Trying out 8 different brands of champagne! To, from and within Asia on *A in First
Feb 1, 2011, 2:16 pm
#31
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: In the skies of the world
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Posts: 3,167
MUC-NRT on Lufthansa in F (part 1)
Boarding
Just after 3 pm I left the first class lounge to head for the gate.
I had already been “travelling” for over 7 hours that day, but so far only spent about 30 minutes in the air. What a day!
Stepping out of the first class lounge into the regular terminal was like going into a different world. The transit hall just felt like such a lousy place compared to the lounge. Quite a contrast!
And Munich airport itself is definitely one of the better airports out there...
The gate for the flight to Tokyo had been changed from H44 to H48, at the very end of the large terminal building. However that lengthy walk wasn’t really a disadvantage after all the food I had consumed in the lounges during the day.
Boarding started about the same minute as I arrived at the gate.
There was a separate line for first class, business class and Star Gold passengers which was significantly shorter than the regular line and I was among the first few people to be processed.
Settling in onboard
First and business class passengers were supposed to board the aircraft through the forward passenger bridge leading to door 01L.
I was warmly greeted at the entrance by a nice female FA and directed to my seat 02K, my home for the next 12 hours.
I ended up being the very first person to board in first class, which is always an advantage if you want to take some photos of the cabin before departure.
The aircraft used for flight LH 714 to Tokyo was an Airbus A340-600.
There are only two rows of first class on the A346 in a 1-2-1 configuration, which makes it eight seats in total.
Although the cabin isn’t the latest version, and can probably be beaten quite easily by some of the competitors, I thought it gave an excellent first impression.
It was in fact very stylish, spotlessly clean and tidy, and in a flawless condition.
There is a small bar counter in front of the cabin where the crew had made an excellent effort displaying some of the newspapers and magazines they had onboard.
There was also a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket as well as some nice red roses.
As I settled in my seat the friendly female FA at the door came to greet me again.
She addressed me by name, warmly welcomed me onboard, and offered to take my jacket.
A moment later she was back again and asked me if I wanted anything to drink before departure. Didn’t have to think too much about what to answer to that question...
Within a minute a glass of chilled Piper Heidsieck was delivered to my seat together with a bowl of warm nuts.
A few minutes later she was back again and offered me a refill of the champagne.
I was also given a pyjamas, amenity kit and slippers.
The amenity kit was OK but a little underwhelming, I guess I have been too spoiled by the ones handed out by competitors like Emirates and Singapore Airlines.
Eventually more passengers started to arrive in first class, 6 out of 8 seats ended up being occupied on the flight.
Rather interestingly all passengers in first class were Westerners. There was one American man in seat 02A and all others seemed to be Europeans. Not a single Japanese or Asian passenger...
When most passengers had arrived the captain came on the PA to welcome us onboard.
He was a nice and funny guy, quite proud of his job, and given that he competes with the A380 used on the Tokyo flights from Frankfurt he specifically pointed out that “his plane” was in fact longer than the A380.
Expected flight time to Tokyo was 11 hours and 15 minutes.
Before departure the purser also passed through the first class cabin, shaking hands with all the passengers and welcoming us onboard. A nice man!
Munich-Tokyo/Narita, flight LH 714 operated by Lufthansa
Departure: 15:35
Arrival: 11:20
Aircraft: Airbus A340-600
Class: First Class
Seat: 02K
We pushed back right on time at 3.35 pm.
A safety demonstration video was shown on the monitors and the information was later repeated in Japanese by one of the crew members.
We finally took off at 3.50 pm from runway 08R.
The A340 has a very slow rate of climb and I think it took nearly 20 minutes before the seatbelt sign was switched off and the inflight service could start.
The curtains between business and first were closed and the crew started setting up the bar counter with some of the bottles they had onboard.
Hot towels were offered, placed on a small black plate, and a first drink order was taken.
Since I had already had something like 8 glasses of champagne during the day I decided to go off the beaten pattern and try something else. It ended up being a gin & tonic.
The menu
The menu and drink list were handed out. Quite sizeable ones with a really nice and attractive design. I was impressed!
The contents were not particularly bad either...
Here is the menu and drink list for the dinner service to Tokyo:
The meal service
Quite an impressive menu, especially if you look at both the western and the Japanese options.
The drink list was certainly not bad either, lots of goodies there.
The first dish arrived as I was still sipping gin and tonic.
The amuse bouche was in the shape of an eggshell and contained a mix of different herbs in the shape of a jelly. Can’t remember exactly what it was, but it was really tasty!
About one hour into the flight, after the amuse bouche had been finished, the table was prepared for the meal service and a white table cloth was laid on the table.
A selection of breads was offered from a basket and I decided to have some slices of the nice garlic bread.
Finally a red rose was nicely placed on the table by the FA, which should be put afterwards in the armrest of the seat.
Next the FA passed through the cabin with a cart, nicely decorated in white linen, with the different appetizers on display.
Lots to choose between and I decided to try the foie gras which was an excellent choice.
To drink I asked for a glass of the German Riesling.
It seemed to have been a very popular choice in first class and in fact I got a last glass before the bottle was empty. Fortunately they had loaded more than one bottle of the wine onboard...
Next the salad which contained oyster mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper and pine nuts.
It was served with vinaigrette or French dressing. I went for the latter.
More breads were offered and I asked for another glass of the nice white wine.
All the wine and champagne bottles were very nicely displayed on the bar counter in front of the first class cabin.
As passengers ordered other drinks, cocktails or speciality wines, these bottles were also added to the selection on the counter (subject to space, of course...)
A really nice feature onboard and it really created the atmosphere of a proper restaurant.
It also meant most drinks were elegantly poured right in front of you.
There were two choices of main course for the western dinner and I went for the “Lufthansa Classic” with German meatballs. It was superb!
I asked for a glass of red wine with the main course and decided to try the Italian Eclissi del Sole 2006.
The red wine was really nice and complemented the main course excellently. The FA told me this combination had actually been especially tasted in the air by Léa Linster, the woman who had created the western menu for the flight.
She mentioned she had actually had Léa onboard one of her flights and found it a very interesting experience.
After the main course the lovely female FA who did most of the job in the cabin passed through the cabin with a cheese and dessert cart which also contained fresh fruits, port and dessert wine.
I asked for some Comté and Livarot cheese as well as some grapes and a glass of the dessert wine.
As the dessert wine was very sweet the FA recommended me to wait a little bit with the dessert, which I did.
Finally, after having finished the cheese and dessert wine, I couldn’t resist trying the dessert and ordered the crème brûlée with macadamia nut ice cream.
Absolutely delicious! Fortunately it was a rather small portion, I was starting to feel very full.
I declined coffee and tea as it was getting a bit too late.
But seeing they had the very nice Johnnie Walker Blue Label it wasn’t very hard to decide what I needed to round up the meal properly. In fact it ended up being two glasses...
Chocolate pralines were also offered in first class from a large box, but I actually had to decline.
The service
I have just one thing to say about the service onboard: Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!
There were two female FAs taking care of first class and the young woman who did most of the work in the cabin was the nicest, sweetest person ever.
She went to a great length interacting with the passengers, in a truly natural and unforced way, taking every possible chance to make people relaxed and feeling at home onboard, without ever taking it too far.
On top of that she was incredibly professional and knowledgeable. I discussed the food and wines with her, what wine would best complement what dish, and she had lots of input and also did not mind telling if she disagreed.
Also she really had full control of everything going on in the cabin. When she had spent a great bit of time chatting and serving the passengers in the other aisle, and had a rough idea that one of my glasses might be empty and in need of a refill, she actually apologised for the wait when she arrived at my seat. She completely read my mind...
But best of all, it was all genuine! There was a genuine warmth onboard that just can’t be faked.
The meal service was also incredibly well coordinated. I have taken quite a few first class flights by now and I have realised how a good coordination can really make a difference.
This was a long meal service, I think nearly three hours passed from my first gin and tonic after take-off until I had finished my dessert. Still the service did not feel slow or too long, and of course it did not feel rushed either.
But more impressively, despite the number of courses and glasses of alcohol consumed I did not feel very full afterwards, and I did not feel overly intoxicated either.
On some flights I have been close to bursting after the meal, the stomach is so full you can hardly fall asleep because of it, but after this meal I was just feeling incredibly satisfied.
In short the service just blew me away!
If I had just noted down the name of the female FA I would have written a letter of compliment to Lufthansa giving my full praise to her, and naturally also to her colleagues, as it’s all about teamwork and they all did an excellent job together. Well I do have some photos...
I have taken a fair number of flights on Lufthansa over the years and I am more than familiar with the airline, and this was by far the best crew I have ever encountered on Lufthansa.
Just a wonderful wonderful experience! ^ ^
Just after 3 pm I left the first class lounge to head for the gate.
I had already been “travelling” for over 7 hours that day, but so far only spent about 30 minutes in the air. What a day!
Stepping out of the first class lounge into the regular terminal was like going into a different world. The transit hall just felt like such a lousy place compared to the lounge. Quite a contrast!
And Munich airport itself is definitely one of the better airports out there...
The gate for the flight to Tokyo had been changed from H44 to H48, at the very end of the large terminal building. However that lengthy walk wasn’t really a disadvantage after all the food I had consumed in the lounges during the day.
Boarding started about the same minute as I arrived at the gate.
There was a separate line for first class, business class and Star Gold passengers which was significantly shorter than the regular line and I was among the first few people to be processed.
Settling in onboard
First and business class passengers were supposed to board the aircraft through the forward passenger bridge leading to door 01L.
I was warmly greeted at the entrance by a nice female FA and directed to my seat 02K, my home for the next 12 hours.
I ended up being the very first person to board in first class, which is always an advantage if you want to take some photos of the cabin before departure.
The aircraft used for flight LH 714 to Tokyo was an Airbus A340-600.
There are only two rows of first class on the A346 in a 1-2-1 configuration, which makes it eight seats in total.
Although the cabin isn’t the latest version, and can probably be beaten quite easily by some of the competitors, I thought it gave an excellent first impression.
It was in fact very stylish, spotlessly clean and tidy, and in a flawless condition.
There is a small bar counter in front of the cabin where the crew had made an excellent effort displaying some of the newspapers and magazines they had onboard.
There was also a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket as well as some nice red roses.
As I settled in my seat the friendly female FA at the door came to greet me again.
She addressed me by name, warmly welcomed me onboard, and offered to take my jacket.
A moment later she was back again and asked me if I wanted anything to drink before departure. Didn’t have to think too much about what to answer to that question...
Within a minute a glass of chilled Piper Heidsieck was delivered to my seat together with a bowl of warm nuts.
A few minutes later she was back again and offered me a refill of the champagne.
I was also given a pyjamas, amenity kit and slippers.
The amenity kit was OK but a little underwhelming, I guess I have been too spoiled by the ones handed out by competitors like Emirates and Singapore Airlines.
Eventually more passengers started to arrive in first class, 6 out of 8 seats ended up being occupied on the flight.
Rather interestingly all passengers in first class were Westerners. There was one American man in seat 02A and all others seemed to be Europeans. Not a single Japanese or Asian passenger...
When most passengers had arrived the captain came on the PA to welcome us onboard.
He was a nice and funny guy, quite proud of his job, and given that he competes with the A380 used on the Tokyo flights from Frankfurt he specifically pointed out that “his plane” was in fact longer than the A380.
Expected flight time to Tokyo was 11 hours and 15 minutes.
Before departure the purser also passed through the first class cabin, shaking hands with all the passengers and welcoming us onboard. A nice man!
Munich-Tokyo/Narita, flight LH 714 operated by Lufthansa
Departure: 15:35
Arrival: 11:20
Aircraft: Airbus A340-600
Class: First Class
Seat: 02K
We pushed back right on time at 3.35 pm.
A safety demonstration video was shown on the monitors and the information was later repeated in Japanese by one of the crew members.
We finally took off at 3.50 pm from runway 08R.
The A340 has a very slow rate of climb and I think it took nearly 20 minutes before the seatbelt sign was switched off and the inflight service could start.
The curtains between business and first were closed and the crew started setting up the bar counter with some of the bottles they had onboard.
Hot towels were offered, placed on a small black plate, and a first drink order was taken.
Since I had already had something like 8 glasses of champagne during the day I decided to go off the beaten pattern and try something else. It ended up being a gin & tonic.
The menu
The menu and drink list were handed out. Quite sizeable ones with a really nice and attractive design. I was impressed!
The contents were not particularly bad either...
Here is the menu and drink list for the dinner service to Tokyo:
Menu Munich-Tokyo
Western Cuisine
Choice of Hors d’oeuvre
Caviar with the traditional garnishes
Duck foie gras and chicken in aspic with celery salad and beetroot vinaigrette
Salmon tartare with lemon confit and fennel salad
Salad
Fresh lettuce with fried oyster mushrooms, cheery tomatoes,
Bell pepper and toasted pine nuts
Served with your choice of vinaigrette or French dressing
Choice of Main Courses
Filet of sole and crayfish on tarragon sauce with leaf spinach and tagliatelle
Sauerbraten, marinated pot roast with red cabbage and potato dumplings
Selection of Cheese and Dessert
Bleu d’Auvergne, Fougerus, Comté, Livarot and ashed Goat Cheese
Garnished with grapes and walnuts
Léa’s crème brûlée with macadamia nut ice cream
Fresh fruit
Japanese Cuisine
Zensai
Caviar with the traditional granishes
Steamed sesame cream with ginger and grated citrus fruit
Marinated tuna, grated yam and wasabi
Suimono wan
Suimono with salt-cured mackerel and sliced radish
Hassun
Eel and egg omelette, marinated cherry tomato, herring roes, chicken pie
Sweet potato with miso paste, sushi featuring with sweet shrimp and smoked salmon
Men
Men tsuyu
Buckwheat noodles, black popular mushrooms, wasabi and chives
Omozakana
Prime rib of beef, sweet potato noodles, carrot, arugula, grilled tofu, leek
Shiitake mushrooms, Chinese cabbage and spinach roll accompanied by sukian
Sauce served with Japanese rice with sesame
Baked sea bream with bamboo shoot, carrot, radish, snow pea
And vinegar soy sauce served with Japanese rice with sesame
Miso Shiru
Misoshiru soup
Konomono
Pickled red plum, white radish, Japanese cucumber
Dessert
Wagashi
Soy bean tartlet
Vinothek
Champagne
“Rare” Champagne Piper-Heidsieck, France
Monthly Proposal
2006 Dão Reserva, Casa de Santar, Portugal
Apéritif
Campari
Sherry “La Guita”
White Wine
2009 “Semper Vivum” Riesling Spätlese trocken, Weingut Motzenbäcker, Germany
2008 Château de Rully, Rully Premier Cru, Antonin Roder, France
2009 Rueda Verdejo, Bodegas Aura, Spain
Red Wine
2003 Château Belgrave, Cru Classé, Haut-Médoc, France
2006 Eclissi del Sole, Rubicone IGT, San Valentino, Italy
Dessert Wine
2008 Huxelrebe Beerenauslese, Bioweingut Lorenz, Germany
Monthly Proposal
Wildkirsch, Alde Gott Edelbrände, Germany
Spirits
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey Old No. 7
Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Bushmills Malt 10 Years old
Smirnoff Red Vodka
Bombay Sapphire Distilled London Dry Gin
Cognac Lhéraud Cuvée 30
Calvados Pays d’Auge AC, Daron
Fernet Branca
Walcher Williams Exclusiv
Sake and Plum Wine
Tsukinoi Jyunmai Ginjyo Kurazake
Tatsuriki Tokubetsu Jyunmaishu “Mukashi”
Tsukinoi Nihonshu Shikomi Umezake
Liqueur and Port
Baileys Irish Cream
2005 LBV – Late Bottled Vintage Port, Niepoort
Cold Beverages
Mineral water: Apollinaris, Vio
Fruit juices: Apple juice, Tomato juice, Orange juice
Soft Drinks: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Sprite, Kinley Tonic Water, Kinley Bitter Lemon, Kinley Ginger Ale
Beer: Warsteiner, Erdinger
Hot Beverages
Jacobs Kaffee
Nespresso Espresso und Cappuccino, 3 Grands Crus des Kaffees
Tea: Assam Special Broken, Earl Grey Premium Blatt, Grüntee Asia Superior Blatt, Pfefferminz Tee, Vita Orange, Rooibos Winterpunsch
Western Cuisine
Choice of Hors d’oeuvre
Caviar with the traditional garnishes
Duck foie gras and chicken in aspic with celery salad and beetroot vinaigrette
Salmon tartare with lemon confit and fennel salad
Salad
Fresh lettuce with fried oyster mushrooms, cheery tomatoes,
Bell pepper and toasted pine nuts
Served with your choice of vinaigrette or French dressing
Choice of Main Courses
Filet of sole and crayfish on tarragon sauce with leaf spinach and tagliatelle
Sauerbraten, marinated pot roast with red cabbage and potato dumplings
Selection of Cheese and Dessert
Bleu d’Auvergne, Fougerus, Comté, Livarot and ashed Goat Cheese
Garnished with grapes and walnuts
Léa’s crème brûlée with macadamia nut ice cream
Fresh fruit
Japanese Cuisine
Zensai
Caviar with the traditional granishes
Steamed sesame cream with ginger and grated citrus fruit
Marinated tuna, grated yam and wasabi
Suimono wan
Suimono with salt-cured mackerel and sliced radish
Hassun
Eel and egg omelette, marinated cherry tomato, herring roes, chicken pie
Sweet potato with miso paste, sushi featuring with sweet shrimp and smoked salmon
Men
Men tsuyu
Buckwheat noodles, black popular mushrooms, wasabi and chives
Omozakana
Prime rib of beef, sweet potato noodles, carrot, arugula, grilled tofu, leek
Shiitake mushrooms, Chinese cabbage and spinach roll accompanied by sukian
Sauce served with Japanese rice with sesame
Baked sea bream with bamboo shoot, carrot, radish, snow pea
And vinegar soy sauce served with Japanese rice with sesame
Miso Shiru
Misoshiru soup
Konomono
Pickled red plum, white radish, Japanese cucumber
Dessert
Wagashi
Soy bean tartlet
Vinothek
Champagne
“Rare” Champagne Piper-Heidsieck, France
Monthly Proposal
2006 Dão Reserva, Casa de Santar, Portugal
Apéritif
Campari
Sherry “La Guita”
White Wine
2009 “Semper Vivum” Riesling Spätlese trocken, Weingut Motzenbäcker, Germany
2008 Château de Rully, Rully Premier Cru, Antonin Roder, France
2009 Rueda Verdejo, Bodegas Aura, Spain
Red Wine
2003 Château Belgrave, Cru Classé, Haut-Médoc, France
2006 Eclissi del Sole, Rubicone IGT, San Valentino, Italy
Dessert Wine
2008 Huxelrebe Beerenauslese, Bioweingut Lorenz, Germany
Monthly Proposal
Wildkirsch, Alde Gott Edelbrände, Germany
Spirits
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey Old No. 7
Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Bushmills Malt 10 Years old
Smirnoff Red Vodka
Bombay Sapphire Distilled London Dry Gin
Cognac Lhéraud Cuvée 30
Calvados Pays d’Auge AC, Daron
Fernet Branca
Walcher Williams Exclusiv
Sake and Plum Wine
Tsukinoi Jyunmai Ginjyo Kurazake
Tatsuriki Tokubetsu Jyunmaishu “Mukashi”
Tsukinoi Nihonshu Shikomi Umezake
Liqueur and Port
Baileys Irish Cream
2005 LBV – Late Bottled Vintage Port, Niepoort
Cold Beverages
Mineral water: Apollinaris, Vio
Fruit juices: Apple juice, Tomato juice, Orange juice
Soft Drinks: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Sprite, Kinley Tonic Water, Kinley Bitter Lemon, Kinley Ginger Ale
Beer: Warsteiner, Erdinger
Hot Beverages
Jacobs Kaffee
Nespresso Espresso und Cappuccino, 3 Grands Crus des Kaffees
Tea: Assam Special Broken, Earl Grey Premium Blatt, Grüntee Asia Superior Blatt, Pfefferminz Tee, Vita Orange, Rooibos Winterpunsch
Quite an impressive menu, especially if you look at both the western and the Japanese options.
The drink list was certainly not bad either, lots of goodies there.
The first dish arrived as I was still sipping gin and tonic.
The amuse bouche was in the shape of an eggshell and contained a mix of different herbs in the shape of a jelly. Can’t remember exactly what it was, but it was really tasty!
About one hour into the flight, after the amuse bouche had been finished, the table was prepared for the meal service and a white table cloth was laid on the table.
A selection of breads was offered from a basket and I decided to have some slices of the nice garlic bread.
Finally a red rose was nicely placed on the table by the FA, which should be put afterwards in the armrest of the seat.
Next the FA passed through the cabin with a cart, nicely decorated in white linen, with the different appetizers on display.
Lots to choose between and I decided to try the foie gras which was an excellent choice.
To drink I asked for a glass of the German Riesling.
It seemed to have been a very popular choice in first class and in fact I got a last glass before the bottle was empty. Fortunately they had loaded more than one bottle of the wine onboard...
Next the salad which contained oyster mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper and pine nuts.
It was served with vinaigrette or French dressing. I went for the latter.
More breads were offered and I asked for another glass of the nice white wine.
All the wine and champagne bottles were very nicely displayed on the bar counter in front of the first class cabin.
As passengers ordered other drinks, cocktails or speciality wines, these bottles were also added to the selection on the counter (subject to space, of course...)
A really nice feature onboard and it really created the atmosphere of a proper restaurant.
It also meant most drinks were elegantly poured right in front of you.
There were two choices of main course for the western dinner and I went for the “Lufthansa Classic” with German meatballs. It was superb!
I asked for a glass of red wine with the main course and decided to try the Italian Eclissi del Sole 2006.
The red wine was really nice and complemented the main course excellently. The FA told me this combination had actually been especially tasted in the air by Léa Linster, the woman who had created the western menu for the flight.
She mentioned she had actually had Léa onboard one of her flights and found it a very interesting experience.
After the main course the lovely female FA who did most of the job in the cabin passed through the cabin with a cheese and dessert cart which also contained fresh fruits, port and dessert wine.
I asked for some Comté and Livarot cheese as well as some grapes and a glass of the dessert wine.
As the dessert wine was very sweet the FA recommended me to wait a little bit with the dessert, which I did.
Finally, after having finished the cheese and dessert wine, I couldn’t resist trying the dessert and ordered the crème brûlée with macadamia nut ice cream.
Absolutely delicious! Fortunately it was a rather small portion, I was starting to feel very full.
I declined coffee and tea as it was getting a bit too late.
But seeing they had the very nice Johnnie Walker Blue Label it wasn’t very hard to decide what I needed to round up the meal properly. In fact it ended up being two glasses...
Chocolate pralines were also offered in first class from a large box, but I actually had to decline.
The service
I have just one thing to say about the service onboard: Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!
There were two female FAs taking care of first class and the young woman who did most of the work in the cabin was the nicest, sweetest person ever.
She went to a great length interacting with the passengers, in a truly natural and unforced way, taking every possible chance to make people relaxed and feeling at home onboard, without ever taking it too far.
On top of that she was incredibly professional and knowledgeable. I discussed the food and wines with her, what wine would best complement what dish, and she had lots of input and also did not mind telling if she disagreed.
Also she really had full control of everything going on in the cabin. When she had spent a great bit of time chatting and serving the passengers in the other aisle, and had a rough idea that one of my glasses might be empty and in need of a refill, she actually apologised for the wait when she arrived at my seat. She completely read my mind...
But best of all, it was all genuine! There was a genuine warmth onboard that just can’t be faked.
The meal service was also incredibly well coordinated. I have taken quite a few first class flights by now and I have realised how a good coordination can really make a difference.
This was a long meal service, I think nearly three hours passed from my first gin and tonic after take-off until I had finished my dessert. Still the service did not feel slow or too long, and of course it did not feel rushed either.
But more impressively, despite the number of courses and glasses of alcohol consumed I did not feel very full afterwards, and I did not feel overly intoxicated either.
On some flights I have been close to bursting after the meal, the stomach is so full you can hardly fall asleep because of it, but after this meal I was just feeling incredibly satisfied.
In short the service just blew me away!
If I had just noted down the name of the female FA I would have written a letter of compliment to Lufthansa giving my full praise to her, and naturally also to her colleagues, as it’s all about teamwork and they all did an excellent job together. Well I do have some photos...
I have taken a fair number of flights on Lufthansa over the years and I am more than familiar with the airline, and this was by far the best crew I have ever encountered on Lufthansa.
Just a wonderful wonderful experience! ^ ^
Last edited by jacob_m; Feb 26, 2011 at 9:43 am
Feb 1, 2011, 2:19 pm
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: In the skies of the world
Programs: SAS Gold, FB Gold, BA Gold, EY Silver
Posts: 3,167
MUC-NRT on Lufthansa in F (part 2)
The seat
The Lufthansa first class seat on the Airbus A340 isn’t perhaps among the latest generations of first class seats, but it’s still reasonably competitive in the airline industry.
On the A340 the first class cabin has a 1-2-1 configuration with two rows of seats.
Having travelled in Lufthansa F on the Boeing 747 I can only say I’d prefer the A340 any day over the B747.
The cabin on the A340 feels much more modern and exclusive and the seat is definitely both more spacious and private.
If you wish to get some sleep the seat can be reclined to a fully horizontal 80” bed during the night.
The seat also has a rather impressive seat pitch of 85” meaning a massive amount of legroom.
However what mostly impressed me about the seat was all the storage available.
The largest storage space is located in the armrest of the seat and could easily take my laptop when I did not want to use it during the flight.
There was also a drawer in the seat where I could place my shoes as well as a small holder for a bottle of water.
All the features of the seat are also described in a folder located in the seat storage.
The IFE onboard had full AVOD, however the screen in first class is quite small, I believe it is even smaller than the screen available in business class.
The selection of movies, TV-series and documentaries wasn’t very spectacular either.
Some sleep onboard
After the incredible meal service I was really looking forward to some sleep.
I went to the lavatory to change into my pyjamas and during that time the FA proactively started to prepare my seat for the night.
As I wrote earlier the Lufthansa first class seat can be made fully horizontal, they don’t have proper mattresses onboard but the FA got an extra duvet which she used as a sheet.
The pyjamas provided onboard in first class were quite comfortable, but the top was way too large for me so I only used the lower part of the pyjamas as well as a t-shirt.
I fell asleep almost immediately and slept like a baby for 6 hours without waking up a single time.
I guess the long work week still had an effect on me, this time in a positive way as it was probably not more than 7 pm German time when I went to bed.
Breakfast
I woke up around two hours before landing, just like most other passengers.
The FAs were already up and greeted all newly awake passengers with a cheery good morning, a hot towel and a glass of nice orange juice.
I was also offered a cup of coffee.
Around 90 minutes before landing the breakfast service started.
White table cloths were once again placed on the tables and a new menu was handed out with the breakfast options.
Here is the menu for the breakfast service:
After the table had been prepared the FA passed through the cabin with a cart containing different breakfast items such as fresh fruits, cold cuts, yoghurt and cereals.
I asked for the plate of cold cuts and some fresh fruits.
A nice selection of bread rolls and croissants were also offered from a basket.
Another very nice part of the breakfast service (actually the dinner service as well) was the butter which had “First Class” written.
One other passenger in first class apparently asked the FA if he could get a glass of champagne with the breakfast. He could, and the bottle was once again put on display on the bar counter.
Seeing this I couldn’t resist doing the same thing, get off to a nice start of the day with some bubbles, after all I was holiday! So eventually a glass of chilled Piper Heidsieck ended up on my table.
The FA was soon back at my seat and asked me if I wanted the hot breakfast as well.
As I had a long day coming I accepted the offer and asked for some bacon and scrambled eggs. It was quite tasty actually and garnished with some nice herbs.
After a last cup of coffee and a fresh Danish from the oven my table was finally cleared.
Arrival in Japan
Just as the breakfast service had ended we started our descent towards Narita airport and I went to the lavatory to change back to my regular clothes.
In the meantime the FA removed the bed clothes from my seat in preparation for landing.
Back at my seat the purser passed once again to thank every passenger for flying Lufthansa and to make sure we had enjoyed the flight.
He was a nice man, but the farewell part felt very rushed, seemed like he was in quite a hurry.
The female FA who had mostly served in the cabin during the flight also came to say good-bye and to check we were happy with the flight and the service.
I gave her my full compliments for an excellent inflight experience.
I asked her for how long they were going to stay in Tokyo and she said they were only going to stay two days. Unfortunately they had to stay at a hotel not far from Narita airport (quite a distance from Tokyo city), in a boring place where there was absolutely to do, so she had brought lots of books and DVDs.
We arrived in the Tokyo area from the north flying southwards. Then a sharp right turn followed over the water to align with runway 34 for landing.
Quite a nice view during the final minutes of the flight and I actually managed to spot Narita airport in the far distance.
We finally landed at 11.15 am on runway 34L at Tokyo Narita airport, five minutes ahead of timetable.
The Airbus A340-600 is a large plane and it takes a fair amount of time for the aircraft to taxi to its stand. The captain certainly didn’t use more power than he had to.
We were safely parked at the gate 10 minutes after landing and the passengers in first class were obviously the first ones to get off the aircraft.
Inside the passenger bridge a number of ground staff were waiting, I am pretty sure most of them were waiting for some Hon Circle members on the plane as I saw passengers being escorted from the gate behind me.
I had read that immigration at Narita can be a bit of a pain if you arrive at one of the busier times during the day, so imagine my surprise when I arrive as the first person from the flight, at a completely deserted immigration. The staff were having a break and had to rush to their desks to meet the passengers.
A friendly “visitor’s guide” gave me a warm “Welcome to Japan” at the entrance and directed me to an empty desk where they also took a photo of me and asked for my finger prints.
The baggage delivery started very quickly and the HON priority tag worked absolutely flawlessly. My bag was the sixth to arrive on the belt, they arrived at a time when the last passengers had probably not even left the aircraft yet.
Knowing there was a Narita Express leaving in just a few minutes I rushed towards the station, quickly bought a ticket and barely made it to the 11.45 am departure to Tokyo station.
In less than 20 minutes after leaving the aircraft I was on my way to central Tokyo, and that’s including immigration, baggage reclaim, customs, and purchase of a train ticket.
Really impressive! The next train was not leaving for another 30 minutes...
Verdict
I guess you have already figured out I found this to be a truly great flight.
A fantastic crew, a wonderful genuine warm inflight service, an incredible meal service, a spotless and very well-maintained cabin onboard, and a very comfortable seat for a good night’s sleep.
Everything was just perfect! And if you add other things such as the priority tag that worked to perfection in Tokyo, the limo transfer in Frankfurt, and the wonderful first class lounges in Frankfurt and Munich before departure, I guess you can understand this was one of the best days of flying in my life.
But as for the flight, I think the most important aspect of it was that the crew had really understood what first class flying is really all about.
It’s not about drinking (or serving) 10 glasses of expensive champagne just because you can, or serving as many dishes as possible to beat a competitor. No, it’s about elegance and modesty in every part of the service, focusing on the right things in the right amounts.
And they did just that, and I guess I really made best use of it.
A great effort by Lufthansa! And I guess I might send that letter of compliment anyway, without the name...
The Lufthansa first class seat on the Airbus A340 isn’t perhaps among the latest generations of first class seats, but it’s still reasonably competitive in the airline industry.
On the A340 the first class cabin has a 1-2-1 configuration with two rows of seats.
Having travelled in Lufthansa F on the Boeing 747 I can only say I’d prefer the A340 any day over the B747.
The cabin on the A340 feels much more modern and exclusive and the seat is definitely both more spacious and private.
If you wish to get some sleep the seat can be reclined to a fully horizontal 80” bed during the night.
The seat also has a rather impressive seat pitch of 85” meaning a massive amount of legroom.
However what mostly impressed me about the seat was all the storage available.
The largest storage space is located in the armrest of the seat and could easily take my laptop when I did not want to use it during the flight.
There was also a drawer in the seat where I could place my shoes as well as a small holder for a bottle of water.
All the features of the seat are also described in a folder located in the seat storage.
The IFE onboard had full AVOD, however the screen in first class is quite small, I believe it is even smaller than the screen available in business class.
The selection of movies, TV-series and documentaries wasn’t very spectacular either.
Some sleep onboard
After the incredible meal service I was really looking forward to some sleep.
I went to the lavatory to change into my pyjamas and during that time the FA proactively started to prepare my seat for the night.
As I wrote earlier the Lufthansa first class seat can be made fully horizontal, they don’t have proper mattresses onboard but the FA got an extra duvet which she used as a sheet.
The pyjamas provided onboard in first class were quite comfortable, but the top was way too large for me so I only used the lower part of the pyjamas as well as a t-shirt.
I fell asleep almost immediately and slept like a baby for 6 hours without waking up a single time.
I guess the long work week still had an effect on me, this time in a positive way as it was probably not more than 7 pm German time when I went to bed.
Breakfast
I woke up around two hours before landing, just like most other passengers.
The FAs were already up and greeted all newly awake passengers with a cheery good morning, a hot towel and a glass of nice orange juice.
I was also offered a cup of coffee.
Around 90 minutes before landing the breakfast service started.
White table cloths were once again placed on the tables and a new menu was handed out with the breakfast options.
Here is the menu for the breakfast service:
Menu Munich-Tokyo
Western Breakfast
Freshly squeezed orange juice
Fresh fruit
Yoghurt, Elderflower yogurt with toasted Macadamia
Nuts, Snacks and Milk
Emmental, Cream cheese with herbs, Prague bay
Leaf ham and Back bacon
Scrambled egg freshly prepared upon your request
With your choice of bacon or chives
Japanese Breakfast
Zensai
Salad of squid and cod roes, Japanese omelette
King prawn dumplings and seaweed roll
Kobachi
Leaf spinach, marinated crab meat with sesame
Omozakana
Gindara
Japanese cod marinated in soy bean sauce,
Sponge tofu, snow peas, lotus root, carrot and sweet potato jelly
Accompanied by steamed Japanese rice
With sesame or okayu, rice soup
Miso Shiru
Miso shiru soup
Konomono
Pickled yellow radish, red plum, seaweed with sesame
Western Breakfast
Freshly squeezed orange juice
Fresh fruit
Yoghurt, Elderflower yogurt with toasted Macadamia
Nuts, Snacks and Milk
Emmental, Cream cheese with herbs, Prague bay
Leaf ham and Back bacon
Scrambled egg freshly prepared upon your request
With your choice of bacon or chives
Japanese Breakfast
Zensai
Salad of squid and cod roes, Japanese omelette
King prawn dumplings and seaweed roll
Kobachi
Leaf spinach, marinated crab meat with sesame
Omozakana
Gindara
Japanese cod marinated in soy bean sauce,
Sponge tofu, snow peas, lotus root, carrot and sweet potato jelly
Accompanied by steamed Japanese rice
With sesame or okayu, rice soup
Miso Shiru
Miso shiru soup
Konomono
Pickled yellow radish, red plum, seaweed with sesame
I asked for the plate of cold cuts and some fresh fruits.
A nice selection of bread rolls and croissants were also offered from a basket.
Another very nice part of the breakfast service (actually the dinner service as well) was the butter which had “First Class” written.
One other passenger in first class apparently asked the FA if he could get a glass of champagne with the breakfast. He could, and the bottle was once again put on display on the bar counter.
Seeing this I couldn’t resist doing the same thing, get off to a nice start of the day with some bubbles, after all I was holiday! So eventually a glass of chilled Piper Heidsieck ended up on my table.
The FA was soon back at my seat and asked me if I wanted the hot breakfast as well.
As I had a long day coming I accepted the offer and asked for some bacon and scrambled eggs. It was quite tasty actually and garnished with some nice herbs.
After a last cup of coffee and a fresh Danish from the oven my table was finally cleared.
Arrival in Japan
Just as the breakfast service had ended we started our descent towards Narita airport and I went to the lavatory to change back to my regular clothes.
In the meantime the FA removed the bed clothes from my seat in preparation for landing.
Back at my seat the purser passed once again to thank every passenger for flying Lufthansa and to make sure we had enjoyed the flight.
He was a nice man, but the farewell part felt very rushed, seemed like he was in quite a hurry.
The female FA who had mostly served in the cabin during the flight also came to say good-bye and to check we were happy with the flight and the service.
I gave her my full compliments for an excellent inflight experience.
I asked her for how long they were going to stay in Tokyo and she said they were only going to stay two days. Unfortunately they had to stay at a hotel not far from Narita airport (quite a distance from Tokyo city), in a boring place where there was absolutely to do, so she had brought lots of books and DVDs.
We arrived in the Tokyo area from the north flying southwards. Then a sharp right turn followed over the water to align with runway 34 for landing.
Quite a nice view during the final minutes of the flight and I actually managed to spot Narita airport in the far distance.
We finally landed at 11.15 am on runway 34L at Tokyo Narita airport, five minutes ahead of timetable.
The Airbus A340-600 is a large plane and it takes a fair amount of time for the aircraft to taxi to its stand. The captain certainly didn’t use more power than he had to.
We were safely parked at the gate 10 minutes after landing and the passengers in first class were obviously the first ones to get off the aircraft.
Inside the passenger bridge a number of ground staff were waiting, I am pretty sure most of them were waiting for some Hon Circle members on the plane as I saw passengers being escorted from the gate behind me.
I had read that immigration at Narita can be a bit of a pain if you arrive at one of the busier times during the day, so imagine my surprise when I arrive as the first person from the flight, at a completely deserted immigration. The staff were having a break and had to rush to their desks to meet the passengers.
A friendly “visitor’s guide” gave me a warm “Welcome to Japan” at the entrance and directed me to an empty desk where they also took a photo of me and asked for my finger prints.
The baggage delivery started very quickly and the HON priority tag worked absolutely flawlessly. My bag was the sixth to arrive on the belt, they arrived at a time when the last passengers had probably not even left the aircraft yet.
Knowing there was a Narita Express leaving in just a few minutes I rushed towards the station, quickly bought a ticket and barely made it to the 11.45 am departure to Tokyo station.
In less than 20 minutes after leaving the aircraft I was on my way to central Tokyo, and that’s including immigration, baggage reclaim, customs, and purchase of a train ticket.
Really impressive! The next train was not leaving for another 30 minutes...
Verdict
I guess you have already figured out I found this to be a truly great flight.
A fantastic crew, a wonderful genuine warm inflight service, an incredible meal service, a spotless and very well-maintained cabin onboard, and a very comfortable seat for a good night’s sleep.
Everything was just perfect! And if you add other things such as the priority tag that worked to perfection in Tokyo, the limo transfer in Frankfurt, and the wonderful first class lounges in Frankfurt and Munich before departure, I guess you can understand this was one of the best days of flying in my life.
But as for the flight, I think the most important aspect of it was that the crew had really understood what first class flying is really all about.
It’s not about drinking (or serving) 10 glasses of expensive champagne just because you can, or serving as many dishes as possible to beat a competitor. No, it’s about elegance and modesty in every part of the service, focusing on the right things in the right amounts.
And they did just that, and I guess I really made best use of it.
A great effort by Lufthansa! And I guess I might send that letter of compliment anyway, without the name...
Last edited by jacob_m; Feb 26, 2011 at 9:50 am
Feb 1, 2011, 8:02 pm
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,753
Excellent TR!!! I truly enjoyed reading it.
Re: LH FRA FCT I hate that staircase. IIRC, it's one of those steel circular ones, difficult to climb even without a carry-on bag. However, there is also an elevator. You have to ring, then a Personal Assistant will come down in the elevator and take you upstairs. Much better.
Re: LH FRA FCT I hate that staircase. IIRC, it's one of those steel circular ones, difficult to climb even without a carry-on bag. However, there is also an elevator. You have to ring, then a Personal Assistant will come down in the elevator and take you upstairs. Much better.
Feb 1, 2011, 9:17 pm
#35
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: In thin air
Programs: UA
Posts: 293
Feb 2, 2011, 10:48 am
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: In the skies of the world
Programs: SAS Gold, FB Gold, BA Gold, EY Silver
Posts: 3,167
Many thanks for the comments! 
Yes, the service onboard LH F was sensational.
Some people perceive the service onboard LH as a bit reserved, robotic and distant (true indeed, but at the end very much a cultural thing).
But this flight had absolutely nothing of that, it was an incredible experience, from start to finish.
Some people perceive the service onboard LH as a bit reserved, robotic and distant (true indeed, but at the end very much a cultural thing).
But this flight had absolutely nothing of that, it was an incredible experience, from start to finish.
Feb 2, 2011, 11:24 am
#41
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: AC.SE
Posts: 2,578
I've heard that too, though when I was there last month, I requested something which the woman in the shop said I'd have to go and get myself in the main terminal (even though it was available in one of the larger shops). This was 3 hours before flight time.
Feb 2, 2011, 11:59 am
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: In the skies of the world
Programs: SAS Gold, FB Gold, BA Gold, EY Silver
Posts: 3,167
Hotel Metropolitan Marunouchi, Tokyo
Finding good accommodation in Tokyo is always tricky.
The city is vast and most sights and places of interest are rather spread out. On top of that the city is quite expensive, and that includes accommodation.
Since I was only making a short visit to Tokyo it was quite important for me to find a hotel offering both a good location and good value for money.
After looking at several travel sites and the TripAdvisor webpage I decided to give Hotel Metropolitan Marunouchi a try.
This turned out to be an excellent decision!
The hotel is located right next to Tokyo Station which is the main stop for Narita Express, the express train to/from Narita airport. Travel time from Tokyo Station to Narita airport is about an hour.
The entrance to the hotel building is literally a 10 meter walk from the exit of Tokyo Station (assuming you manage to navigate to the right exit of the station, it is a massive station complex).
The building where the hotel is located is in fact an office building and the hotel only occupies the upper floors from level 27 to level 34.
The lobby and hotel atrium
After taking the dedicated hotel lift from the ground floor of the building I arrived at the reception located on the 27th floor of the building.
It is quite a stylish lobby with nice night lighting effects and a small model railway to enjoy in the middle of the lobby. Next to the reception there is a bar and restaurant.
As I arrived quite early at the hotel, just after noon, it was still a bit early to check-in so I left my hand luggage and suitcase at the reception to come back later.
When returning to the hotel in the late afternoon to check in I was told by the receptionist that my luggage had already been moved to my room.
Wow! Really nice! ^ I can imagine most hotels wouldn’t do such a thing.
The rooms of the hotel are located on rows 28 to 34, alongside a nice atrium surrounding the lobby.
The room
Like most hotels in Japan the room was quite small, the double room was not more than 18 sqm in total, which is really on the smaller side if you are two people.
However the room itself was spotless and very well appointed.
There are larger rooms available as well, but they are obviously slightly more expensve.
The view
I was assigned a room on the second highest floor (level 33), and one thing I will definitely remember from this hotel stay is the view.
The view was absolutely incredible! An unobstructed view of most of northern Tokyo!
I have still not made up my mind if I preferred the view in daylight or at night. They were both spectacular!
Very nicely the hotel had also prepared a printed map which was available on the desk in the room describing most buildings that could be seen through the window and who occupied them.
Verdict
An excellent hotel that I would not hesitate to return to if going to Tokyo some other time.
Quite good value for money (especially for a city like Tokyo), very friendly staff, spotless (although small) room, excellent location next to Tokyo Station and a wonderful view through the window.
The city is vast and most sights and places of interest are rather spread out. On top of that the city is quite expensive, and that includes accommodation.
Since I was only making a short visit to Tokyo it was quite important for me to find a hotel offering both a good location and good value for money.
After looking at several travel sites and the TripAdvisor webpage I decided to give Hotel Metropolitan Marunouchi a try.
This turned out to be an excellent decision!
The hotel is located right next to Tokyo Station which is the main stop for Narita Express, the express train to/from Narita airport. Travel time from Tokyo Station to Narita airport is about an hour.
The entrance to the hotel building is literally a 10 meter walk from the exit of Tokyo Station (assuming you manage to navigate to the right exit of the station, it is a massive station complex).
The building where the hotel is located is in fact an office building and the hotel only occupies the upper floors from level 27 to level 34.
The lobby and hotel atrium
After taking the dedicated hotel lift from the ground floor of the building I arrived at the reception located on the 27th floor of the building.
It is quite a stylish lobby with nice night lighting effects and a small model railway to enjoy in the middle of the lobby. Next to the reception there is a bar and restaurant.
As I arrived quite early at the hotel, just after noon, it was still a bit early to check-in so I left my hand luggage and suitcase at the reception to come back later.
When returning to the hotel in the late afternoon to check in I was told by the receptionist that my luggage had already been moved to my room.
Wow! Really nice! ^ I can imagine most hotels wouldn’t do such a thing.
The rooms of the hotel are located on rows 28 to 34, alongside a nice atrium surrounding the lobby.
The room
Like most hotels in Japan the room was quite small, the double room was not more than 18 sqm in total, which is really on the smaller side if you are two people.
However the room itself was spotless and very well appointed.
There are larger rooms available as well, but they are obviously slightly more expensve.
The view
I was assigned a room on the second highest floor (level 33), and one thing I will definitely remember from this hotel stay is the view.
The view was absolutely incredible! An unobstructed view of most of northern Tokyo!
I have still not made up my mind if I preferred the view in daylight or at night. They were both spectacular!
Very nicely the hotel had also prepared a printed map which was available on the desk in the room describing most buildings that could be seen through the window and who occupied them.
Verdict
An excellent hotel that I would not hesitate to return to if going to Tokyo some other time.
Quite good value for money (especially for a city like Tokyo), very friendly staff, spotless (although small) room, excellent location next to Tokyo Station and a wonderful view through the window.
Last edited by jacob_m; Feb 13, 2011 at 11:01 am
Feb 2, 2011, 1:53 pm
#45
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: GRZ, ZRH
Programs: LH FTL, Marriott Plat
Posts: 411
Excellent read! Great pictures!
Thanks for this wonderful report! You made my day!
Riding in trains and buses all day through the dull gray winter landscape the "virtual" first class experience was a very welcome respite. And like others already mentioned it is almost impossible to not get hungry and thirsty (Champagne please!!!) when reading about the mouth-watering offerings in the LH lounges ... let me see whats in my fridge...
Amazing! Keep it coming!
-Tom
Riding in trains and buses all day through the dull gray winter landscape the "virtual" first class experience was a very welcome respite. And like others already mentioned it is almost impossible to not get hungry and thirsty (Champagne please!!!) when reading about the mouth-watering offerings in the LH lounges ... let me see whats in my fridge...
Amazing! Keep it coming!
-Tom