Flying Lufthansa: A380 Business Class from Miami to Frankfurt
The largest passenger airliner on earth never ceases to impress. Despite the fact that it’s been soaring the skies for over a decade, the Airbus A380 is still an eye catcher and, when possible, a pleasure to fly on.I have been blessed to fly on four different A380s. My first, the luxurious and ultra spacious Korean Air ‘Super’, taking me on the inaugural Atlanta-Seoul route, which covered over 7,200nm miles on 16 hours of flight in their upper deck’s business class, which also featured a stunning bar on the back of the bus.The second, Singapore Airlines’ award-winning Business Class service from New York to Frankfurt—one that I’ll hardly forget thanks to the impeccable service offered by its flight attendants.And the third, China Southern’s long-haul service from Los Angeles to Guangzhou, China.These three experiences allowed me to grasp the true essence of the A380: spaciousness, silence, comfort—characteristics that were enhanced, especially on Singapore and China Southern, by the all-aisle access their Business Classes are configured on.
Germany’s flag carrier launched A380 operations to Miami in 2011, becoming the first airline to bring the double decker airliner to Southern Florida.The unprecedented event was welcomed with excitement by the Miamian community, gathering dozens of people on the airport’s Perimeter Road to watch the behemoth plane arrive and depart. Still, today after six years, people show up when the Super A380 arrives or leaves.Lufthansa’s introduction of the A380 in Miami forced the airport to build a gate capable to serve the aircraft’s main and upper decks. According to MIA, the cost of installing jetways to serve the aircraft cost up to $1.5 million.Passenger loads have allowed Lufthansa to continue serving Miami with their A380 on a daily basis. Their high-density configuration of 509 passengers, divided in four classes: 371 in Economy Class, 52 in Premium Economy, 78 in Business Class, and 8 in First Class.
Lufthansa invited Airways to cover its annual Lufthansa Technik Aviation Media Days, which took place in the island of Malta (MLA) and their headquarters at Frankfurt Airport (FRA).Flights were booked on the 18:00 flight LH463 departure to FRA on the airline’s Airbus A380, connecting to MLA on the smaller A321 the following morning.Upon receiving my booking, I went straight to the airline’s user-friendly app and checked available seats on both flights.
Lufthansa’s A380 cabin configuration, albeit recently upgraded, is perhaps a a few steps behind current worldwide trends. The double decker had originally been fitted with recliner seats, and was recently refurbished with the airline’s new Business Class product, which surprisingly came in the ubiquitous 2-2-2 configuration.Located on the central portion of the aircraft’s upper deck—right behind First Class—the new Lufthansa Business Class differs from the trendy all-aisle, staggered configurations that airlines around the world are adopting, and customers are lately expecting.Take for example Qatar Airways’ (QR) recent QSuite, which gives its passengers maximum space and aisle access. Other airlines, such as SQ and CZ, offer staggered 1-2-1 configurations, increasing comfort and valuable privacy. But Lufthansa has placed its bet on the old-fashioned 2-2-2 configuration, which reduces overall width, and inhibits passenger privacy.This configuration is now present in all of Lufthansa’s A380s, Boeing 747-8s, and most recently and even more surprisingly, Airbus A350s. The newest Airbus airliners were fitted with the exact same product, which for ultra-long-haul flights, could become definitely bothersome and quite fatiguing.Each Lufthansa Business Class seat offers a tight 20 inches of width, and 78 inches of pitch when in full flat position. The proportions of these two important metrics are a little off.While window rows are angled outwards, central row seats are angled inwards, forcing passengers to share foot space with neighboring passengers and therefore reduce personal room.At the time of booking, no windows were available. So after doing a little research, I decided that central seats would be more comfortable and spacious than aisle seats.Therefore, I chose seat 24D, on the last row of Business Class before the upper deck’s rear Economy Class section. This would guarantee aisle access and a little more comfort throughout the 9-hour flight to FRA.
The Lufthansa/MIA Experience
One day ahead of departure, a notification popped up on my mobile phone inviting me to check-in for my flights to FRA and MLA. The whole process didn’t take more than four minutes, showing me an updated seat map and requesting the typical passenger information before showing my mobile boarding pass.The following day, I arrived at MIA’s Concourse J, where polite Lufthansa clerks—who also serve Swiss, Austrian, and Brussels—checked me in and printed out my boarding passes along with an invitation to enter the LATAM Airlines lounge.As I approached the busy TSA queue, Lufthansa’s Gold Track was sadly closed. All First and Business Class passengers were then forced to wait in line for at least 35 minutes.Once past security, I climbed the stairs and reached the modern LATAM Airlines lounge, which was filled with passengers waiting for their flights to Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires, and our flight to Frankfurt.Numerous snacks and sandwiches were available, along with a full bar of soft and alcoholic beverages. Ramp views showed the vast collection of Dreamliners LATAM Airlines parks during the day on the western side of the airfield, waiting for their late-night departures to the South.About 15 minutes before scheduled boarding time, I stepped out and walked to gate J17, where our Airbus A380 (D-AIMI • Berlin) was being prepped for our Transatlantic crossing.People began gathering in front of the gate, and right on time, we were invited to board. First Class passengers rapidly sneaked through the crowds, followed by the 78 Business Class passengers.We scanned our boarding passes and climbed a steep jetway to reach the aircraft’s door, where a smiling Flight Attendant greeted our way into the German A380.Upon entering the large upper-deck cabin, I walked to the very end where my seat awaited. The overall feeling wasn't as spacious as in other A380s I had flown before. Perhaps the seating configuration plays against this perception.As soon as I settled, I did notice the central seats were very narrow and angled towards the neighboring passenger. In my case, sadly, the passenger who shared my space was a very large person.Boarding ended quite rapidly, thanks to the three jetways that are connected to the aircraft, and our Captain announced a total flight time of 8 hours 32 minutes from takeoff to touchdown.Hot towels were immediately distributed along with a welcome beverage and the menu for the evening’s meal service. Champagne, juice, and water were served as the large airliner pushed back from the gate.One of the nicest features the A380 has is its tail-mounted camera, which gives unique views as the airplane moves around the airport. Even though several Airbus types offer this nice feature, I had never had the chance to enjoy it before.At 18:08, brakes were released and a powerful roar was felt about the cabin as our A380 rolled down Runway 28. After a long take-off roll, our double-decker plane rotated and became airborne, turning northwest towards the Everglades, to then hop on Airway A699 towards the Northern Atlantic.Even though a strong sound and vibration were felt as the airplane rolled down the runway, all that followed was a whisper accompanied by the occasional low-level turbulence. The A380 was cutting through the air in a leisurely fashion—the perfect way to begin a long-haul flight to Germany.
Inflight Service
One hour after departure, the inflight service began. A small plate with assorted nuts was brought to the table with a beverage of choice. Every time I fly Lufthansa, I happily request a cold bottle of Warsteiner beer—the perfect German Pilsener goodness.An army of flight attendants are obviously needed to take good care of 78 demanding passengers. And this is the main issue with the A380: keeping its crew consistently engaged and capable of hosting so many premium travelers at the same excellent service.Even though my flight attendants took really good care of me, it lacked that personal touch that breaks the barrier between serving the masses, and making each passenger feel somewhat speak aloud.About 15 minutes after the aperitif, the appetizer arrived in a pre-set tray: a succulent Roast Beef laid upon a pico de gallo garnish, accompanied with grapes and cilantro leaves. The tasty, protein-filled dish set the tone for the main course, which arrived immediately after.I chose a slow roasted Wagyu Beef Brisket, accompanied with a garnish of sautéed vegetables and potato pancakes, smothered on a tangy sauce. A small, fresh salad was also served to balance the spiciness of the meat’s sauce.The quality of the meal was, honestly, splendid. I was very satisfied with the flavors and textures, leaving me impressed of Lufthansa’s catering capabilities in Miami.Coming up, cheese and dessert. But feeling a little tired, I decided to skip them all and enjoy the airline’s IFE.Lufthansa’s A380 IFE is quite basic:I reclined my seat until it became a full-flat bed and, with the aid of Lufthansa’s modest Amenity Kit, pillow and cover, I rested for the following five hours.
As predicted, sleeping on such narrow seats is a challenge of its own. Perhaps the biggest problem I encountered was sharing my leg room with my neighboring passenger, who constantly moved and awakened me repeatedly.Although these central seats could be better fitted for honeymooners or couples flying together, it’s definitely not for passengers traveling alone. Thankfully, though, the flight was short enough to avoid more discomfort.The cocoon-type seats do become full-flat beds, though the reduced width curtails mobility, becoming tight after a number of hours inflight.The Amenity Kit offers the typical eye shades, socks, lip moisturizer, tooth brush/paste, a comb, ear blocks, and face balm. That, together with the super comfortable and neatly designed pillow/blanket, counteracts the seat’s small dimensions and aids resting time.However, I condemn the airline’s decision to replicate this Business Class configuration on its newest A350s, which will be the backbone of Lufthansa’s fleet for the next couple decades.
After five hours of resting time, I woke up with 40 minutes to go before landing. I purposely decided to skip breakfast to try and maximize shuteye.One of the Flight Attendants offered me coffee and fruits, which I gladly accepted. Their attentiveness was one of the highlights of this overnight crossing to Europe.Descent into FRA was smoother than I’d expected. The A380 was incredibly silent and stable throughout the entire flight, especially during this final phase.The tail-mounted camera offered stunning views of the approach, and our landing was definitely the softest I have experienced on board any of the four A380s I had flown on.Our taxiing to the gate took ten more minutes, marking the end of an overall good trip.
Lufthansa has always been a reliable carrier capable of delivering an on-time product with very few flaws to comment on. Their impeccable history, their valuable brand and marketing strategy, the palpable pride that comes out of every member of the staff, and the overall state of its large fleet, demonstrates that’s an airline that strives for perfection.However, when it comes to analyzing the quality of its hard product in Business Class—and especially when comparing it to other legacy and top-class carriers—it falls behind in two easy to identify aspects:First, the choice of refurbishing all its fleet with a 2-2-2 layout in Business Class eliminates any possible sense of privacy for any passenger paying a premium to be more comfortable and better positioned with regards to inferior classes. The fact that a passenger sitting on a window seat needs to jump its neighbor to step out to the toilet, is unacceptable. Likewise, sharing foot space with a total stranger is extremely uncomfortable.And second, the quality of their Business Class meals still has long ways to go before reaching consistency and award levels. On my return leg to Miami, the entire menu (main and pre-arrival services) was inspired in India. Sadly, I’m allergic to spices, so I was forced to eat just the salad on both occasions remaining very hungry and equally disappointed.But, Lufthansa’s friendly crew, always looking to initiate a conversation, proud to serve, and clearly enjoying their jobs, is the plus that other carriers usually don’t have. In fact, two flight attendants whom I spoke with agreed that the cabin configuration isn’t the best, and informed me that when Lufthansa takes delivery of their first 777-X, it will be with an all-new Business Class cabin. Fingers crossed.If the airline manages to polish the first two items in my list, then it’ll be the carrier it deserves to be: A five-star one.
