• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home  >  First Class • Lufthansa  >  Flying Lufthansa First Class with Hollywood Stars, Oligarchs, and Executives
First ClassLufthansa

Flying Lufthansa First Class with Hollywood Stars, Oligarchs, and Executives

Matthew Klint Posted onAugust 30, 2017August 30, 2017 36 Comments

Lufthana First Class Celebrities

Yesterday I flew Lufthansa First Class from Los Angeles to Frankfurt. The 8-seat cabin was filled with a mix of A-list stars, a former Lufthansa executive, and a wealthy Ukrainian family. It made for an interesting flight…

I am looking forward to wrapping up the travel season for awhile, but have one more trip this week to Europe for a series of meetings. As usual, Lufthansa space reliably opened at the last minute and John and I secured two seats on LH457, the A380 service from LAX to FRA, for 70K Aeroplan miles each.

We arrived at the airport a bit early and were escorted to the Star Alliance First Class lounge. Sitting right beside us texting on her phone was actress Jane Fonda. A few moments later she was escorted out of the lounge by a Lufthansa attendant. At the time, we were not sure whether she would be on our flight.

We boarded our flight about 20 minutes later and found Fonda sitting in 1A. And she wasn’t the only one…Amanda Seyfried was seated right across from me. Don’t believe me? The DailyMail covered their arrival into Venice. Both were headed to the Venice Film Festival. Actor Ethan Hawke was also on the flight…in business class. He should have used Award Expert.

Celebrities? Who Cares?

Now you have to understand that I don’t really get excited about celebrities. However I am curious how airlines treat celebrities (versus regular passengers like me) and how celebrities treat airline staff.

Fonda was very low maintenance. She asked that her bed be made moments after takeoff and went right to bed, turning down all meal service. Interestingly, she kept her sunglasses on until her privacy divider went up (as if we could not recognize her…). She woke up about 45 minutes before landing and had an espresso. She immediately put her sunglasses on…in a dark cabin.

Seyfried was very kind to FAs, eating a light dinner of salmon and cappuccino. One FA made small talk with her and she seemed to happily engage.

“Bring me caviar!”

Also in the cabin: a wealthy Ukrainian family — a man with a model-like wife and a small child. They also turned down all food onboard, except caviar. They demanded a lot of caviar. The boy was fed some sort of soup out of a thermos and went right to sleep, but awoke six hours later and started crying loudly. It certainly disturbed my slumber. He later ran around the cabin.

There was also an older German gentleman who a FA mentioned was a former Lufthansa senior executive. He was the stereotypical rich old German man — dressed impeccably, spoke perfect High German, and made the crew laugh.

Pictures? Nope. I think everyone – celebrities or otherwise – is entitled to privacy and deserves to be left alone when traveling, particularly in first class. I would have enjoyed a picture with Fonda and Seyfried, but why? Everyone left them alone and I was glad of that.

CONCLUSION

I’ve flown Lufthansa First Class twice in the last month and don’t intend to fully review each flight, but do want to do an A380 v. 747-8 comparison on the same route. Stay tuned!

Have you ever flown with a celebrity? Did they treat the crew nicely?

Previous Article So Much for Flying Air Berlin…
Next Article United Airlines’ Humanitarian Relief Flights to Houston

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.

Related Posts

  • Lufthansa Bistro Lounge Frankfurt Review

    Review: Lufthansa Bistro Lounge Frankfurt (FRA)

    May 3, 2023
  • Footsie Lufthansa

    My Seatmate Plays Footsie On Lufthansa…

    May 1, 2023
  • Review: Lufthansa A320-200 Economy Class

    May 1, 2023

36 Comments

  1. Pete Reply
    August 30, 2017 at 1:30 pm

    Just curious, how last minute was the opening? In your experience is it usually within 2 weeks, within 7 days, or the day before?
    I have asiana miles that I need to redeem.

    • Matthew Reply
      August 30, 2017 at 1:32 pm

      24 hours.

      • Pete Reply
        August 30, 2017 at 1:33 pm

        Then forget about those asiana miles.

        • Matthew Reply
          August 30, 2017 at 2:06 pm

          Chicago and Washington Dulles tend to open more than 72 hours out. West Coast is very difficult if using Asiana miles.

  2. Patriot Reply
    August 30, 2017 at 1:30 pm

    Jane Fonda is hardly an A-list celebrity. More of an America-hating , washed up communist wench.

    • Matthew Reply
      August 30, 2017 at 1:32 pm

      Are they mutually exclusive?

    • Bob Reply
      August 30, 2017 at 2:06 pm

      Someone woke up on the wrong side of their confederate flag…

    • Bill Reply
      August 30, 2017 at 2:42 pm

      Your vitriol is representative of one who pretends to love America and yet hates Americans. You’re no patriot. You’re merely a mysogynist who cannot stomach a strong woman expressing her opinions, however they may differ from your own. You’re also not too bright, as Ms. Fonda is hardly a communist. Perhaps you may do yourself the service of learning about what you write before you write. Oops.

    • Theresa Reply
      August 30, 2017 at 3:49 pm

      Jane Fonda IS an A-List celebrity. She is a fantastic actress and excellent in her series Frankie and Grace. She has apologized a thousand times for her inappropriate behavior regarding the Vietnam War. Have you never done something you were sorry for? She has also been a champion for women’s rights. Thanks for the report Matthew.

  3. John Reply
    August 30, 2017 at 1:39 pm

    I guess if someone pays for it, they can fly their kids in first class. But for the rest of the passengers, having a restless, loud kid running around can really ruin the experience. (before anyone judges me, I’m a father myself)

    • Matthew Reply
      August 30, 2017 at 2:08 pm

      Forgot to mention, they checked in right in front of us and had “F” on their boarding pass (we had “O” designation award first class). That’s full fare…

  4. Jack Reply
    August 30, 2017 at 2:36 pm

    How many seats were available on the flight when the F space opened up 24hrs in advance?

    • Matthew Reply
      August 30, 2017 at 2:37 pm

      2 seats.

  5. DCAGuy Reply
    August 30, 2017 at 3:02 pm

    That must be a new development, LH writes actual booking class on the boarding pass? Big O vs big F? I’ve never seen a big O on the LH boarding pass.

    • Matthew Reply
      August 30, 2017 at 3:47 pm

      Correct. Not a recent development, though. They’ve done it for years.

    • GetItRight Reply
      August 31, 2017 at 11:47 pm

      Not a big O or F, its actually quite small. If you’re in First Class, theres still a large F printed in stars on the Boarding pass, no matter how you’ve bought your ticket. However, on the smaller stub, there is a section that says Class, quite small actually, and thats where your specific fare is designated, whether it be A, F, or O. Its actually very small, how Matthew was able to see it on the peoples BP without getting a good close look at their Boarding passes is beyond me.
      Heres an example, you’ll see flight number/class on the right bottom corner area: https://i2.wp.com/milelion.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/lufthansaredacted2.png

  6. jediwho Reply
    August 30, 2017 at 3:39 pm

    I assume you transferred miles from SPG?

    • Matthew Reply
      August 30, 2017 at 3:46 pm

      Nope. AMEX to Aeroplan.

      • Sam Reply
        August 30, 2017 at 8:48 pm

        Did you book online with Aeroplan? I keep getting error messages saying the seats are not available after trying to purchase the flights. Really weird. It shows up but when trying to finalize the purchase, it didn’t go through on several flights on LH first class.

        • Matthew Reply
          August 30, 2017 at 8:50 pm

          Yes. I run into that error message all the time. The problem is usually not the longhaul flight, but the connecting flight. Are you trying to book a connection in business class within Europe?

          • Sam
            August 31, 2017 at 6:03 am

            Yeah. Was always trying from US to London. Any suggestions on how to make it work? If you go to United website then there are no issues and you can book it.

            Thanks for any suggestions.

          • Matthew
            August 31, 2017 at 8:30 am

            Search both segments separately on Aeroplan. Almost always the problem will be FRA-LHR. Make sure the segment you want is available if just booking it point to point.

            There’s a lot going on — married segments showing but Aeroplan actually unable to book them (and United able to). I’ll do a post on it soon.

  7. Cj Reply
    August 30, 2017 at 4:27 pm

    I’ve flown with former boxer jerry Cooney he was great

    • Sam Reply
      August 31, 2017 at 9:07 am

      Thanks. Look forward to your post on this. I have a lot of miles to use up with Aeroplan but can’t figure out how to get the US FRA Segment and FRA London in one Segment but on United its pretty easy and bookable.

      Thanks again

  8. Larry Dingman Reply
    August 30, 2017 at 5:01 pm

    As a former flight attendant/purser, it was common to have celebrities on flights. The two nicest and least demanding? Barbra Streisand and Tine Turner. The most obnoxious and demanding? We’ll save that for another time.

    • Kevin Reply
      August 30, 2017 at 7:14 pm

      C’mon Larry, don’t leave us hanging.

  9. Blank Reply
    August 30, 2017 at 9:34 pm

    Raquel Welch? I heard she was a nightmare.

  10. Gilbert Reply
    August 30, 2017 at 10:57 pm

    I’ve flown with far more famous ones, but “Roger” from Mad Men was the best. He was in real life much like his character. John Slattery absolutely made my day. Was conversational without provocation. Loved it.

  11. Gilbert Reply
    August 30, 2017 at 11:00 pm

    ^far more famous than Slattery, not comparing versus yours.

    • Matthew Reply
      August 31, 2017 at 12:08 am

      Of course! 🙂

  12. iv Reply
    August 30, 2017 at 11:33 pm

    I once was on BA in F with Mick Jagger and with 2 of his small children (at the time) they were making lots of noise and I told them to STOP IT. He was very cool he thanked me because he’d been trying to shut them up and they wouldn’t listen.

  13. Jack Reply
    September 1, 2017 at 6:49 am

    What’s the amenity kit these days? Is Rimowa back??

    • Matthew Reply
      September 1, 2017 at 7:20 am

      It is not. There is a new brand I’ve never heard of it. Will outline it in trip report.

  14. Claudia Reply
    September 12, 2017 at 3:19 pm

    How old do you think the former Lufthansa executive is? Just curious…and how is he a stereotype? You must have missed out on the Cowboy boots…..

    • Matthew Reply
      September 12, 2017 at 3:32 pm

      Thanks for checking out the blog! I did notice your cowboy boots, but you had the Rimowa luggage, wore a suit and tie, slicked back silver hair, and had that wonderful deep German voice with a perfect, crisp accent. I thought you were part of the Bundestag until one of the FAs informed me otherwise. And by “old” I only meant 55-60…you’ve got another 40 years ahead of you! Would be honored to have coffee with you when you’re back in California.

  15. Larry Reply
    November 17, 2017 at 1:57 am

    I just discovered your blog. I like it. I was sat next to Rodney Dangerfield on a flight from Ft. Lauderdale to NYC. He was very unassuming. We chatted a bit and he went sleep. A few people came up to him for an autograph but that was before we took off. He Was a nice guy and gave me a card to get me into Dangerfield’s in Manhattan.

Leave a Reply to Kevin Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for June

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 60,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • British Airways Fine
    Justified: British Airways Slapped With $1.1 Million Fine From US Government June 2, 2023
  • United Airlines Worldwide Devaluation
    United Airlines MileagePlus Devaluation Spreads Worldwide June 2, 2023
  • American Airlines Flagship First A321
    The Dismal State Of American Airlines Flagship First Class June 1, 2023
  • Delta Toddler Cups
    Dear Delta Air Lines, There Are Better Ways To Promote Sustainability Than Reusable Toddler Cups… June 1, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Punches United Airlines Gate Agent
    Man Repeatedly Punches United Airlines Gate Agent After She Asked Him To Vacate First Class Seat He Poached May 3, 2023
  • American Airlines Pins Cockpit Door
    American Airlines First Class Passenger So Angry Over Meal Choices He Pins Flight Attendant To Cockpit Door May 11, 2023
  • Cursing Fight United Airlines
    “Don’t You Ever Tell Me To Speak English!” (Fight Breaks Out On My United Airlines Flight) May 17, 2023
  • Missed VDB United Airlines
    My Foolish $1,000 Airport Lounge Visit May 16, 2023

Archives

June 2023
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« May    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

A fabulous flight onboard @qatarairways on the A35 A fabulous flight onboard @qatarairways on the A350-1000 in Qsuite Business Class from DFW-DOH. Qatar offers the best all-around business class product in the world with a spacious suite, plenty of privacy, excellent service, and superb cuisine.
The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

Privacy Policy

© Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.