A seat (LH F), a Porsche, a bed (LH F/EY F), Southern OZ+AKL, a tasting menu (QF F)
Aug 26, 2013, 2:44 pm
#31
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Geneva, Dubai, Paris
Programs: Disillusioned Cent
Posts: 1,880
To be honest I´m not so enthusiastic. It´s not the same if you drive a car with maual gear or PDK/DSG. If I drive such a car, I never use the "manual mode", it makes no sense to me. Myself I drive a car with maual gear, I think it´s more sportive. Sadly most manufactors only produce cars with automatic gears/ PDK/ DSG these days..
Aug 26, 2013, 7:17 pm
#32
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Join Date: May 2009
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To be honest I´m not so enthusiastic. It´s not the same if you drive a car with maual gear or PDK/DSG. If I drive such a car, I never use the "manual mode", it makes no sense to me. Myself I drive a car with maual gear, I think it´s more sportive. Sadly most manufactors only produce cars with automatic gears/ PDK/ DSG these days..
BA have done this for many years, at least 10. It's a great service!
I love the Autobahn! Before I left for Sydney I took my Audi TT on a visit back to Audi HQ in Ingolstadt, brilliant fun. My top speed was 144 mph / 230 kph. What I found interesting is that the cars are so stable at these speeds, and, that you really have to be on your guard for other road users. It's exhilarating.
I love the Autobahn! Before I left for Sydney I took my Audi TT on a visit back to Audi HQ in Ingolstadt, brilliant fun. My top speed was 144 mph / 230 kph. What I found interesting is that the cars are so stable at these speeds, and, that you really have to be on your guard for other road users. It's exhilarating.
Aug 28, 2013, 7:06 am
#33
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A Sumptuous Layover: Lufthansa First Class Terminal
More pictures in my blog post. I used an iPhone 5 to take these pictures and tried to be as discreet as possible to respect other guests' privacy
I had been very excited at the idea of trying Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal for a while now. After having had the chance to spend approximately 2 and half hours in it, I can attest this is the best lounge I have been so far; with distinction.
So, we left with my Porsche. That 911 was still “vroooming” inside my head while I walked to the terminal. Yes, walking. Because finding he entrance to the FCT is a little hard. With your car I mean. The Porsche GPS will take you to a rear entrance with no opportunity to park. The real car drop off is actually near the main terminal’s entrance, just on the right. I pased by it but I missed it, and I ended up circling around the airport for a good 10 minutes. In the end, I gave up and just went to the car rental return. From there, it’s a five minutes walk from the First Class Terminal. And yes, you pass by the famed taxi driver cafe.
Let me tell you this: this lounge is not over-hyped at all. Everything great you hear about it is true.
Amost there!
After being welcomed by an attendant at the door I was escorted through security inside the terminal and briefly shown around. The lounge is not huge but very spacious given that it accommodates only Lufthansa Fist Class and HON passengers. It’s very well-appointed, and the staff is super attentive. Think German efficiency with a warm touch. The attendant informed me that he would soon introduce me to another attendant that would take care of delivering me to the car once my flight was ready for boarding.
Stylish and luxurious setting
Now, I know that many people will laugh at me for this but… well… I didn’t collect my rubber ducky. The fact is: I already had a shower a few hours earlier and I didn’t really feel like soaking up on a tub. So, I just went for a quick shower. The shower room was elegant and very spacious. After changing up I was definitely ready for some lunch.
Very spacious washrooms
Luxury amenities
After refreshing myself I proceeded to the nice lounge area (both sofas and lounging chairs facing the tarmac are provided) to check my emails, and then I proceeded to the restaurant for some well-deserved lunch; I went straight away for the buffet. One note about the sofas: I find many of them too narrow and with armrests that rise too high, which makes it difficult/awkward to use a laptop. Lufthansa please take note.
Anyways, back to the buffet: the quality of food found there was simply incredible. From jamon Serrano to Parmigiano-Reggiano, from tagliatelle with shrimps to stuffed eggplants, everything was tasty and fine restaurant quality.
Buffet spread
Freshly-sliced jamon
The attentive waitress asked me whether I wanted any of the a-la-carte items, and I opted for the Wiener-Schnitzel; mindless to say, it was great, fried as it should be, with the coating separated from the meat. So much for Texas chicken fried steaks…
Today's menu Page 1
http://airwaysandtravels.files.wordp...pg?w=595&h=793
Today's menu page 2
While I was waiting for the schnitzel I helped myself with some… ehm… “appetizers”:
Tagliatelle with shrimps were perfectly cooked "al dente"
Right when I was done with my antipasti and was enjoying my Chianti, the meat arrived. Absolutely beautiful presentation and great sides!
I suppose I do not need to mention that I felt pretty darn awesome full after the meal! An astonishing fact of the lounge is the selection of water (there is a menu with around 20 different bottled waters from around the World) and of whiskey (~85 different whiskeys).
Where do I start from...?
After my awesome meal I went to the bar, got myself a Suntori Yamazaki 12 yrs on the rocks, and proceeded to the best feat of the terminal: the cigar lounge.
I am not a regular smoker and I think that smoking cigarettes or whatever else regularly is just a way to unnecessarily shortening one’s life while making it more miserable on a number of ways. Yet, I love a good cigar every now and then: good cigars just taste great and relax me. The selection is decent, although it wouldn’t probably blow a cigar aficionado away.
I opted for a Villiger 1888; it was flavorful, smooth, strong but not overpowering: it was a good cigar. I can see why it makes sense for Lufthansa to have a cigar lounge here. With so many flights to the Middle East – and with so many premium customers on those routes – the lounge is always full: Middle Easterners love smoking, and they surely don’t shy away from a good cigar.
The lounge comes also equipped with a well-stocked spirits bar.
A short note on Europeans (and I do not mean disrespect to anyone). God I have been in the USA so long that I tend to forget how stylish and dressed up Europeans tend to be. I love that. I mean, when I travel to/from the US it’s not unusual (and so not very first class) to see people in shorts, t-shirts, carrying gym bags… here you can instead see lots of Louis Vuittons, Guccis, Zegnas… Americans might have the economic power today, but Europeans will always have primacy on style; which in the end will be an ever-lasting legacy. #proudtobeItalian
Lounging chairs with tarmac view
Anyways, my two and half hours in the lounge flew away and it was time to board my plane. An attendant escorted me and two fellow first class passengers from Spain to our car – a nice Mercedes van. Passports were checked right here, in the intimacy of the lounge in an effortless process.
Our Mercedes van
After a short ride (video linked here), we were dropped in front of our huge Boeing 747-400 (what a chance to take a great picture) and shortly after we boarded our plane and took our seats upstairs for today’s flight to Dubai.
Overall, the First Class Terminal lived up to its name and to my (very high) expectations. The lounge was classy, the staff attentive yet unobtrusive, the food and drinks top notch. While I haven’t been to many other famed first class lounges yet, I am pretty sure that this one will be hard to beat. Good job, Lufthansa!
I had been very excited at the idea of trying Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal for a while now. After having had the chance to spend approximately 2 and half hours in it, I can attest this is the best lounge I have been so far; with distinction.
So, we left with my Porsche. That 911 was still “vroooming” inside my head while I walked to the terminal. Yes, walking. Because finding he entrance to the FCT is a little hard. With your car I mean. The Porsche GPS will take you to a rear entrance with no opportunity to park. The real car drop off is actually near the main terminal’s entrance, just on the right. I pased by it but I missed it, and I ended up circling around the airport for a good 10 minutes. In the end, I gave up and just went to the car rental return. From there, it’s a five minutes walk from the First Class Terminal. And yes, you pass by the famed taxi driver cafe.
Let me tell you this: this lounge is not over-hyped at all. Everything great you hear about it is true.
Amost there!
After being welcomed by an attendant at the door I was escorted through security inside the terminal and briefly shown around. The lounge is not huge but very spacious given that it accommodates only Lufthansa Fist Class and HON passengers. It’s very well-appointed, and the staff is super attentive. Think German efficiency with a warm touch. The attendant informed me that he would soon introduce me to another attendant that would take care of delivering me to the car once my flight was ready for boarding.
Stylish and luxurious setting
Now, I know that many people will laugh at me for this but… well… I didn’t collect my rubber ducky. The fact is: I already had a shower a few hours earlier and I didn’t really feel like soaking up on a tub. So, I just went for a quick shower. The shower room was elegant and very spacious. After changing up I was definitely ready for some lunch.
Very spacious washrooms
Luxury amenities
After refreshing myself I proceeded to the nice lounge area (both sofas and lounging chairs facing the tarmac are provided) to check my emails, and then I proceeded to the restaurant for some well-deserved lunch; I went straight away for the buffet. One note about the sofas: I find many of them too narrow and with armrests that rise too high, which makes it difficult/awkward to use a laptop. Lufthansa please take note.
Anyways, back to the buffet: the quality of food found there was simply incredible. From jamon Serrano to Parmigiano-Reggiano, from tagliatelle with shrimps to stuffed eggplants, everything was tasty and fine restaurant quality.
Buffet spread
Freshly-sliced jamon
The attentive waitress asked me whether I wanted any of the a-la-carte items, and I opted for the Wiener-Schnitzel; mindless to say, it was great, fried as it should be, with the coating separated from the meat. So much for Texas chicken fried steaks…
Today's menu Page 1
http://airwaysandtravels.files.wordp...pg?w=595&h=793
Today's menu page 2
While I was waiting for the schnitzel I helped myself with some… ehm… “appetizers”:
Tagliatelle with shrimps were perfectly cooked "al dente"
Right when I was done with my antipasti and was enjoying my Chianti, the meat arrived. Absolutely beautiful presentation and great sides!
I suppose I do not need to mention that I felt pretty darn awesome full after the meal! An astonishing fact of the lounge is the selection of water (there is a menu with around 20 different bottled waters from around the World) and of whiskey (~85 different whiskeys).
Where do I start from...?
After my awesome meal I went to the bar, got myself a Suntori Yamazaki 12 yrs on the rocks, and proceeded to the best feat of the terminal: the cigar lounge.
I am not a regular smoker and I think that smoking cigarettes or whatever else regularly is just a way to unnecessarily shortening one’s life while making it more miserable on a number of ways. Yet, I love a good cigar every now and then: good cigars just taste great and relax me. The selection is decent, although it wouldn’t probably blow a cigar aficionado away.
I opted for a Villiger 1888; it was flavorful, smooth, strong but not overpowering: it was a good cigar. I can see why it makes sense for Lufthansa to have a cigar lounge here. With so many flights to the Middle East – and with so many premium customers on those routes – the lounge is always full: Middle Easterners love smoking, and they surely don’t shy away from a good cigar.
The lounge comes also equipped with a well-stocked spirits bar.
A short note on Europeans (and I do not mean disrespect to anyone). God I have been in the USA so long that I tend to forget how stylish and dressed up Europeans tend to be. I love that. I mean, when I travel to/from the US it’s not unusual (and so not very first class) to see people in shorts, t-shirts, carrying gym bags… here you can instead see lots of Louis Vuittons, Guccis, Zegnas… Americans might have the economic power today, but Europeans will always have primacy on style; which in the end will be an ever-lasting legacy. #proudtobeItalian
Lounging chairs with tarmac view
Anyways, my two and half hours in the lounge flew away and it was time to board my plane. An attendant escorted me and two fellow first class passengers from Spain to our car – a nice Mercedes van. Passports were checked right here, in the intimacy of the lounge in an effortless process.
Our Mercedes van
After a short ride (video linked here), we were dropped in front of our huge Boeing 747-400 (what a chance to take a great picture) and shortly after we boarded our plane and took our seats upstairs for today’s flight to Dubai.
Overall, the First Class Terminal lived up to its name and to my (very high) expectations. The lounge was classy, the staff attentive yet unobtrusive, the food and drinks top notch. While I haven’t been to many other famed first class lounges yet, I am pretty sure that this one will be hard to beat. Good job, Lufthansa!
Aug 28, 2013, 7:22 am
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,587
Great review and pics of the FCT. I can't get enough of it. Even Mrs. SFO no longer complains when we exit the terminal and walk to the FCT. Nice pic of you in front of your 744. ^
Aug 28, 2013, 7:45 am
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
Posts: 11,503
Aug 28, 2013, 12:59 pm
#36
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, Hilton HHonors Gold
Posts: 2,863
Aug 29, 2013, 2:59 am
#37
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Free Republic of Florida
Programs: LH Senator, CX Diamond, UA Prem Plat, Fans of MO Elite
Posts: 589
Nice TR.
I miss the FCT. Last time I was there, I was hoping that I'd get a Panamera for the service to the plane; alas I was in an S500.
I think the LH Porsche First Class Excitement program with Avis is genius and really sets LH First Ground Services apart from the competition. Even more reason to try and extend a long layover in FRA...at least 3 hours for driving and 3 hours for the FCT.
As far the clothes pressing service on other airlines, I've used it at Virgin's Revivals Lounge in LHR and with CX in The Cabanas at The Wing (though oddly I don't believe its offered at The Arrivals). LX has the service in the Arrival lounge in ZRH, thought I didn't use it there.
Aug 29, 2013, 4:31 pm
#39
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, Hilton HHonors Gold
Posts: 2,863
Sep 1, 2013, 1:23 pm
#44
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Join Date: May 2009
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Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, Hilton HHonors Gold
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A Seat and a Bed. Lufthansa Neue First Class (FRA-DXB)
This flight report will be divided in two parts to be able to post all the photos involved. I hope you'll enjoy reading it!
Flight LH 430 FRA-DXB
Aug 10th, 2013 3:20pm – 11:25pm
First Class, Seat 82H
Boeing 747-400
So this is it. The moment to try Lufthansa new First Class on the B744 had finally come. I have heard so many wonders about this product that I was really looking forward to it. The old First was very good, the First Class Terminal impressive… Now let’s see how this one fares!
After entering the plane I was directed upstairs, where a flight attendant escorted me to my seat. I had right away another example of LH’s great service: seeing me grabbing an Italian newspaper, the FA advised me of the other newspaper choices in my mother tongue. Excellent.
Upstairs we go. Picture taken in bad lighting with iPhone. Fail
Plane's license plate
I took the seat and champagne (Alfred Gratien, served – again – not in a flute!) and macadamia nuts were promptly served. Holy smoke! These nuts are good. No pun intended. They really were. I love macadamia nuts: plain, with chili, salted… but these ones had something extra that made them fancy and yummy at the very same time. What a great way to start a flight!
Lufthansa signature macadamia nuts and champagne. I want a flute!
While enjoying my pre-departure drink I took a good look around the cabin. Which other airline in the World offers you a seat AND a bed at the same time? To my knowledge, none. And it’s not hard to see why, given how much space it takes to do so. Lufthansa went above and beyond with this product which is the best first class configuration among the many dotting the vast LH fleet. Here are some pictures:
Seat + bed = bliss up in the air
The seat itself is very comfortable, spacious. The new TV in front of the seat is a huge improvement from the old TV and on par with some of the best first class TVs out there. While this is not a private suite, I enjoyed how airy and spacious it felt, although I must say it is overall an inferior hard product to Etihad’s First Class that I was about to try the day after. Nonetheless, I was a very happy camper.
New, large TV
The cabin was half full – together with me and the two Spaniards there was a fellow Italian sitting in First. How ironic, a first class cabin entirely composed by Italians and Spaniards… on a German airline.
Seat next to mine
View from my seat
Storage space was good, with a drawer under the bed spacious enough to fit my shoulder bag. A side storage in the armrest was enough for magazines and such.
Ample storage space
Armrest storage, found in the A333 as well
Remote control
I put myself at ease, enjoyed the take-off, grabbed a Campari & soda afterwards… and then jet-lag started to kick in.
A Campari & Soda to induce sleep
A note on the crew: the flight attendant serving me was very professional, and she definitely attempted to smile, which I appreciate. I found that the previous young flight attendant on the DFW-FRA portion of the trip was somewhat more genuine. But these are absolutely small details. The service overall was top notch on this plane as well.
The FA came by asking me what I wanted to eat, and I told her that I’d rather take a nap now and eat later, let’s say a couple hours before landing. She said: “no problem”, asked me what I wanted to eat so that they could keep it ready for me, and set off to serve other customers. I was really eager to see how efficient dining on demand would be.
The bed on this plane is really comfortable. The thick mattress makes it like a real bed. It was very easy to doze off for about three hours, enjoying the most memorable of sleeps. Since this is almost a real bed, sleeping was quite effortless, and I managed to get about 3 hours of rest.
Bed
Bed, take 2
Happy camper
Once I woke up, I ordered a Johnny Walker Blue Label on the rocks (just to wake me up, you know…)
JW Blue Label. Very good, but I still prefer Yamazaki
and told the FA that I was ready to eat anytime. How could I possibly still be hungry though… well, that’s a mystery and a theme that would recur throughout the trip.
Food part to follow...
Flight LH 430 FRA-DXB
Aug 10th, 2013 3:20pm – 11:25pm
First Class, Seat 82H
Boeing 747-400
So this is it. The moment to try Lufthansa new First Class on the B744 had finally come. I have heard so many wonders about this product that I was really looking forward to it. The old First was very good, the First Class Terminal impressive… Now let’s see how this one fares!
After entering the plane I was directed upstairs, where a flight attendant escorted me to my seat. I had right away another example of LH’s great service: seeing me grabbing an Italian newspaper, the FA advised me of the other newspaper choices in my mother tongue. Excellent.
Upstairs we go. Picture taken in bad lighting with iPhone. Fail
Plane's license plate
I took the seat and champagne (Alfred Gratien, served – again – not in a flute!) and macadamia nuts were promptly served. Holy smoke! These nuts are good. No pun intended. They really were. I love macadamia nuts: plain, with chili, salted… but these ones had something extra that made them fancy and yummy at the very same time. What a great way to start a flight!
Lufthansa signature macadamia nuts and champagne. I want a flute!
While enjoying my pre-departure drink I took a good look around the cabin. Which other airline in the World offers you a seat AND a bed at the same time? To my knowledge, none. And it’s not hard to see why, given how much space it takes to do so. Lufthansa went above and beyond with this product which is the best first class configuration among the many dotting the vast LH fleet. Here are some pictures:
Seat + bed = bliss up in the air
The seat itself is very comfortable, spacious. The new TV in front of the seat is a huge improvement from the old TV and on par with some of the best first class TVs out there. While this is not a private suite, I enjoyed how airy and spacious it felt, although I must say it is overall an inferior hard product to Etihad’s First Class that I was about to try the day after. Nonetheless, I was a very happy camper.
New, large TV
The cabin was half full – together with me and the two Spaniards there was a fellow Italian sitting in First. How ironic, a first class cabin entirely composed by Italians and Spaniards… on a German airline.
Seat next to mine
View from my seat
Storage space was good, with a drawer under the bed spacious enough to fit my shoulder bag. A side storage in the armrest was enough for magazines and such.
Ample storage space
Armrest storage, found in the A333 as well
Remote control
I put myself at ease, enjoyed the take-off, grabbed a Campari & soda afterwards… and then jet-lag started to kick in.
A Campari & Soda to induce sleep
A note on the crew: the flight attendant serving me was very professional, and she definitely attempted to smile, which I appreciate. I found that the previous young flight attendant on the DFW-FRA portion of the trip was somewhat more genuine. But these are absolutely small details. The service overall was top notch on this plane as well.
The FA came by asking me what I wanted to eat, and I told her that I’d rather take a nap now and eat later, let’s say a couple hours before landing. She said: “no problem”, asked me what I wanted to eat so that they could keep it ready for me, and set off to serve other customers. I was really eager to see how efficient dining on demand would be.
The bed on this plane is really comfortable. The thick mattress makes it like a real bed. It was very easy to doze off for about three hours, enjoying the most memorable of sleeps. Since this is almost a real bed, sleeping was quite effortless, and I managed to get about 3 hours of rest.
Bed
Bed, take 2
Happy camper
Once I woke up, I ordered a Johnny Walker Blue Label on the rocks (just to wake me up, you know…)
JW Blue Label. Very good, but I still prefer Yamazaki
and told the FA that I was ready to eat anytime. How could I possibly still be hungry though… well, that’s a mystery and a theme that would recur throughout the trip.
Food part to follow...
