Lufthansa Advice

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    dutchyankee
    Participant

    I would like to avail of some advice from fellow Forum members who have helped me so often in the past.

    I have just booked for Christmas to Florida, and my better half and I are flying Lufthansa via FRA in Business.

    Apparently the flight is on a 744 with no First cabin. As mentioned here on Business Traveller, LH has finished installing their new seat products on all their long haul aircraft.

    My question is which seats do you feel are better as I can take two on the upper deck, which I would always do on BA, but there is also the option of main deck row 1 or 2, which I have always enjoyed again on BA during my rare times in First. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


    Tom Otley
    Keymaster

    Apologies if you’re already read it, but although it’s a while since I flew it, here’s what I thought at the time

    http://www.businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested/airlines/lufthansa/lufthansa-b747-8-business-class-3

    The seat
    There are two business class cabins on the main deck, one large, and one small just aft of the galley. To see a seatplan click here.

    This is a three-class configuration, with 262 economy seats, 92 business and eight first class seats. Those 92 business class seats are distributed with 60 on the main deck, and 32 seats on the upper deck, with the lower deck being 2-2-2 and the upper deck being 2-2. To see a previous flight review on a special flight from Frankfurt to Washington DC click here.

    Once again, to see a review of the outbound flight on the upper deck click here. This review concentrates on the lower deck.

    The first point is that the most roomy seats in the new Lufthansa business class are these centre seats – D and G. I was ready for the difference to be small, but it’s not, it’s large. The foot well has more room for your feet, the side table is much larger, with the headphones, IFE control and table being arranged differently, and in the case of the table, makes it easier to extricate from the arm.

    Perhaps I was lucky, but even the table itself felt firmer than the one I had used on the upper deck, and certainly it didn’t slide around so much.

    I was in a bulkhead seat (front row) which meant that there were slight differences in the seat – my foot rest was in the wall in front for instance, instead of in the back of the seat in front of me, but walking up and down the cabin looking at the other seats, there didn’t seem to be any major differences in that amount of room between these centre seats.

    One of the main benefits of D and G seats is that with a 2-2-2 configuration, in both D and G you have direct access to the aisle and of course do not have anyone climbing over you.

    On the upper deck window seats have large side storage bins for us, and of course this does not apply on the main deck, but the overhead lockers are very large, and in addition the personal storage spaces are slightly roomier than you get on the upper deck.

    By the side of the footrest there are two storage spaces, one which is open which pulls out slightly for putting in books or personal items (this was large enough for me to put in my laptop when I had finished working), and then another which has a handle and angles out from the wall – in here you will find an amenity kit with flight socks, eye mask, ear plugs, toothbrush and toothpaste and lip salves, and a bottle of water.

    The washrooms on the lower deck on both sides are very large and have a bench with a pale leather cushion on top – you lift up half of this to find the toilet. It is useful if you want to change, for instance.

    Best seats definitely the middle seats D and G. Avoid the front row (where I was), and the back row, but any of those in rows 5-8 would be fine. I went back and had a look at the small business class cabin between the galley and economy behind. It would be fine for a day flight I suppose so but I think too noisy for the night.

    The journey was quite strange. We took off and then for 30 minutes the seat belts sign remained on, during which time even the flight attendants remained seated, but did nothing when a couple of passengers stood up, one even going off to the toilet for five minutes during some turbulence.

    After some 30 minutes the light turned off, but still there was no inflight entertainment on, though we could watch the moving map, and once I could walk around the cabin I went back to the galley and saw they were struggling to reset the system. After 50 minutes they came on the tannoy to admit their problems and to thank us for our patience. I learned later that this was the latest of the new B747-8 aircraft to join the fleet, so perhaps this had something to do with it.

    It seemed that the problem also affected the in-seat power which I was using (it takes UK plugs without adaptors, as well as US and European plugs), so I made sure to get as much work done as possible without wasting my battery time on my laptop. Eventually after 80 minutes the system was reset, and my laptop screen suddenly got brighter as it started to charge once more. The entertainment finally started and then the power went off again, so I told the purser and he turned it back on again, but no luck, so my neighbour kindly said I could use his power point, and I carried on working. It’s a long flight, and all this passed the time.

    and from another review (not by me)

    http://www.businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested/airlines/lufthansa/lufthansa-b747-800-business-class

    Which seat to choose

    The upper deck does feel exclusive and although I was quite close to the galley, I couldn’t hear much noise at all as there is a foyer area in between. There is a lavatory near the staircase and two up front, so I would avoid sitting in the first row as there are always people passing by. The V shape also means flight attendants have to keep leaning over the aisle seat to serve the window seat, so sitting by the aisle can be annoying at times. On this leg I was by the window and what I particularly liked was the window storage space, allowing me to access my carry-on without having to get up.


    dutchyankee
    Participant

    Hi Tom, many thanks for that. My concern is that your review is for the 747-8i, which I would love to try, but the flight I am booked on is on a 747-400, which now shows to no longer have First Class (which is fine as I rarely fly First as I pay my own tickets), and the seat maps provided by LH show the new flat Business seat from the nose back, and on upper deck. However the center seats are 3 abreast, not the two abreast it sounds like they are on the 747-8i. Any advice regarding the 747-400 and their new configuration. I am currently holding first row on the way out and second row on way back, but row 84 on Upper Deck is still available both directions. I imagine disembarking at MCO will likewise be quicker from Upper Deck as usually only one jet way is used at MCO so attached to door 2. Again, thanks for any suggestion.


    JeffD
    Participant

    @dutchyankee

    I really hope you get some constructive advice to this question. I posted a similiar a couple of years ago and had to plead with the site administrators to take it down as some idiots highjacked my question and turned it into a political and racist rant.

    I have flown on a similiar configured aircraft and row 2 was the best by far.


    dutchyankee
    Participant

    @ Jefferydavison

    Thanks for that, and I hope so too.


    ZKSmith
    Participant

    Personally I would opt for the upper deck. Less seats than on the main deck means you are less likely to queue for the toilets, and are likely to get a slightly more efficient service from the FAs. Enjoy your trip.


    dutchyankee
    Participant

    @ZKSmith

    Thanks for that. I am beginning to tend more towards that as well, at least on the return flight as it will be quieter as well.

    Thanks again.


    seasonedtraveller
    Participant

    I went outbound last month in the upper deck (747H) & it was excellent.

    Several weeks before this, I was seated downstairs (due to SAS strike I was routed with LH) and can say, without a doubt, that I prefer the upper deck (unless you are in a mad rush to disembark.

    as a side note – Sunday I was fortunate enough to travel in LH First, from ORD to FRA & sad to say, it put BA’s First service firmly in Second place…..


    dutchyankee
    Participant

    @seasonedtraveller

    Many thanks for your comment. Just for clarity, you were on the reconfigured 747-400, or on the 747-8i?


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    I’m a Lufty fan and if offered the upper deck would take it. It’s much quieter and has a more exclusive feel to it.

    The only drawback is embarkation/disembarkation is from the downstairs door, and if you have hand baggage you have to cart it up/downstairs.


    seasonedtraveller
    Participant

    dutchyankee – 29/09/2015 17:17 BST

    Hope this helps – taken from my Tripit Account.

    Aircraft and Service Details?
    Baggage Claim:
    Entertainment:
    Meal:
    On-time %:
    Aircraft Type: Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental
    Fare Class: FIRST (A)
    Stops: nonstop
    Distance: 6,968 km
    Segment Notes:


    dutchyankee
    Participant

    Hi LP,

    Thanks for coming on here as you are the one I know flies the most with LH (at least here on the Forum, so I was hoping to hear from you as well. So with yours, Seasonedtraveller, and ZKSmith’s advice I will change my seats to row 84. I typically love the upper deck on BA, but there was some nostalgia about being in row 1, however, it isn’t that private as you are so close to the other twin seats in row 1, the closet, the number of pax on main deck, etc. Gentlemen, Ladies (never know with all our pseudonyms) many thanks for making the decision easier. Safe travels to you all. DY

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