Between iconic nostalgia and a touch of “getting on in years”, this Lufthansa LH 729 flight in their Boeing 747-400 almost feels like a little trip back in time. Right up in the nose – with an unusual amount of space and a view that you hardly ever get today – a genuine Queen of the Skies feeling meets a product that has long since outlived its usefulness. In this detailed review, you can find out why this flight was still something special and will stay in our minds for a long time to come.
Review #118
| Departure – planned (actual) | 12:00 (12:49) |
| Arrival – planned (actual) | 18:50 (19:15) |
| Flight time – planned (actual) | 13:50 (13:26) |
| Delay | 49 minutes on departure 25 minutes on arrival |
| Aircraft type (call sign) | Boeing 747 – 400 |
| Class | Business |
| Seat | 1 H & 1 K |
Content
Arrival
For us, Shanghai Pudong Airport was just a stopover on our journey home from Bangkok. The day before, we had flown from Bangkok to Hong Kong on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 608 and then shortly afterwards flew on to Shanghai PVG in Cathay Pacific’s Premium Economy. Here we spent a very short night at the Holiday Inn directly at the airport and were very pleasantly surprised. The next day we continued on to the last leg of this journey by flying to Frankfurt in Lufthansas Business Class on their beautiful Boeing 747 – 400.
A small highlight is the connection to the city – the Transrapid (Maglev Train) takes you to the city center in just a few minutes at speeds of up to 430 km/h – the journey is almost worth it for that alone.
But we only had to walk about 10 minutes from the hotel through various corridors to get to the terminal building. The shortest airport transfer ever!
Departure airport
Shanghai Pudong International Airport is one of those airports where you immediately notice that everything here is on an international scale. The airport was opened in 1999 to cope with the constantly growing air traffic in Shanghai – and has been expanded considerably since then. Today, Pudong is one of the most important air traffic hubs in Asia.
The airport currently consists of two large terminals (T1 and T2), which are connected by shuttle buses. Both are modern, spacious and clearly structured – nevertheless, the distances are not insignificant. If you are transferring here or have a distant gate, you should definitely allow a little extra time.
Architecturally, everything is designed for size and efficiency: lots of glass, wide halls, high ceilings. Terminal 2 in particular looks a little more modern and cleaner. Despite the dimensions, the signage is easy to understand – even for international travelers who don’t speak Chinese.
As at many large airports in China, the same applies here: Security and passport controls can take time and are often more strictly organized in China. So it’s better to plan in a relaxed manner and not arrive at the last minute. In return, you will experience an airport that perfectly demonstrates how dynamic and big Shanghai is.
Check-in
Of course, we had already checked in online early and selected our seats on the app. As a result, we only had to drop off our suitcases at the baggage drop-off. In Shanghai, however, all passengers have to go to the check-in desk again, and so did we. So off we went to Terminal 2, Row C, where the individual travel classes are separated by dividers. At the entrance to each queue, the respective class is checked again before you can even start queueing up.
There was only one person in the Business Class row in front of us and so it was our turn after just a few minutes. Check-in itself was super quick and the agent at the desk was very friendly. Our bags were checked in and within a few minutes we were holding the boarding passes in our hands.
Security check
Centrally located in the middle of the terminal building, access authorizations are first checked on the way to security and passport control, where boarding passes must be scanned at fully automated gates. Passport control then takes place at traditional checkpoints with border officials and the security check is carried out immediately afterwards – there is a separate lane for Business Class guests. As there was exactly one other person in front of us we were through within a few minutes and on our way to the Lounge in no time.
Lounge
As Business Class guests, we were of course also able to use one of the many lounges offered by Star Alliance at Shanghai Pudong Airport. In addition to many partner Lounges, Air China also has its Lounge here, which we chose for our visit. Although the entrance is somewhat hidden, it is well signposted. The two-storey Lounge offers one thing above all – an incredible amount of space. You can make yourself comfortable here on countless seats and, above all, armchairs.
In addition to a pretty decent range of hot food, especially Asian style of course, you can also stock up on wines, sparkling wine and beer, as well as hot and soft drinks. Meeting rooms and showers are also available. Unfortunately, you don’t have a really nice view from the Lounge.
Boarding
It was only a few meters walk from the Lounge to Gate D77. Once there, signs had already been put up for the individual boarding groups and two employees were on hand to prepare the boarding process, directing all travelers to the correct queues. For the punctual start of boarding, guests with small children up to 6 years old and those requiring assistance with boarding were called to board first. The individual groups were then called. Group 1 was not present and so the regular boarding started with Group 2, i.e. Business Class guests and Senators.
After boarding pass control at the gate counter, we went down an escalator on the left, which led directly to the boarding bridge. There, as Business Class guests, we were allowed to take the first door and head straight towards the plane.
Welcome on board
We received a very friendly welcome at the aircraft door and our boarding passes were checked again before we were shown to our seats. To welcome us, a bag of mixed nuts and dried berries was already waiting at each seat for you to enjoy with the drinks that were served immediately. There was a choice of champagne, water, orange juice or the in-house drink Avionic.
Start & Routing
We took off on this 14-hour day flight to Germany almost 50 minutes late. After a rather bumpy take-off, it was also quite shaky and rough in the cabin from time to time. Due to the geopolitical conflicts at the beginning of March 2026, the flight route turned out to be very interesting. We flew northwest for quite a while before heading west in a very long snaking line over China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Georgia, the Black Sea and across the Balkans before landing in Frankfurt with a delay of just under half an hour.
Source: flightradar24.com
Cabin & seat
Lufthansa flies their Boeing 747 – 400 in a single configuration with 45 seats in Business Class divided between the main and upper decks, as well as 32 seats in Premium Economy with a 2 – 4 – 2 configuration and 272 seats in Economy with a 3 – 3 – 3 configuration. Both of the latter classes are located exclusively on the main deck.
Source: aeroLOPA.com
Lufthansa’s Queen of the Skies in the 747 – 400 configuration offers a truly special feature! There is no First Class on this type of aircraft, so Business Class guests can sit not only on the famous upper deck, but also right at the front in the nose of the aircraft, even in front of the pilots. They sit in front of the upper deck and also have access to the cockpit from there. Meaning that all the space on the main deck is available for seating.
To the left of the front door, i.e. at the very front of the aircraft, the seats are arranged to the right and left along the cabin walls in a 2 – 2 configuration, leaving space for an additional single seat in the middle of the cabin between rows 4 and 5. In the larger cabin behind this one, the seats are arranged in a 2 – 3 – 2 configuration, which is really no longer up to date at all, and a 2 – 2 configuration is installed in the upper deck. The seats always face the cabin wall at a slight angle and in the middle with the foot wells facing each other. As a result, all seats always face away from the aisle, offering at least a little more privacy.
Interestingly, we both found it much quieter in the small cabin at the front than in the one behind. I can’t say exactly why that might be, but we found it really very pleasant.
The current (old) Business Class seating in Lufthansa’s 747 – 400 still corresponds to the familiar, now somewhat outdated seating concept – a product that has both strengths and weaknesses and is therefore always the subject of controversy. The new Allergis cabin seating is currently being installed in all remaining aircraft.
This seat arrangement ensures proximity between the two people sitting next to each other, which is a real advantage, especially for couples traveling together. Sitting together at the window creates a pleasant, communicative travel experience. At the same time, the seat geometry also allows the aisle seat to have a view out of the window – a detail that is not found in every Business Class. However, if you are traveling alone, the proximity to your neighbors can of course be annoying.
The seat itself has numerous well thought-out features. The double armrest between the seats is particularly practical and is ideal for storing drinks, smartphones or smaller items. The table and the wired remote control for the entertainment system are also integrated into this center console.
The table can be extended by lifting a cover and then moved flexibly: it can be pushed forwards and backwards and swivelled sideways. The latter is a real highlight, as you can easily stand up even when the table is folded out without having to stow it away.
The seat is adjusted via a control panel in the center console. In addition to preset positions, individual settings can also be made, including adjustment of the degree of firmness. However, this is where the age of the product becomes apparent: after all these years, the function for adjusting the seat firmness no longer works reliably on every seat.
However, the general amount of storage space is manageable. Larger items can only be stowed away to a limited extent. There is a small compartment behind the monitors, but this is only sufficient for magazines or laptops. There is also a shoe or bag compartment under the ottoman and another small compartment next to it where a bottle of water is already waiting before take-off.
One charming detail is the small hook on the seat – ideal for neatly stowing glasses or a jacket. However, there are also some less successful solutions: Although a small shelf underneath the centre console is an inviting place to put things like water bottles, it quickly becomes a trap. As soon as the seat is adjusted, these objects can slide under the seat mechanism and disappear in the electronics area. For example, I helped the person sitting next to me on the other side of the aisle to fish his Montblanc pen out of the bowels of the seat after it had fallen right into it.
A clear disadvantage from our point of view is that this Lufthansa aircraft also completely lacks its own air outlets in the cabin ceiling, making individual climate control more difficult.
Of course, you can also transform your seat into a completely flat bed at the touch of a button using the touchpad in the center console. The seat itself is upholstered with air and the firmness level can also be adjusted via the console. Personally, I find the cushions comfortable enough for sleeping.
The outer armrest can be lowered to seat cushion level for more comfort and space in the shoulder area. The approximately 2-metre-long bed can be made even more comfortable and, above all, at least a little more hygienic with the mattress topper.
But the really, really special thing about this seat is that in row 1, the footrest simply extends from cabin wall to cabin wall as a bench and is only divided by vertical partitions. Meaning that there is really plenty of space for your feet and the footrest can also be used as an additional storage place. With all other seats, the foot cubicle is always a little cramped and so I can really only warmly recommend this seat.
Entertainment
Of course, Lufthansa’s entertainment is also focused on the monitor, which is not even that big given the age of the aircraft. In addition to movies and series, the in-flight entertainment system naturally also offers music, games and information about the airline, as well as a moving map, which allows you to localize your current location and track the progress of your flight.
Of course, the airline also provides proper headphones that can be used for the entertainment program. Unfortunately, you cannot control the system via touchscreen, but only via a wired remote control. This also has a touchpad that you can use to navigate your mouse on the screen. Not entirely new and not really flawless, but it works okay.
All passengers can use the onboard WiFi free of charge. However, streaming is not possible due to the high data consumption, so you can only use social media and mail programs. However, the network was not particularly strong on this flight and unfortunately not available for long periods of time.
Amenities
A pillow, a blanket, slippers and a mattress topper are ready for you at every seat in Business Class as soon as you board. In addition, the amenity kit with a small bottle of water is stowed in the small storage compartment under the footrest. Besides socks, a sleep mask, hand cream and lip balm, the amenity kit also contains a toothbrush and cream, as well as earplugs, a refreshing towel and protective covers for the headphones. Interestingly, there was no pyjama top distributed on this flight, as is actually the tradition on long-haul flights with Lufthansa.
Food, drink & snacks
The menus for this flight were already stowed at the seats for boarding. Lufthansa always offers two rounds of meals on a long-haul flight, where there is always one large three-course menu at the beginning with three choices for starter and main course, as well as a choice of two hot dishes shortly before landing. In this case – a day flight – we were served lunch and dinner.
Shortly after reaching cruising altitude, each guest was given a hot towel and then the first round of drinks was served alongside an amuse-bouche consisting of pumpkin with sheep’s cheese. Lunch orders were then taken, but it was another half hour or so before the appetizer and salad were served – all together on one tray. We both opted for the Parma ham with asparagus and were also able to choose from different types of bread and rolls.
For the main course we both chose the beef short ribs which was then served on the same tray. There were various rounds of drinks between the courses. After this a intermediate course of cheese could be chosen – which we both skipped. For us, the crowning glory was a really delicious lemon tart for dessert. By the time everything was cleared away, however, an incredible 3 hours of flight time had already passed. Fabi and I did the math several times – but it was correct. For a very long day flight like this, it’s not really a drama, but somehow the service was quite lengthy, or what do you think?
After lunch, all passengers were virtually forced to take a nap as the flightattendants were closing all the window blinds in the cabin. In the large galley behind the main cabin, some sweet and salty snacks were then provided for in between. Interestingly, after almost 8 hours, Fabi and I were talking about how crazy it is that on a 14-hour flight there is nothing to eat for roughly 8 hours between the two main meals – and poof. We were served small snacks on a trolley. This snack service was unexpected – it wasn’t on the menu – but a welcome surprise.
Dinner was then served around 2 hours before landing. The two courses were served together on a tray and again there was a selection of rolls. Fabi opted for the salmon and I went for the chicken, which tasted wonderfully reminiscent of our previous stay in Thailand. But the chocolate mouse was particularly delicious.
If you are interested in the menus, you can see them in our YouTube video.
After lunch, all guests also received two delicious chocolates and shortly before the cabin was prepared for landing, all passengers were also gifted a small box of Lufthansa-branded chocolates.
Washrooms
A total of 5 washrooms are available for Business Class guests. On the main deck there are two toilets at each of the two pairs of doors and on the upper deck there is another one at the front of the cockpit. Interestingly, the four washrooms below do not have typical folding doors, but real doors – which makes them a little more comfortable to use. Basically, the toilets are not really any different from those in Economy Class. The only additional amenities available here are mouthwash, body lotion and refreshing tissues.
Service
The flight attendant responsible for us rocked the front, smaller cabin on his own and was really busy. I thought he did his job in a very nice and friendly but reserved manner. Sure – the service at lunch was pretty slow, but probably couldn’t be done any faster on his own.
I felt very welcome and well looked after throughout our stay, but I still think that a walk through the cabin with the drinks trolley would have been appropriate more often.
Arrival
After a not-so-long taxi, which is actually usual at Frankfurt Airport, we were already at the gate and the boarding bridges were also approached quite quickly. Accordingly, we were on our way to the baggage carousel within a few minutes of reaching the parking position.
Destination airport
While we were still disembarking, Lufthansa sent a push notification with the information that our suitcases were being delivered to baggage carousel 20. And as soon as the baggage carousel started moving with the first bags and suitcases, we received a second notification. All in all, travelers with destination airport Frankfurt are used to a lot of suffering regarding baggage delivery. But on this flight, everything went pretty smoothly and we only had to wait for about 10 minutes before we could take our bags off the conveyor belt.
Conclusion
What a flight. Almost 14 hours in the first row of Business Class is a real experience. The seats are old – nobody needs to complain about that anymore. Lufthansa is also working hard to install the new Allergis seat product in all aircraft as quickly as possible. Little by little, this is working quite well. The rather reserved flight attendant who was responsible for us looked after us nicely, but I missed the typical friendly and warm feeling of being welcomed a little on this flight.
When it comes to food, I have to say that two meals with a small snack in between is a bit meagre on a 14-hour day flight. What’s more, there were really only very limited opportunities to get snacks in the galley between meals. I would have thought it to be great if the focus during the flight had been more on providing passengers with drinks to keep them hydrated.
In fact, I have to say that this flight in the Queen of the Skis and then on top of that in the front row will really stay in my memory. I had a lot of fun and a truly special experience!
Points
We award this Lufthansa flight LH 729 from Shanghai to Frankfurt 9 out of 10 possible points.
We deduct half a point each for the sometimes rather shy and sluggish service and the rather averagely tasty food.
Recommendation
We can recommend this flight LH 729 with Lufthansa especially for couples. The 2 – 2 – 2 seat configuration is simply difficult if you are sitting next to a stranger as a solo or business traveler. This is of course an absolute luxury problem, but also a flaw. Families, especially those with two children, can of course travel together perfectly. The rows of 3 seats in the middle of the rear Business Class cabin on the main deck are certainly great for families, but to be honest, I wouldn’t want to sit in the middle seat between two strangers as a solo traveler.
Booking with EVRYWHRE
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YouTube Review
If you want to experience the launch and hear what the turbines sound like live, then you should also check out our great YouTube review. I hope you enjoy it already!
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