Overall, our Lufthansa Business Class flight from Munich to Bangkok on of their A350-900 was really good! While the seats may not have been the latest model, the excellent service and friendly staff made the flight more than pleasant. Read this review to find out how we enjoyed a successful start to our holiday.
Review #1
| Departure | 28.09.2023 – 22:10 |
| Arrival | 30.09.2023 – 14:55 |
| Aircraft type | Airbus A350-900 |
| Delay | none |
| Class | Business |
| Seats | 6A & 6C |
Content
Getting there and Check-In
Since we had already taken off from Frankfurt on Lufthansa flight LH114, Munich Airport was just a transit point for us.
We checked in online before our first flight without any problems. We had selected our seats in advance and didn’t check in any luggage as we only travelled with small cabin bags.
Lounge
Once we had passed through passport control, we stopped for a quick snack at the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge located at Gate H24. The lounge offers everything you would expect from a Lufthansa lounge. It has a rather austere and practical style. There are a few hot and cold food options available, as well as soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and hot drinks. You can also take a shower here before your flight.
The shower rooms are spacious and offer plenty of room to change and put your suitcase or bag down. We showered and boarded the plane feeling fresh. However, the lounge is relatively small for all international flights departing from the H gates at this late hour. When we left the lounge shortly before our departure, it was already very crowded.
Boarding
After a short walk from the lounge, we got to gate H08. Shortly after we arrived, the boarding process began. As the aircraft was connected to the terminal by two boarding bridges, we turned off at the first one and boarded the Business Class cabin directly.
A friendly flight attendant greeted us at the door and showed us to our seats. Once there, we stowed our luggage and made ourselves comfortable. Unfortunately, it took a little while for the welcome drink to arrive — we only got them after proactively asking for them. At that moment we also got to know our fantastic flight attendant on this flight. We both chose sparkling wine to get us in the mood for the upcoming flight and the start of our holiday.
Amenities
We found an amenity kit waiting for us at our seat, along with a blanket, a pillow and a mattress topper. Shortly after we sat down, we were handed long-sleeved pyjama tops in different sizes to choose from (S/M or L/XL).
Lufthansa provides the mattress topper for intercontinental overnight flights of more than 10 hours. You can spread it out on the flat seat in order to sleep more comfortably and rest assured that the seat surface is hygienic. The pillow is soft and comfortable. The blanket is relatively thin but large, and in our opinion totally adequate for its purpose as it is not usually that cold in an airplane cabin anyway.
The amenity kit was a “Wiesn” Special Edition, issued only during Oktoberfest in Munich, on intercontinental flights departing and arriving in Munich. It is made of a felt heart bag and contains the usual amenities. These include socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste, mints, moisturising cream, and hygiene protection for the headphones. Eyeshade and earplugs can be found in the Business Class washrooms if needed.
Cabin and seat
Between the first and second doors is the larger main Business Class cabin with six rows and after the second door is another small cabin with two rows of Business Class seats arranged in a 2 – 2 – 2 configuration.
This is followed by three rows of Premium Economy with 2 – 3 – 2 seating, and rows 16 to 42 comprise Economy Class with 3 – 3 – 3 seating.
Lufthansa has not yet installed First Class on this aircraft type, but will hopefully do so later in 2024 with the new Allegris product.
The current (and previous) seating arrangement in the Business Class cabin of the Lufthansa A350-900 remains the same as before.
In Business Class, the seats are arranged in pairs of two. The seats in the side rows face the window at a slight angle, while the seats in the centre row face each other at the same angle. This configuration has repeatedly caused controversy, leading to Lufthansa’s decision to gradually replace the old seats with a completely redesigned cabin over the next few years.
This may be great for business and solo travellers. However, for couples, the old seating arrangement is preferable as they provide the possibility to sit together by the window. And yes. The seats are old — no question. However, you have plenty of space and can still sit close to each other, and the passenger not sitting directly by the window can also look out the window quite well.
Our seats were 6A and 6C at the far back left of the main cabin. We were close to the galley, but that didn’t bother us at all. During our entire time on board, there were no disturbing noises or particularly large movements by the crew or other passengers. Instead, we had a great view of the entire cabin, which made the space feel even more open.
The seat has quite some features which you can see particularly good in our YouTube post.
The double armrest between the two seats is a nice touch. It’s a great place to put drinks and small items, such as mobile phones. The table and remote controls for the monitor and entertainment system are also located in the centre armrest.
The seat can, of course, be reclined to form a completely lie flat bed and with the mattress topper, it is quite comfortable too. However, I found that the age of the seats was particularly noticeable when lying down. The individually adjustable seat firmness only worked to a limited extent for me, and as a result, I sometimes ended up lying on the hard plastic panelling. However, this only seemed to be a problem with my seat; Fabi had no such issues with his seat.
There are only few storage options and stowing a laptop is difficult. There is a small compartment underneath the monitor, but only a small laptop will fit in here if the compartment is left open. A particularly nice detail is the hook on which glasses or a jacket can be hung when not in use.
Entertainment
The entertainment system monitor is built into the front seat and can be tilted slightly to the side to compensate for the seats’ slight inclination. There is a wide selection of options to choose from. These include a wide selection of films, TV series and audio programmes, as well as games and flight information which include the current location, flight altitude, travelling speed and much more. For more information you can simply click here.
Food, Drinks & Snacks
Our culinary journey with Lufthansa began right after settling in to our seats. Warm nuts were served with the first round of drinks and soon after, our food requests were accepted. You can see exactly which dishes we chose in the video.
Service started just under an hour after take-off and then progressed quickly. We were recommended wines to accompany our meal, which we were delighted with. Our glasses were always refilled, and we were offered some excellent port for dessert, which we accepted with thanks.
If you prefer, you can also opt for the express menu. With this option, all the cold dishes are served on a tray, so you don’t have to wait for service between courses.
At breakfast, we could choose from two options again. There were also various hot and cold drinks to choose from. The espresso is prepared using their own machine and is highly recommended!
During the flight, the crew stock the galley with water, wine and snacks, which you can help yourself to. Glasses are of course always refilled throughout the flight and service is never far away.
Lavatories
The toilets in Lufthansas A350s were designed in the style of a standard wide-body aircraft for a Business Class cabin. They were clean and in good condition. However, it should be noted that having only two toilets for the entire Business Class cabin can certainly lead to queues and waiting times at peak times, such as after dinner and before going to bed, and especially before landing in the morning.
Lufthansa Service
Although Lufthansa’s Business Class cabin is somewhat outdated, the service and crew are fantastic. On this flight, we had the pleasure of being served by a true Munich original. Our flight attendant was professional from the outset, but above all, she was friendly, always smiling and also happy to chat whenever possible. She added class and charm to the airline, and we felt that it was a real honor and pleasure to be on this flight with her. I have never in my life been so charmingly persuaded to have a glass of port!
Arrival in Bangkok (BKK)
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is a huge building, and it recently gained a satellite terminal. However, the signage is excellent, and if Bangkok is your final destination, you can go straight to the central passport control. Quick pro tip for you: There are a few counters reserved especially for Business and First Class travellers. To the right of the central passport control entrance, at the foot of the stairs towards the baggage carousels, there is a small sign with an image of priority line and a woman checking access – simply state that you are flying Business Class and show your boarding pass and you are being let through.
We only discovered the entrance by chance. After briefly showing our boarding passes, we were able to walk past the huge regular queue and go straight to the immigration officials. There were only about ten other people in front of us, we were through within a few minutes and on our way out of the terminal as we didn´t have to pick up any luggage.
Onward journey
After a few days in the city we flew from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to Siem Reap to visit the Angkor Wat World Heritage Site where we stayed overnight at the beautiful Zannier Phum Baitang and Park Hyatt Siem Reap, before travelling on to Krabi to relax and swim. There, we visited the fantastic Pimalai Resort & Spa as well as the Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra.
Conclusion, Points und Recommendation?
Lufthansa has an extensive route network and is currently modernising its fleet, including the seats in all cabins. For now, however, you will still be travelling in rather outdated seats. The crew on board, however, are phenomenal. The airline more than makes up for the minor shortcomings with its excellent staff.
We therefore award 10 out of 10 possible points for this flight and can highly recommend the airline.
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