India Trip Report – “I Can’t Go Back To Coach” – LH 747-8 First Class
India Itinerary
- Lufthansa A380 First Class – Frankfurt (FRA) -> Tokyo (NRT)
- Thai 747 First Class – Tokyo (NRT) -> Bangkok (BKK)
- Thai First Class Lounge & Royal Orchard Spa – Bangkok (BKK)
- Thai 747 Business Class – Bangkok (BKK) -> Bombay (BOM)
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- Air India Economy – Bombay (BOM) -> Udaipur (UDI)
- Sheraton Udaipur
- Site Seeing – Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur
- IndiGO Economy – Jaipur (JAI) -> Bombay (BOM)
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- Bombay Airport Clusterf$#%
- United BusinessFirst – Bombay (BOM) -> Newark (EWR)
Washington Dulles Airport (IAD)
After deboarding my ORD–IAD United Flight, I took the train from the Domestic Terminal to the International Terminal.
I have never connected through IAD before, so I was really surprised at how nice the International Terminal was.
This may not sound like a big deal, but the fact that there was both a Chipotle and Pot Belly right next to each other was mind blowing since O’Hare’s food selection is quite terrible (with the exception of Rick Bayless’s Frontera).
I honestly had to refrain from getting Chipotle and bringing it onto my First Class flight. Real classy, I know!
Before heading to the Gate for my Flight, I ducked into the Lufthansa Senator Lounge.
Lufthansa Senator Lounge: B+
Overall I was really impressed by the Lufthansa Senator Lounge.
The Lounge was kind of small and fairly packed but it was probably the nicest Lufthansa Lounge I have seen outside of Germany (although the JFK one is also really nice).
There was a wide selection of food and drink including beer, alcohol, sandwiches, cheese, nuts, soups, salad, and even some entrees.
Although I had some snacks on the United Flight, I still ate a few mini sandwiches and wasabi peas, but was careful not to fill up before my Lufthansa Flight.
After spending about 30 minutes in the Lufthansa Senator Lounge, I headed to my gate which was conveniently right next door.
Boarding began promptly on time, and my months of anticipation for flying in First Class were about to turn into reality.
Flight Statistics
Lufthansa – Flight 419
Washington D.C (IAD) – Frankfurt (FRA)
Monday, December 10, 2012
Depart: 5:40 PM
Arrive: 7:40 AM (+1 Day)
Duration: 8hr 0min
Aircraft: Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental
Seat: 1K (First Class)
I have never flown on the 747-8 Intercontinental in Economy or Premium Cabin, so honestly pre-trip, this was the flight I was most excited for.
The First Class Cabin on the 747-8 is in the nose of the Plane, so upon entering I turned left and was instantly greeted by the Purser (aka the Person who takes care of the First Class Passengers).
The Purser showed me to my Seat, which again was 1K.
She also showed me all the storage options, including my own overhead bin, ottoman storage, and a personalized compartment in the rear of the Cabin that could be locked.
“Rear Lockable Storage Compartment”
The Purser took my jacket and hung it up in my personalized compartment.
I also opted to put my Carry On Bag in there, which conveniently allowed me to discover the Lufthansa First Class emblemized Garment Bags. Let’s just say that my Suits now have a new First Class Bag to travel in…
After I stowed away my Luggage, the Purser offered me a drink from the huge Alcohol spread in the middle of the Cabin. I gladly accepted a glass of champagne.
Given the intricacy of the spread, I assumed it would be out during the duration of the flight however it was promptly removed before take off.
I was the first passenger to board, so I took full advantage by snapping too many photos for my own good.
I am fairly certain that I gave away that this was my first ever International First Class flight, as the Purser was just giggling at me. Notice in the picture below, she opted to turn away from the Camera.
After the other Passengers boarded, we were offered re-fills on Drinks as well as Macadamia Nuts.
I am all for nuts on Planes, but from this entire First Class experience, it seems that all the food on board is extremely salty. Not sure if it has something to do with your taste buds while in the air, but just something I noticed.
Amenity Kit: D-
Before Departure, we were also offered Amenity Kits, Pajamas, and Slippers.
Being my First International First Class Flight, I don’t have anything to really compare the Amenity Kits to besides Thai’s, but the Lufthansa’s Amenity Kit was really basic and far from remotely cool. It is currently serving as a case for my Kindle.
Even the United Amenity Kit on my flight back from Bombay was better than Lufthansa’s…
Thankfully the Lufthansa Pajamas were nice. I found the Shirt to be extremely soft, while the Pants are basically just grey scrubs.
After receiving my glass of Champagne and Amenity Kit, I settled into my Seat and prepared for Take Off.
Seat / Cabin: A+
The only way to describe the First Class Cabin on the 747-8 is elegant.
If I ever buy a house, I plan on trying to mimic the Lufthansa First Class Cabin ambiance. It isn’t flashy or pretentious, but at the same time it has a very refined and sophisticated feel about it.
Case and point, Lufthansa even went as far as draping the walls with a soft “velvet like” texture. I wouldn’t have even noticed it if I wasn’t playing around with the Windows, but it just shows that Lufthansa is willing to take that extra step.
As for the actual Seats, they are extremely comfortable.
It is really hard to tell from the photos, but these First Class seats are enormous and have a good 6+ feet of space.
What is also really great is that the Ottoman can be moved by remote, so you can slide it closer to you to use as a foot rest.
The Ottoman also doubles as a large storage compartment, which is where I opted to keep my backpack.
Although I was traveling by myself, if I was traveling with someone else I would really like the option of being able to sit next to each other and talk.
The great part, as you will see below, is that there is a Privacy Screen that can open up between the Seats.
Basically once you have had enough of your Significant Other, you can just raise the screen and be done with them ; )
“Ottoman Storage”
“Automatic Window Shades”
“View From My Seat”
The only 2 “complaints” about the Seat are that the Seat Lighting was terrible (as demonstrated by the poor lighting in the food photos) and the lighting knobs were difficult to find / operate.
The other thing that I thought was weird was that the In-Flight Entertainment Television isn’t in HD. Clearly these are #FirstWorldProblems, but just something I noticed.
Dinner Service: B-
Once we got into the Air, the Purser brought around a Hot Towel infused with Rose Water, which I thought was a very nice touch, as well as the Dinner Menus.
To start our Dinner, the Purser brought everyone a Salmon Starter while we were looking over the menu.
Dinner Menu
Items that are Italicized & Underlined are what I got.
Choice of Hors d’oeuvres
Caviar with the traditional Garnishes
Nantucket Scallop with Jam and Split Pea Puree
Seared Beef Tataki with green Papaya and Peanut Sauce
Beet Ravioli stuffed with creamy Goat Cheese and toasted Pistachios
Salad
Seasonal Salad with dried yellow Tomatoes and green Bell Pepper Julienne presented with a delicious Dressing
Choice of Main Courses
Tenderloin of Beef with Sweet Potato Hash and Ginger Plum Chutney
Poached Lobster Tail and Claw in Saffron Reduction with simmer Mushrooms and Butternut Squash
Semolina Potato Cake with Tomato Cream Sauce and fresh Vegetable Ragout
Braised Chicken Breast with Tamarind Sesame Glace, Quinoa friend Rice and Bok Choy
Selection of Cheese and Dessert
Sage Derby, Parmesan, Gruyere, Cambozola and Humboldt Fog Cheese garnished with Grapes
Warm Chocolate Cake with Yogurt Ice Cream
Crème Caramel
There was also an extensive drink menu, but it is too long to type out and the pictures I took are too difficult to read.
You will just have to take my word that any high-end wine, champagne, or liquor that you wanted, they had and that your glass would never be empty.
I was debating between the Braised Chicken Dish or Poached Lobster Tail, so I asked the Purser which one was better. Given she saw my earlier picture taking, she said she would be happy to bring out both dishes so I could sample each!
For the Hors d’oeuvres, you can actually order all of them, so I did just that. The 4 dishes came out on this really cool looking tower, but I will just say that the tower looks WAY BIGGER in photos than it actually is. Each dish is more like a Tapas Plate with a few bites.
I really enjoyed the Seared Beef Tataki with green Papaya and Peanut Sauce and the Beet Ravioli stuffed with creamy Goat Cheese and toasted Pistachios. The Nantucket Scallop with Jam and Split Pea Puree was served as a cold dish and was not very good.
I also had some Caviar with the traditional Garnishes which I have never had before. I wasn’t sure what to expect besides something fishy, but I was surprised that Caviar doesn’t really have a taste. Instead it is extremely light and basically melts in your mouth.
Although it wasn’t something I would eat on a normal basis, it was pretty good.
After the Hors d’oeuvres, I had the Salad.
I normally enjoy salads, but this one was highly questionable given the use of Bell Peppers.
For my first Main Course, the Purser first brought out the Poached Lobster Tail and Claw in Saffron Reduction with simmer Mushrooms and Butternut Squash.
The dish was alright but sounded and looked much better than it tasted.
After sampling the Lobster, the Purser brought out the Braised Chicken Breast with Tamarind Sesame Glace, Quinoa friend Rice and Bok Choy.
The Tamarind Sesame Glace was delicious, especially with the Quinoa, but I was not really digging the Braised Chicken.
For Dessert, I went with the Warm Chocolate Cake with Yogurt Ice Cream & my customary Baileys on Ice. Both were absolutely delicious!
After Dinner, I got up and reclined my seat all the way into a Bed, and went into the Bathroom to change into my Pajamas.
Bathroom: A-
The Bathroom in the 747-8 is not as large as in the A380 (as you will see in the next Report), but once again, it was extremely elegant. It is not often that you see a Toilet Seat cover draped in Leather.
Also the Sink was motion activated and I especially enjoyed the Fresh Rose on display.
In the drawers there was mouthwash, combs, make up remover, shaving cream, and razors.
The most shocking “feature” (which I quickly picked up on in all my Flights going forward), was that even though this is a BRAND NEW plane, Boeing included an Ash Tray in the bathroom.
Now outside of a few Russian East Bloc Domestic Airlines, no Airlines allow you to smoke on the Flight, so I don’t know what purpose these Ash Trays serve. Feel free to share if you know.
Having Ash Trays on a Plane is about as practical as offering Passengers a seat with a built-in gun holster. Who knows if in the future Passengers will be able to carry guns onto a Plane…
Bed: A
After I returned from the Bathroom, the Purser had gotten the hint and had made my Bed for me.
As part of “making your bed”, the Purser puts down a Mattress Pad and give you a real comforter, so my Seat was surprisingly comfortable “bed”.
The other really cool thing that I loved about these Seats is that they have a retractable privacy shield. So when you sleep, you can throw it up and your seat essentially becomes a mini enclosed suite.
“Privacy Shield Activated”
I slept for a good 4-5 hours and had asked to be woken up for Breakfast before landing.
Breakfast Service: A-
Breakfast consisted of the following:
American Breakfast
Fresh Orange Juice
Fresh Fruit
Farmer’s Frittata with Mushrooms, smoked Bacon and Tomato Olive Ragout
Assorted Breads
Everything was surprisingly delicious and the freshly squeezed orange juice was a great touch.
Before landing, I made sure to change back into my normal clothes and not make the mistake of being “that guy” who goes through the Terminal in their First Class Pajamas.
Recap: A-
Overall the 747-8 Flight was fantastic and I really enjoyed the experience. It was the perfect mix of elegance and class.
As for the actual Plane, it was probably the smoothest flight I have ever taken. I couldn’t even tell that we were flying.
In terms of Seat design, not only are the Seats extremely comfortable, Lufthansa has also thought of everything from Automatic Windows, to Privacy Screens, and even a moving Ottoman.
While I give points to Lufthansa for making an enormous effort to try and get the food right, unfortunately in the air, things just do not taste very good. The 2 best parts of my meals were the Garlic Bread and the Ice Cream Sundae. They weren’t exceptionally spectacular, but instead they had the most flavor and resembled their counterparts on the ground.
After this Flight, I can legitimately understand why everyone talks about Lufthansa’s service. After experiencing both Lufthansa Business and First Class, I can say there is a night and day difference between the two.
Stay tuned for the next installment: Lufthansa First Class Terminal – Frankfurt (FRA)
–Parag
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