Last month I had the chance to fly round-trip from Los Angeles to Frankfurt in Lufthansa’s Premium Economy product. I previewed the flights already, but here is the full review of the outbound flight. My inbound flight review is here.
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I Survived Lufthansa Premium Economy
Fight Nearly Breaks Out on My Lufthansa Flight Over Seat Recline
My Moonlight Job as a Lufthansa IT Worker
Lufthansa Premium Economy is Much Better on a Daytime Flight
Unless it is 4am or after midnight, there really isn’t a good time to drive down to LAX. I took Uber from my home…and forgot my wallet. Thankfully my dad graciously saved the day.
Lufthansa does not have a special check-in line at LAX for premium economy passengers, but as a Star Alliance Gold flyer (United Premier Gold status), I was able to check-in using the first class line.
As a Star Alliance Gold flyer, I also had access to the Star Alliance Lounge in the Tom Bradly International Terminal prior to the flight. I spent a few minutes on the patio, which always seems to be empty.
> READ MORE:
Review: Star Alliance Lounge LAX
Seriously Good Coffee at LAX Star Alliance Lounge
Boarding began on time, 45 minutes prior to the flight.
Lufthansa 457
Los Angeles (LAX) – Frankfurt (FRA)
Wednesday, May 03, 2017
Depart: 03:20 PM
Arrive: 11:20 AM+1
Duration: 11hr, 00min
Aircraft: A380-800
Seat: 56G (Premium Economy Class)
Premium Economy is in the front of the lower deck of the A380. Seats are configured 2-4-2. I was one of the first aboard and found my seat in the last row of the cabin. The reason for my seat choice was very strategic: I figured that choosing an aisle seat in the last row of the cabin would maximize my chances of an open middle seat. Indeed, my gamble paid off and the two middle seats in my row stayed empty.
Lufthansa Premium Economy Class Seat
The seat is certainly roomier than a standard economy class seat. The center console between seats provides nice drink storage and both the seat width and recline are better than standard economy class.
Still, this is not like a retro or domestic business class product. Nope, this is still very much an economy class seat. I was unable to sleep on the overnight journey one wink, though part of that may have been the 3:20p departure time.
In between seat backs is a built-in water bottle holder that was pre-stocked with bottles of water. Annoying movable metal footrests are present that do not provide much comfort but do constrain legroom even in the up position.
Power is available in each seat and the setback IFE screen has a USB port for mobile phone charging.
Lufthansa Premium Economy Amenity Kit
An amenity kit with basic contents was already sitting on every seat. The bag does not have any Lufthansa branding on it, so I did not even take it with me. Contents included socks, an eyeshade, ear plugs, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a moist towelette.
Lufthansa Premium Economy Pillow and Blanket
The pillow and blanket were definitely a step above what is common in economy class. I never used the pillow during the flight, but the blanket kept me warm during the night as I was working.
Lufthansa Premium Economy Service
Service was very much like business class on Lufthansa. That is to say, courteous, friendly, but not overly engaging. One FA ended up yelling at a passenger from his jumpseat for getting up just moments after takeoff, but I’m not sure what else a FA can do under the circumstances.
I already wrote about my very positive interaction with the purser and really hope to fly with Hedwig again. If you did not catch the story, a couple passengers in business class complained that wi-fi was not working, but the purser noticed I had no trouble using it. She gently asked me to come upstairs to help the two ladies and I was able to successfully get both of them connected to the internet. She treated me like a first class passenger for the rest of the flight.
Lufthansa Premium Economy Dining
Dining in premium economy is a hybrid between business and economy class: economy class meals on business class dishes.
Prior to takeoff, a pre-departure beverage of fresh-squeezed orange was offered in a plastic cup.
Service began with crackers and choice of beverage after takeoff. A moist towelette was also offered.
Here’s the menu for my flight:
Feeling protein-deprived, I ordered the beef stew. It came with a green salad, bread, and brownie. No complaints about the meal. I know it doesn’t look wonderful, but it was nicely flavored and satisfying…
…satisfying for an hour at least. I don’t quite know why, but I was soon very hungry. FAs set up a mid-flight snack area in the galley behind the cabin that included crackers, chocolate cookies, and beverages:
I ended up eating a lot of crackers…
About 90 minutes prior to landing breakfast was served, and it could not have come sooner. The omelet was quite nice, though again a fairly small meal.
No fresh orange juice for breakfast. Prior to landing, mints and chocolate were offered:
Lufthansa Premium Economy Wi-Fi and IFE
I like Lufthansa’s IFE system. While not as aesthetically pleasing as the systems on some airlines, it is fast and easy to navigate. Plus, there was a very good selection of films, audio, and TV from around the world. Even live TV was available: I was able to watch highlights of the final French presidential debate between Marie Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron.
I recommend you bring your own headphones, as the headphones provided are terribly uncomfortable and of poor quality.
Wi-Fi on Lufthansa is reasonably priced (17EUR for a flight pass) and worked well throughout the outbound journey.
We landed on time to a beautifully cool but sunny day in Frankfurt. Unfortunately, the tail and underbelly cameras do not have great resolution like on the A350.
Lufthansa Premium Economy Lavatory
Two lavatories are available in the rear of the cabin (shared with economy class) and two in the front, so there were more than enough bathrooms for everyone. Drinking a lot of water, I used the lavatory several times during the flight and it was always very clean.
CONCLUSION
Lufthansa Premium Economy is not for sleeping: at least that was my experience. It’s a good thing I do not require much sleep, because I walked into a meeting just 90 minutes after landing. I don’t think premium economy is an adequate substitute to business class. It is indeed cheaper, but for good reason: it’s just economy class with more legroom and recline. That said, I enjoyed the consistently dependable Lufthansa service and appreciated the extra room to stretch out. It’s not that I don’t recommend it, I just didn’t find it all that helpful considering I need a flat bed to sleep.
First time I’ve seen cauliflower and what appears to be zucchini squash and pea pods referred to as “root vegetables”…
Seat looks very much like the Premium Economy one in the LH 747-8 I flew FRA-IAD last year.
I believe the premium economy seat is identical across the fleet.
Thank god you have not flown BA (IAG)-then you would have something to complain about!
Oh but I have, in both business and first. Do you mean Prem Economy on BA?
Thank you for saying PE is not like domestic F. I could never understand why all the bloggers say the seat is similar. I can actually lounge comfortably in domestic F, but can’t get comfortable at all in PE.
We flew LH from MUC to SFO last month in PE. This was a paid ticket. It is quite comfortable for a daytime flight, even an eleven hour one. But I wouldn’t want to do an overnight flight in it.
I wouldn’t pay more than a $50 premium for eco-plus. But, I’m cheap. Either go all-in for business or stay in economy.
I Recently booked a flight with air miles through United and chose to fly out of San Jose with Lufthansa. I was thinking about choosing premium economy but neither Lufthansa nor United on the phone or through their website could I get a price for premium economy seating for myself and my wife. What’s the deal with getting a price for a premium economy seat on Lufthansa and why is it so difficult I’m fed up with both airlines.
Presently, United miles cannot be used to secure Premium Economy on Lufthansa. Only paid upgrades at check-in, at the gate, or onboard are offered.
Hopefully in the future United will be able to book into Premium Economy on Lufthansa.
That’s funny. I flew this same route in F and decided to take a quick tour the other cabins in the middle of the night.
When a FA sitting in his jumpseat in the back of economy saw me walking through the cabin he also scolded me and told me to return my seat.
Cheers for sharing this, Matthew! I really enjoyed this trip report. I’ve only flown LH J (C), but I’ve been very curious about the Premium Economy product. Living in SAT, there’s a very convenient LH A380 just a short hop away at IAH. Great report, my friend!
Thanks Bob!
Hi Matthew, great review! The (new) wife and I are flying exactly this route for our honeymoon in early September. We’re both newly out of school so funds are somewhat tight, and currently have a regular economy seat. It would be an extra $4,400 (both ways for both of us so we’d be totally covered) to move up from economy to economy plus. Does that seem worth it to you (or if anyone else has any thoughts they’d be greatly appreciated as well)? It’s right in that sweet spot of not cheap enough to immediately pull the trigger but not so far out of our price range it’s an immediate no, figured I’d ask the experts! Thanks!
Hi Bryant,
I truly don’t believe the price is worth it. It’s nice…but spend that extra money on nice dinners and perhaps a hotel upgrade.
Orange juice is never squeezed freshly on the plane. Lufthansa serves pre-processed orange juice with pulp in Premium Cabins, which may taste like “freshly squeezed”.
No, there is a difference between “pre-processed” juice with pulp added (usually from concentrate or at least pasteurized) and juice that has been freshly squeezed into a bottle (never from concentrate, never pasteurized). I can always taste the difference.
I just do not seem to understand why is there control box at the foot rest this thing cramps up my space
Hi Matthew nice of you to write about the inflight experience for people like us who travel on economy…It gives a insight of what to expect and as mentioned in my previous post i fail to understand the control box at the foot rest.I am 5 ’10’ and during my last flight which was last month from india to frankfurt i have had to get up a number of times to wriggle out my pain.
can’t help but notice some of those photos that look like the 90’s. I mean, the meal, the headphones and even the seats themselves. compare to photos of PE on virgin atlantic, which looks more 2017.
Hi Matthew
Not sure if you are still checking this, but I wanted to check something with you. On the photo where it shows your IFE screen (with your seat number 56G), it looks like the support legs of the seat in front of you are placed smack in the middle of where your legs ought to be.
Is it just the camera angle, or is that really where the support legs are positioned? This looks highly uncomfortable and I’m wondering if the dual seats be the windows will be better.
Hi Ted, part of it is the angle of the cabin, but the support legs to do partially constrict legroom. Feel free to try a a window seat and let me know if it is any better. I must admit the foot rest if also annoying. Check the Frankfurt to Los Angeles review for pictures of that —
http://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2017/06/26/review-lufthansa-premium-economy/
Hi, I had a question also, I noticed you were in the last row – did the seat recline all the way or did the wall hinder it? Was the toilet very close? Thank you,
The seat did recline all the way.
Hi Matthew
Do you know if the window side arm rest is able to swing up or is it fixed?
Unfortunately, I was unable to secure a window on either flight and cannot answer that question. Please do let me know if you find out.