Here's what it's like to travel on the upper deck of Lufthansa's 747
In late June 2020, in the midst of the lockdown caused by Covid, Lufthansa was facing bankruptcy. The company's shares [...]
Lufthansa
Star Alliance
GRU
Brazil
In late June 2020, in the midst of the lockdown caused by Covid, Lufthansa was facing bankruptcy. The company's shares collapsed from €16 per share to €2.56. The government and a string of German entrepreneurs had to step in to save the carrier, injecting liquidity with a €9 million loan. Lufthansa after less than two years is back in control with an anti-crisis plan of cuts and recapitalizations and has almost fully repaid all aid received.
Before beginning this review I would like to make a premise, I am a great admirer of the German carrier. Over the years it has taken me everywhere in the world, minimizing the inevitable inconveniences that can sometimes occur during a business trip. Moreover, it is among the few carriers that with some continuity has always kept its connections to my city, Turin, active.
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- B747
- Class:
- Business
- Treat:
- GRU - FRA
- Price:
- 1400 + Free voucher
- Book
While so many carriers have Decided to retire the 747s, Lufthansa continues to focus on the queen of the skies thanks in part to the fact that its fleet now consists of only 747/8 the last produced version of the most iconic aircraft produced by Boeing.
Reservation
The best bonuses
The reservation had been made through an agency back in January 2020, before the great pandemic and the resulting travel restrictions. For this reason I had decided to freeze my ticket pending better times. In fact, until December 2021, it was not allowed from our country to re-enter from Brazil, except with prior approval from the Ministry of Health. For this reason, both business and leisure trips were strictly prohibited.
Brazil still remains on List E of states where travel is banned for tourism and business. Beyond 120 hours in the country, 10-day fiduciary isolation is also required regardless of whether or not vaccination is required.
I had booked a flight in premium economy, the only ticket authorized on intercontinental routes by my company's policies.
A week before taking my flight, I took advantage of two vouchers that Lufthansa gives away to every enrolled in the Miles & More program Senator, requesting upgrades at the call center on both the outward and return legs using one voucher per leg.
It would also have been possible to book this flight using miles, the best way for us Italians is to Transfer Membership Rewards points to Singapore Airlines' Krisflyer program.. The ticket to a business class flight costs $12.20 in taxes and 86,500 KF points. Given the possibility of taking advantage of the upgrade voucher, it was therefore better to pay cash for the ticket rather than use the points.
Check in
I arrived early at the airport because I had to take the Covid molecular test before boarding.
Four hours before the flight there is already a decent queue of people at the Economy counters, strangely there is no one in the dedicated Business Class and First queue.
The Lufthansa desks are shared with those of Swiss, which belongs to the German group and is very popular here in Brazil.
At the counter at First, I ask the clerk if it is possible to make the upgrade in First. He replies that it is available, but a payment of 902$ is required. It's not much when you consider that mine is an economy premium ticket, but I decide to decline.
Lounge
The airport is semi-deserted, very few people at security checkpoints.
At immigration I realize that I am the only non-Brazilian flying, the rest of the people are in the queue in the side dedicated to those with greenoro passports.
There are so many lounges at this airport and they are all merged at the same point in T2.
There are both those dedicated to American Express and Mastercard Black credit card holders and those of airlines such as Latam, which can be used by SkyTeam travelers, and American's Admiral Lounge for OneWorld passengers. Then there is one of six StarAlliance lounges around the world.
Brazil is one of those countries where the social difference between the rich and the poor is very pronounced, so even at the airport everything is done to make the stay pleasant and comfortable for the wealthy passengers in transit.
The level of comfort, cleanliness and perceived quality compared to our European airports, not to mention American airports, is extremely high. From a passenger's perspective, this looks like the first world, while we Italians look like a developing country.
Not having an American Express credit card, I could not visit this lounge. But the aesthetic impact was impressive.
Being a holder of a Mastercard Black credit card, I tried to visit this lounge. There are as many as two in Guarulhos, one on the ground floor and one on the second floor. There are not many of these lounges around the world, so I was curious to try it out.
Unfortunately, I could not get in because you had to show your credit card in physical form compulsorily, while mine was saved only on my iPhone.
It was not enough for the receptionist to see the black and gray World Elite logo on my digital card. Remember that for these lounges you must have your physical credit card with you.
Fortunately, as a Senator card holder and flying business, I had the opportunity to access the Star Alliance lounge in partnership with Safra Bank.
This, along with the one in Los Angeles, is probably one of the most beautiful. In my opinion even more beautiful than those in Frankfurt and Monaco.
Open, warm and comfortable environment, a large number of armchairs in different shapes and colors, useful for those who want to read, work, chat or just rest.
Plants and design remind the visitor that one is in a South American country.
Food and beverages in the normal range, one could eat both pasta and meat, which for example is no longer found in LH lounges now.
Because of Covid regulations everyone must always use a mask and wear a glove when serving and taking food. Terrible instead the wi-fi connection, only 6mpbs, the free one at the airport was significantly faster and better performing.
On board
Boarding operations went smoothly. In Brazil, the boarding attendants were very precise, scrupulously checking all documents and enforcing the queue reserved for Business.
The flight was not full, I would say a load factor between 75-80%. It was possible to find free seats in all classes of the plane without any problems.
As soon as you board through the front door, turning to the left is the first-class cabin, to the right is the iconic ladder leading to the upper deck.
As usual, a choice of a glass of water, champagne or orange juice is offered.
By aviation standard the aircraft is new, only 8 years old, however, unfortunately the business cabin on LH's fleet has aged a lot and hopefully the new one will arrive soon.
My assigned seat on this flight was 82A; I had chosen to fly on the second floor of this 747 for two reasons:
- Window-side passengers have a very convenient and large side locker for storing shoes and computers without having to stand up.
- Only business class seats are found in this section of the fuselage.
Lufthansa's configuration does not allow aisle access to all passengers, so in the case of a full flight and a window seat, you are forced to have your seat neighbor get up to go to the bathroom, much the same as on economy class flights.
The advantage of flying on the upper floor is also to fly in a less crowded environment: there are 4 seats per row, while on the main floor there are 6.
Here the business class seats are arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration.
Each seat (50 cm wide 163 inches long) can be converted into a semi-flat-bed, using a removable mattress. The chair always maintains a certain tilt, which makes it uncomfortable to sleep prone on the seat because it tends to slide downward.
The bathroom is a huge disappointment, there is nothing! Forget creams, perfume, razor for shaving. Among other things, the sink was clogged and did not drain water. It is a photocopy of a bathroom found in economy class. I found no difference.
Even worse, there are no air vents on the business seats, a mortal sin for me.
Service
Unlike the outbound flight, I am warmly greeted with my name by the cabin manager. This kindness Before the pandemic was a must and gave the feeling of feeling special, but in recent months social distancing has almost completely erased even these small interactions.
The staff on this flight were particularly friendly. They apologized for the inconvenience caused by the airline's economic cutbacks and tried everything to support the passengers.
On a nearly 12-hour flight, the human aspect of the crew is critical to making the customer feel comfortable.
Unfortunately, however, none of the staff (either on the outward or return trip) offered to hang my jacket in the locker provided. I understand that the plane is not full and the seat next to mine will remain empty for the entire trip, but it is a fall from style not to attend to these details.
The Lufthansa budget cuts are all visible, and here come the sour notes. LH's business class is terribly poor, leaving a feeling of old. The welcome kit is a bag identical to the one found in Premium Economy. It also does not contain eye patch for sleeping and earplugs (only on request).
Neither is a razor available upon request for shaving in the morning before landing.
Instead, a long-sleeved T-shirt is offered for sleeping.
Available to passengers is the sleeping kit, which, in addition to the classic comforter, includes a mattress to be placed over the seat in bed mode.
A comfortable cushion is also provided, which is a generous size compared to that offered by many other companies.
IFE
The USB socket on the armrest does not work, not only on this aircraft, but on all those in the LH 747/8 fleet.
If you want to use power, you have to use the socket with adapter located beside the legs in an awkward position, which among other things risks being ripped off during the movement of the seat. From a safety point of view it is not the best, but it is a standard for Boeing.
The screen is old and unresponsive.
The flight maps are sparse and not dynamic, plus they have eliminated the ability to receive altitude and speed updates at takeoff and landing. There must surely be a reason for this choice, but I do not agree with it.
There is a wide range of movies also, in Italian language, but there are no live programs.
The screen is slightly swiveling, the coffee table comes out of the armrest, and it is of adequate size to work with a laptop computer. There are two cameras on board, one in front and one pointed downward, so that taxiing, takeoff and landing can be better followed.
Special mention deserves the new headphones, which are definitely better than in the past.
Special request
At the end of the flight, I requested the courtesy of the captain to visit the cockpit. Upon arrival in Frankfurt, I had to wait for all the passengers to disembark so I could observe the small cabin in which three people (the pilot, co-pilot and navigator) operate.
They were very helpful and patient. It is always a pleasure to be able to exchange a few words about the route with people who have been doing this job for so many years. The crew is certified to fly Boeing 747-8s and they change itineraries every week.
Despite what you might think, there is no room in the Air Force for modern touch screens and tablets, everything turns out very old style, it is indeed necessary to have mechanical controls that are easy to activate so as not to make mistakes.
Food & Beverage
Lufthansa is not famous for good food on board. There are other airlines that present excellent, even very elaborate dishes.
On this flight, however, I managed to eat a very good and tasty steak (which in my opinion should never be missing from the menu, which is back on paper!).
Discreet dessert.
During the flight it is possible to take drinks from a trolley, let's just say it is not exactly the most elegant solution possible.
Conclusions
Is it worth spending about 2,500 euros for a business class ticket with Lufthansa? For the same expense, when compared with other companies, I would say no. At least at this time.
The competition is making huge strides. The treatment of the passenger on board has undergone great improvements and focuses on a concept of privacy, interactivity, and food.
I hope that once the economic problem is solved, Lufthansa can return to plying the skies of the world with a newfound standard of quality.
I would like one day to be able to know who decides marketing strategies and policies. In my humble opinion, especially during the pandemic, Lufthansa's strength melted like snow in the sun. It remains inexplicable to me how people can save money on earplugs or why they do not try to incentivize their frequent flyers with promotions and benefits.
I was I believe among the few in the world who continued to fly to the United States in 2020, and except for a thank-you email received in March 2020, absolute nothing.
Until a few years ago people received invitations to presentations, sporting events and concerts, it was a novel way to spend their miles dedicated to customers with 1-2-3-4 stars (you accumulate one star every 5 years or so of Senator status). Today all this has disappeared.
This is just one of many reviews you can read on our site, covid and restrictions permitting. Every Wednesday we publish a review of a lounge airport, while every Friday you can read the review of one of our flights or a hotel where we stayed.
Pro
- The floor above the 747
- Lots of personal space
Against
- Economy Class Beauty Kit
- Open bar on a cart and poor