Review of Lufthansa flight Paris → Frankfurt in Economy

HEADING TO HAMBURG, GERMANY … PART 1

Welcome on board this new trip report on my way to Hamburg, Germany in July 2014. Let’s start with a short ride from Paris to Frankfurt with Lufthansa.
This report was previously published in my native french.

1 - INTRODUCTION :

Late June I decided to visit a very famous city in Northern Germany : Hamburg, which is the second most visited city inside Germany behind Berlin.

Unfortunately I booked my flight ticket very late and fares were very expensive at that time. From Paris I had the choice between Air France, “the new” Germanwings (Lufthansa Group) on direct flights. Germanwings’ special offers at 66EUR were already sold out and Air France was as usually too expensive (around 300EUR).

However SAS Scandinavian Air System provided at that time flights CDG-CPH-HAM and return for “only” 186EUR despite the fact that I don’t really like their product without free of charge service on board.

Finally I found a package “flight + hotel” by an online travel agency and I selected a CDG-FRA-HAM and return with Lufthansa which is my favourite airline in Y in Europe.

Last but not least, you can find below the routing :

1. 1- Paris, Roissy Charles de Gaulle (CDG), France - Frankfurt (FRA), Germany.
Lufthansa, Airbus A321-100 (D-AIRR - “Wismar”) YOU ARE HERE
2. 2- Frankfurt (FRA), Germany - Hamburg, Fühlsbuttel (HAM), Germany.
Lufthansa, Airbus A319-111 (D-AILU - “Verden” LU & Cosmos special livery) AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
3. 3- Hamburg, Fühlsbuttel (HAM), Germany - Frankfurt (FRA), Germany.
Lufthansa, Airbus A321-100 (D-AIRO - “Konstanz”) LATER
4. 4- Frankfurt (FRA), Germany - Paris, Roissy Charles de Gaulle (CDG), France.
Lufthansa, Airbus A321-100 (D-AIRO - “Konstanz”) COMING SOON

2 - TRIP REPORT :

Tuesday, 1st of July 2014 : I was very excited to go to Hamburg, which seems to be an incredible city.
I printed my boarding passes 24 hours prior to departure by using Lufthansa Web Check-in and to tell you the truth it was a very smooth process. Unfortunately there were only few window seats left at the rear of the cabin so I choose seat 30F for this first leg.

I left home at 07 : 00 am and I finally reached Terminal 1 at 07 : 30 am for a departure expected on time at 09 : 15 am. It was quite early but Lufthansa’s baggage drop-off area is overcrowded as flights to DUS/FRA/MUC/TXL/HAM are departing between 08 : 55 and 09 : 20.

I proceeded to “Hall 4” where is located Lufthansa Group (LH/SN/LX/EW/4U) except OS which uses Terminal 2D.


I printed as a souvenir a Lufthansa branded boarding pass using a kiosk before proceeding to bag drop.


However it was the first operational day of work for Europe Handling on behalf of Lufthansa and it was quite a chaos. Indeed 200 employees of Lufthansa France were fired the previous day due to economic reasons such as the arrival of Germanwings (LCC Lufthansa’s subsidiary) at CDG starting services to HAM, DUS and TXL as a replacement of LH’s one.


I’ve been waiting for more than 30 minutes when I was finally allowed to drop-off my bag, which was check-in to my final destination.


It was a real mess ! No doubt that I was very happy to reach Satellite 6 for boarding !


A typical view from Terminal 1.


While passing under taxiways …


I passed through security checkpoint very quickly.


A warm welcome at Lufthansa’s home at CDG Airport :


A319 in Star Alliance livery performing LH3219 service to Düsseldorf (D-AILF)


The boarding satellite is not very comfortable and spacious but it’s OK.


Boarding is expected at gate 63 on time.


LH2227 service to Munich Franz Joseph Strauss operated by an Embraer 195 of CityLine (D-AEBH - “Freising”)


Lufthansa’s position for stand-by list and upgrades is closed and you can see “There is no better way to be fired in CDG” signs which remind us the labour conflict and the recent LH strikes here in CDG.


Germanwings 4U7403 service to Hamburg, operated with an Airbus A319-112 registered DAGWX.


Finally Lufthansa LH3241 to Berlin-TXL (A320-214 - DAIZK)


Starting from this date (01.07.2014), ADP is kindly providing a free of charge Wi-Fi network but unfortunately I can’t explain the fact that I couldn’t use it so I used my mobile phone in order to provide you the corporate page !


Despite the fact that the terminal building is not very “spotter-friendly” I managed to catch this Air France’s brand new A320-214SL wearing a special “80 YEARS” sticker.


Followed by an Embraer 190 of HOP! - Regional (FHBLF).


A Boeing 777-200ER of Air France (FGSPY).


A320-211 of SN Brussels to … Brussels Airport.


Last but not least, here’s an Airbus A340-313X of CX (B-HXF).


My aircraft is arrived inbound from FRA as LH1026. I was quite disappointed when I saw this old A321-100 (DAIRR, built in 1996) performing my flight.


Ground staff was very busy and I heard an agent telling at her supervisor that she didn’t imagine that there were so many tasks to do.

Boarding began with a little delay of ten minutes and it was finally 09:06 when I reached the left front door 1L of our A321. Complementary newspapers in German were available.


I passed through the Business cabin in its classical European configuration (with a free middle seat).


My seat 30F had a great view on ground OPS.


A little pic during boarding : despite the fact that the cabin is equipped with Recaro slimline seats, overhead bins and panels are very old.


D-AILF is heading back to Düsseldorf.


We finally left our parking stand at 09 : 25 with a short delay of 10 minutes before a short and fest taxi to runway 09R.


Lining-up.


Right after take-off we got an amazing view on the different aprons and terminal buildings of CDG.


See you soon !


An overview of the city of Meaux.


A little cabin view while climbing.


Epernay :


Overhead panels.


I was quite surprised when I saw arriving a little box with sweet Kölln cereals and a yoghurt Bauer inside. A typical but tasty “Made in Germany” breakfast. It was quite appropriate to this morning short service to FRA.


Five minutes later I received an apple juice. Flight attendants were very kind during all the flight.


Finally breakfast by Lufthansa was quite tasty and it was very good to eat something else that French pastries and croissant.

Few minutes later we began our approach into Frankfurt Airport and the entire crew managed to prepare the cabin on time for landing which was quite hard as our aircraft was full and the flight duration quite short.


The traditional wingtip fence :


The city of Mosel


Some clouds while approaching FRA.


Let’s see the great Lufthansa Magazine and the new safety card the use of electronics devices in Flight Mode from gate to gate is now permitted on board.


A great goodie found inside the magazine.


Pitch was quite comfortable despite the fact that the slim seat back is very hard. It may be awful on a FRA-TUN for example.

Arriving from the North, we made a “U-turn” in order to catch the glide path of runway 25C.


Hi, Frankfurt !


Erlensee


Offenbach am Main

Frankfurt am Main Ost - Ostend


Frankfurt downtown


Commerzbank Arena prior to land.


Hello, Fraport !


We taxied quickly to our final parking stand at terminal 1B.


A Lufthansa’s A380-800 (D-AIMA)


We finally arrived at parking stand B24 ahead of schedule at 10 : 33 am (instead of 10 : 35). We have been waiting for 10 minutes inside the plane when the crew announced that the buses were finally arrived so we could also disembark by the rear door.


We we’re indeed bussed to terminal 1A where I had my connecting flight to HAM. To tell you the truth I was glad to take a PAXbus directly to terminal 1A as FRA is well known for loooooong corridors especially between T1A and 1B.


It was my first time at FRA and honestly I found MUC more practical and even more spacious than FRA, which is a little dark and crowded. My layover time here was approx. 1 : 25.


Look at the FIDS : my next flight is scheduled on time departing from gate A18.


So stay tuned and it was a real pleasure to share the report with you.