Hi again everyone, welcome back to another flight review! My apologies for being away for a while, as I haven't taken any exciting flights as of late. So I thought it was a perfect opportunity to revisit one of my older highlights. I've been torn over how to approach this one, as it took place back in 2024, a time I wasn't even aware of the site's existence. My apologies in advance, for not providing as comprehensive of a picture tour as I usually do, but I think I can still craft an enjoyable read. So lets go back in time to December 2024, aboard Lufthansa's Queen of the Skies in First Class.
Today's journey takes us from Frankfurt to Shanghai Pudong. I just arrived on the Airbaguette A340 from Boston Logan at 5:09 am. Unfortunately, my connecting flight over to PVG isn't until 15:10, leaving 10 hours of transit time. While usually a longer transit in a first class lounge wouldn't be anything to complain about, I barely slept on my previous flight and was definitely struggling with the jet lag. The lovely flight attendants on the Boston flight informed me of private sleeping rooms at the First Class lounge, but my journey to locating it had only just begun.
On the previous flight, the first class cabin was completely full, which meant the two Porsche's that arrived on the tarmac couldn't fit us all. There were two gentlemen who were completely disinterested in discussing who would take them, and proceeded to sit straight into the cars. Whatever, we're young blood, I didn't mind. The problem, however, was not the shuttle bus taking me to the main terminal, but rather the lack of direction after reaching it. There were two directions, one heading towards passport check, and one to the main terminal. I was told on the flight I would be taken straight to the lounge, but haven taken the shuttle bus, I was completely lost in the main terminal. I lined up for passport checks with everyone else only to be told I didn't need to do this, and sent me back. After lots of confusin and inquiry, I finally reached a lounge which turned out not to be what I was looking for. The agent seemed extremely confused when I asked about the sleeping rooms, and directed me into the back where there were a few couches out in the open in a dark room. When I shared what the crew on my Boston flight mentioned, they made a few calls and finally realized I had been speaking of a different lounge, which took me another 20 minutes to reach. Just when I thought I was at the right one, I was again told I was mistaken. On the bright side, compared to the hostility and impatience of the last lounge's agent, this lady was extremely helpful and suggested I grab some food and drink while she confirmed with her colleagues. She also apologized for the other lounge agent's impatience.
Normally, I wouldn't really mind walking around the terminal, I feel confusion happens to everyone especially in such a large airport with many lounges. But keep in mind, I was a F passenger on both flights, and having little to no guidance and leaving me stranded in the main terminal seems slightly out of character for a first class experience, that's ignoring the fact they didn't even send enough cars for the entire Boston flight's F class passengers. Don't get me wrong, having a car pickup from your plane is beyond luxurious, and as much as I genuinely didn't mind taking the bus, I feel you should get the service you paid for and was promised, and having barely slept at all being stranded between three lounges and rude staff really started this journey on a low. Furthermore, Lufthansa knew how many F passengers were on Boston's flight, so there should be no excuse for failing to deliver.
Anyways, as I finally reached the correct lounge, I was guided over to the private sleeping room, of which there were two. These are first come first serve, so I have my Boston crew to thank for booking one for me. These rooms were solid, but I later realized were extremely not sound proof. It must have taken hours before I finally fell asleep. Considering the rooms were near the toilets, constant foot traffic made it difficult to rest, even with the earplugs they provided. The dining area was also nearby, which only meant nonstop clattering of silverware. Regardless, having a private space to myself was awesome.
Many, many hours later, around an hour and a half or so before boarding, I got up and headed over to the dining area. There was a small buffet area and an a-la-carte menu. I really regret not taking any snaps of the buffet, which might have been the more extensive I've seen at a lounge, probably only beaten by EK's. This chilled shrimp plate was incredible, I went back at least three or four times for refills. I also grabbed some cheese and cold cuts, accompanied by a diet coke and iced Americano as I awaited my a-la-carte orders.
The truffle pasta was up first (and of course, more shrimp plates) and was really good. I'm not sure if it was the ten+ hours without eating, but one of the creamiest and most flavorful pastas I've had.
I then went with the duck and I believe what was beetroot puree. Lufthansa really make their sauces shine, and this was no different. The duck was also extremely tender, leaving me wishing for a larger portion.
With boarding approaching, I called it quits for now as I didn't want to fill up too much before flying. Before you board, the staff lead you over to some couches near the gate's entrance, before calling and taking you down a private elevator directly from the lounge to the tarmac where your Porsche will be waiting to drive you to your plane. A young lady next to me was bound for Seoul, before a gate agent came by to apologize and mention both our cars were slightly delayed.
I took this time to glance out the lounge windows, which offer incredible views of the tarmac. Hello United:) Being the largest carrier of 747's, it feels surreal to see so many just casually hanging around Frankfurt airport. While CA and KE also operate them, they are far rarer and hard to come across. For Lufthansa, they're really flexing just how many they still fly. No need to stare and take pictures of our 747s, you'll probably see three more down the street :).
The best part of being driven to your plane is, without a doubt, being able to see these giants from down below. The ride was wayyy too short, I really hoped he could drive ten more loops around the airport :(. But look how stunning the Queen is from here.
I was then led up a service elevator directly onto the jetbridge, and onto the plane we go! Similar to KE but unlike CA, LH's first class cabin is located in the nose, interesting in front of where the pilots are on the second floor. Immediately, I am welcomed aboard and taken to my seat. I couldn't help but notice LH's utilization of the center area, something we will see again during breakfast service. Something feels extra luxurious about lying out food and glassware in this space, lowkey flexing their amenities on offer. While KE emphasizes the sense of excess space and emptiness on their 747's, LH uses a different approach.
Here's the first look at my seat up in the nose on the right side. There is ample storage space both in the ottoman, and along the armrest which opens up. There was a large pillow and a fleece blanket, as well as an amenity kit and LH's signature F rose. I was then offered pyjamas, and I went with an L.
I was then offered welcome macadamia nuts and a beverage, of which the crew strongly recommended the Rose Champagne, which I couldn't get enough of on my Boston flight. more please. I'm starting to prefer Rose over regular champagne, the added sweet scent is just unbeatable.
Here's a snap of the cabin from a different angle, also showing off their blue amenity kits. From here, it can be argued that the cabin may feel slightly cramped at times, especially with the two center seats which are completely ommitted on KE's F. Perhaps the presence of overhead bins may also add to feel of having less space, I must say I do prefer ommitting them and placing bags in cubbies near the rear of the cabin. There is also no real sense of privacy at all, the only form of it being a small partition which can be raised, but still you are openly visible to all passing by. The IFE screens are also on the smaller side for a F seat, but offered lots of movies and TV shows keeping you occupied for longer flights.
The captain then came on the PA and apologized for the delay, stating he hoped to make up for lost time in flight. As we pushed back, we crossed paths with another 747. I can't remember off the top of my head but I believe this was bound for Incheon. The lovely sunset accompanied our pushback, and later got some wonderful views up above.
Goodbye for now Frankfurt, and we were up above the clouds at 15:32, 22 minutes later than scheduled. On the bright side, this minor delay meant the perfect view up high.
Thirty minutes or so into the flight, the crew began working on service. Some more rose champagne was offered, along with the amuse bouche of a sweet potato dish with corn, which was alright.
By far my biggest regret of all my earlier flights is not taking pictures of the full menu. On this occassion, I guess that is half true? I managed to dig up the Chinese translation I sent to my girlfriend, I will do my very best here to provide an accurate translation!
Ok, bear with me, here we go.
Appetizers:
Roasted duck breast with green asparagus, edamame and seafood sauce
Alaskan king crab legs with cocktail sauce, grilled pear and passion fruit
Roasted celery root, pickled mushrooms, parsley mayonnaise and corn
Lamb with roasted pine nuts, dried cherries and walnuts
Mains：
Classic roast goose with red leaf cabbage and potato balls
Monkfish chunks served with Japanese yuzu sauce, stir-fried bok choy, and black rice risotto
Black Beef Tenderloin (Asian Black Soybean Beef Tenderloin) with Chili Sauce, Cilantro, and Yellow Carrots
Truffle sauce liniment with celery and roasted hazelnuts
Beef consommé with coarse wheat meatballs and root vegetables
Desserts:
Le Bronchon cheese, Chauss cheese, Morgo cheese, Casalisac cheese, Stilton cheese, blue cheese and mustard fig chutney
Chestnut buttermilk cake with green apple
Spelt and coarse wheat balls with tart filling, nut butter ice cream, and fruit in a rum jar
I would like to thank google translate for their hard work in this endeavour.
Meal service began with some bread and butter, I went with garlic bread. I think I was watching Friends, the only explanation for a baby being on my screen.
Then came the caviar service, accompanied by its traditional garnishes and some white bread. The portion is definitely on the smaller size (especially if comparing with the likes of EK). Caviar really isn't something I ever have on the ground, I guess the luxurious feel of indulging on it in the air feels different, but I've never really adapted to its taste.
One of my favorite elements of LH's F service is that you're not required to choose from the appetizers on offer, but rather they jjust bring you all of them if you like. Of course, that's what I did. The highlights were the king crab and duck. The chilled crab was extremely fresh I can still remember its taste nearly a year later. The duck resembled the tenderneess of the grilled version from the lounge. The salad and lamb were also decent, but not as noteworthy as the others.
Then came my main, for which I went with the goose. The overall flavor of the dish was alright, albeit not as spectacular as the lounge offerings. Presentation wise its rather lackluster for a F main, and honestly despite the sauce being quite good, the vegetables and meat were sort of drowned in it to the extent they quickly became soggy. Not the greatest, but I still appreciated the strong savory taste.
Finally, the dessert came around and I went with both sweet options. This was back before I became a huge cheese board lover, and deeply regret not given the best of German cheeses a go. The cake on the left side tastes alright, but the two green pieces of ice cream were fully frozen solid and not really edible until they began to melt. I wasn't a huge fan of the other dessert either, it was far too sweet and left a bad aftertaste. To conclude, not the greatest F meal, but the appetizers were definitely the highlight.
I must commend the crew, who were extremely attentive throughout the meal and always asked for feedback on the taste.
Before heading off to bed, I kindly asked the purser if they had any LH branded gifts or souvenirs I could take home. She later returned to apologize for not having anything but did offer to provide me with a hand cream from their duty free collection.
The crew then came by to provide turndown service, and my bed was prepared as I was freshening up. I completely forgot to take a picture of the bed on this flight, so here is one from the previous journey from Boston. The little card with a few circles located on the menu card was a chocolate manual describing each one on offer, and of course you know I had to try them all.
Another moment I must commend LH's soft product was when I accidentally spilled water all over my duvet. When asking if there was a replacement, the crew was extremely apologetic to inform me only one per passenger was loaded, no problem at all. Then around 3 crew members showed up with all sorts of towels and napkins to work on drying my duvet. When I asked if I could be of any help they insisted I take a seat and relax, awesome crew. Although the team couldn't fully dry it off, it was far better than before. I couldn't thank them enough for their help, and dozed off to sleep.
I must have been asleep for hours, one of the most restful ones in the skies, and was awoken with the smell of food along with the sun which I hadn't seen in nearly 30 hours. Ok, I might have questioned LH's incorporation of the middle table that might cramp the cabin, but oh how glorious does this breakfast spread look. They really took a hotel breakfast buffet and brought it into the skies.
There was everything you could wish for from a breakfast buffet on offer. From cheeses, to fresh fruits, cold cuts, juices, oatmeal, breads, jams anything you could wish for.
I guess the only thing missing from a regular buffet on the ground would be an egg station, alast you can't bring that onto the plane… oh wait you can. My jaw literally dropped on my way to the toilet when I spotted a crew member literally frying a fresh omelette in the air.
There are always small moments from a flight that you never forget, and oh yeah this did it for me. A freshly cooked omelette in the air, LH might not be the best at everything, but this was honestly something else. She was also more than happy for me to snap pictures and hang out with her as she cooked it, again great soft product from the crew.
I went with a hot black coffee, apple juice, bread roll, some cold cuts, and freshly cooked scrambled eggs over toast and bacon. I never noticed where the crispy bacon came from, but I guess it's not farfetched to assume they were just freshly fried as well. Flavor wise, it might not have been the very best of in-flight breakfasts, but having fresh eggs and bacon cooked seconds ago, I have to saw LH F tops out in terms of breakfast.
Sadly, breakfast also meant the imminent conclusion of this journey. It was bittersweet when the crew members came by to thank us and bid farewell, but also nice to see home again for the first time in nearly half a year.
We soon touched down at PVG T2 at 10:36 am, 31 minutes behind schedule (I guess we didn't end up making up that lost time:) )
We parked over at the international concourse, where you can find the largest selection of international carriers in mainland China (not too busy today, but usually imagine around 15 different wings lined up, makes up quite a spectacle. Also unsure why UA has been banished over there).
There is no fast track security for PVG arrivals. Strangely, our flight was selected for random COVID testing for every passenger, making the process slightly more frustrating. Luckily the line moved quick and only a tiny mouth swab, none of that nose torture from early 2020.
Let me leave with a shot of the bird as I stepped off the Porsche back in Frankfurt. The sheer grandeur of the Queen of the Skies hits so different from the tarmac, what a sight.
