Half a day in Lufthansa First Class A380

The final leg on our around the world trip was exceptional, and an experience that I had hoped to share with my fianceé after my amazing first experience three years ago on the 747-8i.  Any time you can fly in a premium cabin it’s a privilege, but doing sharing the experience is a million times better. While Lufthansa First Class doesn’t come equipped with closing doors, and in all honestly the product is a bit out of date now, it’s still a phenomenal use of points and way to fly. I was UBER excited to find two seats in first class on one of the hardest routes to land it…Germany to LAX. Let’s take a look at the experience, how I booked it, and why it’s such an amazing experience.

Check our the full video review here:

Flight Details:

• When: August 2019
• Route: Munich to LAX
• Plane: A380
• Seats: 2D, 2G
• Booked with: 70k Aeroplan and $432 CAD
• Flight Time: 12 hours
• Flight: LH 452

Booking:

This specific flight originated in Paris with a connecting Lufthansa Business Class flight into Munich which then continued on to Los Angeles.  In terms of Lufthansa space, finding Germany to LA is next to impossible, and we were extremely lucky to match it up with our new itinerary. New itinerary?

If you’ve been following along on this trip, you’re aware that Paris was a last minute pivot after our India plans fell through. I made a mistake with Visa on Arrival and we were refused boarding our flight fit with the new Singapore Suites. Within a couple hours, we pivoted the trip and flew back to back Etihad First Class flights ( 77W and A380 Apartments ) from Singapore to Paris with a night in Abu Dhabi. Honestly, they were epic flights, and everything worked out great.

Prior to boarding those flights, I frenetically searched for space to get us back from our new Parisian destination, and as luck would have it, located the 2 first class Lufthansa seats we ultimately flew.

We had a few different booking options as we were sitting on a nice cache of Avianca Lifemiles from our ANA/Thai booking we had to cancel at the front of our trip due to some date conflicts. The problem? Avianca wasn’t showing two seats, and we needed to book fast. With more time, we could have used their email booking service, but we just wanted it settled. The cancelled Singapore flights hadn’t credited our accounts so we ruled out using Singapore as well. United avoids taxes and fees, but prices at 110k, and let’s face it…that’s a ton.

We settled on using Aeroplan and instantly transferred 70k each from our respective Amex accounts. Taxes came to a hefty $432 Canadian – or roughly $330

Check in/Tarmac Transfer –

Since we were arriving into Munich from Paris, I was hoping we’d get to experience their airside tarmac transfer. Shortly after landing, the pilot informed us that we’d be at a remote stand. YIPPEE! Funny enough, I actually groaned about this to my fiancee, and she was like oh well, we’ll probably have a nice lounge, right? Heh, heh, heh. When we stepped off the plane, saw a sign with our names on it, and into a private and luxuriously appointed van – I couldn’t have been happier. Her reaction was perfection.

We were escorted into the terminal, and via elevator, straight into the lounge. Our passports were collected so they could be processed while we enjoyed the lounge. Upon departure to our gate, we collected them from the immigration officer, and off we went. Very slick. We did have to go through security again once we arrived at our gate FYI.

Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich

The lounge is so subtly plush and luxurious. With earthy tones, supple leather, understated service, delicious food, and very few people, Lufthansa First Class lounges may just be my favorite in the world. We had been very fortunate on this trip to experience Japan Airlines First Class lounge in Tokyo, Etihad’s First Class lounge in Abu Dhabi, and now Lufthansa’s in Munich to provide some great head to head comparisons in a short time frame. Seriously, what is this life? Thank you points.

With only an hour, give or take, to enjoy the lounge, we still found a way to grab a light bite and relax in the dining room.

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First Impression of the cabin:

The Lufthansa First Class A380 cabin is very airy, as you can see there are no overhead bins ( you get private lockers and ottoman storage ), and it’s occupied with just 8 seats, across two rows, in a 1-2-1 configuration. The seats are nearly the same as you’ll find on the A330 and 747-8i, and the only noticeable difference is the size of the ottoman and seating configuration. This is a very cool cabin, but that 747-8i layout is definitely my favorite.

You can see here via SeatGuru.com the cabin configuration and seating dimensions:

Seat:

When we booked these tickets there were only 3 other seats taken, and as luck would have it, the seats I’d prefer the most ( for couples ) were still available: 2nd row and in the middle, 2D/G. Since the bathrooms are in front of the cabin, sitting in the last row of the cabin avoids traffic, and at the time of booking both 2A and K were unoccupied. This ultimately changed by the time we flew, but you never know if you may end up in a situation where you can dine and hang out in one seat, but sleep in another.

Seat Storage:

Since there are no overhead bins, you may be worried about where you are going to put your belongings/have enough space for them. Don’t worry, there is ample storage for all your personal items and you even get your own personal locker near the galley.

You can see in this series of photos the various in-seat storage options. The armrest between the seats houses space for your wallet, Bose headphones, sunglasses, and other small items you may carry.

One of my favorite Lufthansa First Class features is the ottoman. Not only does it provide a place to stow your personal item, it also moves forward and backward depending on how long your legs are. Amazing.

Additionally, every seat has its own locker that you can set with a combination. Hang your jacket, clothes that you change out of when pjs are wanted, and your carry on bag.

Amenity Kit:

In addition to van Laack pajamas, you also get an entire van Laack amenity kit filled with all the usuals. While I like these pajamas, in comparison to prior van Laack Lufthansa First Class pajamas I found them to be tighter fitting, and didn’t particularly care for the white collared look of the top.

In addition to the amenity kit and pajamas that are presented to you at your seat, you also have in lavatory amenities as well. And look at how MASSIVE that lav is, wow!

Dining:

The dining service arguably begins the moment you sit down with pre-departure drinks. Lufthansa served Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle champagne for our flight, and it.was.delicious. Shortly after take-off the full service begins.

Champagne:

Flying in international first class affords the opportunity to drink super fancy alcohol that, in my normal life, I’d rarely experience. At $150 a bottle, this is a very expensive champagne, but nearly half the price of the Cristal champagne we had on our Japan Airlines First Class flight that start off our around the world trip between LAX and NRT.

Amuse Bouche + Caviar

A tuna tartare for amuse bouche was quite tasty, but the true stunner was the caviar service. I love that Lufthansa serves their caviar out of a large container rather than individual ones for each passenger. Why? It means you get a mega portion 🙂  I also love pairing it with their garlic bread.

Appetizer

They altered their appetizer for me as well since I don’t eat any meat aside from fish, and presented a seared tuna alongside two different salads. Each, on its own, was delicious, but incredibly thoughtful as well since I hadn’t noted this prior to boarding.

Main Course

For the main course I chose a shrimp, scallop, and rice dish that was excellent. A couple years ago I got food poisoning from shrimp on a Swiss Air flight and am always a little reticent to order it in flight, but alas, it was well worth the risk.

Cheese and dessert

No diets here. I had a mix of hard and soft cheeses, plus a wonderful pineapple crunch. I need to go work out immediately 🙂

Bed mode

After dinner, while I got ready for bed, they transformed the seat into a bed and, as you can see, the privacy screen is also raised. While Lufthansa doesn’t have doors that close, I think the privacy screen does provide a good amount of enclosure. I find Lufthansa’s seats to be quite cushy and since I like a softer bed, I found the bed to be pretty comfortable. You’ll get a seat cover, two pillows, and a down comforter. All in all, very comfy, although I always feel guilty sleeping on flights this nice.

Overall:

Lufthansa First Class is an incredible way to fly, and arguably the best way to fly first class between the States and Europe. While there are other products that are better ( Air France, Swiss, Singapore ), the ability to book this with partner miles, and relatively reliable availability, it makes for a fantastic redemption and experience. The service was second to none. The staff could not do enough to assure not only had everything we needed, but to go above and beyond that as well. At the end of the flight, the purser, cabin manager, and flight attendant all individually came to us to make sure everything exceeded our expectation, and if there were any comments or notes we could give. How’s that for service.

If you get the chance, you should jump at the chance to fly Lufthansa First Class. This is the 3rd time I’ve been lucky enough to do it, and each and every time it’s a treat I don’t want to end.