After I had switched the first leg of my RTW trip last year from Lufthansa to BA a few days before departure, I had been looking for other options to fly LH First again. And since I had not flown the B747-8i yet, a trip to the US East Coast was the perfect chance to combine both: going out on LH FRA-IAD, coming back ob BA First from JFK. The US domestic leg in-between on AA would allow me to log two new airports with DCA and LGA.
Here is the routing visualized:
Maps generated by the Great Circle Mapper – copyright Karl L. Swartz
So we started the journey on a sunny April morning at the famous First Class Terminal in Frankfurt
Our dedicated PA welcomed us right at the door as we left the taxi, guided us to the welcome desk where we were swiftly checked in and taken through the security check
5mins after arrival by taxi we were already at the bar which was decorated nicely due to the upcoming Easter
But since it was only 10am we sat down in the restaurant to have breakfast
Hm, too early. Or shall we? #champagneoclock
Breakfast options from the buffet included fresh juices and cereals..
… various cakes…
… cold cuts, salmon, fresh fruit and Bavarian veal sausages & pretzels.
We sat down however and were brought the Easter edition of the FCT duck
Then we looked at the a-la-carte breakfast menu which offered plenty of options
We opted for Egg Benedict which was good
Breakfast selection from the buffet
The Cigar Lounge was empty at that time of the day
FCT rest rooms
We then moved to the lounge area which had comfy sofas and relax chairs
FCT sitting area
Plenty of nuts & dried fruits to choose from
The water menu. Whilst still more than you would need, it used to be more than doubke in size three years ago
A nice selection of Islay Whisky, covering all 7 of the island’s classic distilleries
Not that we felt hungry but an hour before departure we wanted to enjoy a small snack from the wonderful looking buffet so sat down in the restaurant again
FCT cheese selection at lunch
FCT salad buffet
My snack selection
Those who want a proper menu will certainly find something from this menu
A just selected a wild garlic soup which was very nice
Then it was already time to head to the plane, we were picked up by the PA, lead downstairs were we received our passports back and then were guided to this S-class which would take us to the plane
First Class transfer to the plane, it was only a short ride to the Z gates
A quick shot of Yankee-Delta, the Queen of the Skies which would take us across the pond today. D-ABYD was actually the 3rd 747-8i Lufthansa added to its fleet after D-ABYA and D-ABYC (D-ABYB is not being used anymore after LH450 crashed in NBO in 1974)
We were taken upstairs to the jetbridge, guided past all other passengers boarding and then welcomed onboard
Lufthansa flight LH418 from Frankfurt (FRA) to Washington Dulles (IAD)
April 2017
STD / AOBT: 13:15 L / 13:29 L
STA / AIBT: 15:55 L / 15:50 L
DUR: 8:21
Equipment: B747-8i
Reg: D-ABYD ‘Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’
Personal flight #449
Seat 1A (First)
Lufthansa has 8 first class seats in the nose of the 747-8i
The ottoman offers additional storage space
I settled in 1A, the rose is almost a trademark of LH First
Plenty of space but 1K was still close enough to be able to talk to each other quietly
A look at 2A and the rest of the cabin
Bose noise cancelling headphones and the IFE controls
Seat controls
The FA introduced herself and brought the PJs and the ‘amenity kit’ – well, it was Easter and so LH tried to be creative but this was actually the worst kit I ever had. Wrapped in plastic with loads of chocolate but really impractical when going to the bathroom. Poor job LH
This was much better, (cold) nuts and a glass of Henriot
Great comfortable seats but overall certain parts of the cabin and the seats such as edges, covers, buttons were looking tired, definitely more than you would expect in a plane not even five years old
The beautiful Yankee-Tango in retro colours parked next to us
With a small delay we started taxiing out to runway 18 and departed in southerly direction
Great view from 1A
An even better view
A little later, somewhere over the Atlantic it got a bit bumpy. The FA even came to us explaining that we were flying behind an A380 which caused some of the turbulence (you can see some of its contrails)
Lunch time, so let´s look at the menu
4 of 8 seats remained empty today
So we were able to sit down in 3D and 3G to have lunch together
Reading light on seat 3D
The table’s ready
First Class butter. I love these salt & pepper shakers
Amuse bouche
Then it was time for the signature dish in LH First
Caviar. And ice-cold vodka
The appetizers: veal with poached egg white, vegetable salad and smoked rainbow trout
This was the main dish I had opted for but only my wife was served: lamb shoulder with spinach and mashed artichoke
Unfortunately, despite the cabin was only half occupied and they only had to cater for four people, they ran out of the lamb and I had to go for pasta. Poor performance for a flight leaving the airline’s hub.
Cheese selection
Accompanied by some port
Apple strudel & ice cream was the choice for the sweet dessert
A look at one of the the First Class bathrooms, plenty of space to get changed
A look at 2 of the 4 GEnx engines
Main Deck Business Class section – unlike the 744 which has an uncomfortable 2-3-2 layout, LH operates the 748 in a more pleasant but still not ideal 2-2-2 layout
The long Upper Deck offers a quieter travel experience
When I returned to the seat, the FA had kindly prepared the bed so we could take a little rest
The bed was really comfy
There´s no better way to fly
When we got up again, the cabin crew had prepared the 2nd service
I preferred the Spanish tapas selection of the other options such as Cheeseburger (really classy, Lufthansa)
Cassis sorbet as dessert
We had reached the US East Coast near NYC in the meantime
JFK airport
Manhattan Island from 36,000 feet
Not long after that we touched down at Dulles ahead of time. An interesting selection of carriers from around the world
Saying good-bye to seat 1A after an overall pleasant flight with a warm and welcoming crew which easily made up for the little flaws
Upon deboarding, we were greeted by a PA who took us to the little van waiting outside
Bye-bye beauty
Whilst getting into the van, we were able to get a nice shot of ‘our’ 748
The other passengers took the distinctive mobile lounges to get to the main arrivals area
An Alaska B739 with split scimitar winglets taxiing past
As the van had departed late, we were behind most of the other passengers when we arrived at immigration, so had to spend a good hour in the queue. But we eventually made it through, took a lyft to DC and then a stroll through town, obviously stopping also at the WH
View from Washington Monument to the Capitol
Visiting Abe
Looking towards DC from Arlington, VA
After enjoying two days at DC (we´ll be back), we headed to DCA for the short flight to LGA. Our Lyft dropped us right in front the (open-air) priority check-in counter where we could offload our baggage before entering the terminal. Really liked that setup
Washington National Airport opened in 1941 and was renamed in 1998 to honour Ronald Reagan. This part however, National Hall which connects Terminals B and C, only opened in 1997. Currently this area is still landside but there are plans to introduce central security checks which would see the Hall become airside.
TSA checks were swift and efficient (and way more friendly than I have experienced at any other US airport!), so we didn´t take long before arriving at the AA Airlines Club which is upstairs from the gate area and offers nice apron views
A Delta MD88 being pushed back
An American Eagle/PSA Airlines CRJ-700 preparing for departure. The Washington Monument in the background illustrates how conveniently close DC is from the airport
No major delays this morning
American Airlines flight AA2133 from Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) to New York LaGuardia (LGA)
April 2017
STD / AOBT: 09:00 L / 09:04 L
STA / AIBT: 10:24 L / 10:23 L
DUR: 1:19
Equipment: E190
Reg: N955UW
Personal flight #450
Seat 5F (Economy)
We were sat in Main Cabin Extra, the first row after four rows Domestic First (1-2 layout), so had some more legroom. Our 9-year-old E190 flew for US Airways before, as did this A320 parked next to us
2 JetBlue E190 with distinct tail liveries
We had pushed back on time but it took 30mins until we were airborne due to heavy traffic. It was interesting to see how ATC aligned the waiting aircraft to make as much use of the limited space as possible
Passing a Southwest 737-700
Who’s first to depart, us or them? JetBlue was in this case
After departing from RWY 1, we had a nice view of the Tidal Basin, the Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument and the National Mall
WWII Memorial, Washington Monument, the Ellipse and the White House
AA Economy snack on the 1h flight to New York
After an uneventful flight with a friendly crew we touched down on RWY 31 of LGA
Taxiing to the gate with NY’s skyline in the back
A United 737-700 in ‘Star Alliance’ livery being pushed back. LGA is being completely remodelled, so there are lots of construction sides, both land- and airside
A PSA CRJ-200 about to be pushed back from a remote stand
Our E190 parked at the gate at LGA
Baggage was delivered quickly and we then took a Lyft to the Financial District. The ride offered nice vistas of Manhattan
No visit to NY would be complete without a nightly stroll around Times Square
We also ventured out to Harlem to see a different part of NYC
Looking uptown from One World Trade Center in the last light of the day
Inside the Oculus, the World Trade Center PATH station
After some enjoyable days at NYC, we were back at JFK’s Terminal 7 for our flight back home. Checkin at the separate First Class counter was quick and we were then guided through security
Terminal 7 is used mostly by BA and the only terminal in the US operated by a foreign carrier
Our next stop was the Concorde Room
JFK Concorde Room
Light snacks on offer
The Concorde Room dining area
Concorde Room menu
We only opted for a salmon starter
And a raspberry mille feuille with ice cream
5 BA flights to LHR in a window of just 2:15 hours
Our 20-year-old 744 waiting at the gate 6
British Airways flight BA176 from New York JFK (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR)
April 2017
STD / AOBT: 19:30 L / 19:48 L
STA / AIBT: 07:45 +1 L / 07:44 +1 L
DUR: 6:56
Equipment: B747-400
Reg: G-CIVJ
Personal flight #451
Seat 1A (First)
Back in seat 1A
The friendly and efficient crew quickly came and brought the amenity kit, PJ and a glass of Grand Siècle
Relaxing and waiting for push-back
BA’s IFE is not really state of the art, but mine didn´t even work in the beginning. Only after a few restarts and when up in the air, I was able to use it
We pushed back with a slight delay and taxied to RWY 13R
Shortly after take-off warm nuts and some more bubbly were delivered
So at least I was kept entertained whilst my IFE was restarted again
Then it was dinner time. As part of Alex Cruz’ cost saving agenda, BA has scaled down in First Class as well, no more amuse bouche. So I was handed my starter straight away: tuna with quinoa salad
My wife had the chanterelle soup instead
As main course, she went for the seabass with aubergine involtini
Whilst I went for the beef with asparagus
Well done that it wasn´t well done
Some cheese to conclude the meal
And a very yummy dessert: blueberry and lemon cheesecake
After dinner the FAs quickly prepared the bed which I still find one of the most comfy ones in the sky
We had asked to skip breakfast so we could extend our sleep as much as possible (on a 7h flight where you have dinner first). We woke up to this view of central London
And touched down at LHR on time
We arrived at terminal 5B and after saying good-bye to the Queen of the Skies at exactly 7:47am took the train to T5
The Concorde Room was fairly empty on this Sunday morning
We sat down in the dining area
And ordered breakfast
Poached egg with avocado
And the classic Egg Benedict
After some 2,5h at the Concorde Room we headed to the gate for our connecting flight back home
British Airways flight BA904 from London Heathrow (LHR) to Frankfurt (FRA)
April 2017
STD / AOBT: 10:50 L
STA / AIBT: 13:30 L / 13:28 L
DUR: 1:38
Equipment: A319
Reg: G-EUPX
Personal flight #452
Seat 1A (Club Europe)
Climbing out of LHR with a view of T3 where AA had 5 aircraft parked at the same time
The cost cutting at BA is visible everywhere, on European flights Economy passengers need to get their credit card out if they want food or drinks whilst in Club Europe the food offering has also been ‘upgraded’. This sandwich and 4 slices of fruit were the lunch option, a bit sad
Crossing the channel
Approaching a grey FRA where a number of overseas airlines have a longer layover here and park their aircraft during the day after arriving early in the morning and before they depart again in the evening
Timely touchdown on RWY 25L
As we were taxiing to our stand, we came across this LH B747-8i which was ready to depart for … Dulles. Exactly the same flight we had taken a few days ago
We deboarded on an apron position and were bussed back to the gate
This concludes my trip report, so what do we make of this trip? Lufthansa First remains one of my favourites (and the only product they can easily compete with Asian and Gulf carriers at the moment IMHO): the ground experience is fantastic, crews always convince with friendly and professional service, the seat is good in general though overall during this flight I was irritated by a few flaws (worn cabin, poor amenity kit, meal not available). But I´ll be back…
And BA? Well, it seems somewhat unfair to compare BA and LH First directly as many say BA First is the best business class on the planet (ok, in the meantime QSuites have arrived). I still greatly enjoyed the BA flight to LHR though as I knew what I could expect and what not. Decent food and a comfortable bed along with the efficient crew made it an enjoyable ride. So it all comes down to expectation management – I knew BA is not playing in the same league as LH in First Class, so I could still enjoy the BA experience without having to do comparisons all the time.
Thank you for reading this trip report. If you did like it, here are the links to my other trip reports:
2017
Lufthansa A350 Inaugural Flight MUC-HAM-MUC
2016
European Regionals (incl. CS100)
Round the world (Part 3): Arabic A380 Apogee (Etihad Apartment)
Round the world (Part 2): Skipping a day
Round the world (Part 1): a First Class start
Air Berlin across the pond – AB Y+ & C on DUS-MIA-DUS
A South American Teaser – LAN C 787 on FRA-MAD
Testing The Swiss Triple Seven In C FRA-ZRH-GVA
2015
Tudo Bom! - To Brazil In BA First & Club World
Lost In India – BOM-DEL-DOH-DME In AI+QR C
Meeting The Singapore Girls – ZRH-SIN-BOM In SQ C
At Putin’s Show Room - Maks Airshow 2015
New, Newer, Qatar Airways – A350, A380 & B788 In C
Siam Birds - Nokair & Bangkok Airways
2014
Quick Trip Across The Pond To NYC (SN & UA In C)
The Kim-Dom Calling-avgeek Heaven North Korea (P3)
The Kim-Dom Calling-avgeek Heaven North Korea (P2)
The Kim-Dom Calling-avgeek Heaven North Korea (P1)
Beijing And Back In C: LH A346 Vs. CA B773
A visit To Kingman & Mojave Boneyards With LX & LH
Northwest In Style - FRA-SEA-FRA In LH F (old)
Living The Dream(liner) – LAN FRA-MAD-FRA In Y
2013
Sleep Like An Egyptian:BRU-CAI-BKK-CAI-FRA In MS C
Endangered Species - A Weekend Trip To Russia (P2)
Endangered Species - A Weekend Trip To Russia (P1)
2008
The True Berlin Airport - Last Trip To THF
