How to fly first class on Lufthansa's A380: my "first" time review
With this flight I made en plein, I flew all the first classes offered by European carriers that have [...]
Lufthansa
Star Alliance
MUC
With this flight I made en plein, I flew on all of them the first classes offered by European carriers Who have this booth. Twice on BA and as many on The AF Premiere and one each with LX and LH (if you are wondering what these acronyms mean, they are the identifiers of the different companies) and they identify Swiss And precisely Lufthansa.
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- A380
- Class:
- First Class
- Treat:
- DEL - MUC
- Price:
- 1600€
- Book
I could have flown on the First of the 747, which has the special feature of seating the passenger further forward than the pilot, but instead I aimed for the flight over Munich, To fly on the A380 the plane of my dreams.
Reservation
As I explained in the review of the Swiss flight, this was an a/r ticket paid cash to fly from New Delhi to Bergen, passing through Munich and Frankfurt.
Did you get your flight cancelled, miss your connection, land late?
You could get up to 600€ compensation per person
Certainly a tour de force itinerary, but the motivation was an attempt to be able to also visit the First Class Lounges at MUC and FRA, and also accumulate more points on my Singapore Airlines Krsiflyer card. In the end, this ticket cost me about 1600€., and when I think about the cost that is normally charged for these booths, it was a real bargain.
At the airport
I arrived at Indira Gandhi International in New Delhi very early, but I didn't want to risk getting into road chaos, and in the end I must say I succeeded.
Check-in also opens very early, for a flight leaving at 1:20 a.m. the counters open more than 4 hours earlier, at 9 p.m. Of course when you are not departing from your home airport it is all less wow. No dedicated First Class Terminal, here even the check-in counter is even shared with Gold Star Alliance passengers, ok the HONs, but mere senators should not make F passengers wait in line.
An important thing to know for those leaving from India is, even if you have a digital boarding pass, you still have to have the paper one which must be endorsed and stamped by the entire airport bureaucracy: first the immigration officer, then the security officer, and finally even the lounge attendant.
LH provides an "escort" for F passengers, but let's say it serves little or no purpose except to show the way. You don't skip any lines, you don't have any fast track other than the "humble" business class passengers.
The lounge
Of course here it depends a lot on which airport you take off from, in this case I can say that without fear of contradiction DEL is probably in the top 5 of my worst airports. Chaos outside, chaos at checkpoints, mediocre airport even though it incenses itself with awards where it probably participates against no one.
The surprise, however, was Encalm Privé, almost namesake of the bad Encalm, but really an unthinkable oasis inside this airport. I have been there several times and I must say that it is a safe haven that allows you to wait for boarding time away from the crowds and with superior amenities, even compared to other lounges around the world.
As is my wont, I went to the gate well in advance; if I wanted to, I could also have taken advantage of the free escort service to the gate offered with golf cars by the lounge, but I preferred to walk and see what was happening around me.
On board
Boarding that opened smoothly and after making friends at the gate with my "first class" companions, not even two minutes after setting foot aboard on the A380's upper deck we were already partying.
The first-class cabin on A380s is definitely not comparable to the top products today in service on many airlines. Finally, however, the air is changing, and now the new Allegris suite has arrived, although these new booths will not be installed on A380s, but only on the new A350s and future 777/9s.
There are eight chairs, with a 1-2-1 configuration, at the front of the upper floor. Almost all carriers have chosen this position for first class aboard the A380, and today all F-rated A380s flying have this configuration except for British Airways, which has it in the main deck.
The chair
Each passenger has plenty of space, but very little privacy.
Hiding the passenger from the rest of the travelers is only a bulkhead that rises and falls from the seat structure.
Of course a divider can be raised from the seat structure, especially for those traveling in the middle seats, but it's not that you isolate yourself like on board the most valuable cabin in Swiss and there is also no sky/ground closure like with Emirates or Singapore.
The beauty of flying on the top floor of the A380 is that it doesn't matter if you are in economy or first, you will always have plenty of room to spare and far fewer passengers nearby.
Each passenger has a personal closet, lockable, a trunk inside the ottoman in front of the seat, lots of space in the containers under the windows. There are so many containers that you are likely to forget something around.
The armchair obviously becomes a bed, thanks to the hand control you manage everything. You also post back and forth the ottoman, which can serve as storage, a footrest or a seat for a traveling companion. The seat is comfortable, spacious and of course everything is within reach.
I wouldn't say there are better or worse seats, certainly window-side travelers have more space available, but if you are traveling as a couple, the two middle seats are comfortable.
The windows on the upper floor of the A380s are smaller than traditional ones and because of the curvature of the fuselage also "farther apart."
One thing that never disappoints on the A380 is the "front" bathrooms, of course there's no Emirates shower, and it is not even fancy as that of Singapore Airlines, but it is still beautiful.
However, there is one thing that is not on board any commercial aircraft in the world, there is a special vespasian, like at the stadium or the sausage fair.
Having the neighboring seat vacant, the flight attendant prepared my bed in the vacant seat next to mine. It's not the first time I've had this happen to me, let us say that in First class it is a pampering that is done whenever possible.
In bed mode you can see all the difference with more modern F cabins, it is an objective and undeniable fact.
The service
The staff was more than fantastic, let's say they made people forget (almost) all the shortcomings of this first class with 5-star service.
Small attentions such as fresh flowers in every corner, snacks, champagne, and a (discreet) but constant presence.
Unfortunately, as is the case in business, even in First Class the amenity kits Are not comparable to the competition.
Pajamas, treats and constant attention really make you feel like a special traveler.
I also took advantage of the opportunity to shop on board and I brought home a piece of the plane and beyond.
IFE
Old airplane means non-modern entertainment system. Of course there are webcams, which are then my favorite content.
The power outlets are located in an uncomfortable area, the headphones are of average quality, and the controller does not have a second screen.
The wifi is free and unlimited, but the speed is not the best.
The interface is the same throughout the plane, but here the screen is too far away to read titles or recognize movie posters.
Food & Beverage
I was not expecting super catering, overnight flight out of Delhi, but at least I was banking on the wine cellar. Instead the labels offered were really below average and considerably less fine than what Swiss offers. Sure there was caviar (and I had the trio) but the offerings were really uninviting.
Important mise en place, but ato that you then have to eat (and I was the only passenger to dine) I was not satisfied at all.
Of course then I had the breakfast of champions, but you can't live on caviar alone.
The breakfast served at the cart, was the final treat.
In conclusion
The next time I fly F with Lufthansa I will do so starting from Frankfurt (or Munich) in order to have the full experience at 100% and get the most out of my ticket. I was really pleased with the service, the cabin was as I expected it to be, while I was a tad disappointed with the food offerings. Now, however, I am looking forward to traveling with Allegris.
Pro
- The staff
- THE A380
Against
- Food and wine offerings