How about the flight back?
I already published a detailed review of my outbound Los Angeles to Frankfurt flight. How would the return flight, also in premium economy, compare?
I enjoyed a nice breakfast in the Senator Lounge prior to the flight, through I figured onboard food would be decent out of Frankfurt. Premium Economy passengers can pay to use the Business Class lounge (25EUR), however my Star Alliance Gold status entitled me to free access to the Senator Lounge.
For the avoidance of redundancy, this flight review won’t be as comprehensive as the outbound review. Check out the LAX-FRA review for precise details about the seat, IFE, amenities, and lavatories.
Boarding began behind schedule, but ended up taking only 30 minutes so we still pushed back early.
Lufthansa 458
Frankfurt (FRA) – Los Angeles (LAX)
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Depart: 10:15 AM
Arrive: 12:55 PM
Duration: 11hr, 40min
Aircraft: A380-800
Seat: 56G (Premium Economy Class)
Like the outbound, this flight featured a tremendous pursuer. Freddie was the friendliest German I have ever met: all smiles, greeting every passenger in the cabin and making jokes and small talk. He loved his job–it could not have been clearer.
I’ll just summarize the flight here: premium economy is much more comfortable on a daytime flight than an overnight flight. With onboard wi-fi working well, I was extremely productive.
Grab the first row of Premium Economy if you can: the footrests are much better than in other rows. Legroom is also better. These are not crew seats, but appear to be blocked for VIP or status passengers. Still, ask at check-in, in the lounge, or at the gate. These are the best seats in the cabin. (Row 50, A,C,H,K)
Once again, I chose to sit in the center section in the last row, hoping the middle seat next to me would stay open. It did, so I am 2/2.
I did not provide a picture of the footrest on the outbound review, but here it is–I find it uncomfortable and unnecessary.
Fresh mango juice was offered as a pre-departure beverage. Water bottles were again present at each seat.
The USB port on my seatback IFE screen had a yellow “INOP” sticker next to it, but functioned fine during the flight:
As I mentioned above, Wi-Fi worked well during the flight.
Lufthansa Premium Economy Meal Service
How were the meals ex-FRA? Here’s the menu:
Lunch was served shortly after takeoff starting with pretzels and a beverage.
I chose pasta with pesto sauce for main course and very much enjoyed it. It came with bread, salad, and pudding.
Mid-Flight snacks included pretzels, cookies, and chocolate:
A second, full meal service was offered prior to landing. I ordered beef strips. While the meal was not visually appealing, it was tasty.
Finally, mints were distributed prior to landing:
I chuckled at a “Traveller etiquette” section of the Lufthansa Wi-Fi homepage, especially the warning about smoking.
CONCLUSION
Lufthansa’s Premium Economy product is very nice…on a daytime flight. While I maintain that the seat is not designed for rest, I appreciated the room to stretch out, upgraded meal service, and friendly service. If you cannot swing business class, this makes a longhaul flight a lot more civil.
Love the societal norm information provided from the Germans! I wonder what UA would have to say about Germany? Maybe…The Germans are never late. And absolutely nothing happened in Germany between 1939-1945. Nothing at all.
Spectacular report as always, Matthew! Thank you for sharing this bliss with us!
That USB port looks broken – I’m surprised it worked for you.
I wouldn’t have plugged anything in seeing that.
Did boarding also start 45min before departure here, same as at LAX?
I only have 1:50h between arriving to FRA and departure of my flight to LAX.. how was the line at passport control when you were flying? Was it super crowded and how long did you have to wait there?
Are Row 50, A,C,H,K seats a bit narrower than other PE seats onboard ?
Not to my recollection.