One balmy evening in Frankfurt I boarded a Lufthansa Airbus A380 for a long haul flight back to Texas. It’s about 9 hours. As far as traveling goes, it’s 9 hours well-spent. How, you ask? I’ll break it down.
Priority Boarding
I love this aspect of flying on Lufthansa. Mostly because I like choice. And Lufthansa gives to two separate entrances. Sure, you can board at the gate; but why would you when you could board from the lounge? Oh, and speaking of choice, this lounge also supplies a large selection of complimentary drinks, warm meals, sandwiches, and snacks. Once boarding begins, Lufthansa transports you directly to the plane in a dedicated vehicle. On landing, they also transport you to customs.
Cabin configuration
1-2-1 seating, front-facing. Since I had a middle seat and was flying alone, I was less excited about the configuration. It felt as though the center was designed for couples. Or that’s what I thought at first; there’s a divider between the seats that raises with the push of a button. It was actually pleasantly private.
Seat
Thankfully the seats are comfortable and spacious. It’s quite easy to catch some quality ZZZs. You can recline or lie completely flat using the mechanical operations on the armrest. Then the armrests drop for a more comfortable lying position.
Meals and drinks
This incredible experience begins once you’ve settled into your seat – and doesn’t finish until you’re off the plane. Anytime you want to eat, they will make arrangements. You’re not on their schedule; they’re on yours. The dinner menus arrive with a generous selection of drinks. At cruising speed, drinks, snacks and aperitifs are served. And I mentioned I like choice, yes? 3 choices of appetizer, 3 of main course, 3 for dessert, and ample choice for breakfast. Not only were the meals delicious, they were also well presented.
Service
Excellent: friendly, helpful, professional, highly responsive. These attendants go above and beyond. I swear, it almost seems like they come to you BEFORE you’ve even hit the call button! It was a nice feeling to get up, go to the bathroom, change into my pajamas (more about these later), and return to my seat to find it completely reclined, made up and ready for my sleepy head!
Entertainment Amenities
They have all this covered too. What happens on a flight once you’ve reclined and settled in to enjoy a film? Usually for me, I realize I haven’t tilted the screen for the best view. Well, on Lufthansa, the 15-inch adjustable touchscreen comes complete with an IFE remote – so no leaning forward to adjust the screen. And that’s just the beginning: you also get Bose noise cancellation headphones, 135 movies, 70 albums, 53 music playlists, reasonably priced wifi options, and great download speeds.
Convenience/Comfort Amenities
These are pretty handy. But not that interesting to blog about, and fairly standard from carrier to carrier. Except for the pajamas, which I gratefully accepted. They were so comfortable that I took them home! Here’s the rest of the kit: pillow, blanket, kit with socks, eye mask, toothbrush/paste, moist towelettes, lip balm. Shaving kits, soap in bathrooms.
All in all, business class on Lufthansa gets an A+. I was traveling for business, but the flight itself felt like a vacation.
