We had tentatively planned on spending two days in Madrid after leaving Porto. As luck would have it, two first class seats opened on the Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Washington, DC. We would be able to spend the planned two days in Madrid before leaving to Frankfurt for our trip home. Although I was able to see the seats open on United’s website, they were not showing up on Aeroplan’s website.
Although Aeroplan should have the same availability as United, it appears that they often display less award space. Since the space wasn’t showing on Aeroplan’s site, that meant I had to call to book the tickets. Aeroplan charges $30 per ticket for phone bookings even if you are unable to book the flights online.
After being on hold for over an hour, I was finally able to speak to someone. Unfortunately, he was unable to see the seats that I was seeing on United’s website. He was able to find first class seats on a different routing, however that meant we would have to leave Madrid a day earlier, connect through Brussels before heading to Frankfurt. We would then fly Lufthansa first class from Frankfurt to Washington, DC before finally making it to Los Angeles. The Washington, DC to Los Angeles flight was in economy however. Although it wasn’t the ideal way home, we decided to book the tickets anyhow.
Despite having tickets booked, I kept checking to see if the direct Frankfurt to Los Angeles flight would open up. As luck would have it, first class seats from Frankfurt to Newark opened up, with business class seats from Newark to Los Angeles. The only downside to this flight was a six-hour layover, but my wife wanted to change in order to have a more comfortable seat to Los Angeles.
As luck would have it, first class seats did open up the Frankfurt to Los Angeles flight on the A380. Although each change in itinerary resulted in very long wait times on the phone, and a $90 CAD change fee per ticket, we felt it was worth it in the end.
LH 456
Frankfurt to Los Angeles
Departs 10:15 AM, Arrives 12:55 PM
Upon boarding, we were welcomed aboard and shown to our seats. We were seated in 1D and 1G, the two middle seats in the front of the cabin. This allowed us to sit together, although privacy was sacrificed. The cabin ended up being completely full by the time we pushed back.
We had the entire first class cabin to ourselves for several minutes while boarding was completed. The flight attendant was very nice and personable. He offered to take pictures of us, and almost took too many if that’s possible.
The seat is wide enough to feel as though you don’t feel cramped. A fluffy pillow was also waiting at the seat.
There were two large storage compartments to the left of the seat.
The entertainment control was also located on the left. The top of the compartment could be closed, which was convenient to prevent accidentally changing channels.
The seat controls were located on the right and were easy to use.
There is a large ottoman to store things. The ottoman also moves to adjust to the length of your legs. The TV screen is rather large and makes for easy viewing.
There is a USB plug and electrical outlet located on the front of the armrest.
A hot, rose scented towel was offered. These smell fantastic.
Macadamia nuts were offered. I chose a glass of water to start.
Unfortunately, Lufthansa has gotten rid of their Rimowa amenity kits. They now offer Braun Buffel amenity kits for men. Bogner amenity kits were offered for women.
Van Laack pajamas were also distributed, which were on the large side.
The first class cabin is located on the upper deck. The staircase leading to the lower deck is located at the front of the cabin.
The first class restrooms are humongous. For some reason there is a bench along the wall. I don’t see anybody wanting to lounge around in the bathroom however. There is a single sink with plenty of counter space.
The unique feature of the bathroom is having a urinal.
Various amenities are also located in the drawers.
A little over an hour into the flight, lunch was served. Food and wine menus were distributed.
The table was set, butter and olive oil was provided, along with a salt and pepper shaker and a piece of bread.
Caviar was served as the starter. My only suggestion would be to serve some blini with the caviar.
An appetizer of ham with pickled artichokes were then served. The artichoke may have been a little too acidic.
The chicken was tender and juicy, but the skin was not crisp. Being roasted, I wouldn’t expect the skin to be super crispy. The vegetables retained some texture. The gravy was so good that I could have drank it out of a cup.
After the meal service was completed, a bottle of water was provided.
There was a snack menu in case you got hungry during the flight. You could order anything you wanted from the menu.
I decided to have the Blueberry Tart for a snack. It wasn’t overly sweet. The bottom crust was slightly soggy, but this was a nice snack.
Surprisingly there wasn’t another menu for the pre-arrival meal.
The Burger was more of a slider in size. The burger was juicy, and was served with plantain chips.
I finished off the meal with vanilla ice cream and warm cherries. This was like a virgin version of Cherries Jubilee.
Service throughout the flight was top notch. The flight attendant working our section was very personable and did everything he could to make the flight memorable from the time we first boarded until we departed.
I would definitely fly Lufthansa first class again. Being one of the few first class flights available using miles make it more memorable.
