How do you fly business class with Lufthansa? Here is my review of the A350 from Munich to Beijing
How do you travel business class with Lufthansa? Here is a detailed report of my trip from Moncao to Beijing
Lufthansa
Star Alliance
PEK
China
The last time I flew business class with Lufthansa. I was in the upper deck of the 747/8 headed for Japan, It was July 2022 and it was the first route of my first world tour. Crazy ticket booked in full covid, when it was more of a bet on the 00 that eventually broke the bank.
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- A350/900
- Class:
- Business
- Treat:
- MUC - PEK
- Price:
- 650€
- Book
The best bonuses
A lot has changed since then, except for Lufthansa's business class cabin. Actually. should have already been in service Allegris, the revolutionary new concept designed by German engineers, but things are not going as planned.
Purchase
Little matter, this is also the first video review on our YT channel of the German business cabin and I chose Beijing and China as my destination for three simple reasons:
- Throughout 2024 it will be possible to Flying to China for tourism without the need for a visa
- I found an insane fare for a round-trip ticket for less than 1350€., ticket booked on the American Express travel portal. By booking on this site I get more membership points compared to any OTA, and most importantly I have the Travel agent support in case of ticket problems. And so it was since I unfortunately underwent a car change that partially worsened my experience.
- Trying to renew my Gold Krisflyer card with Singapore Airlines, Every once in a while, I need to pay some tickets Because with award tickets you don't get points.
At the airport
In Munich, the airport was strangely quiet, almost empty. As even more incredibly were both lounges in Pier H of the Bavarian airport were uncrowded.
Lufthansa has three types of lounges: business lounges are for passengers who travel in business class but do not possess status. Le Senator instead are dedicated, regardless of the ticket held to those with the same level in Miles & More or a Star Alliance company. Then there are the more exclusive lounges, i.e., First Class ones where you can only gain access with this type of biliget or if you have the super exclusive HON Circle.
As always, I moved toward the gate fairly early to get a few shots and talk "a little bit" with my camera.
In front of the stove was the classic document check, as in the case of travel to the U.S. and beyond, attendants before giving the go-ahead to boarding do a final credential check. With the novelty of the visa on arrival, the bureaucracy for the traveler has been simplified, less for companies that have to disentangle the various nationalities that have access to this treatment. I remind you at the moment this phase is experimental and only applies to a few nationalities (including Italy) and only until 12/31/24.
Several times the gate attendants made ads to sell upgrades to passengers to PE and business. From a minimum of 250 to a maximum of 850€ depending on the ticket held. In contrast, the upgrade from PE to Business was sold at just over 600€.
Boarding, a tad chaotic, went off almost on time and I was able to board almost first.
On board
Lufthansa knows full well that its current business class cabin. is not among the best in the world, indeed Is perhaps among the least inviting That fly over our heads every day. Of course sometimes you might get lucky and fly on 787s or A350s with different cabins, but it is just a fluke and only on a few planes bought KM0, or nearly so, where LH kept the fittings of those who had ordered those machines.
For all the rest of the fleet will have to wait for Allegris and we hope that sooner or later it will really come and not be like Penelope's web.
The configuration is the classic 2-2-2, this means that if you opt to travel close to the windows you will not have access to the aisle, in addition to the fact that all passengers give up space and privacy when flying in this business class.
I don't think there are any better/worse places in this configuration, I would say that net of being further ahead or behind are all exactly the same, and in this case there is not even the WOW effect of traveling On the upper deck of an A380 or 747.
Breaking up the monotony of cabin color are the carpeting and cushion.
My good fortune was to be, In a virtually sold-out cabin one of the two passengers to have no seat neighbor and with such a cabin configuration it is like winning the lottery.
The screen is, arguably, the most interesting thing about this configuration. It is very large, much larger than other modern business booths, but it is the quality of the panel (not 4k) that makes it clear that this is also an end-of-life product.
The chair has various adjustments, including that of seat rigidity. Basically an inflatable pillow that you can adjust to your preference. I'm honestly not a big fan of this option.
It becomes a bed, but the feet in this case really have very little room to maneuver, you are kind of stuck.
Adjustable and tilting headrest. Also incorporated into the structure is a reading light, which adds to the classic one at the top of the cabin.
The other (unjustified) absentee in this cabin is storage space. There is a small cavity under the armrest, it just fits the headphones inside. There is a front compartment where the beauty kit and little else just fits.
Otherwise if you are lucky like me there is a free seat nearby, otherwise ...
The coffee table comes out of the armrest. The stand is large but not very stable And so when you're working on the PC you get quite high.
There are only 2 bathrooms available to business class passengers, classic size and standard content.
What struck me was the fact that eye mask and earplugs are here and not in the beauty Where they should be.
Last but not least, there are no air vents. HATE.
The service
At the seat waiting for me was the new Lufthansa amenity kit, aesthetically a crazy leap forward from what is still being distributed (while supplies last).
The bag is branded Porsche Design and is of good quality. Inside, on the other hand, there is little stuff and inexplicably some items are missing that are present in all kits distributed on board even the less famous companies.
Also in place are blanket and pillow (unbagged) a small seat topper and slippers.
The staff was really courteous and I, as is my wont, tried to chat with my poltra officer and the Purser of the flight. Needless to say, we talked about Allegris and company.
The first glass of champagne arrived (maybe) 60 seconds after I sat down. I was less fortunate, however, in terms of eating, I was always the last to be served and I also paid the consequences.
IFE
The bad news came even before takeoff: "we probably won't have wi-fi on board" and that is exactly what happened, about 50 minutes after takeoff an announcement was made explaining to all passengers the lack of service.
The screen as mentioned is large and can be swiveled to various positions if desired.
The operating system is the classic LH one, there is a lot of content and especially in movies there is a lot of choice and also a lot of new releases, although it's hard to tell exactly if (like me) you can't remember the last time you went to the movies, but taking one flight a week you feel like you've already seen them all.
Food & Beverage
The menu was distributed after takeoff, minutes before the service was started.
I have to say. Compared to other carriers, LH's service seems less premium. Starting with the cold peanuts, going through the tray where the appetizer is served and ending with the drink cart as in economy.
I ordered two oriental dishes: appetizer shrimp and veal with rice and vegetables as the main course. I then skipped the cheeses and moved on to dessert. We hope that after the marriage with ITA, food management will pass into the hands of Italian chefs.
Breakfast was even worse. I had no choice I had to take what was left over i.e. the savory option. Again not very premium service, Taking into account that other carriers allow you to opt in via app preferences and thus avoid being in these situations (or wasting food), but in the past it also happened that thanks to status I was given the option of choice in similar situations.
In the galley dividing the two business cabins was a small nook for quenching thirst in the night hours, again not exactly an elegant proposition.
In conclusion
Without infamy or praise, one of those flights where accomplice the time you get on board you eat and collapse. In fact if it weren't because I had to do the video review, I probably would have dined in the lounge and skipped dinner altogether putting myself to sleep right after takeoff.
Too many things didn't go as they were supposed to, or Too many aspects of this flight did not leave me feeling like I was flying business class, certainly the chair plays an important role, but details also make a difference. Why on earth is the sleeping mask in the bathroom and not in the beauty?
Pro
- On-board personnel
Against
- Old cabin
- No wifi
- No choice on breakfast
- Mask and caps are not in the beauty
