North of Norway – Lufthansa First Class Dulles to Munich

Posted by alex on September 9 | 11 Comments

“Now I know what everyone else is talking about.”

I was extremely excited to fly on my very first International First Class flight. Traffic in DC is absolutely dreadful on Friday afternoons so I gave myself a few extra hours just in case. The traffic didn’t end up being too bad so that just meant I could spend a little more time in the lounge, another first for me on this trip. The Lufthansa agent checked me in promptly and let me know where the Senator Lounge was located. She also noted boarding takes place directly from the lounge. Very cool!

The Senator and Business lounges are co-located behind the space-age Lufthansa exterior.

The lounge itself was nice, though nothing spectacular. There were a few German snacks in a small buffet setting along with soft drinks, cappuccino and my favorite, German beer on draft! I was clearly a rookie because I started pouring my own draft beer and immediately noticed the sign forbidding self service. An agent was quick to help me finish off my pour.

An hour before my flight was scheduled to arrive I heard my name paged. I went back to the lounge reception area where the staff informed me as a First Class passenger, I had the option of dining in the lounge. I had noticed an area blocked off with white tablecloths and the Lufthansa roses on the tables though I quickly declined. It was a nice gesture but I wanted to save my appetite for the food inflight.

I can’t vouch for the Business Class side but I found the Senator lounge very crowded and loud with nearly every single seat taken.

Boarding was called 30 minutes before the flight. I loved the ability to board the plane directly from the lounge.

I had been tracking the tail numbers of the Lufthansa A330-300’s with the new First Class and noticed only a few days before they had swapped the new First Class off of the IAD-MUC route. Bummer.

It was the ‘old’ First Class product though that really didn’t mean much to someone who has never flown International First Class. This seat was absolutely amazing to me!

The very polished Lufthansa flight attendant approached me immediately and offered Laurent-Perrier Champagne and warm nuts which I happily accepted. In addition I was handed a Bogner amenity kit complete with van Laack pajamas. I could get used to this…..

Takeoff was smooth and since this was an evening flight, the meal service started shortly after takeoff.

The meal kicked off with an amuse-bouche. The cheese was very flavorful though the use of what appeared to be a pretzel stick was a little bizarre.

From there the bread basket came around. I went with the pretzel roll which was so amazing. I could have eaten five of those as my entire meal. I have a bit of an addiction to soft pretzels.

For hors d’oeuvres, I went with both the caviar and Thai Beef Salad. Unfortunately I wasn’t really thinking about how one eats Caviar. The flight attendant offered toast, which I politely declined. After she said, “Are you sure?” I realized I was probably missing something. I laughed and confessed my lack of knowledge. She then recommended straight Vodka to complement the caviar and toast. Of course I accepted that offer. I can’t say I would go out of my way to eat caviar again, but hey, you only live once.

Then came another yummy salad that I probably didn’t need but ate all of anyways.

And then the main selection. I went with the Miso Bass with Udon Noodles. For someone who flies Southwest every week, eating a meal this good up in the air is a real treat.

For dessert I went with Port. I felt obligated to compliment it with some food item from the menu so I went with Berry short cake.

Here was the full menu in case you are interested.

By this point in the flight I had about 5 glasses of Champagne, several German beers, a straight shot of vodka and a glass of port under my belt. I tried as hard as I could to stay awake and enjoy the service but unfortunately I fell asleep pretty quickly on my bed in the sky. I slept solidly and was awoken for breakfast upon my request.

I went with the continental breakfast and was underwhelmed. I have had similar breakfasts in economy.

I had a few minutes before landing so I played with the entertainment system. For someone who flies several long hauls per year in economy, the entertainment systems are critical. I was a little surprised to find movies and music being played on a loop. (Not On-Demand) The screens themselves were in very poor shape. Since I was headed North of Norway to the northernmost city in the world, I found it fitting to watch a few minutes of ‘Big Miracle’, a movie set in Barrow, Alaska. Barrow, Alaska was of course the inspiration for this trip.

‘First’ Impressions

I slept great, I ate great, and I simply didn’t want to leave the plane when we landed in Munich. For someone who has never flown in International First class, I can confidently say, “now I know what everyone else is talking about!”

Tags: Lufthansa

Bits ‘n Pieces for September 9, 2012 - View from the Wing said,

[...] Lufthansa offers first class passengers pre-flight dining in their lounge at Washington Dulles. Common at some bigger stations elsewhere, but not something they featured the last time I flew [...]
Bits ‘n Pieces for September 9, 2012 - View from the Wing said,

[...] Lufthansa offers first class passengers pre-flight dining in their lounge at Washington Dulles. Common at some bigger stations elsewhere, but not something they featured the last time I flew [...]
wwk5d said,

Many carriers have scaled back their breakfasts on transatlantic flights. The reasoning is, since it’s a short-ish flight and the 2 meals are so close, many people don’t want the full breakfast. And, many people usually do end up having a light breakfast in first on these flights. But, it’s first class, which means you could’ve ordered other items from the the non-continental menu as well (and Lufthansa would’ve gladly done it).
BR said,

Thanks for the report. Looking forward to reading the rest.

I flew this route in LH F back in May, and took part in the pre-flight lounge dining. It was quite good.

You can read about my experience with pictures on my blog:

http://www.travelmilesluxury.com/2012/06/tokyo-long-way.html
ffi said,

No you don’t – not fully as yet.
IF you had done this trip to FRA and then gone to the FCL for a few hours before your flight, then you might have got an inkling of the rest of it.
The ground service at FRA FCT and FCL is outstanding.
On my way back from a trip, they recognized me on sight a week later and remembered my food preferences.
Stephan said,

@ffi said, “No you don’t – not fully as yet.IF you had done this trip to FRA and then gone to the FCL for a few hours before your flight, then you might have got an inkling of the rest of it.”

Wait for it…(see the article table of contents)
Joel said,

Now now… Up in the air, you can hit the 3 different hors d’oeuvres and the 2 different desserts in F. Plus, when flying ORD-DUS in LH F in July, I found out that you can always order another dinner option for breakfast instead of the continental breakfast option… If they have spares, of course! YOLO.
Cedarglen said,

As others have noted, “If they have it, it is yours…” I’ve seen savy folks make a full meal of unusually good first course options. If the FC load is light, they probably have plenty of what looks best. The first time I fly a new (to me) international carrier, I often order a braised entree (Lamb shank in this case?) becasue the method works so well at FL300++. And yes, I’ve h ad a second plate and skipped dessert and/or had aa repeat for breakfast. If they have it in the FC galley, they will gladly serve it whenever you wish. Loved your note about the caviar and toast! Also not my favorite, but it is served with such elegance, why not? Look forward to the rest of your report.
FlipGoat said,

International flights should accommodate their passengers very well, especially when traveling first class. Though I have never traveled internationally, it is on my bucket list.
Giveaway – 10,000 American Express Membership Reward Points - Points Miles and Martinis said,

[...] Munich, Germany – Lufthansa First Class Dulles to Munich [...]
145,086 miles and 124 Flights – 2012 year in review - Points Miles and Martinis said,

[...] and Airlines: Lufthansa First Class, SAS, Radisson Blu Spitsbergen, Radisson Blu [...]