When the opportunity presented itself to fly business class on Lufthansa, I didn’t hesitate for one second. As a frequent flyer and traveler, I fly often, but don’t usually get the chance to fly long distances in first or business class. I’m usually the person eyeing those in first or business class who sadly walks by on my way to coach. Ok, well maybe I’m not that despondent, but you get the picture.
My husband’s work was taking him through Europe onto his final destination (more on that later) and so I got quite the good fortune to accompany him there. Although I was excited about the trip itself, I was ecstatic to go business class. My husband is 6′ tall and he definitely needs the extra leg room, but I was like a little kid waiting for Christmas to arrive. We packed our bags for our short trip and headed to the airport. Boston Logan’s international terminal’s Lufthansa business class lounge is near the Virgin lounge and it is small. It was under renovation while we were there, but there were people coming in looking to sit down, but there were clearly not enough seats for everyone. You could have a snack, a drink, or watch TV while you waited for your flight.
When it was finally time to board, we made our short way downstairs by elevator to the gate. I realized at that second in time that I had forgotten to Tivo Isa Chandra Moskowitz (of Veganomican fame) who would be appearing on the Food Network while I was gone. I was able to remotely set my Tivo and got on the plane cool, calm, and relaxed. It’s amazing how your brain remembers things at the most ridiculous times.
We found our seats and I couldn’t believe how lucky we were. My husband could stretch his legs without touching the seat in front of him. Although there are many that complain that the seats don’t go down flat for sleeping, the legroom and privacy we had was more than we could ever ask for on a plane.
With a choice of beverages upon boarding, we got comfy and got ready for our flight. My only complaint was that my husband’s TV screen on the seat back in front of him did not work, but that wasn’t anyone’s fault. That usually only happens to me, but in this case he was the lucky one.
As our flight took off, we experienced firsthand the exemplary service that Lufthansa‘s flight attendants offer their business class guests. Although I don’t usually drink alcohol on flights (I usually stick with water), I opted for a bloody mary and boy was it ever good!
We had real menus with real flatware and plates – nothing plastic in business class. My husband chose the shrimp appetizer with the pretzel roll as you can see here.
Our flight departed Boston at 4:15 pm and we were to arrive in Frankfurt at 5:30 am. To pass the time on the plane, I tried watching a few TV shows and a movie, read a magazine, and finally gave into sleep. Our next flight would depart at 12:30 pm so I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep in the airport and as such, I tried to get a little sleep. The flight attendants are attentive to the needs of the passengers and came by what felt like every hour to offer drinks or food. Eventually, you realize that you can’t say yes to everything! My husband chose to work the entire flight and he enjoyed the bottomless cup of coffee.
About an hour before landing we were served breakfast. I had amended my reservation online to a vegetarian meal and for breakfast my meal included a croissant, fresh fruit, cheese, and a small packet of Nutella. When traveling it is so hard to get meals without dairy in them or meals that contain protein. I wish the airlines could provide healthy, balanced meals for vegans and vegetarians. I had a few Primal Strips on hand for protein, which helped.
We landed in Frankfurt and I commented to my husband that they had gotten a little snow, maybe 2 inches or so on the runway. Although tired, we trudged along to the Frankfurt business class lounge. What was strange is that we saw a few people on cots in the airport in a corner. We walked a little farther and then we saw about a dozen cots. We kind of looked at each other and kept walking. Then we started seeing rows and rows of cots and then boxes of cots in the process of being opened and set out. What we didn’t realize is that despite our flight landing without issue, over 600 flights had been cancelled or delayed on December 8 and 9 and we were one of the lucky ones whose flight was able to land. The airport had run out of de-icer so that was more likely the problem rather than the small amount of snow. I felt horrible for the people who were stuck to sit or sleep on a cot and it didn’t get better for quite some time. Even in the business class lounge it was chaotic since the lounge was filled with people occupying every square inch of space. They had lots of food and beverages to choose from, including beer on tap and there was newspapers, magazines, and TV to watch and handled the deluge of people effortlessly. I liked that Lufthansa provided us with little kits that had toothbrushes, toothpaste, travel socks, lip balm, and an eye mask to keep the light out. At the business lounge there are shower facilities in case we wanted to freshen up. Even if I don’t get to travel that frequently in business class, it was certainly a treat and the service that Lufthansa provides their customers is one that other airlines should follow. It’s all in the details and people do notice.
What was the vegetarian dinner meal like? I am thinking about requesting one but I heard the pasta dish on the regular menu is good and you don’t get that if you request a veggie meal.
Good question. The pasta dish is strange, but edible. We had two flights each way and on one of the flights, they didn’t have a record of my vegetarian meal request and I ended up with the pasta dish. The pasta was cavatelli with a very smooth tomato sauce. On top of the dish they had on one side sliced black olives and on the other sundried tomatoes. In the middle was a handful of some kind of white cheese that they had chopped (not grated). I pushed the cheese to the side and then the sundried tomatoes as they tasted weird and tried to eat it, but it just had an overall strange taste to it. I have more pictures of the meals so it looks like I should write an entry about the food, huh? 🙂
although i do not mean anything personal but i find it incredible what little people expect from flying business,etc….