Guava

Lufthansa will soon be replacing its old First Class seat with a new one within the next 1 year and half or so. I found its current product still very competitive against many of the newer products because LH does an excelletn job is offering a soft product and the addition of FCT in Frankfurt making this airline very competitive when flying out of Germany.

Lufthansa First Class Termincal in Frankfurt





Lufthansa FCT Frankfurt - Buffet and a la carte menu





Lufthansa First Class Cabin - 747-400


Amuse Bouche


Toast


Japanese sushi appetizer


Japanese cold cuts of soba, sashimi and marinated vegetables


Western appetizer of shrimp and mousse


Caviar service - the quality is not as high as what NH serves but it is the only major European carrier still serving caviar


Clear soup


Salad


Japanese entree choice #1 - Sea Bream


Japanese entree choice #2 - Duck


Rice and pickles


Miso soup


Cheese Cart - Notice we had the best seats in the house - unobstructed front view on the upper cabin of a 747-400


Japanese sweets


Green tea


Breakfast





This is a gutsy attempt by Lufthansa to serve Japanese food on board of its First Class to Japan. The quality and refinement is not there but it's a good effort. LH's western dish are clearly superior to its Japanese offering, both in its presentation and quality. Nonetheless, it is worth trying to see how LH compares against SQ or NH in its ability to offer a Japanese menu because we know LH is capable of great western menu - where it is most comfortable. For a fan of Japanese food like myself, I thought LH did well overall, just not as refined as what you could expect on an Int'l First class against some other carriers. The First Class Terminal was amazing though. The two of us were privately driven to our flight in a BMW across the Frankfurt airport like some special VIP. Even workers on the ground of the airport were poking their heads to watch - "Who were those people?"

Guava

Lufthansa FIRST CLASS

AIRPORT SERVICES

Check-In Services: 8
Arrival Assistance: 6
Arrival Lounges: DNE
Baggage Delivery: 8

Comments: LH has a dedicated check-in area in the FRA main terminal if you don't go straight to the FCT to check in. The process is quite efficient and friendly overall. The arrival in NRT was not well handled as First Class passengers had to fight for the exit with Business Class and Economy Class passengers. Given the long lines for immigration at NRT - that would had been greatly appreciated. Some other airlines have concierge service on arrival, LH needs to improve in this regard.

Airport Services Overall: 6.5


FIRST CLASS LOUNGE : Frankfurt First Class Terminal

Lounge comfort, space: 9.5
Staff - Service Efficiency: 9.5
Washroom, shower facilities: 9.5
Staff - Enthusiasm, Attitude: 8
Dining options / Food Quality: 9.5
Staff : Problem Solving: 9
Internet / WiFi options: 10
Staff : Language Skills: 9
Transfer Services: 10
Priority Boarding: 10

Comments: Overall, a very spacious, well designed and pleasant lounge that made passengers feel special. The FCT is very well staffed and had an excellent shower facility with high quality prodcuts but the attendants can seem stand offish at times or stereotypically German (i.e. cold) but present. The dining options were better than any other F lounges I had been to, a wide selection from the menu and it changes between breakfast and lunch, with buffett and a la carte items. The only reason it wasn't given a 10 is becaus 10 for me it is the best in the world but I don't know if this rivals that of CX or EK yet. The staff showed great ability to respond to pax requests and resolve issues. The BMW drive from FCT to the borading gate cannot be beat, definitely the best service in the world. Combined with the dedicated transfer/boarding service provided, the FCT is a must see, it is a highlight of any First Class experience onboard of Lufthansa.

First Class Lounge / First Class Terminal Overall: 9.5



ONBOARD PRODUCT & CABIN STAFF SERVICE

Seat Comfort: 8
Service Efficiency: 7.5
Comfort : Blankets, Pillows: 8
Enthusiasm, Attitude: 8.5
Inflight Entertainment: 8
Interaction with PAX: 8.5
Washroom Cleanliness: 8.5
Cabin Presence thru Flight: 7
Cabin Cleanliness / Condition: 8
Responding to Requests: 7.5
Quality of Meals served: 8.5
Language Skills: 8
Dine-on-Demand efficiency: 6
Consistency amongst Staff: 8.5
Newspapers & Magazines: 7.5
Personalisation of Service: 7.5

Comments: The seat may be old but it is well maintained and comfortable, definitely competitive still. Perhaps because the cabin is nearly full, service was not as efficient or personalized as it could had been. With only 2 dedicated First Class attendants serving about 10 pax, the FA struggled to keep the service level high. However, when they had chance, the Japanese flight attendant and the Brazilian-German (male) FA provided professional service and attempted to interact with the pax. The purser came over many times during the flight, she was a blonde German woman with good command of English, hence overall, the staff scored higher on attitude/enthusiasm and interaction. There was no snack menu between meals and breakfast was on a separate menu, only given 2 hours before landing. This implied dine on demand was not in the offering. LH had some excellent western dishes and a good effort at serving Japanese meals. The caviar service helped keeping the score up. Overall, this is a good First Class product that is still competitive today.

Onboard Product & Cabin Staff Service Overall: 8

Lufthansa FIRST CLASS Overall: 8.5

cstead

Those pictures sure look tasty, even if it isn't quite as high as the other carriers! Interesting that both entrees were noodle soup - I would have expected something else

Guava

The entrees did not have noodles in them. They were simply sea bream and duck simmered in "clear soup". However, those aren't the best looking Japanese entrees indeed.

Andreas.J

I have never been disapointed when i have travel with Lufthansa , i understand why they are so succesful. great pictures!