[norbert2008]

Ideally, I would not have booked to travel on the day of The Queen’s funeral my BA flight was at 19.05 in Club. Oddly my journey was only affected by the dreadful mess at Paddington. Heathrow Express at present is the quickest way to LHR but the Elizabeth line was also knocked out but for me when it goes direct from Liverpool St will be perfect for me. I managed to hijack two Germans who shared a taxi and we arrived in good time and only cost £30 each.

BA check-in was good plenty of check-in desks open no Q. I had a trainee but was being supervised by two BA staff. I could only get 7F the last seat in Club. It seems the other flight was canx so I suppose I was lucky. Due to departing from B gate, I had time to check out all 3 BA lounges. South packed but lots of people watching the funeral. Service at the limit but a glass of champagne to toast HRH was delivered quickly. Food is back to normal but would have been good to have papers and mags back. North lounge was also busy but less so. I then went to B Gate lounge which was lovely and if flying from there I would recommend it.

Boarding was weird and with loads of different lanes set up not just 2. The flight was totally full and bags were taken off passengers at the gate and also onboard. The crew was so good at dealing with this and the pressure to keep the slot. Loads of grunpy economy passengers losing their cabin bags, I always check it in so much less stress.

We took off about 30 mins late. I was dreading being last for everything but the crew were great, Menus before takeoff, 3 choices of main, I expected only one left when it got to me. Yes, champagne is in a full bottle but freely and often given out I had a G&T too from a choice of 3! Meal service started in tandem with drinks and by the time it got me last. I still had a choice of 2 and I went for the cod which was fab. Cheese back to good portion and D&C pud good. Free-flowing champagne and drinks. The crew was made up of two chaps, old school, one newish but polished, professional, and charming. We had a nice chat in the galley. We arrived on time.

Bags collected please note this one. I often book a hotel on the beach next to FCO but beware it’s a nightmare to get a cab to a local hotel. A costly mistake to, get the hotel to pick you up. Back to FCO the next morning via dreadful Leonardo express. It’s a 30 min train on very old carriages packed to standing always. No one-off ticket machine may be the most complicated machine 3 out of order and lines of 20 at the ticket office. May I suggest one simple ticket machine one price touch and go?

Rome was lovely at this time of the year and the outside Bar at both De Russie and Hassler I highly recommend for a drink and free posh nibbles. I stayed in Prati for the first time, less crowded and full of local restaurants and bars. The Town House was style over substance but a lovely big room. I did lots of wandering in the Autumn sunshine, including lunch at Obkia, sat outside and had the same waiter as four years ago.

Back to FCO on the dreaded train. Termini was 10 times worse I was lucky and it only took me 20 minutes to get my ticket (watch out for ‘people’ who want to help you). Again train fully packed and to be honest rather slow. Long walk to check in T1. Very charming LH staff I had checked in online 23 hours before! 1A in both sectors this time.

The Sky Team lounge is a long walk but the food offered was made to order including freely made pizza. Don’t go to the other lounge packed and dreadful. Long walk to the satellite terminal which was beautifully designed but I notice they are all different. Welcomed on board with a small choc. The seat is fine for the time onboard. A quick pushback and take off. Drinks were served first with a menu. It was set menu but nice to be told what we had. LH do a great light meal perfect for me, cured meat or smoked fish, pickles and a lovely pud in a bowl. I think hot rolls too. Lovely clear views over the alpes and decsent into Frankfurt. I didn;t check my phone but I warned it seem that we came into A and next flight was B. A very long walk think they need to sort this 15 mins of walking to the lounge. Flight delayed slightly but very near lounge in the end. Again boarding was quick not full. No menu this time short 1 hour flight. Again a lovely tray of cured salmon, pickle and a divne pud of lemon mouse in a sauce. The bowls are so stylish. Think LH has got it right. No fuss, no idea if they do hot on longer routes but just what I wanted.

Landed on time had to wait for gate at T2 but not long then drama at Heathrow Express, I tried to use my unused Monday ticket. NO WAY “That was Monday, I know when you were not running a service. NO BUY a new ticket at full price! I was in a rush so did so. They will not refund me on new ticket! I hope people move away from this most expensive rail jouney in the world! Roll on Elizabeth line.

My luck didn’t change as got stuck on trip home to Norolf on Great Anglia 3 hour broken train sadly they would no admit it was broken even though we had no power. 3 hours to get a tow for 15 mins!!!!!! Not a relaxing trip at all but lovely service from both airlines.

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Sanran, PatJordan, Bullfrog, Montysaurus, FDOS, rferguson, sparkyflier, GivingupBA, cwoodward

[RoyJones]

I thought LH were Star Alliance, not Sky Team.

[rferguson]

Thanks for the review.

I think Lufthansa’s business class catering is absolutely appalling.

I recently flew them Madrid – Frankfurt – Liverpool. The same dreadful ‘taste of Germany’ concept on each sector. In other words, zero choice and one cold meal which was generally a few slices of some kind of meat, a slice of bread and a dessert. MAYBE suitable for a very short sector but compared to the very impressive spread I had on the 2.5hr Madrid – Frankfurt sector a year ago it is a HUGE downgrade.

To think Skytrax not so long ago deemed Lufthansa a ‘Five Star’ airline. A joke. I find them so underwhelming. Long haul J seating that actually makes BA look modern, dreadful catering with no choice on short haul flights, clinical lounges with sparse catering.

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Maaki, A300B4, Bullfrog, FDOS

[norbert2008]

Sorry for my mistake I wrote it better the first time around but lost it. Star Alliance lounge. LH catering is to my taste I should say and could have come a cropper with Keenwah, which I hate! Or something. Yes they are not 5 stars, no airline with such dense Biz class long haul should be (Oh less dense than BA!)

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cwoodward

[Justin Germany]

I also flew LH business class from TLS-FRA then FRA-BER on 03.01.22. In comparison to BA, I prefer the larger seat pitch on LH, although the cabin itself feels a bit bland. I found the meal of cold meats, warm bread and tasty dessert absolutely fine on both sectors, indeed I was impressed with the speed of the service on the 50 minute FRA-BER sector, which I think was dispatched within 5 minutes for all 11 fully-booked rows! The drinks menu is somewhat limited on LH compared to BA, just wine and beer if I recall correctly, although the wine was decent enough and served from a 750cl bottle.
I did not have time to use the lounge at FRA due to a short connection time and 15 minute walk between terminals A and B, but in all honesty I was happy to have such a short and successful transfer as it kept the overall journey time below 4 hours from TLS-FRA-BER.
I still rate BA slightly higher overall as the service in Club Europe just feels a bit more personal and intimate (usually) and dare I say, classier, with a better selection of drinks (champagne, gin, whisky etc.) and there is a fairly frequently changing menu. But I do wish BA would inrease the seat pitch back to the previous 34 inches from a few years ago as it is nice not to have the seat in front in your face (although fortunately this year I get allocated front row so it’s not a problem at the moment!).
I would be interested to hear of other short haul business class experiences. I have tried TAP a few times in the last year and I find them the best, food and drink is a cut above LH and BA, so just a shame one can only use them via Lisbon.

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Bullfrog

[ASK1945]

[quote quote=1235685]I would be interested to hear of other short haul business class experiences.[/quote]

Earlier this year my wife and flew LHR-TFS (return) on BA Business Class, a route and flight class we do approximately every year. As usual we ordered (different) special meals for this four-hour journey. On the outward leg, my own meal was not put on board and the cabin crew had particular difficulty finding me any meal that I could eat. This is the third time this has happened to me in reent years in short-haul business class.

I couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of making yet another complaint to BA and getting a couple of thousand Avios as compensation. Like you, I don’t like the seat pitch.

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Bullfrog

[A300B4]

The catering you experienced was significantly better than the cold cauliflower salad with stale roll we and the rest of the business cabin were given on FRA-MAN.

BA CE is approaching fine dining when compared to what you will receive/endure on many other European carriers in C. Only TK have been able to surpass BA for me, but then they both use Do&Co for catering, so that’s hardly surprising.

[rferguson]

[postquote quote=1235685]

I agree that the zero choice, a few slices of cold meats, bread roll and dessert is suitable for a 50min hop but it seems Lufthansa doesn’t scale their catering at all. What I received on a 70 minute flight is exactly the same as one will receive on a 50 minute domestic or a 2.5hr intra europe flight. Most airlines (like BA) will generally make their catering proposition more reflective of flight time. A hop from LHR to Manchester doesn’t get the same in terms of choice or quantity as a 2hr20min flight to BCN.

In terms of intra-europe business class it just isn’t worth it really and the only time I tend to purchase it is when a) a very cheap in app upgrade is available or b) I am connecting to a long haul flight.

My favourite J intra europe experience of late was actually TAP to Lisbon. Absolutely superb catering, friendly crew, felt very premium.

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FDOS

[FDOS]

I am flying LH MAN/MUC?CAI/MUC/MAN towards the end of the month.

Will be interested to see what they serve on the longer segments. BA’s offer last month was decent quality, but small portions.

However, I coudn’t face the 30″ pitch again.

[TominScotland]

We flew NAP-LHR-GLA on Sunday in C, a pre-COVID booking revived. Both legs had been changed by BA but well in advance and with limited overall disruption.

The third party lounge in Naples was actually fine although self-service of what was a decent food offering (but dreadful coffee) has not returned.

We had a computer glitch which delayed us about 2 hours in NAP with the consequence that, after making the T3-T5 connection, we had to go straight to the gate in T5 so no lounge experience there. And our luggage made it too, carefully monitored via AirTag. The legroom was actually fine in rows 2 and 3, given the length of flights involved.

I actually wanted to post here in order to praise the catering on BA. The lunch on the first flight was excellent – couscous salad, chicken tikka masala (really tasty), cheese and chocolate roulade. My wife said that both the champagne ex-Naples and the Malbec on the second flight were very decent. Our 55 minute hop up to Glasgow was accompanied by afternoon tea, fresh sandwiches (I had the vegetarian), warmed scone and chocolate cake. All served by engaged and engaging crew.

All-in-all a really positive short-haul mexperience.

[norbert2008]

Interesting comments, I was impressed by BA catering and as I said still 2 choices out of 3 in 7F. True I would be disapointed on a longer route with LH if thats all they are serving. Odd there long haul is rather good and now serving course by course which BA still not doing.

[Sanran]

I don’t know how the other lounges in FCO are, but the Star Alliance one I went into two weeks ago was excellent: meals cooked on demand, pizza made on demand, very good ambiance and very kind personnel. Definitely a great surprised I wasn’t expecting.

[Author]

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