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1597 reviews
Welcome, everybody, to another Flight-Report! In this review, I will take you along with me to fly on a special year-crossing flight with Lufthansa on flight LH778 in Business Class, on the upper deck of a Boeing 747-8 from 2023 Frankfurt to 2024 Singapore!
This review will cover the airport experiences in Frankfurt (including the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge) and Singapore, as well as the onboard hard and soft products.
For each aspect of the experience, I will rate it on a scale of 1 to 10. The final score for the full experience will be out of 100.
I acknowledge that this review is abnormally long for my standards. Hence, if you are only interested in any specific part of the flight, do make use of the table of contents above to skip to any part of the review that you would like. My other reviews (including future ones) are more concise, I promise… And apologies about the spam of Allegris’ roll-out delay-related jokes in this review.
Disclaimer: This review contains references to and the consumption of alcohol. Alcohol consumption should be done responsibly and in moderation. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health issues, including addiction, liver disease, and impaired judgment. It is important to be aware of your limits and not to consume alcohol if you are pregnant, planning to drive (or during driving), or taking medications that interact with alcohol. If you have any concerns about your alcohol consumption or its effects on your health, please consult a healthcare professional.
This was the final leg of a five-leg return trip between Singapore and Edinburgh, UK. For this trip, I booked through Lufthansa for a routing of SIN-BLR-FRA-EDI-FRA-SIN for SGD1660/EUR1140 in Economy Class. The first leg was operated by codeshare partner Singapore Airlines, a fellow member of STAR Alliance, while the other four, including this flight and the earlier LH965 that would bring me to Frankfurt for this flight LH778, were operated by Lufthansa itself.
A few months before the flight, I was looking through my booking in the Lufthansa app, and noticed that they were offering cash upgrades from Economy to Business Class for SGD880/EUR605. Seeing that this was a mere fraction of what was paid for the entire trip, and that this was even cheaper than the minimum amount one would have had to put in to compete for an upgrade by bidding, I took the offer. Since seat selections were (thankfully) free in Lufthansa Business, I immediately got myself a seat on the upper deck, since I had been looking forward to that for a long time. I picked seat 86K for its relatively central location in the rear half of the upper deck to minimize the amount of noise from the rear lavatory and the centre emergency exit area where flight attendants prepare for services or chat with passengers. I chose to sit on the starboard side as it would provide for better angles for my phone to take pictures or film through its top-left cameras. Two weeks before this flight, I went into the Lufthansa website again, this time to pre-order a main course for the dinner service after departure. Lufthansa offers three additional dishes on top of the three on the menu, so this feature does increase the choices (I still ended up picking one of the original menu items, more on that later).
I was not expecting too much of the hard product – Lufthansa is notorious for having among the worst primary/first-choice business class products in Europe, with a poor reputation for seat privacy and space in the footwells. I was, however, expecting much higher standards for the soft product (the food, service, amenities etc.). Since the announcement of the upcoming Allegris product (a revamp of the entire airline in all travel classes), Lufthansa has promised to improve both hard and soft products, in an effort to regain its Skytrax 5-star status. While the new Allegris hard product (which looks amazing by the way) will still take many years to be implemented in the majority of the fleet (hopefully by then I am still alive), the improvements to the soft product have already begun. Hence, I was expecting a 5-star-compatible dining experience and some improved amenities, as well as excellent cabin crew service.
Exactly at 18:50 on 29/12/2023 Toronto time (UTC-5), exactly 36 hours before my Edinburgh-Frankfurt flight LH965 (review coming in the future) was scheduled to depart, I checked-in online using the Lufthansa app while onboard Air Canada flight AC806 from Toronto Pearson to Edinburgh, which was in its boarding stage (yes, a review of that will also come in the future).
The process itself in the app was very smooth, and in no time, the number of checked baggage (just one) was confirmed, and my digital boarding pass was issued. Well, I still had to physically check my bag to Singapore at Edinburgh Airport anyways, and paper boarding passes were printed for me anyways, so the online check-in did not prove to be too useful. It was reassuring to get my seats confirmed early, though the seat reservations were free anyways.
Welcome to Frankfurt Airport! I just arrived at 08:35 local time of 31/12/2023, at a remote stand after my Lufthansa A319 flight from Edinburgh, UK. From this point, I have more than 13 hours to spend here in Frankfurt before my 21:45 departure to Singapore.
Transport to/from the Airport
Even though I had arrived on a connecting flight, I will still briefly talk about the transport situation at Frankfurt Airport, since this does apply to a large number of passengers here. Frankfurt Airport is well-connected to the city of Frankfurt and surrounding areas via a comprehensive network of public transportation and roadways. The airport is served by the S-Bahn, which is the city's suburban rail network, providing a convenient and efficient way to reach the airport from the city centre and various other parts of Frankfurt. The S-Bahn station is located directly beneath Terminal 1, making it easily accessible for passengers. Additionally, Frankfurt Airport is well-connected to the regional and national rail network, with long-distance trains (such as Deutschmark Bahn ICE trains) stopping at the airport's train station, which is also connected Terminal 1. This allows travelers to access the airport from major cities across Germany or even neighbouring countries. For those preferring to travel by road, the airport is easily accessible by car via the A3 and A5 motorways, which connect Frankfurt Airport to the German highway network. The airport offers extensive parking facilities for both short and long-term parking needs.
History and Current Operations at the Airport
Here is a brief overview of the history and current operations at Frankfurt Airport (FRA/EDFF). The airport traces its origins back to 1925 when a small airfield called Rebstock Airport was opened on the site. However, it was not until 1936 that the modern airport began to take shape with the construction of a new terminal and runway. The airport continued to expand over the years, and by the 1950s, it had become an important hub for both domestic and international flights. In 1972, Terminal 1 was opened to handle the increasing passenger traffic, followed by the opening of Terminal 2 in 1994 to further expand capacity. In recent years, Frankfurt Airport (now operated by a company named Fraport) has undergone significant modernizationand expansion projects to keep up with growing demand. Terminal 1 has been expanded and renovated multiple times, with the addition of new concourses and facilities to accommodate the increasing number of passengers. A brand-new terminal 3 is currently under construction and is expected to open in 2026. Frankfurt Airport currently has four operational runways: 07L/25R, 07C/25C, 07R/25L, and 18/36. Frankfurt Airport serves around 330 destinations across the rest of Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Asia, making it the airport with the most direct routes in the world. Frankfurt Airport’s busiest year was in 2019, when it handled 70600000 passengers, making it the 15th busiest airport in the world that year. In 2020 and 2021 with the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers drastically declined, but are rising again as air travel bounces back. In 2023, Frankfurt Airport handled around 59400000 passengers.
Anyways, after a very scenic bus ride across the airport, seeing many magnificent aircraft, we arrived at Terminal 1, the main terminal of Frankfurt Airport. It was a short walk to the busy Z gates concourse where my flight would depart from later in the night, and where the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge was located. Some leftover Christmas decorations from 6 days ago could still be seen hanging from the walls and ceilings.
Getting to the Lounge
At the entrance of the lounge (which is also where the Lufthansa Senator Lounge was located), however, there was a large sign which indicated that the lounge I was after, the Business Lounge, was closed for renovations and would only reopen two days later. A lounge attendant was stationed outside the lounge was busy redirecting business class passengers to other lounges, since the Senator Lounge was reserved for those with Lufthansa Group (LHG) Senator status or STAR Alliance Gold status holders.
The lounge attendant explained to me the way to navigate to the other non-Schengen Lufthansa Business Lounge, the one located at the B gates. The lounge attendant’s directions were: ‘Walk to gate Z11, take the bus service from there to the B gates, then head over to gate B23, the lounge is there. When you come back, walk to gate A62, take a similar bus, and you’re back at the Z gates. You will not need to pass through passport control or security.’
Taking her word, I headed back towards the direction I came from. Sure enough, at gate Z11, a sign saying ‘bus to B gates’ was standing there, and I walked down the stairs onto the ground floor, where an articulated bus was boarding. The journey over to the B gates only took a few minutes.
Once we reached the B gates and I de-boarded the bus, it was a quick ride up an escalator, and I found myself in the B gates departure concourse. Like the Z gates, this area was quite busy, and also strewn with leftover Christmas decorations. It was a quick speedy walk, passing the Lufthansa First Lounge, before I arrived near gate B23, where the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge that I was after, was located.
At the entrance on the 2nd floor (where the departures concourse was), there was a lounge attendant stationed to check and scan my boarding pass. I was directed to my right, where an elevator would take me upstairs to the lounge on the 3rd floor.
The lounge was quite large, though not as large as some other business class lounges I have been to, such as the Al Mourjan Lounge in Doha Hamad International Airport, Qatar. The lounge itself is in a circular design, with elements of the lounge – seating areas, dining areas, a working area, a sleeping area, and the restrooms – forming a large circle that encloses the kitchen which provides all the food that is available at the buffet. A large selection of foreign and local newspapers could also be found near the front desk.
The lounge was quite busy for most of the day, but for a small period of time during the early afternoon, it was rather quiet and provided the most amount of freedom and enjoyment.
The lounge was quite busy for most of the day, but for a small period of time during the early afternoon, it was rather quiet and provided the most amount of freedom and enjoyment.
Food
I grabbed a seat in the dining area and went forward to the self-serve buffet to have some of the breakfast items that were on offer. These were: scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, sausages, as well as yoghurt on offer. These tasted alright, though the eggs were very under-seasoned, and the sausages were a little too hard. Food items were very regularly replenished.
For lunch, there was a type of German pasta-like staple which tasted a bit like corn flour, a Mexican-tasting minced meat stew, and some grilled vegetables on offer. On the side was also some cold Indian-style Naan. A pot of chowder and a mutton soup was also available. For this meal, I would have preferred the Naan to be kept warm, and slightly less salt in the minced meat.
For dinner, there was the same pasta-like staple and the minced meat stew, as well as the same types of soup, but the vegetables were replaced with some really tasty chicken drumsticks. These were tender and juicy and were perfectly seasoned.
Throughout the day, a salad bar, a candy and biscuits bar, endless amounts of bread and pretzels, fruits, unlimited soft drinks, and self-serve alcoholic drinks, were offered. Needless to say, one would not get hungry in this lounge.
Seating
There were many different types of seating available in the lounge. Many of the seats in the lounge were sofas or armchairs which people can relax in. Most of these seats had easy access to universal power outlets and wireless phone charging systems.
In the dining areas, one could either sit at a proper dining table on proper dining chairs when having a meal, or they could choose to sit at one of the high-back sofas with smaller tables, ideal for a tea or coffee. High tables with highchairs were also available, but they were not the most comfortable to sit at.
There was also a work area in the lounge, tucked away in a corner, and hence far from the busy seating areas. One could choose between high tables with highchairs, or office-like cubicles. By far, the cubicles were much more comfortable.
I spent some time here working on my reviews of SQ510 (which has already been published) and LH755 (which is coming in the near future).
Restrooms and Shower Suites
After my lunch, I headed over to the restrooms where the shower suites were located. Since it was the off-peak period, there was no queue for a shower. The kind lady who was in charge of the shower suites showed me to shower suite no. 1, which featured a shower (most importantly), a toilet, a sink, and well stocked with towels and toiletries. The shower attendant also handed me a dental kit comprising a single-use bamboo toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste upon my request.
The main restrooms were also very clean and well maintained.
Sleeping Area
Being in the process of fighting jet-lag (I had just left Seattle three days prior), I started feeling a bit sleepy in the afternoon. So, right after my refreshing shower, I headed over to the sleeping area. This was a small room which had four leather benches which were very comfortable to lie in. These benches also featured headrests for neck support. With the help of the Qatar Airways business class mask that I got from my Qsuites flight with Qatar Airways in May 2023, I easily fell into deep sleep and rested well until the evening when I had my dinner.
Thoughts on the lounge (and the big problem)
I will talk about the lounge attendants first. All of them were friendly and professional, and were very helpful. The cleaners were also very hardworking, getting each and every table spotlessly clean within seconds of someone using them. The cooks in the unseen kitchen were also rapid at getting food out of the kitchen to keep the buffet fully stocked.
Next, the lounge environment. While not as big nor as flashy as some other business class lounges, this one certainly does its job of well-feeding the passengers and serving as a peaceful and quiet place for people to relax or work. Except… not really. The problem? Loud children. Throughout the peak periods, there were many small children in the lounge. This posed a major problem as most of them were very LOUD. Throughout my stay in the lounge, there were endless amounts of screaming and wailing, which disrupted the otherwise peaceful and well-kept lounge. While I understand that they are (or at least their parents are) also paying business class passengers, they should not be in the lounge. While no one can enforce it, it would be more responsible of the parents to keep their loud children (and themselves) out of the lounge. After all, the main purpose of the lounge is to provide a quiet sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle and the loud noises of the main terminal building below, and ruining it for everyone else for their own benefit is extremely inconsiderate. Another possible solution for this would be for Lufthansa to implement separate kid zones in their lounges, which I believe some airlines have already done. This should be an area that can keep kids preoccupied with fun activities, or a soundproof room where parents bring their screaming little monsters into when they explode into their nasty little tantrums. This, however, would be costly and time-consuming, and would result in the same situation that brought me into this lounge instead of the one at the Z gates…
LOUNGE SCORES: 7/10
Speaking of the Z gates, it is now time to get there. It was 20:15, and my 10h30min stay in the lounge was already up. I had to make my way back to the Z gates for my flight to Singapore. Following the instructions given to me 11 hours ago, I started looking for a way to the aforementioned gate A62 to catch a bus. But that cannot be right? The A gates were miles away, in the same part of the building as the Z gates that I was heading to, just on different floors. Even after studying the map of Frankfurt Airport at the time of writing in January 2024, I still cannot comprehend why the lounge attendant had previously told me to go to A62. I do not think that I misheard either.
Anyway, I decided to follow some signboards that were put up to help travellers navigate their way through the massive airport. I first had to head upstairs to the 3rd floor, where I walked around a security checkpoint into a very long and deserted hallway. Following a 10-minute walk, I found a light rail system that connects to the Z gates.
One stop later, the train stopped at the Z gates station. It was yet another long walk until I reached a security checkpoint that I could not avert. This was quite quick, however, and the staff working here were in good spirits and were very friendly, joyfully interacting with every passenger. Soon enough, I found myself walking through even more empty hallways before going down a flight of stairs that led me back to the area next to gate Z11, where I had taken the bus to the B gates earlier in the morning. From here, it was a straightforward 5-minute walk (aided by electric travelators) to my gate, Z23, where the aircraft was waiting.
Boarding
Gate Z23, which happens to have not too big of a boarding area, and offering laughable views of the aircraft, was crowded and chaotic. The moment the first announcement regarding the flight was made, hundreds of eager passengers rushed to crowd around the electronic barriers and desks. The announcement was about the flight being ready to board in 15 minutes. I guess this does demonstrate the Singaporean ‘kiasu’ culture, when people just really shudder at the idea of being last in anything, including boarding this aircraft, despite everyone having their own assigned seat. I do not understand: what are they competing for? First to board takes off first? Last to board don’t get to go to Singapore??? I don’t think so.
Anyways, I cannot only blame the passengers for the mess at the gate. There were no barriers or queuing lines, and all that was separating the aircraft and the 350+ passengers on today’s flight, was a single open gate. Passengers with small children and the disabled elderly were called first, but some parents with kids who looked as old as 12 years old went forward too. Excuse me, but the kid is perfectly able to navigate their way to their seat in the crowd, and is old enough to settle into their seat, aren’t they? The whole point of letting small children board first is to allow little children more time to settle into their seats so they do not start wailing when boarding width everyone else. The gate agents did not seem to be bothered enough to send them back into the crowd, though, and let them through with large frowns on their faces.
Group 1, which consisted of First Class passengers and Lufthansa HON Circle status (STAR Alliance Platinum status) holders were then called, but there were none of them at the gate, since all of them probably got chauffeured from the Lufthansa First Class Terminal directly to the aircraft anyways. Then, came the turn for Group 2, consisting of Business Class passengers and Lufthansa Senator status (STAR Alliance Gold) to board. This was a horrifying mess of more than 80 passengers trying to squeeze through one lane into the jet-bridge. The reason I say more than 80 even though there were only 80 business class seats (sold out, by the way), was that I KNOW there were Premium Economy and Economy Class passengers trying to get on the aircraft with the Business Class passengers. Just – WHY? Does this give them a sense of satisfaction or something? I was quite heart-warmed, though, to see a girl, around 14 years old maybe, pull her mother away from the crowd, pointing to the Group 3 written on their boarding passes and saying that it was not their turn yet.
Anyhow, after what felt like hours of watching Business Class passengers and some non-Business Class passengers pushing others and squeezing into the front of the queue, and ending up one of the last Business Class passengers to board the aircraft, my boarding pass was scanned and I was given the green light to enter the jet-bridge.
DEPARTURE AIRPORT SCORES: 6/10
Flight Information
Flight date: 31/12/2023 – 01/01/2024
Airline: Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LH/DLH)
Operated by: Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LH/DLH)
Flight number: LH778
Callsign: DLH778 (Lufthansa 778)
Route: Frankfurt FRA - Singapore Changi SIN
Scheduled Departure Time: 21:45 (UTC+1)
Actual Departure Time: 22:16 (UTC+1)
Scheduled Arrival Time: 17:00 +1 day (UTC+8)
Actual Arrival Time: 16:52 +1 day (UTC+8)
Scheduled Flight Time: 12h15min
Actual Flight Time: 11h36min
Aircraft Information
Aircraft Registration: D-ABYG*
Aircraft Name: Baden-Württemberg
Aircraft Livery: Lufthansa – 1989**
Aircraft Type: Boeing 747-830***
Engines: 4× GEnx-2B67
Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN): 37831
Line Number: 1470
First Flight: 23/01/2013
Aircraft Age (as of flight): 10 years 11 months
Aircraft Delivered: 12/03/2013
Seating Configuration: F8J80W32Y244***
Brief history of the airline:
Deutsche Lufthansa Aktiengellschaft, simply known as Lufthansa, is the German national airline and flag-carrier, and is the largest full-service carrier in Europe. The present-day Lufthansa was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Cologne, Germany, though its roots can be traced back to 1917 as Deutsche Luft-Reederei. The Lufthansa name was first introduced in 1926 when the airline rebranded as Deutsche Luft Hansa. That airline was terminated after the defeat of Nazi Germany, but the name and branding was adopted when the present-day Lufthansa was formed in a post-war effort to create a new national airline for West Germany. Lufthansa currently operates a large fleet of 325 aircraft with a very diverse fleet of aircraft of all sizes from Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, and Embraer. (35 Airbus A319-100, 51 Airbus A320-200, 35 Airbus A320neo, 17 Airbus A321-100, 37 Airbus A321-200, 17 Airbus A321neo, 10 Airbus A330-300, 17 Airbus A340-300, 10 Airbus A340-600, 24 Airbus A350-900, 8 Airbus A380-800, 8 Boeing 747-400, 19 Boeing 747-8, 5 Boeing 787-9, 28 Bombardier CRJ-900, 4 Embraer E190). The average fleet age as of April 2024 is 13 years and 8 months. As of April 2024, Lufthansa is serving 229 domestic and international destinations across the globe from its hubs in Frankfurt FRA and Munich MUC. Lufthansa is also a founding member of the Star Alliance, one of the world's largest airline alliances. In 2017, Lufthansa was given a Skytrax 5-star rating after announcing a new Business Class cabin for its Boeing 777-9X aircraft that were on order, set to have been delivered in 2019. However, that product has yet to arrive as of April 2024, and with a decline in levels of service and subpar hard products on board, the 5th star was taken away from Lufthansa in 2022.
*Lufthansa’s fleet of 19 Boeing 747-8s are all registered D-ABY(x), likely a throwback to most of the former Lufthansa Boeing 747-100 and 747-200, which were registered this way. Note that the D-ABYB and D-ABYE registrations have been skipped in the current 747-830 fleet. D-ABYB, the Boeing 747-100 delivered on 13/04/1970, had crashed on 20/11/1974 at Nairobi NBO when the aircraft stalled on departure after the leading-edge slats had failed to deploy. I believe this was the reason that D-ABYB was left out of the 747-8 registration list, with the same reasoning behind airlines often retiring flight numbers after crashes. Meanwhile, D-ABYE was a cargo 747-200F, but I do not know why Lufthansa decided against giving one of their 747-8s the D-ABYE registration.
**D-ABYA and D-ABYC feature the newer 2018 Lufthansa livery. D-ABYD, D-ABYF, D-ABYG (our aircraft today), D-ABYH, D-ABYI, D-ABYJ, D-ABYK, D-ABYL, D-ABYM (used to wear a ‘5-star-hansa’ special livery to celebrate them having Skytrax 5-star status; that aged really badly), D-ABYN, D-ABYO, D-ABYP, D-ABYQ, D-ABYR, D-ABYS, and D-ABYU all feature this older 1989 Lufthansa livery. D-ABYT wears the 1970 Lufthansa livery, featuring it as a retro livery.
***The suffix ‘30’ in ‘Boeing 747-830’ is the Boeing customer code for Lufthansa, used to identify detailed variations or options requested by particular customers. Other examples of Boeing customer codes would include ‘23’ for American Airlines (eg. Boeing 757-223) and ‘31’ for the now defunct Trans World Airlines/TWA (eg. Boeing 767-231). Do note that these customer codes do not change if the aircraft is sold, hence for example there are some United Boeing 757-33Ns. (United’s own customer code is ‘24’, ‘3N’ belonged to American Trans Air, which ceased operations in 2008)
****The Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 features a, to put it mildly, odd seating configuration. While the configuration of 8 First Class seats, 80 Business Class seats, 32 Premium Economy seats, and 244 Economy seats may not seem odd at first, the placement of some of the cabins and seats, more specifically, the Premium Economy cabin (if you can call that a cabin, since the only things separating the W cabin from the Y cabin are some negligible grey partitions hanging from the cabin ceiling), is rather questionable. Immediately behind the main deck rear business class cabin, there are a few rows of economy seats arranged 3-4-3, four rows along the windows and three in the centre, making it 36 economy seats in the tiny cabin. Only behind that then, is the Premium Economy cabin, which features four full rows of ZIMmagic seats in a 2-4-2 arrangement. My take on this arrangement was that the interiors of the Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 had originally been designed for (and this one, as well as many others, were delivered in) a three-class configuration, featuring only First, Business, and Economy seats in a configuration of F8J92Y262. When the Premium Economy seats were introduced in 2014, Lufthansa struggled to fit in a cabin for that. For the F8J80W32Y244 configuration they settled on, the Premium Economy seats were too big to fit into the area between the rear lower deck Business Class cabin and doors 3. Hence, they decided to move forward some Economy seats and place some Premium Economy seats in the large area behind doors 3 instead.
Once I was finally onboard the aircraft, two flight attendants positioned at door L1 warmly welcomed the passengers on board. It was so exciting and satisfying at the same time, hearing the words ‘your seat is upstairs, sir’. I turned right, leaving the gorgeous First Class cabin in the nose behind me, and walked through the forward business class cabin, made up of 6 in a rather undesirable 2-2-2 arrangement. Honestly, if one does not care for the views outside, the centre seats on the lower deck (including the 2 more rows in the rear Business Class cabin as well) would be among the more desirable ones, since the pair of seats are the furthest apart, and the footwells are bigger than the ones nearer to the windows.
I walked the full length between doors 1 and 2, and walked up the beautifully lit staircase. Upstairs was a little smaller, there were 32 seats, arranged 2-2 over 8 rows. One thing to note that makes the upper deck window seats (such as mine) the second best in the aircraft (after the First Class seats), is that there are side storage space between the seat and the window. This is due to the curvature of the aircraft fuselage on the hump, as it caves in toward the top. The side storage cubbies are really handy for a seat that otherwise lacks storage space, and are large enough for backpacks and all the amenities that are provided.
I walked forward 2 rows of distance, and found my seat, 86K, to my right. A large blanket and pillow were waiting on the seat, a mattress topper was place on the footrest, a pair of high-quality AKG noise-cancelling headphones, and the amenity kit, some slippers, and a bottle of water was stored in a small cubby below the IFE screen. I will cover those in more detail later.
A friendly German male flight attendant who looked to be in his early 30s came over to offer me a welcome drink – I went with a glass of delicious sparkling white wine*, which was served in a classy Lufthansa-branded wine glass. He soon came back to introduce himself as Christian, and handed me the paper menu, which I will also go more in depth later. He also gave me one of Lufthansa’s van Laack sleeping shirts (L/XL size), though these cannot be considered actual pyjamas since they lack the trouser part. Christian also came past once or twice offering refills for my sparkling white wine.
Apart from Christian, who was mainly handling the rear section of the upper deck, there was also a young German female flight attendant mainly handling the forward section of this upper deck. She did also occasionally come to the rear section for parts of the service, and was also really friendly.
*Not sure about the brand of the sparking white wine since they had already been poured into the wine glasses before being served to the passengers from a tray of drinks, hence could not see the bottle. I actually suspect that it could have been the Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top Champagne from the drinks list, since there was no mention of any other type of sparkling white wine in any other part of the flight.
PRE-DEPARTURE EXPERIENCE SCORES: 9/10
Let us take a look at my seat for the flight, as well as its features.
Seat Details
Seat: 86K (upper deck starboard-side window seat)
Seat model: B/E Diamond Parallel (customized)
Seat Manufacturer: B/E Aerospace (USA)
Row pitch: 64”
Bed Length: 78”
Seat Width: 20”
Class: Business Class (J)
Cabin: Upper deck Business Class cabin (rear section)
Seating Arrangement: 2-2-2 (lower deck), 2-2 (upper deck)
Seat Features:
Height-adjustable headrest with reading lamp
Electronic seat controls
Cocktail table
Retractable bi-folding table stored in side-console
11.7” HD touchscreen IFE display
Wired remote control for IFE system
Duo-headphone jack
USB-A sockets
Universal AC Power Outlets
Coat hook
Storage compartment for literature
Storage compartment for amenity kit and slippers, in a favorable location but too small for shoes
Side storage cubbies
Just a side note: The Boeing 747 seatbelts were initially extremely tricky to buckle, but soon after I discovered that instead of trying to force the seatbelt together, the flap could be raised a little to ‘unlock’ the seatbelt mechanism and the buckle easily slides in nicely into place.
There were also no individual air nozzles implemented on this aircraft, though the temperature inside the aircraft remained cool for the duration of the flight.
History of the Seat
A brief history on this seat: This particular seat type was unveiled and put into service by Lufthansa in 2012 with the introduction of the carrier’s (at that time) brand-new Boeing 747-8 (which is the topic of this review). While the base model of the seat was based on the B/E Diamond Parallel seating and engineered by American seating manufacturer B/E Aerospace (now part of Collins Aerospace), the finishes of the cabin were heavily customized and designed by Pearson Lloyd in Hackney, UK. At the time, the materials of the seat and the colour palette of the cabins were selected to create a more spacious atmosphere than Lufthansa’s previous generation of Business Class seats, which were some very heavy-looking angled flat beds with very clumsy finishes. Note that at the time the 2012 seat (with no direct aisle access for all passengers) was introduced, other airlines such as Cathay Pacific were already rolling out herringbone seats in their Business Class cabins that have a 1-2-1 seating arrangement with direct aisle access for all passengers. Since the introduction of the 2012 seat, the same seat has gone through minor modifications as they make their way onto the carrier’s other aircraft types, such as the Airbus A330/A340 and Airbus A380, through retrofits, as well as the later Airbus A350-900s. This seat is set to be replaced by the all new Allegris product unveiled in 2023, and is scheduled to be rolled out on the carrier’s brand new Boeing 787-9 and A350-900 aircraft, as well as the future latecomer Boeing 777-9X. While Lufthansa is looking to retrofit their Boeing 747-8s with these seats, they are facing challenges regarding the cabin width on the upper decks, and thus are currently set to only retrofit the lower decks of the Boeing 747-8, though even that would only be happening far into the future (probably around the same time as San Marino winning a World Cup).
Some of my thoughts about the seat:
Seat Comfort: The seat was really well padded and really comfortable to sit in. With the electronic seat controls, one could put the seat into any position they fancy, meaning that anyone would have a lovely time sitting down in one of these seats.
Seat Privacy: This is where this Lufthansa Business Class seat really does not shine. These are probably some of the most exposed Business Class seats out there, and it feels like even Economy Class can provide similar levels of privacy due to how close the seats are to one another.
Legroom: When seated upright, the legroom situation is really good. One could stretch out however they liked. When in a more reclined position, the footwell with its leather footrest is a nice place to rest one’s feet. When in fully flat mode, the footrest is on the tighter side, and will place one’s feet in close proximity to the seat neighbour’s resting feet as well. However, the plastic divider in between the two joined footrests did its job well for me, no no major complaints there.
Seat Storage: I will, once again, state that the amount of storage at this seat is insane due to the upper deck side storage cubbies. At other seats, the in-seat storage situation is not so great, but the overhead stowage spaces are abundant.
THE SEAT SCORES: 7/10
We pushed back soon, and the very German (very direct and straight-to-the-point) animated safety video was shown. The exact same safety video was shown twice, one in German, then once in English. I cannot emphasize enough how absolutely boring these safety videos are, just make it ever so slightly more interesting so that people actually want to watch it. Make it nature-themed, cartoon-themed, Germany-themed… anything would do. And it is not just about the film itself being so monotonous and slow, the animated figures in the video – they are horrendous. Their bodily movements are so odd, unnatural, and… lifeless, kind of like those AI robots you see nowadays so often creeping people out. Maybe those were modelled after LHG’s safety videos… you never know.
The four massive and powerful GEnx engines then started up, and we started our approximately 10-minute taxi to our runway. Look at the reflection of our aircraft's vertical stabilizer in the window!
The cabin lights were soon turned off, and our Boeing 747-8 lined up on runway 18. The aircraft rotated and took off at 22:16 local time for our south-bound 180° departure. Almost immediately after lifting off, our magnificent beast made a left bank to a heading of around 119° in the general southeast direction of our destination, Singapore.
Now is a good time to take a look at our flight path. Our flight out of Germany took us over the countries of Czechia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Black Sea, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, Pakistan, India, the Bay of Bengal, Malaysia, and Indonesia before we landed in Singapore. We cruised at 33000ft, then 35000ft, then 37000ft, and then back to 35000ft.
Upon checking FlightRadar24 after the flight, it seems like there was a glitch to the tracking system while we were cruising at 35000ft over north-western India. The playback of the flight indicates that at 03:49 of 01/01/2024, the recorded ground speed decreased from around 610 knots (thanks to strong easterly tailwinds) to a mere 154 knots, before instantly shooting back up to 610 knots within seconds. This is quite an interesting glitch to occur, since it never actually happened in real life (we would have instantly broken apart in mid-air). Was it FlightRadar24’s issue when logging the data, or had the aircraft’s GPS actually lagged/glitched or sensed a faulty reading momentarily before getting the issue fixed?
Let us take a closer look at the menu and the drinks list for this flight.
(Update April 2024: An error with flight-report.com occurred with the gallery that was originally here. The full menu is now available at the bottom of the review.)
The after-takeoff dinner service started around 30 minutes after our departure from Frankfurt, when the cabin crew came around handing out hot towels. I always find that a hot towel really does help one freshen up before a meal, so nicely done to whoever thought it up (or stole the idea from other airlines) at Lufthansa.
Christian then came around to place a fresh tablecloth on my tray table, and took down my choice for the appetizer, where I went for the Duck Breast. I had previously selected my main course of choice online, so he did not need to bother with that here. Note that on top of the three fixed main courses on board the flight, the online pre-order system also includes three other dishes, though the Beef Goulash I had selected was on the menu anyways.
Christian then came back with the first round of edible items – a small portion of toasted cashews and a drink. I opted for the exotic-sounding mango-passionfruit juice, which I discovered while browsing through the menu (more on the drinks later). The cashews were light and provided a nice crunch, while the juice was very refreshing. I would have preferred if the cashews were just a little warmer, though.
Appetizer: Duck Breast with Red Cabbage, Cashew Nut and Lingonberries*
After some waiting, Christian finally came back, placing a neat tray of food (all in fine porcelain dishes) on my table, and refilled my drink. On the tray was the appetizer that I had selected, the Duck Breast with Red Cabbage, Cashew Nut and Lingonberries. At the first glance, the dish is phenomenally presented – the plating and the colour palette, was exceptionally designed. The slices of smoked Duck Breast were obviously the highlight of this course, being at the centre of the dish. Hidden underneath and behind the duck, was some shredded Red Cabbage. Surrounding the duck and cabbages, were a couple scattered cashews, and a variety of sauces, including what I believe to be the Lingonberries in the form of a jam/paste, among others.
Taste-wise, the smoked Duck Breast was really good – it was very tasty, and was delightfully tender and juicy. The red cabbage shreds hidden behind the duck, were also very nice. They had a refreshing crunch, but were a little too sweet. The accompanying sauces and the few cashews, however, were less ideal. They felt quite random, and none of the sauces blended well with the duck or the cabbage (contrary to the looks). Still, they were not the point of this dish, the fantastic Duck Breast and Red Cabbage were.
Salad: Seasonal Salad with Cranberries and Walnut, accompanied by delicate Dressing*
Also neatly placed on the tray, was a small bowl of salad. This contained Spinach leaves, some Red Cabbage, some dried Cranberries, and a couple Walnuts. On the side was a small bottle of Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing by Frutto D’Oro of Italy. This was a simple salad, but it was crisp and fresh. My complaint about this salad would be that the overpowering Spinach leaves were slightly bitter for my taste (as all Spinach leaves are), and this was not helped by the acidic Vinaigrette. A more savoury condiment, such as some Italian Dressing like the one I had on board the same flight in Premium Economy class back in 2021, would have been preferred here.
Bread
Ready with a basket full of different types of bread, Christian held the basket in front of me and waited for my selection. I opted for a whole-grain bread roll (or Vollkornbrot), which was paired really nicely with the delicious provided butter. The bread did not taste the freshest though, nor was it warm, leading me to suspect that it was made a lot earlier in the day.
Main: Traditional Beef Goulash with pan-fried Spätzle and Brussels Sprouts*
After I had finished everything that was on the previous tray, Christian came by again to clear it for me, leaving just the tablecloth on there. A few moments later, he reappeared, this time holding a dish in his hands, which he gently placed down onto my table, as well as some fresh utensils.
Hold on a minute, you are probably wondering, was I not supposed to get the beef? That was exactly what went through my mind as I sat there in a state of momentary confusion. Christian most likely saw my order wrongly, and delivered the Shrimp with Ribbon Noodles instead, which was one of the pre-order-only main courses. Having had my taste buds already set themselves ready for the taste of beef, I had Christian bring the shrimp dish back to the galley (I snapped a picture first) before he came back with a new dish, this one being the Beef Goulash with pan-fried Spätzle and Brussels Sprouts.
I must say that I was initially pleasantly surprised by just how intricate and splendid the presentation of the appetizer was, as well as the taste to the Duck Breast and Red Cabbage, since I had seen plenty of pictures of poorly made and presented Lufthansa Business Class meals online. I will admit that I had set my expectations way too high because of the appetizer, because I could not have been more horrified and disappointed when the main dishes were placed in front of me. While food is food, and the appetizer was nice, the main dishes really lacked the sort of elegance that should come with the ‘exquisite food’ from the ‘restaurant service’ that Lufthansa advertises. The plating was uninspired, and the amount of sauce that moved and stained the otherwise shiny clean plates, was quite unsightly. Maybe they could put the more ‘soupy’ elements of each dish in separate containers, then assemble in-flight after heating? I know this means extra work for the already-hard worked flight attendants, but would make the dining experience so much more refined. Just saying…
On to the taste of this dish, like anyone else, I started with some of the Beef Goulash, which is a type of soup/stew that originated in Central Europe. The beef was well cooked with a soft but slightly chewy texture. The soup of the goulash had a nice flavour, and the seasoning was just about right. I do think the portion of beef was a little too small. Moving on to the pan-fried Spätzle, it is a type of German staple in the form of egg noodles, serving a role slightly similar to pasta in Italy. This one right in front of me, was way over-seasoned. I personally would also have preferred if it were pan-fried for just a bit longer to give it some extra crispiness, since mine was a bit rubbery. I am sure that some freshly made home-cooked spätzle would taste really good, but this ain’t it. Finally, the Brussels Sprouts – I was expecting some roasted sprouts that had a slight char on the outside and a delightful crisp inside, while being well seasoned. This could not have been further from the truth, as the ones I had were bitter and well overcooked while (presumably) boiling away in a pot at Frankfurt Airport. When I tried to cut one of them with a knife, the poor sprout descended into a pile of bitter, unseasoned mush. Even when having them with some of the goulash soup, the sprouts remained overpoweringly bitter. Maybe I should have stuck to the Shrimp and Noodles, or maybe had ordered the better-sounding ‘Skin fried Pikeperch (a type of fish) with Beluga Lentil Stew and Truffle mashed Potatoes, enhanced by Lemon Pepper Sauce*.’
At precisely 00:00:00 German time (UTC+1) of 01/01/2024, as the clock struck midnight (no literal clocks, seeing we were inside an aircraft), I was in the middle of sinking my teeth into one of those horrible Brussels Sprouts. Oh how ironic that this single Brussels Sprout might well end up being the singular worst thing I eat in all 731 days of both 2023 and 2024!
Anyways, apart from a couple subtle whispers of ‘happy new year’ in the cabin, there were not really any sorts of celebrations (and certainly no fireworks of any kind were detonated inside our aircraft), which was quite understandable especially for our upper deck since many people including children, were soundly asleep. Christian did walk one round up and down the aisle offering the still awake and dining passengers some Champagne, which was a very nice touch, full credit to him.
Dessert: Opera Cake with Red Berry Compote* (not really)
After the main course was cleared by both Christian and I (in different ways), I was asked my choice of dessert. I opted for the Opera Cake with Red Berry Compote over the cheese plate, since I was looking for something sweet to end this almost dramatic meal. Served on my table was a small dish of which a small round cheesecake and the berry compote.
Now, what happened there? Opera cake is supposed to be a coffee sponge cake with layers of ganache and coffee French buttercream with a chocolate glaze covering it. This, by the looks of it, was certainly not that. My guess was that they had run out of the Opera Cake at Lufthansa’s catering in Frankfurt, so they just loaded some New York Cheesecake onboard instead. Still, it is a really nice-looking dessert, and I think it pairs even better with the berry compote than the actual Opera Cake, both the visuals and the taste.
The cheesecake itself was really rich, but not too sweet. It was really well paired with the little bit of acidity from the Red Berry Compote, which I believe was made from either Redcurrants or Cranberries, or both. The combination of the contrasting textures between the cheesecake and the compote was also really pleasurable. While this dessert was just a little too heavy, it tasted fantastic.
Beverage: Mango and Passionfruit juice (pictured above with the cashews)
Looking through the very expansive drinks menu, which featured many alcoholic (such as Wines, Champagnes, Spirits, Liquors, Beers etc etc) and non-alcoholic drinks (such as juices, sodas, teas and coffees etc), I decided that I had already had enough of booze for the night during the pre-departure service, and decided on something non-alcoholic and less harmful to my health. I poured through the drinks list in search of something unique, and quickly found a ‘Mango and Passionfruit’ label sitting in a corner of the Juice section. Christian looked quite delighted that someone ordered this, since it seems that people usually go for the default orange or apple juices without taking a closer look at the drinks list for their choice of juice.
Anyways, the juice was poured into and served in a Lufthansa branded glass. It tasted like mango and passionfruit, with the acidity and tang of the passionfruit beautifully balancing the rich and smooth sweetness of the mango. This has to be my new favourite airline juice. 10/10
*Just a side note, I copied the names of these dishes from the menu, word for word here, so please do not blame me if they sound a bit odd to you.
DINNER SERVICE SCORES: 7/10
Amenity Kit
There was a Christmas-themed amenity kit waiting in the bottom storage cubby at every seat during boarding. The small fabric bag had a Christmas tree design on it, formed by intricate little aircraft designs. There was also a small bell on each amenity kit, which jingled whenever anyone touched the amenity kit, keeping to the Christmas theme. As expected, there was a lot of jingling bell noises during the flight.
The contents of the amenity kit were: Two L’Occtaine creams, both 5ml of volume, with the white tube being a ‘Comforting Cream’ and the Lufthansa-blue tube being a ‘Precious Cream’, whatever that is; A pair of loose fabric socks, which felt like any other airline socks; An eye mask with a snowflake design (again, using those little aircraft designs); A dental kit with a bamboo toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste (same ones from the lounge); A small Compass (the brand name) mint which I missed while taking the picture of the contents of the amenity kit on the flight; And finally some single use headphone covers which helped the provided headphones feel a lot more hygienic and safer to use (since those came from inside a small storage area in the side console, of which the last time a deep clean had occurred there was probably before delivery of the aircraft to Lufthansa).
This amenity kit certainly delivered all the essentials and some decent products, while having some personality and style with the creative aircraft-Christmas themed designs. It did not lack anything, but maybe a perfume or comb of some sort would have been more than welcome to even further improve the amenity kit to one of the true 5-star standard that Lufthansa so desires.
This was, and I give credit to Lufthansa for this, certainly an improvement to the previous generation of ‘amenity kits’ that Lufthansa gave out in Business Class (and Premium Economy Class as well, as seen in my review of this same flight in Premium Economy on the Airbus A340-300 back in 2021). The previous generation design was a simple, barely reusable tote bag, made of some sort of plastic instead of fabric, and features a sketch of an iconic landmark at select Lufthansa destinations. I get that the whole tote bag idea maybe encourages the passengers to save them as collectibles, trying to get the complete set instead of throwing them away, the execution of the idea felt very cheap with the use of a plasticky material. While the contents of the Business Class edition amenity kit probably have not changed much, the new loot bag-like design has so much more personality, and incorporating Christmas with aviation designs was a very creative idea that I have not seen much of elsewhere. Still, a proper leather case or box would be ideal, but Lufthansa is one step closer to achieving that with the reintroduction of a proper amenity kit of sorts instead of something along the lines of a goodie bag.
Bedding
The bedding in Lufthansa’s long-haul business class is quite elaborate. Firstly, there was a mattress pad neatly rolled up in a bag on the footrest. The mattress pad folded out to fit perfectly on the flat surface of the seat/bed (it was designed for this specific seat after all), and does a great job making the sleeping surface clean and comfortable.
A Lufthansa-blue duvet was also waiting at every seat during boarding, neatly folded and fastened using a strip of paper wishing the passengers ‘sleep well’ (pretty charming). The duvet, while not the fanciest, was of excellent quality, being very soft and comfortable while having some good weight to it.
A business class pillow also came at each seat, with the pillow coming in the Lufthansa brand colours of dark blue, dark yellow, and white, while featuring a nice pattern. This range of colours does seem to elevate the aesthetics of the cabin quite a bit, since the original grey seats and brown finishes elsewhere in the cabin does make it quite monotonous and boring. The pillow itself was large and provided a lot of support for either the neck or the back, making the already comfortable seat even more pleasant to sit on.
Other Amenities
On this flight, other than the bedding and amenity kits, other amenities were also available for Business class passengers. Examples of this would be a pair of slippers and a sleeping shirt.
The slippers were pretty standard, being large and well padded, and (like many other amenities on this flight) was a shade of (you guessed it) Lufthansa-blue. The same could be said for the provided ‘sleeping shirt’, which was provided by van Laack, a German luxury clothing brand. I will note again that since no matching shorts/trousers were provided, this cannot qualify as a proper pair of pyjamas. This causes Lufthansa to fall behind of some of its competitors (such as Singapore Airlines direct or Qatar Airways with a stop in Doha). With that said, though, these Lufthansa van Laack sleeping shirts are still very comfortable, being made of a really comfortable material, and having a loose fit when worn by me (thanks to Christian giving me a L/XL size).
Lavatories
There are two passenger-accessible lavatories on the upper deck of Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-8, one is located at the front just behind the cockpit (and the neighboring crew-only lavatory), and the other is located at the rear near the staircase. Both are of similar sizes, but the rear one is just ever so slightly smaller due to the curvature towards the back of the hump (which makes the upper deck on the Boeing 747). Each lavatory came with a toilet seat (obviously), a sink with a mirror and plenty of counter space, as well as a full-sized mirror, and a fold-down changing table. I was slightly disappointed that neither lavatory had a window. Both these lavatories were kept spotlessly clean throughout the entire flight.
The lavatories were also well stocked with amenities. Aside from the default hand & body lotion, eye masks (though these were the generic ones without the Christmas theme), ear plugs, hand disinfection wipes, and small bottles of mouthwash were also on offer.
OVERALL SCORE FOR AMENITIES: 8/10
In-Flight Entertainment system
Each seat came equipped with a 11.7” HD IFE Touchscreen, with the software being the Panasonic eX2 system which provides audio and visual content on so many aircraft around the world. It features a decent selection of movies, TV shows, music, audiobooks, podcasts, games, and flight-related content.
There was also an interactive in-flight map of pretty high quality.
Interestingly, this aircraft came fitted with outboard cameras on the belly of the aircraft, with one facing forwards and one facing downwards. It is a massive shame that Lufthansa did not implement any cameras on the tail, since those usually provide the most stunning footages on other aircraft.
The screen can slide outwards since its retracted position for takeoff and landing is at a rather undesirable location, and its vertical (along the y-axis) angle can be adjusted to the user’s needs. While the monitor looks quite chonky, the screen itself actually has a pretty high definition and makes for some comfortable viewing.
I was beyond grateful that the monitor was touchscreen, since i was never able to get the remote controller to work. My wired remote controller, while in a convenient location right next to my seat, was somehow stuck inside its own little pod, and I could not get it out no matter what. The controller itself also looked quite dated and worn, so I am not complaining about not getting to use it either.
For the flight, pretty high-quality AKG noise-cancelling headphones were also provided. These came in a little storage area right next to the remote control in the side console, and I was really relieved to have headphone covers in the amenity kit, since the storage area (or pretty anywhere else on the aircraft for that matter) did not seem like a very proper place to store the exposed headphones (other airlines typically package headphones before a passenger uses them to ensure cleanliness, from what I observe).
Onboard Wi-Fi
Lufthansa's Boeing 747-8 comes with Inmarsat GX satellite Wi-Fi. However, every time I tried connecting to it, I was sent through a loop of: Wi-Fi portal telling me to paste a link into my browser (Google Chrome); Me pasting the said link into Google Chrome; The website in Google Chrome telling me to paste a link into my browser. This annoying loop went on a couple rounds before I got tired of it and stopped bothering. It was quite infuriating that this was already the fourth time (spoiler for future flight reviews) in this trip where Lufthansa’s onboard Wi-Fi had failed me. Is it the airline’s problem or is it mine??
Onboard Charging
Each business class seat on Lufthansa has access to one Universal Power Outlet located at the front of the side console, as well as a USB-A port inside the same storage compartment where the provided headphones can be found (the headphone jacks were in there as well). Personally, I would say that one Universal AC Power Outlet and one USB-A port is enough, but for those with more devices may probably find an extra USBA/C port to be helpful.
IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SCORES: 7/10
Each Business Class seat converts into a 78” long fully flat bed. The space for the body and around the shoulders are more than enough (thanks to the adjustable armrest), but the downsides would be that the foot space is rather limited, and the indirect aisle access means that anyone occupying a window seat has to manoeuvre over the sleeping torso of someone in the aisle seat. The sleeping surface itself was really comfortable, the plush softness of the surface was further elevated by the presence of the mattress topper.
After getting ready to sleep, Christian came round one final time to check that everyone was doing alright with their beds, and he handed each passenger a small box of DreiMeister chocolates to snack on in case anyone got peckish in the middle of the night. Those chocolates were really good.
Quite unfortunately, while I was playing with the seat controls, I accidentally activated the lumbar support system. This was basically an inflatable bag inside the seat which inflated and deflated when the relevant button was pressed. Basically, after having created a massive lump in the middle of my seat, no matter how hard I tried, the seat never got back to its original flat surface. Instead, a tiny lump still persisted, meaning I had to sleep with my back on a discomfortingly uneven surface. It does seem like the lumbar support system can only release all the gas inside the inflatable bag when the seat is upright, since the lump only disappeared after I had woken up and put my seat back up. However, as I was slightly tired (and lazy to try anything else), I just left the lump created by the lumbar support system there and placed the large pillow on the upper back area of the bed to even out the lump. The also relatively large headrest that came with the seat acted as my pillow for the night.
Despite the small issue with the lumbar support system, I slept extremely well. The cabin was exceptionally quiet thanks to the low passenger volume up here on the upper deck (and that most of the children were sleeping for majority of the flight), as well as our placement ahead of the engines. I managed around 4 and a half hours of solid deep sleep and woke up feeling very well rested.
BED AND SLEEP SCORES: 9/10
At around 12:30 Singapore time (UTC+8), I woke up. At this time, most other passengers in the cabin were still sleeping, so there was no queue to either lavatory for myself to freshen up. I was greeted by a younger German guy in the rear galley, who was presumably on his shift alone up here while Christian and his shift-mates went to the crew rest area to sleep. He enthusiastically offered me a drink of my choice, and I decided to have a coffee with milk and sugar. He quickly started working on it while I took some time to explore the cabin.
The main attraction on this aircraft for most, would be the grand staircase located near door L2, which connects the lower and upper decks of this aircraft. Throughout the years, the staircase on the iconic Boeing 747 has gone through quite some evolvement, starting off on the Boeing 747-100 with a small but elegant spiral staircase located within close proximity to doors 1 that connected premium travellers to the lounge upstairs inside the old and classic, but much smaller hump. That has gradually evolved into much grander straight staircases located further back as the hump got stretched more and more with every later variant. On this aircraft, each step of the grand staircase was carpeted with hidden lights and silver trimming, and it certainly feels very exclusive walking up it into the upper deck.
Tucked away in a corner near the staircase, as seen in the above picture, is the purser’s workstation. The purser, also known as the lead flight attendant or chief cabin manager, essentially manages all operations by the cabin crew team. It is quite cool to see that the purser has his very own workstation and was fascinating seeing him actually using it. Seeing that I had just descended from above (the upper deck), he immediately got up and asked if I needed anything. He seemed quite relieved to hear from me that everything was great (maybe not the Beef Goulash for dinner), and offered to help if I needed anything. He also looked quite happy that I was so enthusiastically taking pictures of the cabin.
Once back at my seat, I entertained myself using the IFE with arguably one of the best aviation movies of all time, Top Gun: Maverick. Most readers would probably be very familiar with this film, so I will not go into too much detail about this movie. Just to summarize, the film is about Maverick (played by Tom Cruise), a test pilot who turns into a flight instructor when he trains a group of much younger Top Gun (the navy fighter training program) graduates for a dangerous mission using a bunch of F-18s (and eventually even a rusty F-14) against some Su-57 aircraft (it is a horrible mismatch, if you cannot tell already). Basically, and spoiler alert if you have not watched the film yet, Maverick the protagonist succeeds in his mission and becomes best buddies with Rooster (who hated him as his own father Goose was killed while being Maverick’s radio intercept officer/RIO) and starts a love life.
Anyways, while I was enjoying the movie, the upper deck flight attendant soon came around to my seat holding a tray full of goods. He neatly placed my coffee on my tray table, along with a very generous amount of milk, as well as four whole sachets of Dallmayr white sugar!!! (I used three). He also presented to me, a small box of Lindt pralinés. The pralinés were very intricate and were absolutely delicious.
While I sipped on my rather sweet coffee and nibbled on the even sweeter pralinés, the flight attendant appeared once again with some more snacks. This time handed me a packet of Keogh’s Shamrock and Sour Cream potato crisps, which he said was really good and among his personal favourites. Indeed, these were crisp, crunchy, and well flavoured.
Around 2 hours before our arrival in Singapore, many of the passengers awoke, and the breakfast service started. By this time, the flight attendant shifts had changed once again, and Christian reappeared with his other colleagues.
As usual, Christian delicately placed a fresh white tablecloth on my table, giving out restaurant vibes again and making the dining experience feel very elite.
Notice the little Lufthansa logo with the iconic crane engraved on the tablecloth?
Since breakfast was lighter than dinner, everything was served on one tray. The trays were distributed from a trolley.
Main: Scrambled Egg with Sweet Potato Ragout
The first breakfast main option on the menu was the Scrambled Egg with Sweet Potato Ragout, which was my first choice. It was, as expected, presented in a porcelain dish. Plating was neat, though nothing too special in that sense. The balance of colour with the pale-yellow scrambled eggs (garnished with some green chives) and the dark-orange sweet potatoes was also very aesthetically pleasing to look at.
The scrambled egg was cooked with a lot of butter and cream, giving it a very rich and creamy texture. It was also very well-seasoned, which was a big plus for me, though others who prefer lighter breakfast items may not enjoy it so much. While the cream was a bit too excessive, and the eggs would probably taste even better with less cream and butter, it still tasted really good and is among the best eggs I have had in the air so far. Apart from colouration which I talked about just now, the contrast between the scrambled eggs and the sweet potato ragout also extends to the taste and texture. The sweet potato ragout was a very delicate mix of sweet and savoury, and the slight crunch of the fibre-ish sweet potatoes does create quite some exciting contrast to the creaminess and richness of the scrambled eggs. All in all, this main breakfast item was really well thought out, and ranks among my favourites.
Main: Semolina Porridge and Poffertjes
As the portions of breakfast mains are rather small, I asked Christian for another portion of hot dish, this one being the other option of Semolina Porridge with Poffertjes, served with some cranberry compote and dressed with crushed pistachios. The presentation of the colours and textures of this dish was just phenomenal. The runny, translucent berry compote, next to the creamy white Semolina porridge which is topped by some beautifully crushed pistachios. The presence of the solid and crusty Poffertjes created a beautiful contrast to the other elements of the dish as well. Just in case readers are unfamiliar with these food items, Semolina porridge, also known as Semolina pudding, is a porridge-type pudding made from semolina, which is a type of coarsely milled Durum wheat. In the case of the one served on this flight, the semolina porridge was cooked with milk and served with sugar/syrup. Meanwhile, Poffertjes are traditional Dutch mini pancakes made with yeast and buckwheat flour.
Having a sweet tooth, I really did not mind that this dish was so loaded with sugar. However, it did feel a bit odd that they would serve something this sweet for a main breakfast item. I get that a little sweetness is nice, but maybe the passengers (many of whom were Asian, this flight goes to Singapore after all) would prefer a more ‘local’ option prior to landing? They could keep to the porridge theme and serve some savoury congee instead for example, maybe.
Bread
As with the other meal on this flight, a breadbasket was brought around the cabin by Christian. This time, the selection of bread was more breakfast-oriented, as seen here with the croissant that I opted for. To pair with it, I took a small tub of Nutella instead of using the provided butter.
This croissant was, well, quite average. It was cold, and certainly not the freshest, and it was getting a bit limp by the time I got it. The taste was alright, though, and it did somewhat retain some of that distinctive buttery flakiness one would expect from a croissant. The thick and rich Nutella did its job well at adding some of that chocolaty hazelnut flavour that so many people worldwide love so much.
Side/Dessert: Yoghurt Bowl with Cranberry and Walnut
On the side, we had a yoghurt bowl like any other airline breakfast. This was relatively simple, but very delightful. The smooth and mellow texture and taste of the plain yoghurt paired well with the sweetness and acidity of the cranberry compote and the crunch of the walnut (yes, a singular walnut). It was garnished with some more of that beautiful crushed pistachios. Each and every spoonful from this yoghurt bowl was exciting and refreshing at the same time.
You might notice that this yoghurt bowl looks VERY similar to the Semolina porridge dish. I was quite confused initially, and I even thought that they were serving different sizes of the same dish to different passengers! Maybe they could have changed up the presentation style of the dishes to give the feeling of more variety?
Beverage: Mango and Passionfruit juice, Coffee with Milk and Sugar
For this breakfast meal, I was too tempted to skip having another glass of that fantastic Mango and Passionfruit juice… it just tastes so good. On top of that, I ordered another cup of coffee with milk and sugar to fully wake up, and this was presented to me with a more standard amount of milk and the standard two sachets of white sugar. The combination of juice and coffee at breakfast never fails to impress and satisfy.
BREAKFAST SERVICE SCORES: 9/10
Before we start our descent into Singapore, let us talk about the performance of Christian and his colleagues on this flight. In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful engine views I was treated to during the flight!
Christian’s Performance
Christian was such a charming and charismatic flight attendant on this flight, and he managed to make the experiences of his passengers so specially personalized. He was exceptionally diligent during the flight, being very efficient with his service and keeping pace up, while managing to retain the level of class and friendliness he demonstrates in all his actions and movements. He was the guy to go out of his way to fulfill his customers’ requests, and doing so with a different, personalized style of interaction with each of his customers. For example, with other passengers who certainly appear posher than me, all his movements were with the utmost subtlety and gentleness, and he speaks in a more formal tone and register. With me, he was acting way more relaxed and to a certain extent, more friendly, as seen with his occasional wink and a little finger-pointing while exclaiming ‘got you’ or ‘sureee’. I am honestly astonished by how well Christian manages to interact with his customers in just exactly the way they like it, his skills for analyzing other people the first time he sees them is just… phenomenal. For making me feel so pampered and taken care of on this flight, Christian has all my praise and I have to say, he has been among the best flight attendants I have had the pleasure of interacting with.
General Service Speed and Crew Efficiency
The cabin crew on this flight were all, like Christian, very motivated to do their jobs well. They all worked very efficiently and all members of the cabin crew team on this flight collaborated well to deliver some of the most efficient services they could. Requests made by me were also granted quickly by the flight attendants. I guess the service in the upper deck cabin on this flight demonstrates the peak German efficiency that every German is so proud of.
General Service Attitude
Likewise, the attitude of the cabin crew was phenomenal. Every flight attendant had the drive to be as friendly as possible while remaining professional. Every flight attendant tried their best to fulfil all requests made by the passengers. Sometimes, as with the case of meeting the purser at the foot of the grand staircase, they would even come up to me without me needing to ask, concerned for their passengers’ wellbeing on board their flight. This just shows how absolutely they loved working for their company and their enthusiasm toward meeting, serving, and taking care of new people every day. The interaction skills of the cabin crew members were also fantastic. Not once did any one of them seem like they wanted to avoid any of the passengers. On the contrary, they frequently engaged in conversation in an attempt to know their customers better. On top of that, they also tried to deliver beyond what was expected of them, such as the younger male flight attendant who presented the pralinés and crisps to me alongside the coffee with milk and sugar that I had ordered.
While I have heard stories about how Lufthansa’s cabin crew performance can be a hit-or-miss, this flight certainly showed some of the best that Lufthansa’s Business Class cabin crew can deliver.
CABIN CREW SCORES: 10/10
Somewhere over Malaysia, we started our descent towards Singapore.
Due to thunderstorms in Singapore, we entered a holding pattern over the sea in close proximity to some Sumatran islands. Holding just in front of us was Singapore Airlines flight SQ325, an Airbus A350-900 also flying from Frankfurt SQ operates twice daily flights between Frankfurt and Singapore, with the other one being the second leg of JFK-FRA-SIN as flight SQ25, operated by a Boeing 777-300ER), which had departed FRA 3 minutes before my flight at 22:13 (LH778, my flight, took off at 22:16) of 31/12 last year. Our aircraft leveled off at 22000ft for the first circuit, then descended to around 10000ft for the second round before the weather cleared up at Changi Airport and we started our final approach into Changi International Airport.
During the descent, I was just gazing out of the windows at the magnificent engines when a sudden inconspicuous high-pitched, demonic, and goofy laugh (similar to the sounds a monkey would make in the wild) resounded throughout the cabin. Someone had been watching a comedy film, perhaps, and had gotten so engrossed and sucked into it that they completely forgot that they were still stuck in a large aluminum can with dozens of others. There were a few moments of tense silence throughout the upper deck cabin as the laugher, likely horrified, realised their mistake while everyone else in the cabin turned their heads around in confusion trying to locate the source of the shrilling noise. Soon after, though, the cabin returned to its normal state with everyone back to minding their own businesses.
We soon lined up with runway 02L, the northbound runway in the west side of the airport. Just before landing, we catch a glimpse of some parked SQ aircraft, which included four Boeing 777-300ERs (9V-SWB, 9V-SWM, 9V-SWN, and 9V-SWQ. 9V-SWB was the aircraft involved in the SQ368 incident back in March 2016, when an engine fuel leak caused a fire to occur while the aircraft made an emergency landing back at SIN. Despite the large-scale damage to the engine No.2 and the right wing, as well as the cost of the maintenance works, SQ chose to replace those parts.) and one single Airbus A380 registered 9V-SKM.
Despite some wind gusts while on final approach, we made a pretty smooth landing on the runway at 16:52 local time, 8 minutes ahead of schedule, making our total flight time 11 hours and 36 minutes. The spoilers deployed and the reverse thrusts activated, and the aircraft’s velocity was brought down, and we made our exit off the runway. For anyone interested, the Boeing 747-8 uses a cold-stream type Cascade thrust reversal system. This system makes use of vane cascades in the engines that slide rearwards using an air motor. The thrust produced by the engines is thus dispersed and redirected forwards, slowing the aircraft down.
After a rather long taxi around the airport, we parked at gate F32, located in the recently reopened Terminal 2. The cabin crew team warmly said goodbye and I made my way off the aircraft. I took one last look at our majestic Boeing 747-8 from the jet-bridge before walking into the terminal. Look at the reflection of the light on the glass windowpane… our aircraft looks like a saint!!!
Changi’s Terminal 2 had closed back in early 2020 for renovation works. After around 3 and a half years, the upgrade was completed, and the terminal reopened to passengers on 1/11/2023. This was ahead of schedule actually, the ‘new’ terminal had originally been slated to reopen in 2024. Credit to the management and workers who worked with such efficiency that the renovation works were actually completed so early. That is not very commonly seen elsewhere in the world, and I am honestly impressed with the work that the Changi Airport team has done (cough cough Abu Dhabi, cough cough Berlin Brandenberg).
History and Current Operations at the Airport
Here is a brief summary of Singapore Changi Airport’s (SIN/WSSS) history and current operations. Before the days of Changi Airport, Singapore’s main international airport was located at the more central Paya Lebar. That airport had only one runway with a much smaller passenger terminal. With the rapid growth of aviation in the area in the 1970s, the airport was facing problems with congestion. With that, the Changi Air Base was expanded and the new airport, later to become known as Changi International Airport, was opened in 1981 with the Terminal 1 (which, like Terminal 2 now, had gone through extensive upgrading over the years, with the most recent one having ended in 2017). The former Singapore International Airport at Paya Lebar was converted for military use and was renamed Paya Lebar Air Base. In 1990, Terminal 2 was opened to accommodate the ever-growing passenger demand. Terminal 3 was opened in 2008, with the SIN-based Singapore Airlines being the primary operator of this terminal. Terminals 1, 2, and 3 form a ‘U’ shape, allowing for easy access in between terminals. Terminal 4 was opened in 2017, and nowadays operates exclusively for low-cost carriers, apart from perhaps Korean Air. The Jewel, a massive shopping complex with the world’s largest indoor waterfall, was opened in 2018 to boost human traffic at Changi Airport, and attracts both locals and flying passengers. A brand new, larger-than-all-previous-terminals-combined Terminal 5 is currently under construction works and is expected to open in the early 2030s to more-than-double passenger capacity. Throughout the years, Changi Airport has been rated ‘World’s Best Airport’ by Skytrax 13 times, most recently reclaiming the title over Doha’s Hamad International Airport (2021) and Tokyo Haneda Airport (2022) in 2023. Changi Airport currently has three operational runways: 20L/02R, 20C/02C, and 20R/02L. Changi Airport was the first airport in the world to hold this title for eight consecutive years, doing so between 2013 and 2020. More than 100 airlines currently operate from Changi Airport, with non-stop flights to destinations across the rest of Asia, Oceania, Africa, Europe, and North America. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Changi Airport handled a record 68300000 passengers, which made it the 18th busiest airport in the world that year, 3 places after Frankfurt Airport, our departure airport for this flight. While the pandemic took a huge toll on the passenger movement in 2020 and 2021 (like Frankfurt), the airport’s passenger traffic has been on the rise again, handling 58900000 passengers in 2023, almost already back to the pre-pandemic numbers.
Anyways, the new Terminal 2 that I am in right now, was beautifully designed, with the bright and clean finishes making the area seem very spacious (despite the ceiling being relatively low for airport standards). While the same cool jazz as the rest of the airport plays on the speakers overhead, the ground is fully carpeted with some new, and very striking patterns, featuring some squiggly looking light blue and peach coloured designs. It felt slightly unnatural, seeing that the carpets found in Terminals 1 and 3 are of less extravagant patterns and more mellow brown-ish colours.
Regardless, though, the newly renovated terminal is absolutely beautiful. In a very Changi-like move, a sort of indoor garden was placed in the centre, just in between the numerous Duty-Free Shops and the immigration hall. This small indoor garden had some beautiful plants and a small and shallow pond with fish swimming around. There was even a glass platform directly above the fish made for easier viewing. My only concern is for the fish though, it must be pretty depressing to be contained in such a small volume of water and having to see people stomping at the glass panel directly above them every day.
Immigration
All Changi Airport terminals operate their Arrivals Immigration process the same way. While airside (typically at level 2 above ground level), all passengers, both departing and arriving, share the same space and the same Duty-Free shops. While departing passengers enter this shared space through the Departures Immigration Hall on level 2 (directly behind the check-in desks), arriving passengers go down a couple escalators to level 1, where the Arrivals Immigration Hall is located. Like the rest of this essentially brand-new terminal, the Arrivals Immigration Hall was also finished with beautiful, bright designs while incorporating the usual plants. More of that extravagant carpet design can be seen here.
The actual immigration process though, was not so smooth. On top of the chaotic and messy lines leading up to the electronic gate lanes, the technology of the e-gates did not seem to function all too properly. The system had problems with the scanning of every single passenger’s face, and while some were fortunate enough to go through with fingerprint scans, others were not so lucky and were directed to queue for the manual process (which was probably more efficient than the e-gates on this occasion, quite contrary to what one would expect). I, like everyone else, spent quite long in the lane myself, with the machine attempting to scan my face twice, before it resorted to scanning my fingerprints, and I was let through. Two poor officers were stationed there, and they clearly looked overwhelmed by the series of system failures, trying their absolute best to reset the system and get them in working order. I am honestly surprised that such a long-standing technology (by Singapore’s standards) had such a breakdown, yet it is understandable since the terminal (and the hardware that came with it) was really new. Maybe they had imported the technology from the UK, so that’s why the thing failed after two months (sorry my British friends).
Baggage Reclaim
Heading out of the immigration hall, I passed by the last few Duty-Free shops before entering the (once again) massive baggage reclaim area. This massive space, which gives a very spacious and futuristic feel thanks to its bright finishes and lighting, houses a staggering total of ten baggage reclaim belts numbered 30 to 39.
My flight’s allocated baggage reclaim belt was at belt number 34. After a short wait of around five minutes or so, the luggage’s started pouring out onto the belt, and a very Singapore-like crowd gathered around the belt. Spotting my checked suitcase make its way closer to me, I manoeuvred my way through the crowd and managed to retrieve it.
With the luggage in my hands, after a quick walk through the Customs Security with nothing to declare, I was officially in Singapore.
Transport to/from the Airport
Changi Airport is well-connected to the city center and other parts of Singapore through various modes of transport. One of the most convenient ways to travel from Changi Airport is by the East-West Line (green) of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, which is the metro system of Singapore. The airport has its own MRT station, located in between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, and accessible from Terminal 1 via the Skytrain and Terminal 4 with a bus service. The MRT provides a quick and efficient way to reach downtown Singapore and other parts of the city.
For those who prefer more private forms of transportation, taxis are readily available at designated taxi stands outside each terminal, and I made use of the one at Terminal 2 on this occasion. Passengers can also use ride-hailing services like Grab (Uber crashed out of Singapore in 2020 due to all the competition) to book private transportation from the airport. Additionally, Changi Airport offers a complimentary shuttle service, the Changi Airport Shuttle, which provides transfers between the airport terminals and select high-end hotels in the city centre.
ARRIVAL AIRPORT SCORES: 8/10
Airports
Airports Experience: 7/10
Hard Product
Seat Comfort: 7/10
Sleep Comfort: 9/10
In-flight Entertainment: 7/10
Aircraft Cleanliness: 10/10
Aircraft Comfort: 9/10
Soft Product
Dinner service: 7/10
Breakfast service: 9/10
Amenities: 8/10
Cabin Crew: 10/10
OVERALL RATING: 83/100
So, that was a pretty deep dive into my experience in Business Class on the upper deck of Lufthansa's Boeing 747-8 from Frankfurt to Singapore on this year-crossing flight!
All in all, while nothing too spectacular, this experience was still more than satisfactory. While the situation at Frankfurt Airport was rather messy, the lounge I ended up in was quite a comfortable and cozy place to spend the entire day at (but please fix the noisy children problem). Changi Airport once again sets the standards that all airports should strive to reach. When it came to the actual flight, while I cannot say that I was too impressed with the privacy-less and not very manoeuvrable 12-year-old design that was the Business Class seat, it was really comfortable, and I cannot wait till the so long-awaited Allegris products roll out (albeit probably decades later). The food was a hit and miss, with a horror show of a Main Course being the lowlight of the meals on board, but most of the other menu items did hit the right spot. The provided amenities and the in-flight entertainment were also to standard, though again, nothing too special here. The highlight of this experience has to be Christian and his team of flight attendants on this flight. They demonstrated perfectly what service on board in premium cabins should all be about, and how it could be done efficiently while maintaining the level of personalisation and class. All in all, a very pleasant experience on this special New Year’s flight, and I look forward to flying with Lufthansa in Business (or First) Class again in the future (hopefully in Allegris assuming it comes out in my lifetime).
If you made it so far down, thank you so much! I really hope this review, as well as all my future reviews, can help you decide how you want to travel in the future. If you have any questions or, well, comments, do drop one down below! I am more than happy to read and respond to any comments my readers post down there.
Travel safe, goodbye for now, and a belated Happy New Year.
Below is the menu for this flight. Apologies for this placement as it is absolute hell having to move the gallery all the way back up to the start of the first meal service after the flight-report.com issue.
It is quite hilarious that the menu states that the Japanese Ito En Green Tea is only to be served on flights to and from China and Korea, and not the flights to Japan (Lufthansa also operates the Boeing 747-8 to Tokyo Haneda). Maybe it was just a careless mistype, but I assume passengers on the HND flights would sure get confused by this.
So, that was a pretty deep dive into my experience in Business Class on the upper deck of Lufthansa's Boeing 747-8 from Frankfurt to Singapore on this year-crossing flight!
All in all, while nothing too spectacular, this experience was still more than satisfactory. While the situation at Frankfurt Airport was rather messy, the lounge I ended up in was quite a comfortable and cozy place to spend the entire day at (but please fix the noisy children problem). Changi Airport once again sets the standards that all airports should strive to reach. When it came to the actual flight, while I cannot say that I was too impressed with the privacy-less and not very manoeuvrable 12-year-old design that was the Business Class seat, it was really comfortable, and I cannot wait till the so long-awaited Allegris products roll out (albeit probably decades later). The food was a hit and miss, with a horror show of a Main Course being the lowlight of the meals on board, but most of the other menu items did hit the right spot. The provided amenities and the in-flight entertainment were also to standard, though again, nothing too special here. The highlight of this experience has to be Christian and his team of flight attendants on this flight. They demonstrated perfectly what service on board in premium cabins should all be about, and how it could be done efficiently while maintaining the level of personalisation and class. All in all, a very pleasant experience on this special New Year’s flight, and I look forward to flying with Lufthansa in Business (or First) Class again in the future (hopefully in Allegris assuming it comes out in my lifetime).
If you made it so far down, thank you so much! I really hope this review, as well as all my future reviews, can help you decide how you want to travel in the future. If you have any questions or, well, comments, do drop one down below! I am more than happy to read and respond to any comments my readers post down there.
Travel safe, goodbye for now, and a belated Happy New Year.
Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 23 avis concernant 2 compagnies sur la ligne Frankfurt (FRA) → Singapore (SIN).
La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est Singapore Airlines avec 8.7/10.
La durée moyenne des vols est de 11 heures et 55 minutes.
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7 Comments
Nice to see how the service on Lufthansa is excellent despite the dated hard product. The seat looks dated and I would appreciate a more advanced hard product on these birds! Still, I'd treasure the opportunities one gets to fly on a 747!
Thanks for sharing again!
Yeah, although not too much more of an experience than any other J flight, it still feels quite special to spend New Year’s while flying, especially doing so on the upper deck of a 747! I’m sure you would enjoy something like this too!
Lufthansa is in the midst of change, and are implementing improved soft products in all classes, which is welcome despite the continuous delays of the new Allegris hard products. Those seats may not even get to the upper decks of the 747-8 anytime soon due to issues with the cabin width. I would be surprised if they implement those within 10 years haha.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for sharing!
Yes, being in the upper deck of a 747 just feels so much more exclusive haha. Sad that the BA 744 was retired early when Covid hit, there are so few options to fly on a 747 (let alone the 744) now.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading!
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