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Home » Reviews » Flight Reviews » Vintage Review: Lufthansa A340-300 First Class Chicago To Munich
Flight ReviewsLufthansa

Vintage Review: Lufthansa A340-300 First Class Chicago To Munich

Matthew Klint Posted onJanuary 8, 2020November 14, 2023 9 Comments

This week we are taking a walk down memory lane with a vintage first class trip report. I’m sharing photos and brief commentary from a trip I took in the final days of 2010 and first days of 2011 that included many first class flights from five Star Alliance carriers. As we enter a new decade, the goal of this trip report is to examine how airlines have changed over the last one. Although this trip report has never been published, I will not be publishing a detailed, word-heavy review as I do for current trip reports. Instead, commentary will be limited and the focus will be on photos. For the final post, I will summarize, as generally as I can, how premium products have changed over the last decade.

  • Prior Segments
    • United Airlines 757-200 First Class Los Angeles to Chicago

Flight #2: Lufthansa A340-300 First Class Chicago To Munich

  • Before the flight, we spent a couple hours in the old International First Class Lounge, where the Polaris Lounge now sits in the C Concourse.
  • The lounge may look so dated now to most) but I think there was a certain timeless charm to it.
  • The buffet and self-serve alcohol selection was way better than the Red Carpet Club (United Club) especially during that period, but still a far cry, it seems to me, from what is available in the Polaris Lounge.
  • I did not eat, in anticipation of dinner onboard.
  • While no escort onto the plane, there was a roped off area at the gate for first class passengers.
  • Upon boarding, my brother and I were delighted to discover we had the entire cabin to ourselves!
  • While the old seats look dated, they were quite comfortable in the lie-flat mode.
  • The Munich-based crew was very gracious and took great care of us.
  • Meal service began quickly after takeoff and although I indulged in the full service (at 10pm),  it went quickly.
  • Food was excellent onboard, including caviar, garlic bread, appetizers, salad, a tremendous steak (my brother had chicken), cheese, and dessert.
  • I quickly fell asleep and awakened for breakfast about an hour out of Munich.
  • The omelet was only so-so: no fresh scrambled eggs like on other routes.
  • I distinctly remembering a special Lufthansa-made Christmas CD from the audio selection that included Christmas songs from around the world. Does anyone know where I can get a copy of it?
  • Upon landing in Munich, we headed for the first class lounge: we had a long layover ahead of us.

a glass door with a sign on the wall

a room with chairs and a statue

a buffet with plates and glasses

a tray with food in it

a food in a refrigerator

a refrigerator with bottles and glasses

a shelf with bottles of alcohol

a counter with a coffee machine and cups

a seat in an airplane

a seat in an airplane

a plane with seats and windows

a stack of bags on a table

a glass of water and a bowl of food on a table

a plate with food on it

a table with plates of food and a glass of wine

a black caviar on a white plate

a plate of food on a table

a red pepper with a piece of meat on a white plate

a plate of bread and a knife

a plate of salad and a glass of wine

a salad with peppers and greens

a plate of food on a table

a plate of food with broccoli and potatoes

a plate of food on a table

a plate of food with a side of potatoes and a grilled chicken

a plate of dessert and a glass of wine

a plate of dessert with ice cream and fruit

a plate of food with crackers and grapes

a plate of food and a bowl of fruit on a table

a plate of food with a fork and knife

a bowl of fruit in a white bowl

a plane parked at an airport

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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9 Comments

  1. Brad B Reply
    January 8, 2020 at 10:22 am

    There are a bunch of those CDs on eBay

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/LUFTHANSA-FIRST-CLASS-1991-CD-WEIHNACHTSMUSIK-AUS-ALLER-WELT-CD/202868045513?hash=item2f3be0b6c9:g:7HIAAOSwADRd8V1Z

  2. Howard Reply
    January 8, 2020 at 12:24 pm

    Your photography skills have gotten a lot better over the decade!

    • Ak Reply
      January 8, 2020 at 12:31 pm

      Matt. Can u comment on this? How much is it better phone camera vs. experience?

    • Matthew Reply
      January 8, 2020 at 12:43 pm

      Thanks Howard!

      @Ak: This trip was photographed with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel II. That camera struggled in low-light situations but I thought it did excellent close-ups with portrait mode like effects.

      Today, all my photos are done on the iPhone 11 XS Max.

  3. hbilbao Reply
    January 8, 2020 at 12:34 pm

    Caviar presentation looks quite similar to the way they serve it today.

  4. Lara S. Reply
    January 8, 2020 at 1:27 pm

    I liked the seats on LH first that I flew in, but anything is better than their 2×2 business class! The service was fine. I was actually surprised by how little it changed between first and business! They were polite but not particularly efficient or attentive, and twice cleared plates without asking that I was still eating from! All in all I much preferred the BA first flights I’ve taken and for the price it wasn’t worth it.

    I am happy I tried it though and it sure is amazing to see how much planes have changed since you flew it here!

  5. Aaron Reply
    January 8, 2020 at 3:10 pm

    “The lounge just looks so dated now, but there was a certain timeless charm to it.”

    A bit contradictory…though I will say, it looks more like a cigar lounge than a premium airline lounge.

    “I did not eat, in anticipation of dinner onboard.”

    Given the quality of food being offered back then, a wise choice.

  6. Aaron Reply
    January 8, 2020 at 8:09 pm

    That lounge looks amazing to me. Call me a boomer, but to me this looks like a really nice bar or a lounge in Europe.

  7. Adams9802 Reply
    January 8, 2020 at 11:33 pm

    Lufthansa’s caviar always looks low grade. Small dark pearls are never a good sign. Interesting it hasn’t changed in 10 years. Looks more like tobiko.

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