Traveling in the upper deck of the 747 is a unique experience, but it won't fly forever
What are the best seats aboard Lufthansa's 747/8, surely those in the upper deck of the Queen of the Skies
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It is amazing what has happened in the aviation world in the past 30 months, it went from record traffic in late 2019 to silence in spring 2020. From restart to slowdown due to Omicron to summer 2022 with Europe's major hubs in chaos.
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History within history is the fate of aircraft such as the 747 and A380. The first, the Queen of Skies, kicked off the jumbo era and has been an icon of the skies since the 1970s. The second seemed destined to take up the baton and become the icon of travel in the new millennium, but it did not.
When covid broke out these two models were immediately, and in hindsight, hastily retired. They were said to be uneconomic and no longer sustainable for the companies, even in light of estimates that predicted that traffic would not return to pre-crisis levels for years, but instead...
Those who could backed up, the latest being Lufthansa itself, which decided to Resurrecting part of its A380 fleet. Which was destined for the scrap heap. None of the carriers that retired the 747s, however, backed off and the reason is simple: those who have divested the 747 did so by sending them directly to the wrecker. So we have seen in recent months 747s turned into key chains, sold in pieces on ebay or in the best of cases transformed into meeting rooms e even incorporated inside skyscrapers.
The 747 was conceived in the 1960s, it was supposed to be an interlude before the arrival of supersonic travel, and instead, 50 years after the first flight, it is still here, while Concorde is long gone and now we're back to talking about flying beyond the sound barrier. Only today did the production reach the credits.
That's why the "upstairs" experience on a 747 is a very rare commodity, And I recommend it to everyone before it is too late.
Lufthansa's upper deck.
Unlike the A380, it is not possible to board directly upstairs: you board through the traditional door, depending on the gate, you will be able to access door 1L or 2L. In the former case you will go through the first business class cabin until you reach the staircase, a staircase that is not for everyone, but only for the "chosen few" who have chosen to travel to the second floor And not on the ground floor.
The staircase is awkward, narrow and has an "outlaw" slope, but when you get to the last step everything changes.
First of all, it feels like we are on a small single-aisle airplane, say aboard an A321 with a small business class cabin, but no: we are on the Queen of the Skies.
Searching the Web for the best seats aboard Lufthansa's 747s, everyone will tell you the same thing: those in the upper deck. Of course if you want the guarantee that you can get up without having to climb over your seat neighbor you could also choose the middle row, seats G and D, of the main deck, but it is not the same.
There are "only" 32 chairs, which are not a few since that is the average number of business class seats found on an A350 or 777. Here in total Lufthansa has as many as 92. LH's business class is among the worst of the aviation landscape: old design seat, 2-2-2 configuration, no divider between seats, old IFE.
All these flaws, however, disappear when you climb that magical ladder: non is Qatar's QSuite, there is not the opulence of Emirates or the Singapore double bed, however, it is like looking at a vintage Rolls Royce, everyone would like to get on it at least once in their life.
The best places
When someone says that on board an airplane all seats are equal, he is lying knowing he is lying, not even on Ryanair are equal, let alone aboard these planes.
Of course the chair is identical, but in this case it is the position that makes the difference. In my opinion. the best seats are row 81, which is the first row of the upper deck, and specifically 81a and 81k. For three simple reasons:
- They are the ones with the most privacy absolutely, a few passengers will pass by to go to the bathroom, but it's not the only one on the floor so there won't be a bustle like at the stadium
- Thanks to the cabin configuration you will have at your disposal two huge storage rooms for one's belongings and everything else. Making the hat box almost unnecessary and the trip less stressful.
- The front row always has a few extra inches for the legs and no disturbing light sleep.
The experience
The 32 upper deck business class passengers are luckier than those who, for the same price, sit on the ground floor. More space, more privacy, more care in service.
From the moment the first glass of champagne is served to when it comes time to disembark, it's a flight that delivers some real thrills, such as the chance to poke around inside the cockpit and chat with the pilots before takeoff or once we land.
In conclusion
When I booked my ticket to do the Round the world tour, 747 was not on the agenda, has only recently popped up following yet another program change due to a cancellation. I wasn't even supposed to fly business class, but When I checked in, Lufthansa offered me the upgrade: 320 euros for premium economy or 750 euros for business class.
Needless to say, I didn't think about it for a minute, when I then saw that row 81 was incredibly free my smile could be seen for miles around.
