Lufthansa Business Class
Excellent Amenities and Space
Disappointing Food...Great Service
Who Wins: Boeing or Airbus?
The Earth's circumference is approximately 40,000 km. This distance is equivalent to traveling back and forth between Seoul and Busan (400 km) 50 times. It takes about 50 hours to circle the Earth once. What if you traveled this distance sitting in business class?
I flew for 50 hours to Chile, located on the opposite side of the Earth. I was airborne for about 43,000 km round trip on Lufthansa's business class, a German airline. I used four routes (Incheon→Frankfurt, Frankfurt↔Buenos Aires, Frankfurt→Munich, Munich→Incheon), and the aircraft I boarded were medium to large-sized Boeing 747-8 and Airbus 350-900.
This is the business class seat on Lufthansa flights between Munich and Incheon. Photo by Oh Gyumin moh011@
A Comfortable Space to Sleep... Amenities Designed by Porsche Design
All airlines provide sleep aids in business class. Lufthansa offers blankets, pillows, and seat mats. Slippers are provided only on routes to and from Korea among the four routes. It was disappointing that there was only one slipper when heading to Frankfurt. The quality of the blanket and pillow was sufficient for sleeping. Although the cabin was a bit chilly, covering yourself with the blanket warmed cold feet. Those who prefer low-height pillows might find it uncomfortable. When reclining the seat fully and lying down with the pillow, some experienced neck pain due to the head being raised too much.
Slippers are provided on flights between Incheon and Frankfurt, as well as other routes to and from Korea. However, it was disappointing to find that sometimes only one slipper was available, and I had to ask the flight attendant for the other one. [Photo by Oh Gyumin moh011@]
When the seat is fully reclined, it becomes a 2-meter-long bed. There is also space to stretch your legs. There is a partition to prevent legs from touching when sitting next to a stranger. Next to it is a storage compartment containing booklets. Below is a drawer containing water and amenities (free service items).
The amenities were made by the German luxury brand Porsche Design. The bags included differ by route. Routes to and from Korea have eyeglass cases, while other routes have pouch types. The contents are similar: toothpaste, toothbrush, eyeglass cleaner, lip balm, hand cream, headphone covers, etc. However, lip balm and hand cream on routes to and from South America use products from the French brand L'Occitane. Eye masks, mouthwash, and earplugs are provided in the restroom for use anytime.
Disappointing In-flight Meals and Entertainment but Excellent Service
The in-flight meals were disappointing. On long-haul routes, two meals are served. Regardless of the route, the meal served just before landing was fruit or eggs. The main meal is served shortly after takeoff. You can choose from 2-3 menus for appetizer, main course, and dessert. You can select according to your preference, but pasta is not recommended. The pasta I had on the Incheon-Frankfurt route was overcooked. The seasoning lacked cream flavor and was bland. Korean dishes like braised short ribs and spicy chicken were tastier than the pasta. On short routes like Frankfurt-Munich, simple meals such as meatballs are served. Because the flight time is short, if you don't eat quickly, the flight attendants take the food away.
The pasta I had on the Incheon-Frankfurt route was quite soggy. The seasoning lacked the taste of cream and was bland. Photo by Oh Gyumin moh011@
Entertainment was also lacking by Korean standards. Considering it is not a Korean airline, it was commendable that Korean language support was available on the screen. However, there were almost no movies with Korean subtitles. Only about five movies had Korean dubbing. For K-pop music, there was only one playlist. All headphones were made by AKG. The sound quality was good, but wearing them for a long time while wearing glasses could cause ear pain.
Korean dishes such as galbijjim and spicy chicken were more delicious compared to pasta. Photo by Oh Gyumin
The flight attendants' service was impressive. When there was no space to store carry-ons, they personally carried them to other places. When the restroom was crowded, they personally guided passengers to other restrooms. On the flight from Buenos Aires to Frankfurt, a Korean flight attendant who usually worked in first class showed special 'jeong' (affection). She said there were almost no Koreans on that route and brought snacks and other treats.
On short-distance routes like Frankfurt-Munich, simple meals such as meatballs are served. It is remembered as the best meal. Photo by Oh Gyumin moh011@
Boeing 747 vs Airbus 350... Who Wins?
Lufthansa operates two types of aircraft on long-haul routes. The Munich-Incheon route uses the A350-900, while the other two routes (excluding Munich-Frankfurt) use the B747-8.
The interior design of the newer A350-900 is cleaner than that of the B747-8. The seat front display on the A350 is slightly larger and has clearer resolution compared to the B747. The seat adjustment buttons and remote control for screen operation are easy to see in the dark. However, both had buttons that were hard to press, which was inconvenient. The drawer in front of the seat on the flight returning to Incheon was difficult to open and creaked.
The seat adjustment buttons on the A350-900 are easily visible in dark environments. However, the buttons were difficult to press, which was inconvenient. Photo by Oh Gyumin moh011@
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