Intra-Europe Business Class is a bit of a paradox for most travelers outside the Continent. While the seat is simply an economy class seat with a blocked middle, the flight will invariably include a meal of some kind, even on very short flights.
While paying for business class within Europe seems like a huge waste of money to me, I am always happy for the extra space (and sometimes extra legroom). For most mileage programs, adding on a connecting flight within Europe in business class costs no extra miles if your longhaul is booked in business class.
Breakfast on my short Frankfurt to Amsterdam flight is the subject of this week’s Meal of the Week.
Breakfast in Europe is a bit of an acquired taste. I remember my first time in Europe many years ago. I sat down at the table in Dortmund, Germany expecting eggs or at least cold cereal. Out came cold cuts, cheese, and bread.
Europeans eat cereal too, of course, and at least in Germany that cereal is often muesli. While bircher muesli is my preferred variant I love chocolate muesli as well. On LH988 from FRA-AMS I was pleased to find chocolate muesli served for breakfast on the 45-minute flight.
The morning had started in the Lufthansa Senator Lounge at Frankfurt, where I had enjoyed scrambled eggs–
But onboard I gladly accepted the chocolate muesli. Served with berries on top, a side of cold cuts and cheese (which I have grown to love) and a hot sourdough roll, it made for a perfect breakfast.
Lufthansa caters freshly-squeezed orange juice on its morning flights in business class so fresh OJ with a cup of English Breakfast Tea was also enjoyed.
Sometimes the most simple breakfasts are the most appreciated ones. This breakfast really hit the spot.
Matthew, since you’re the resident Germany expert on Boarding Area (or at least seem to be) maybe you can answer this question. Does Muesli normally include nuts of any type? I am allergic to all nuts and searching online seems to give recipes that may or may not include nuts. I’m not one to push my allergies on others – I would rather go hungry rather than cause trouble to others, but at the same time would rather not end up in an allergic reaction. Thanks for any help you can provide 🙂
Hi Amy,
The great thing about muesli is there is no set recipe, thus there are hundreds of varieties available that can still be called “muesli”. My Lufthansa breakfast had no nuts and many varieties available in restaurants, hotels and grocery stores also do not have nuts. Personally, I love mine chock full of unsalted almonds and cashews. You can make yours however you want — that’s the truth!
I think Muesli could be an option (it’s easy to cater for after all) but for those not into Muesli or Milk this breakfast is just not very good. There is a reason that Lufthansa’s European business class is the least expensive on average in Europe. Catering is completely unimaginative and if there was ever an airline that could easily fix this it would be Lufthansa. If they raised the price by a 25 Euros they could actually raise their prices and get bookings. I happily pay for a better experience with Air France or TAP for example.
“Catering” is the Least Unimportant aspect of a Safe , Punctual flight . I’ll take LH snack-breakfast anytime .
Catering can be a factor when choosing a route that has more than one airline serving that route.
@Alert — I don’t book airlines that I don’t consider safe. So I don’t understand why you even bring that up. As for catering it is a major factor why people book a business class ticket in Europe considering the seat is the same …
I have grown to love the cold cuts and cheese for breakfast in Europe, but not the muesli. Also like the ubiquitous egg and potato tortilla in Spain.
In Portugal , they eat sardines and squids .
Muesli , also is horse feed. On bitterly cold nights I used to make a couple gallons with chopped carrots and apples. Both horses and kids woofed it down.
It never ceases to amaze me what the Lufthansa Group Airlines (LH, Swiss, and Austrian) can accomplish even on a 30 minute business class flight. Every time I fly one of those 30-45 minutes I get a small meal on a tray. I often laugh at their American counterparts who are still trying to figure out how to brew coffee for a 30 minute service-less flight.
Got to love the Germans !
I’m trying to think of a good experience I’ve had with Lufthansa the last 20 years. Still thinking. Maybe the beer and pretzel at the Frankfurt lounge? But I agree with Ric, it’s amazing how they can serve a meal to everybody in the front cabin on a 30-minute or 40-minute trip. Aegean pulls it off too on flights from Athens to Crete. Impressive.
Don’t most airlines in Europe do the same on short routes like this as well? Seems more of a near pan-European thing than a German thing.
I wish US carriers would serve breakfasts more like this, and less of the sugary carb bombs like French toast, pancakes, etc.
Yesterday on AF (technically its HOPeless regional subsidiary) there wasn’t any meal in business class, just a packaged sandwich with one slice of Emmenthal. Had to down 3 glasses of champagne in 50 minutes to drown my sorrows.
That’s interesting – I thought AF was adding nicely boxed meals on domestic flights in J…