Lufthansa

Helsinki to Kuala Lumpur via Frankfurt, returning from Singapore to Helsinki via Frankfurt, and Lufthansa didn't disappoint this time. I like the service concept onboard, IFE offering a nice selection of entertainment. Economy meals quite good to be honest. Was on row 95 on SIN-FRA (A380, upper deck) lots of legroom and a small quiet economy cabin behind business class. It was maybe the smoothest and most comfortable long-haul flight in economy ever.

The inflight experience with LH was fairly positive, but ground experience was terrible. The first issue was small. While waiting for LH 1392 in FRA, we were denied access to the LH business lounge because our boarding card showed economy despite presenting the ticket which clearly showed business. We were travelling with backpacks which fit in the carry on luggage sizing rack at the gate. However, the gate agent would not allow them as carry on items because we had to push them down to get them into the rack. We observed larger suitcases being carried onboard without being challenged. Two of us quickly repacked our packs to the satisfaction of the gate agent. However, the third member of our party was unable to repack as quickly and was threatened with having her ticket cancelled. While she was eventually able to repack her bag to the satisfaction of the agent, she was quite flustered by the experience. The flight was not full (contradicting claims made by the gate agent) and there were lots of empty seats and luggage bins on board.

Frankfurt to Bangkok, the boarding was quick since the staff didn´t know how to handle Premium Economy passengers. We were greeted by the cabin staff and found our seat 25A/C. The seat is nice and has a lot of space, like LH old C-Class seat in 1992. There is juice as welcome drink instead of sparkling wine. AVOD screen is big and the choices are much better then on my last flight with LH. The food is the same as in normal Y, but there is not always glass or china, most drinks are served in plastic cups or paper cups for hot drinks. During flights nobody showed up to offer water or juice. Our lactose free meal ended up in a vegan meal which was inedible. For breakfast we got the same vegan meal again, even complains where not even solved. The seat is nice and very good, but the food and service on this flight was not worth it.

Lufthansa from Bangkok to Frankfurt on an old Boeing 747-400. Boarding was chaos, since ground staff just opened the doors for boarding. Crew was nice while entering the aircraft. Premium Economy is just behind the business class but no curtain to economy. Only juice was served as welcome drink, instead of sparkling wine like in LH ad. Food was nicer from BKK than from FRA. The seat is absolutely nice and there is a lot of space, I got a decent 4 hour sleep. Crew was there even during flight and offered drinks. Again more plastic and paper cups instead of glass. Food same as economy and the service is no different, because the premium economy has not a separated cabin. It is open to economy after the 4 rows. Nice is the small amenity kit with a toothbrush, paste, eyeshade, earplugs and socks. I would say that the seat is the best shot LH took. They still have to work on the service to provide a truly premium economy. For almost the same price we could have been in business class on a middle east carrier. For us LH premium economy will be a choice for flight to the US, but not for going east or south.

Flew Lufthansa from Zürich (ZRH) to Bangkok (BKK) via Frankfurt (FRA). We had a chance to try the Jumbo's upper deck (this is the 3 class configuration with premium economy, but without first class, so there are business class seats) and I can only recommend. Really calm and quite up there as not many people moving. The seats are the upgraded business class seats, so they are OK. I must highlight the onboard service which was exceptional in our case. Unfortunately that's not always the case as (like at many other airlines) the service quality really depends on your flight attendant.

Positives about our Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Denver. Premium economy seats were the same price as economy and offered about 1" more width, 4" more leg room and much bigger entertainment screen. Entertainment system was gate to gate. Negatives - We were supposed to board at 12.30 and depart at 13.20. By 13.00 there was no boarding call and no communication from the ground staff at all. Boarding completed about 30 minutes late, we taxied for a while and then the pilot parked and turned off the engines, no communication for 20 minutes to explain what was happening. Waited 3.5 hours on the ground with almost no communication. The crew only came though the cabin two times during the 3.5 hour wait, once with water and once with crackers. Everyone was starving since they had been expecting to get lunch right after take off and was very aggravated by the lack of any service, not even a juice was offered. The kids lunch served (at 6pm) was 5 slices of potato cooked in ketchup with shrimp salad, terrible and neither kid could stomach it. During the flight the crew only came though with water twice on the whole 10 hours. Dinner was either shrimp or mushroom, not something many people would like.

Birmingham to Budapest via Frankfurt. Pleasantly surprised with Lufthansa for this trip. I had been regretting booking with them following the recent strikes, but thankfully this was resolved a couple of weeks before our trip. Planes clean and tidy, all crew pleasant and a small snack of half a sandwich and one round of drinks served on each flight. Definitely worth the small extra price over the low cost carrier on this route. The only issue for us was the 45 minute transfer in Frankfurt wasn’t enough, we parked remotely and were taken by bus to the terminal which took a surprising amount of time, we then had to clear security again and run to the gate just making the flight. The gate agent was just closing the flight and said she was surprised that we had made it. If this was the case why did Lufthansa book us such a short connection?

Luanda to Buenos Aires via Frankfurt. I use Lufthansa quite often and I have never been disappointed. Flights are on time, the attendants are friendly and the meals are very good. The entertainment system is excellent and easy to use. For this flight I used the Senator lounge in Frankfurt for flights to South America and it is superb with direct boarding to the plane. As a Star Alliance Gold Card member, Lufthansa has occasionally upgraded me, so they have my loyalty! I think it is a great airline.

Recently flew DEN-FRA-BLR with Lufthansa. Overall the trip was good and LH has definitely improved their C class product. The outbound flight was a little bit of a mess. 3 hour ground delay in DEN due to snowstorm and de-icing. I understand these things are out of the control of the airline but given that 95% of the passengers were making connections in FRA they could have done a better job of holding flights/rebooking. Arrived FRA and ran to BLR flight and arrived 5 min before scheduled departure to be told my seat was given away. I was unimpressed given that they knew for hours that connections would not be made and they could have held the flight. Gate agent unhelpful so went to Senator lounge where I was immediately booked to DEL. Lounge staff very helpful. Inflight was impressed with all crews, very attentive particularly on the FRA-India legs (which is not usually the case). Food has improved and inflight entertainment good. 747-8 is a nice aircraft, hopefully they will introduce on the whole network. Ground staff could use some work.

Chicago to Budapest via Frankfurt. Our flight with Lufthansa from Chicago to Frankfurt was a wonderful experience. I have previously flown on a Lufthansa 747-400, and the 747-8 is a huge improvement! Much quieter, noticeably larger windows, and the economy seats are an improvement. The A319 is nothing special there, but great for an hour and a half flight. Service was great during the flights. The flight attendants were very accommodating for us, as we were flying with children. But, unlike some airlines I’ve flown with (ie. Qatar Airways) the staff didn’t really go out of their way to make it comfortable for the kids. As for meals, I would rate them in the top 3 of airlines I’ve flown with. Also, the IFE was one of the best I’ve experienced, with many options for children’s movies. The staff in the airports were equally as helpful. Overall, a great airline, with professional staff, and nice airplanes.