Review: Lufthansa A330 First Class Dallas to Frankfurt

We spent Thanksgiving traveling to Istanbul and Dubai.  We were originally scheduled to fly from Denver to Houston on United and then direct to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines.  About a week prior to our scheduled departure, a couple of first class seats opened up on Lufthansa (new first class configuration) from Dallas to Frankfurt.  So I called United and changed our flights to route from Denver to Dallas to Frankfurt to Istanbul. We ended up with a three hour layover in Dallas which was plenty of time to explore the newly opened Centurion Lounge which we were able to access with my American Express Platinum Card.  After arriving in Frankfurt the next morning, we would have a few hours to enjoy the Lufthansa First Class Terminal (post on this coming soon) before a short three hour flight to Istanbul on Lufthansa.  After a few days, we'd fly Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to Dubai.  On our way home, we were set to fly Turkish from Dubai to Istanbul and then Istanbul to Houston.  Our final segment was in United First from Houston to Denver the following morning.  Here's a visual of the itinerary:

In total, the itinerary cost 127,500 miles and $70 per person in taxes and fees.  Not a bad deal considering the cash price for each ticket was selling over $12,000!



Our flight to Dallas was uneventful and we had a great time in the Centurion Lounge eating, drinking, and relaxing before our flight.  The lounge has a spa (all treatments complimentary) so I had a fifteen minute massage and Emily got a manicure before we left for the boarding gate.  The flight leaves Dallas at 4:20 and arrives in Frankfurt at 9:10.  The timing is really great as you can enjoy a leisurely dinner and a couple movies and still have plenty of time to sleep before arriving.  We were third in line to board the plane and after a quick passport check, we were aboard.  I have read a lot of trip reports on Lufthansa First but was blown away by the cabin.  With just eight seats (1-2-1 layout in two rows with no overhead bins) it's a very intimate configuration.  The quality of the materials (leather, suede) and the lighting provide the feeling that you're sitting in a luxurious living room.  There were only five of us total served by two flight attendants so we knew this was going to be a really great flight.

After settling into seats 2D and 2G, the flight attendants serving our cabin introduced themselves and offered us a pre-departure beverage.  We both went with Champagne and water which was served with a bowl of nuts.  A few minutes later, one of the flight attendants came by to offer van Laack branded pajamas, slippers, and a Rimowa amenity kit.  Ben at One Mile at a Time has a great post on the airlines that give out Rimowa amenity kits.  I have been coveting one of these for a long time.  They are awesome...

The new Lufthansa First seats have plenty of storage.  There is a locker/trunk beneath the ottoman where you can store your hand luggage, amenity kit, etc...There are multiple cubbies (that close) for your phone, glasses, wallet, etc...which close.  And there is a vase that holds the Lufthansa signature red rose during meal service.  After relaxing in our seats for a bit (prior to departure) we both changed into our pajamas that we had brought along.  We learned a few flights ago that everyone on these flights changes into pajamas usually pretty early in the flight.  In fact, you would feel out of place if you kept your clothes on.  We bring our own just to make sure we'll be comfortable.  It is pretty nice to lounge around eating, drinking, while watching a few movies in a t-shirt and sweatpants.

Lufthansa A330 New First Class Cabin

Lufthansa A330 New First Class seat, Champagne, Nuts, Rimowa

Very intuitive seat controls

Caviar Course

Once we were airborne, the service started.  The red rose was placed in the vase, table set, outstanding pretzel bread delivered, and Champagne refilled.  To start, we were each served an amuse-bouche (Salmon and Cucumbers if I remember correctly) which was a great start to the meal.  Next came the caviar course complete with all the accoutrements and a chilled shot of vodka.  We kept eating and drinking through the salad, appetizer, main course and dessert.  We each sampled several red and white wines and asked for a glass of Johnnie Walker Blue to close out the meal.  Lufthansa handled Emily's gluten allergy perfectly.  She said this was the best meal she has had on a plane ever.

After dinner, we asked that our beds be made up and headed to the lavatory to get ready for bed.  The lav on these redone planes is fantastic.  Stone floors, great lighting, and a window.  I just forgot to take a picture.  When I arrived back at my seat, my "bed" was all made.  Lufthansa adds a mattress pad, sheet, and duvet to the bed along with a full size pillow and a bottle of water.  I settled right in, finished off my movie and my "dream water" and slept almost the entire way to Frankfurt.  The only issue I had was the cabin temperature.  European (and Asian) airlines are known for keeping their cabins VERY warm especially during sleeping hours.  These planes are not configured with individual air nozzles so there isn't much you can to cool down.

Salad and Starter

Turndown Service

Three windows per seat

After three hours of meal service and five hours of sleep, I awoke about an hour before landing.  I had a couple cups of coffee, water, and changed back into my clothes.  The sun was shining during our approach to Frankfurt so we had some great views out the windows of the German countryside.  After a smooth landing, we made our way to the gate, said goodbye to the crew, and were soon headed through immigration and on our way to the Lufthansa First Class Terminal.

All in all, this was the best flight of my life.  The cabin is beautiful, the service was outstanding, I enjoyed the great food, wine, and amenities.  The flight time from Dallas was a little over nine hours - the perfect amount to enjoy the flight to Europe and get some sleep.  I am very much looking forward to my next flight on Lufthansa!

Our ride from Dallas to Frankfurt