Review of Lufthansa flight Frankfurt → Hong Kong in First

FIRST TIME IN LH FIRST

Trying out the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt is on the bucket list of every aviation enthusiast. It just so happened that I had a significant amount of award miles, no weekend plans, and that I saw First Class availability on LH796 24 hours before the actual flight. I sponatenously decided to book this flight and to explore Hong Kong and Macau for a few days! I must mention however that it was extremely complicated to actually book this flight with the Miles & More service center, but after several hours on the phone, the ladies managed to make it work! For further context, my travel originated at Zurich, with a LH connecting flight in business class to Frankfurt. I will not review this flight, but let me just say how terrible the catering was on this occasion (i.e. a simple piece of cake).

The review begins after landing at Frankfurt. Although our plane was given a remote apron position, that also meant that a private shuttle to the terminal was arranged. Of course, I wanted to try out the First Class Terminal, which meant that I had to leave the main terminal entirely and walk outside approximately 5-10 minutes. The signage for the First Class Terminal could be improved, as I wasn't always exactly sure where to walk. Nevertheless, once at the First Class Terminal, I was greeted by the lounge director who helped me whiz through security. They also immediately took my passport and stored it at the passport control desk, so that it is all ready for when boarding time comes. The terminal itself is spacious and offers plenty of rest areas, as well as a cigar lounge. All in all, I have booked my flights so that I could spend 4 hours in the lounge.

The flight director soon came back with my boarding pass in a fancy cover, as well as the famous First Class Terminal duck, which would be useful for my bath :) After a welcome drink of kombucha, I indeed had a bath to relax before the flight, and then proceeded to have a nap in one of the rest rooms. Everything is well organised and I did not have to wait for any of these services. After waking up, I decided to try the restaurant, which offers a mediore buffet selection, as well as a much better a-la-carte menu. They have some signature dishes as well as a list of specials which alternate on a monthly basis. I had a soup as well as sea bass. While both were very good, I thought the drinks menu was a bit cheap for such a luxurious lounge. The only other first class lounges I have ever tried are the Swiss ones at Zurich. I must say that catering, drinks and service are all superior at ZRH.

About 30 minutes before flight departure, the lounge director picked me up and we went downstairs to complete passport control. This only took less than a minute, and we were then already on our way towards the aircraft with a private transfer. Although I was hoping to get the coloured car you can see in the gallery below, I was driven once again in the minivan with fellow Hong Kong bound first class passengers. The ride to the aircraft was very short, and we were given access to the plane through a lift that led us to the jetbridge. Once onboard, I was served almonds, a glass of water, and more importantly, a very nice glass of 2006 Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Rose champagne. The seats are very comfortable and spacious, although perhaps not as private as what competitors offer in first class. I was also given an amenity kit before departure. The bag itself is premium and I will definitely be re-using it in the future. The contents however were perhaps slightly dissapointing, as Swiss for example offers high-end La Prairie creams. We departed our gate 5 minutes behind schedule.

After take-off, the flight attendant gave comfy pyjamas and slippers (importantly, in sizes that actually fit a 193cm man). The purser also handed out WiFi vouchers for all first class passengers, which were valid for the entire flight and with no data cap. I also had the chance to review the food and drinks menu for the first time (see below). Service began shortly thereafter with an amuse bouche (chicken breast with corn), complimented by their drink of the month, a delicious portonic. Following that was caviar service. It is nicely served from an elegant cart, together with onion, lime, cream and toast. I also tried the Laurent Perrier Cuvee Grand Siecle champagne. This was followed by a selection of starters, with a special mention to the salmon trout tataki. Finally, I had the steak as a main course. It was indeed the best steak I have had on a plane, and pleasantly paired with the Bordeaux. I decided to skip the dessert so I could get some rest, as the service had already taken approximately 2 hours. They did nevertheless leave a small box of chocolate pralines for my enjoyment later.

A short review of the toilets. They are very spacious (although the picture below probably doesn't give justice) and have a nice toilet cover, which makes changing clothes and freshening up easier, thanks to more space to put your stuff. There are plenty of extra toiletries available too (e.g. mouthwash, razor, creams, wipes, etc.). 

While I was changing into my pyjamas, the flight attendant transformed my seat into a bed. I could sleep very easily as the bed was comfortable and cozy. I snoozed for 8 hours, before I was woken up for breakfast. 

There was a wide selection of breakfast items, but I ultimately decided to go for the protein muesli, a cup of berries and eggs with bacon. It was very tasty and the service was efficient. Not long after breakfast, we began the approach towards Hong Kong.

Although I was dissapointed not to have a window seat to admire Hong Kong on final approach, we ultimately landed 15 minutes ahead of schedule. 15 minutes is also what we needed to make it to the gate, so we effectively arrived exactly on time. Upon disembarcation, first class passengers were greated by staff who would take us to immigration with golf carts. They were very friendly and gave us all necessary instructions up to baggage claim.