Review of Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Hong Kong in First

After arriving from my flight in business class aboard Lufthansa's 747-400, I spent the day in Frankfurt. What a beautiful place! I spent a few hours seeing the sights around the city, explored the local shopping, and grabbed a delicious short rib and glass of apfelwein from Adolf Wagner. As the evening approached, I made my way back to Frankfurt's Main Airport to catch my flight in Lufthansa First Class to Hong Kong.

BOOKING

This flight is the third in a single reservation that took me all the way from Newark International Airport in the USA to Hong Kong. In total, the booking cost 135,000 Aeroplan points as well as around CA $137. However, booking this flight separately would run you just 100,000 Aeroplan points and CA $239 as of this review. 

CHECK-IN/AIRPORT/LOUNGE

Right off the bat, we see one of the big differentiators between Lufthansa's first class and many products like it–the Frankfurt First Class Terminal. It basically forces the check-in, airport, and lounge experience to be lumped into one giant block, since it all takes place in (effectively) one room. The terminal is off to the side and isn't directly accessible from any public transportation stops, so you will find yourself walking around a half a mile from the main terminal unless you have a private car drop-off.

As I walked in the door, one of the front desk agents greeted me and took my passport in order to process my check-in. Since it was my first time in the First Class Terminal, he stuck with me for a bit and showed me the various amenities of the lounge–starting with the security checkpoint, where I was the only passenger present at the time. Once we stepped through the checkpoint, he pointed out the small duty-free shop to the side and started to show me around the lounge.

The lounge itself wasn't especially large, but I spent several hours here and never noticed it get anywhere close to crowded. It's possible that it could get a bit busier in the mornings prior to the bank of transatlantic flights departing, but space doesn't really seem to be a concern here. That being said, there was a noticeable lack of electrical outlets at many of the seating areas, which was a bit disappointing.

Interestingly, the terminal featured a cigar lounge:

The smell was never bothersome, although I also hardly ever noticed anyone using it. Supposedly years ago, Lufthansa offered complimentary cigars, though these days you'll need to bring your own.

One of the highlights for me was the full-service restaurant. There was a small buffet line with both hot and cold options, as well as a full menu you could order via table service (pictured below). I started with the Tom Kha Gai soup, and ordered the beef fillet for my main course. Of course, I had to order the "First Class Duck" as well!

Not long after I finished my dinner, the original check-in agent came to collect me and one other passenger for our ride out to the plane–in a Porsche!

BOARDING

It's hard to legitimately call this a "boarding" process, as it was closer to a private escort than anything else. We were walked downstairs to a loading zone beneath the terminal where our ride awaited us:

We were then whisked across the Frankfurt tarmac to gate Z25 where our ride to Hong Kong awaited us. Today's aircraft was D-AIHZ, a 15-year-old Airbus A340-600 named "Leipzig".

I was shown to my seat (1A) and started settling in for the long flight ahead. A single red rose was waiting for me at my seat, as well as a blanket, amenity kit, slippers, and two pillows. The flight attendant stopped by with a glass of 2012 Le Vintage Champagne as well as warmed macadamia nuts (one of my favorites!) while we waited for the rest of the plane to board. We also received vouchers for free Wi-Fi, which worked well during the times I was awake.

There isn't an especially large amount of storage space in this seat, which isn't a surprise given that the A340 has a relatively narrow cabin in relation to other modern widebody aircraft. However, the ottoman opened up to store shoes and extra blankets, and I was able to store my other small items in the cubbies near the seat, so I'm satisfied overall. The trim is certainly a bit worn here and there, but the cabin is clearly well-maintained. My biggest complaint is how exposed the seat feels; there's a small privacy partition that can be raised after take-off, but the seat still feels pretty open to the aisle. 

Within minutes the rest of the plane had boarded, and we pushed back from the gate around five minutes late.

IN-FLIGHT

With a small cabin of only eight seats, service started almost immediately after takeoff. After refilling our beverages, the flight attendants brought a small amuse-bouche that wasn't listed on the menu:

Following this, we were served caviar, complete with the traditional garnish. 

Finally, we were served the remainder of the appetizers on the menu–a seared scallop dish, some marinated German asparagus, and a tenderloin of veal accompanied by some root vegetables. These were all delicious, though I still have a hard time wrapping my head around chilled scallops. By this point, I was already beginning to feel full, especially considering the full dinner I'd had just a couple hours before in the First Class Terminal.

Fortunately, they only brought one entree (though I have a feeling they'd have brought more if asked). I stuck with my beef theme and chose the "Beef Filet with Black Been Sauce Asia and Szechuan Vegetable". A mouthful of a name to be sure, but it sounded good–and it was!

After this I was positively stuffed, but I did order the cheese plate just to pick at while I finished my movie. This was pretty standard fare but everything was quite tasty.

Once I finished up and my dishes were cleared, I stepped into the forward lavatory to change into the provided pajamas. They're quite comfortable, though they're probably not the most durable set long-term. While I was changing, the flight attendant made my bed–this has to be one of the most comfortable beds I've flown in, second perhaps only to Cathay Pacific's first class aboard their 777. With the lights turned down, I quickly fell asleep for one of the most restful nights I've ever had on a plane.

I slept quite soundly through the night and woke up with about two hours left in the flight, just in time for breakfast. Breakfast on long-haul flights is rarely impressive, given that it's usually been sitting in the warming ovens since departure. However, Lufthansa's first class breakfast menu features made-to-order scrambled eggs, which were without a doubt the best eggs I've had in the air. Along with the fresh fruit, this is certainly a breakfast worth waking up for.

Soon, we were making our final approach into Hong Kong, where we arrived at the gate 15 minutes early. When we stepped into the terminal, an airport representative was waiting with our names on a screen, and we were driven straight to the customs & immigration area. This was a nice finishing touch to a great first class experience on Lufthansa.

VERDICT

It's an immense privilege to be able to fly long-haul first class, especially on an airline like Lufthansa. The First Class Terminal is definitely the biggest differentiator, and I'd certainly reconsider the value of a first class ticket if I weren't departing from Frankfurt. The difference between business and first class is becoming smaller and smaller as the years go on, and I'm typically more than happy with Business as long as there's a lie-flat seat. However, the entire experience certainly felt elevated over a typical Business experience, and if given the opportunity again I'd be elated to fly Lufthansa First Class.