johndeere19

Great TR...I'm looking forward to flying the 343 on the FRA-EWR route next year and am hopeful that I get to fly one of the refitted F class birds although this looks miles better than the 747 setup.

briantoronto

Thanks for the report!

ARJ85

And now to the final part - the journey home.

Bejing Airport is connected to the city by an express train. Its a great way to
go to the airport without having to worry about Beijings traffic.

When i arrived at the Lufthansa Check in desks there was already a huge line
in front of the econonmy counters (although no counter was open yet)
Business Class Check in was a lot less crowded. I somehow forgot to pre
assign a seat but during check in managed to get a seat in the forward
business class cabin. (The Business Class Cabin on Lufthansas A340-300 has
the galley in the middle - separating it into two rows in front of the galley
and the rest behind of it)
Border and Security Control was quick and easy and after that i went a little
shopping for gifts for my folks at home. Beijings Terminal 3 has shops of all
the usual Brands you know from airports all around the world. And it is really
huge!
Lufthansa doesn`t have its own lounges in Beijing - instead they use the
Lounges of Star Alliance Partner AirChina. Its one floor above the shopping
area - with a very nice view over the tarmac. There are hot and cold dishes
available and also the usual selection of drinks.

Boarding startet on time and once again i boarded a A340-300 (why do i
feel i almost never get another plane?) Business Class on the Lufthansa
Airbus is in a 2-2-2 Layout - so aside from the two window seats everybody
has direct aisle acces.

As soon as i settled down a flight attendant came by and took my jacket - and also offered something to drink.

I didnt think about taking a picture of the seat - but here is one from a earlier trip i took


Flight time from Beijing to Munich is around ten hours - and the distance is 4.797 Miles

Soon after take-off the service started

First a drink service with a few nuts


I didnt take the menu from the flight with me - so please excuse that i dont remember exactly what every dish was

As Starter i had some kind of chicken


Followed by spinach & ricotta canneloni


Then a selection of cheese


and some dessert


Aside from the chicken (which was a little dry) it all tastet very good - and
the quantity was also enough

Soon after the dinner the flight attendants closed the blinds. I was not really
tired (PEK-MUC is a dayflight - leaving Beijing at around 1 PM and arriving in
Munich the same day around 6 PM) so i just read a little - and for all that are
wondering - the iPad really is a great eBook reader - even after a few hours
my eyes didnt get tired.

During the „night“ the flight attendants frequently went through the cabin and
topped up drinks. About midway through the flight there was also a snack
service with sandwiches, wraps and something sweet i dont remember.

The Seats are very comfortable for sitting. But they dont go 180° Horizontal in Sleep mode.

Short before Landing there was another meal service
here i decided for the duck


The whole flight was of course nothing you could compare with the outbound flight in First Class - but nontheless it was a pleasant experience. The service was nice, food was good, the seat was comfortable, the flight was on time and i arrived rested at my destination what else do you need?



I hope you enjoyed reading my first tripreport - and if you liked it i promise to provide a few more in the future (with a few more pictures)

Chri

seamaster73

Great report

luv_flying

thanks for the contribution!

galacticnick

fantastic photos!

blueline7

Great TR! Many thanks.

Just wanted to clarify; you upgraded to First one way only?

Buster CT1K

Nice report, thanks.