Trip Report VLog: Lufthansa 747-8i Business Class Upper Deck Frankfurt to Mexico + Lounge!

So I am getting the hang of making video reports. It is soooo much easier and more fun to put pictures into a video format!

Still, you can't put in all the info unless you do voice overs or something. So I will still have to depend on writing, just a bit.

Imagine arriving around 6 am and having your next flight at past 1 pm. In FRA. OMG. I knew I had to come up with some plan to avoid boredom.  The lounge is nice, but it isn't the most interesting lounge on the planet.

So I decided upon arrival to go through the hassle of immigration and get out to land side. For reasons I still can't understand, I thought it was a good idea to go into the city and maybe do some shopping. Of course I would forget that shops would not open until say 10 am, and that it would be brrr cold outside and  of course I would forget to bring the right clothes. Plan B it was. To get into the arrivals lounge (since I was not air side anymore). Thought I could shower, and have breakfast.

Well.

LH Arrivals lounge, I was soon to learn, was only for people coming off LH flights. Star Alliance Gold status would not get you in. Even if your flight was LH coded but operated by another carrier.

So what else was there to do?

Shop at the Worldshop for LH Rimowa luggage. Always wanted a matching carry on. Met a Singaporean lady there who was raving about how she compared prices in Singapore and how cheap it was in Germany. My shopping experience took a few hours after I learned that my luggage was a little damaged and I had to go back and exchange it.

I did think of doing the airport tour but they had limited slots and I couldn't make it work. So it was back through immigration and security. FRA is just bad with security. They always find something to gripe about. This time it was my Bose mini sound link. They literally hauled me away, put the damn thing in a box before deciding it wasn't a terrorist tool. The only upside to this experience was the officer, who was a stunner, made a pass at me. Er hm.

The rest of the time was spent in the lounge, where I chatted with the friendly bartender from the Philippines and ate average food. Tried to nap, just couldn't do it.

Boarding was easy. If I wanted to I could even use the pass noted in my iPhone. LH is good for such things. Very integrated and seamless, unlike some other airlines.

On board, the service was professional. Of course it would never be like Asian hospitality. But the ladies were pleasant enough, and they fed us all enough to not warrant any call bell.

Note: I had the first row, upper deck. The beauty of the Dash 8 is of course the extended upper deck. So it should be your first choice. And because it is single aisle up there with limited seats, it does tend to be quieter. I know because I have sat in the main deck business class too. Not pleasant.

First row however meant that your IFE monitors would be cramped together. But lucky me, I was alone in that row. Guess most HON members prefer the full seat set up with all the cubby holes etc.

Catering was of course better than pre-new business class days. And because this was the Dash 8 the service was upgraded. I must say the food wasn't bad at all. And in some respects even better than SQ. Except for the welcome nuts. In a packet, not in a bowl, and not warm. Terrible.

There were two meals on this flight. Lunch and pre-landing dinner, which was an abbreviated version. Single tray service whereas the lunch was course by course.

Amenity kit was from Samsonite. Well the bag at least. Nice, considering what LH used to give out.  Anything missing from the kit you can get from the restrooms.

The flight was uneventful, except that someone from two rows back kept eyeing me, and even shamelessly made several trips to the lavs in the front. It wouldn't take a genius to know that I was er hmm being desired.

The immigration process was simple and quick. And everyone was friendly and used whatever English they knew to welcome me into their country. It was a good start to what would be a hectic trip.

Enjoy the video!

Redesigning a Boarding Pass

A lot of people have tried it.  But I think this guy's got it.  And he deserves a shout out!

Here is the story:

Boarding Pass Redesign

His website:

Peter Smart

Airline News: Airbus A380 - Promises Delivered?

Two days ago, British Airways released their A380 seat plan, in anticipation of their first whalejet flight.

Willie Walsh, CEO of IAG, BA's parent company revealed the following details:

Main Deck

• 14 First
• 22 Club World Business Class in a 2/4/2 configuration
• 119 World Traveler Economy Class in a 3/4/5 configuration

Upper Deck

• 53 Club World Business Class in a 2/3/2 layout
• 55 World Traveler Plus Premium Economy Class in a 2/3/2 layout
• 104 World Traveler Economy Class in a 2/4/2 layout

BA has bought 12 of the superjumbos and are taking delivery of their first in July of 2013.  No announcements of routes yet.

I don't profess to be an aviation expert, but I do have an opinion. Frankly, I don't see the big hype about the A380, or even the Dreamliner for that matter.  The makers of these aircrafts have all the best intentions in the world in developing new technologies that can, in theory, lead to a more comfortable ride for passengers.  And let's face it, that is a good thing considering the golden days of Pan Am are long gone and not returning.  So with the hassles on the ground, what goes on in the air does matter.

When Airbus starting hocking their plane around, the industry and the public got to view such wondrous possibilities.  Oh, the plane is way quieter than any predecessor.  Oh, there is so much space now even in cattle class.  Oh, we have great mood lighting and larger overhead bins.

And check out the grand staircase!

Airbus did a great job at selling the dream in their marketing mock ups, especially for premium classes, offering even options between salons and suites.

It's been what, over 5 years now since the first Singapore Airlines A380 flight.  Many other carriers have since flown theirs.  Has there been any difference?

Some swear that the plane is indeed quieter upon take off and landing. Personally, I didn't think that it was that much quieter compared to say the 77W.  Crew members I spoke to from different carriers concurred.  Fine, it is all anecdotal and some may say subjective.

So let's take a look at the seat numbers of the different carriers flying the A380.

© Business Traveler

Airbus's A380 capacity was designated to be 555 seats in a three class configuration.  That number was to gain maximum yields without the bells and whistles they sold in their marketing campaigns.

At 469 seats in total BA doesn't come in too bad.  At 516 seats, the greatest offender is Air France that tries to squeeze out every little bit of space in their A380, while Korean Air comes in at 407 seats.

So does the passenger benefit from the added space?  It depends.  If you are in the back of the bus, the experience will be no different from any other plane, primarily because the seat pitch of Y in almost all the carriers straddles between 31-32 inches.  If you are in business class, unless you are flying with Qantas, whose pitch is about 80 inches, you will still find the industry average of 55-60 inches to be the norm on the superjumbos of other carriers.  And if you are flying in first, well, if you aren't happy with the space in the front of the bus, then get a private jet!

So the truth is, space wise, it isn't any different from any other plane. Airlines have tried to sell their A380s as an improvement in products and services.  Indeed, SQ launched their new 1/2/1 'widest business class seat in the sky' during the inauguration of their A380.

Most airline customers though have not succumbed to the immense possibilities of the aircraft.  There are exceptions such as Emirates, which installed bars in their premium cabins and of course the now legendary showers in First Class.  Lufthansa decked out their First Class with a glorious toilet and changing room, in addition to noise insulating carpeting among others.  Korean Air has their shop in the sky and lounge areas in premium classes.  Singapore Airlines has their matrimonial double beds in Suites, although their official stand on what could happen on those beds is just hilarious.

If you think that just because passengers who fly premium classes get treated oh so special, well thing of this.  You know how an Y passenger is not allowed in the upper deck unless there is a Y cabin up there?  And you know how the wonderful grand staircase is off limits to Y passengers?  Well, because First Class in the A380 is always in the front of the plane, even J passengers are usually barred from using the grand staircase.

So the Grand Staircase on the A380 is a little like the one that was on the Titanic.  Luxurious but only for a very select few.  It is literally a staircase up or down to heaven,  depending on which deck First Class is on!

So after 5 years or so, the discussions and debates will no doubt continue.  Is it safe, is it noisy, is it luxurious etc.  

While the plane bears the distinction of being part of aviation milestone, no carrier will want to want to fly a plane that does not make economic sense (hallo A345).  

And so, at the end of the day, airlines have to strike a balance between coming up with the next big thing in aviation products, and yield management, something that has no formula or manual. 

For the passenger, it will still be a squeeze, the food will still taste mediocre and looking out of the window will have the same sensation regardless of the deck you are flying in.

Down the line, flying the A380 may lose its 'new tech' appeal, leaving behind  no real difference or unique value in the flying experience.

Lounges: Lufthansa Senator Lounge in Frankfurt T1

Logo in front of the lounge

Ok so it been about 1.5 years since it was launched.  And I have been inside a few times.  Each time, I learned something new about what it offered.  Especially when you have a 5 hour layover in Frankfurt.  Not enough time to go into the city, too much time in an airport.  So, it's a lucky thing if you can get access.

The redesigned lounge is 1800 sqm, located in the non-Schenzen side.  It is supposed to be the benchmark for future lounge refurbs.

What it offers, from 5am to 10pm:

• Restrooms
• Showers
• Slumber Room
• Office Support
• Free local calls
• Wifi
• TV
• Buffet counter
• Periodicals

Ok time for impressions.

It's a flight up the stairs.  Or a very slow elevator.  You choose.

Entrance:

Entrance to LH Senator Lounge

• You get greeted by polite (but quite cold) lounge dragons.  
• They don't recognize your status and / or ticket.  I learned this when I went in with my LH card on a Y ticket, my LH card AND a J ticket, my LH card AND an F ticket.
• Star Alliance First Class passengers get the honor of being in the Senator lounge.  Not much exclusivity.  And no, don't even try to ask for access to their F terminal.

On the left:

• Lockers for your luggage 
• The toilets
• The showers / spa.  Yes spa.  But anyone used to Bangkok will find Euro Spas a little underwhelming and overpriced.  

Ahead of you:

Lounge as seen from opposite side

• Bar / lounge area with the now iconic City Lights design element.  If you are in the lounge during the day, you would see a kind of an air well with some plants.  They pull the blinds on this at night.

On the right:

Sitting / Dining Area

• Seating / dining area as well as the buffet counter.  
• food sucks. However the last time I was there they had a German food fair, and had seasonal cuisine (read: appetizer portions), and that was interesting but still mediocre.
• Note:  They have cup noodles, but this needs to be ordered.  When LH say order, it means find a (hopefully friendly) attendant, and ask for it.  Then you wait. And wait.  And wait...at the counter while someone from the kitchen pours water into the cup noodle and gives it to you.   

Inside:

Sitting Area overlooking tarmac

• Lounge chairs that give you a vantage view of the tarmac for plane spotting.  Useless at night, not good for resting.  
• Slumber rooms are nice and dark.  BUT the beds are like concrete. They do give you a nice LH branded blanket.  Which could be a nifty souvenir but you didn't hear this from me!
• Shower rooms are retty basic, quite large with the standard change area.  Toiletries are stored in pump stations.  You need to get an attendant to give you access.  The lady that took care of me was not German but it was fun trying to charade out what we were trying to say to each other.

Standard shower rooms

• The toilets are interesting.  They gave out Nivea face moisturizers for free.  These were kept in a bowl.  Needless to say within 30 minutes, they were gone.  Most into my carry on bwahahaha! I joke.  Wonder what they give out in the ladies toilets?

The Bar / Lounge:

Lounge area

Snacks and cup noodles

They have a series of snacks laid on in a zen like tray that you can take to your table.

• They also have a cocktail and mocktail menu and it was quite extensive.  The bartender comes from everywhere.  On my last visit, the guy was Thai.

I had a good time talking to him seeing I was on the way back to Bangkok.  When he learned that, he asked to be put into my luggage.  I asked him if working in Frankfurt was ok.  His face gave the answer.  I had heard it is tough for Asians in Germany.  A long time ago, someone told me that if I was to be living in Germany and seen with a local, others would assume I was a chef or waiter in a Chinese restaurant.  Really?  Even in Germany???

Anyway, there are no boarding announcements.  You have to be vigilant about your flight.  The free wifi is useful to keep tabs on this.

Frankfurt isn't a nice airport even though it is an European hub.  And sometimes crazy things happen there.  Like the strange protests against the airport's contribution to pollution on my last trip.  Hm.   The lounge is a welcome escape from the rest of the hoolahala that happens there.