In July 2009, I journeyed to Israel and Egypt with my brother and uncle. My uncle and I traveled together in first class and the trip report below will highlight some of the flights we sampled.
New York to Zürich in Swiss International Air Lines First Class
Zurich to Tel Aviv in EL AL Israel Airlines Business Class
Cairo to Frankfurt in Lufthansa First Class
Frankfurt to Denver in Lufthansa First Class
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While I’ve never had a bad experience in the air with Lufthansa, their outsourced ground staff in Cairo left much to be desired.
Check in was not a problem: an agent warmly greeted us and checked us in all the way to Los Angeles. We were escorted through passport control and security, then dropped off in the “first class lounge.” It was simply a large room filled with desk chairs and tables and a small rectangular table in the corner with some sandwiches and sweet treats. Yes, this was Egypt, but the lounge left much to be desired.
About 30 minutes before scheduled departure, we were escorted to the gate area–about a ten minute walk away. At the gate entrance, an agent took my boarding pass and ripped the stub in half (it wasn’t deliberate). I save all of my boarding passes and especially boarding passes from memorable trips as this one had been, so I asked the agent to reprint it.
He rudely refused, stating that there was “no need” to do that. I again asked nicely and he just shook his head and walked away. That’s not the way LH usually treats their first class passengers, but I concede a boarding pass stub is insignificant in the big scheme of things.
After herding everyone to the boarding area, a 45-minute delay was announced. My uncle and I decided to sit and wait it out rather than return to the lounge, and the delay was soon revised downward to 30 minutes. Boarding was a free-for-all, with the LH’s contract staff doing nothing to try to board the flight orderly. Pushing, shoving, and cutting was so rampant that my uncle and I just sat down and waited for others to board first.
Thankfully, once past the jetway we were back on the “real” Lufthansa. Six of the eight seats in the first class cabin of the A330 were filled and although the flight was only about three hours, the large first class menu as well as an amenity kit and pajamas were offered.
Breakfast was served after takeoff and perfectly adequate for the duration of the flight. The freshly squeezed orange juice was a highlight. The purser was warm and we landed on time in Frankfurt.
Here’s a look at the breakfast menu:
Fitness Breakfast
Coffee or Tea
Freshly squeezed Orange Juice
Fresh Fruit
Granola
Continental Breakfast
Coffee or Tea
Freshly squeezed Orange Juice
Yogurt garnished with Fruit
Grilled Chicken Breast, Camembert and Emmental Cheese
American Breakfast
Coffee or Tea
Freshly squeezed Orange Juice
Fresh Fruit
Omelette with Carrots, Beef Streak, sautéed Potatoes and Zucchini
I appreciate that Lufthansa operates three-cabin planes between Frankfurt and Cairo and enjoyed the short flight in LH’s consistently stellar first class cabin. It is a shame, though, that like so many outsourced agents around the world, the ground staff at Cairo gives Lufthansa a bad name.
I love the OJ that LH serves with breakfast. What vexes me, though, is hy that can’t serve the same stuff as a predeparture beverage, I’ve asked for OJ and gotten carton swill every time.
@Gary: I love it too–I don’t understand why they can’t always have fresh OJ onboard.
I have to admit, probably my favorite part of the FCT experience this morning was the freshly squeezed juices. Orange, carrot, kiwi-pineapple. Yum…
You had the American breakfast! Oink oink oink! 😉
I would have had it too.