Tried & Tested

Lufthansa B747-8 Business Class

31 Oct 2014 by Clement Huang

CHECK IN

Checking in online from 23 hours prior to departure was an easy and straightforward affair. Lufthansa’s website was clear and intuitive. Changing seats was hassle-free. 

Arriving at check-in counters 39-44 at 0130 for the unholy 0305 departure of flight LH755 to Frankfurt, I was immediately processed at one of the business class desks.    

THE LOUNGE

Lufthansa uses the Plaza Premium Lounge at Bengaluru Airport, which is also a pay-in facility. The lounge is rather new, just like the rest of Kempegowda International Airport, India’s fourth busiest. 

Given the early hour, the lounge was surprisingly full, so finding a seat and table was difficult. 

There was a hot food station with a large selection of Indian and Western dishes and the regular assortment of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

The lounge provides wifi, but you need to get an access code from the reception desk after providing a passport copy. 

BOARDING

This began at 0235. There was priority boarding for first and business class, but even so the queue for business class was long and took a good ten minutes to process. Economy class queues were so long I couldn’t see to the end. 

THE SEAT

Very good. I was in seat 84K, a window on the upper deck configured 2-2, which felt very private. The 92 business-class seats convert into full-flat beds. They angle slightly in towards each other, much like a V shape, tapering into a little cubby where you can stow your feet when you’re in the lie-flat position.

I do not agree with popular opinion that the design lends itself to playing footsie with your neighbour. Our feet or knees did not touch once throughout the flight. I do find it unfortunate that one needs to clamber over their neighbour for aisle access, unlike the direct aisle access provided by staggered configurations.

I’d thought the angled-in design might have encouraged constant chatter. However, once the excellent Bose noise-cancelling headphones were on, any concerns were allayed. Lufthansa has certainly upped its game on IFE recently, offering 100 movies, 200 TV shows plus a wide selection of music in various genres.

WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE

I would always prefer a seat on the more private and quieter upper deck. However, the small second business- class compartment on the lower deck spanning rows 10-12 offers a good amount of privacy.

THE FLIGHT

We took off on time. Given the early hour, I extended the seat into a lie-flat sleeping position as soon as the seat belt signs came off and settled in for the nine-hour journey to Germany. 

The pillows and duvets provided were large and plush, allowing a fair chance at sleep. 

There was a late-night dinner menu, but most of the upper deck and I decided to skip it in exchange for the extra hour of rest.

Two and a half hours before arrival, the cabin lights came back on and breakfast was served. It surprised me that there were only two choices – Western or Indian. I had the Western, which was scrambled eggs with turkey sausage and baked tomato. While the food was plated nicely on porcelain, it looked awful and tasted even worse. The egg was rock-hard and had a greenish hue to it, something I’ve never experienced before. I had a bite or two, but then quickly shifted my focus to the large selection of baked goods that were making the rounds. The croissants and various rolls were tasty and filling. I enjoyed the constant supply of freshly brewed coffee and espressos throughout the one-hour breakfast service and thought the freshly-squeezed orange juice and champagne for breakfast were a nice touch. 

The crew worked hard and efficiently and were generally pleasant.

ARRIVAL

We arrived 25 minutes early at 0830 and after a long taxi disembarked at concourse B at about 0850. Clearing immigration was swift, but I waited some 20 minutes for my luggage to arrive – not the fastest delivery.

VERDICT

Good. Loved the seat and the many comfortable sleep and resting positions it featured. The IFE was extensive. The catering was the biggest letdown on this flight. It was reminiscent of lower-grade economy-class meals I’ve sampled. But overall, it was a solid experience.


FACT FILE 

  • CONFIGURATION 2-2-2/2-2
  • SEAT WIDTH 19.7 inches -26.4 inches
  • SEAT PITCH 78 inches
  • SEAT RECLINE 180 degrees
  • PRICE Price: Internet rates for a flexible return flight in the first week of November start at HK$39,850 (US$5,136) inclusive. 
  • CONTACT lufthansa.com


Dominic Sebastian Lalk

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