Luftansa flights??
Nov 16th, 2001, 06:41 AM
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Luftansa flights??
We are coming back from Barcelona next May<BR>from a Tranatlantic cruise on a Princess ship. We were offered air back to Miami on Luftansa flights. The flights were from Barcelona--Frankfort---Miami. We were wondering how nice this airline is on long flights. We will be in the coach section. Thanks so much for any help. John & Priscilla
Nov 16th, 2001, 10:43 AM
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I flew Lufthansa 3 years ago in the coach San Francisco-Frankfurt RT. The experience was most pleasant. Seats were comfortable, movies and headphones, plenty of blankets and small pillows if you need them. Drinks served regularly. Don't remember anything specific about food, I guess just regular airline food. The lavatory was clean. I'd fly USA-Europe again!<BR><BR>
Nov 27th, 2001, 06:41 AM
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We flew the exact route two years ago, and thought the service was poor, and the flight attendants grumpy. The seats are typical for coach, close together. One thing in Frankfurt to watch out for is that our flight from Barcelona to Frankfurt did not go to a gate, but just pulled off on a side parking area. Then busses came and we off loaded. Make sure you have plenty of time to make your connections. We almost missed ours.
Sep 29th, 2005, 09:58 AM
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i flew luftansa to rome from houston is the most terrible experience there coach seat on the 340 are the worst. the crew rude I ask them if they can tell the person in front of me to sit up strait so i can eat and she told me to ask them myself. how rude. I will never fly them again.
Sep 30th, 2005, 02:51 AM
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Coach is coach no matter what airline you are on. However, free alcohol in coach on Luftansa. You can check www.airlinequality.com for more information about this Four Star airline. All U.S. international airlines are three star.
Oct 1st, 2005, 03:35 PM
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Just got back from a Lufthansa flight Frankfurt to Newark, both ways. It was better than american carriers. At least we got fed a couple of times,plus snacks, and they passed out water and juice frequently. The food wasn`t great, but better than some other airline meals I have had. I sat in seat 33K and there was no seat in front of me, so it was quite comfy. Seat 33a has the same configuration. I would use them again.
Oct 8th, 2005, 04:34 PM
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When we flew on AA to and from FRA in May, the FA did ask a couple of people to sit up straight during the meal service as a courtesy to the passenger behind. Everyone complied. I wish more FA's would do that.
Oct 11th, 2005, 02:47 AM
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British Airways and Iceland Air both requested that people sit up during the meal service. The chairs don't go back very far and I appreciate being reminded. I didn't realize it was back.
Also, most foreign airlines will say something if you get up when the fasten seat belt sign is on. Most foreign airlines will have the sign on for only the first 8 minutes and last ten minutes. On the U.S. airlines, the fasten seat belt sign is always on, so you have to get up on a long flight.
Don't expect a foreign airline to announce on the PA during the middle of the night, "please check your seatbelt for security." Delta did that last year going from Atlanta to Rome.
Also, most foreign airlines will say something if you get up when the fasten seat belt sign is on. Most foreign airlines will have the sign on for only the first 8 minutes and last ten minutes. On the U.S. airlines, the fasten seat belt sign is always on, so you have to get up on a long flight.
Don't expect a foreign airline to announce on the PA during the middle of the night, "please check your seatbelt for security." Delta did that last year going from Atlanta to Rome.
Oct 11th, 2005, 06:19 AM
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Flight attendants are required by the FAA (an American agency) to make seat belt announcements when the sign goes on and off. They're supposed to check too. They're not crazy about doing it in the middle of the night but I was told that they could be fined (each) $1000 for every non compliance issue. This is just another situation where of course foreign, often subsidized airlines look better. Of course stuff for your safety. . . ? Please.
Oct 11th, 2005, 06:22 AM
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I can eat comfortably even when the person in front of me has his/her seat all the way back - with just one exception on an old Virgin 742 a years ago.
Many people also don't realize on many planes, you can slide the tray towards you after it's been lowered.
If one can learn to eat comfortably even when the person in front has the seat in full recline, you can keep your blood pressure low and avoid a lot of confrontation. But that's just me. And if some of you want to argue with me over this point, maybe we can start a new thread to do it.
Many people also don't realize on many planes, you can slide the tray towards you after it's been lowered.
If one can learn to eat comfortably even when the person in front has the seat in full recline, you can keep your blood pressure low and avoid a lot of confrontation. But that's just me. And if some of you want to argue with me over this point, maybe we can start a new thread to do it.
Oct 11th, 2005, 10:43 AM
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Maybe. From my friend I have heard all kinds of silly things. I think that it is part of the larger question that a lot of Americans don't like to answer or think about. American carriers have to live in the system they're in. Litigious and regulated. A foreign carrier has to abide by most safety rules, but they put their own spin on them. Based in Germany, Joe American is going to have a harder time suing Lufthansa than he is American Airlines, or the American pilot who didn't have the seat belt sign on during a brief period of turbulence. American carriers are bleeding because they are one of many. Lufthansa pretty much controls its backyard so they can offer things that American carriers can't, like free alcohol, which apparently means a lot to you Wally, considering your number of posts on it. Up until lately, apparently, American carriers had to pay living wages and had retirement programs and decent health benefits. By virtue of Germany's system, Lufthansa only has to worry about paying their people. Health and Retirement are part of their social system. Are U.S carriers offering less than their European counterparts? Yes and No. Try getting an issue resolved with Air France. Good luck. Free wine doesn't mean that much to me. In fact I don't know of any restaurant, bar, train or bus where alcohol is free. And for the record, I never drink anything with a screw top, other than a water bottle. I like the fact that I rarely see drunks anymore on the airplane and my flight attendants' first priority is safety. It's just a ride.
Oct 12th, 2005, 05:30 AM
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Wills
The airline business in Europe is highly regulated, especially regarding safety. I have never been on any plane and not heard 'Please go back to your seats and put your seatbelt on' when the sign goes on.
Regarding your perceived higher safety on US carriers, when I've flown on numerous US airlines one of the things that's struck me is the general age & size of the female FA's, in general, these are not fit and agile people who I would like to depend on in the event of an evacuation. In addition their attitude and manners often leave a lot to be desired, compare them with European & Asian airlines, no comparison.
Regarding health & pensions, you'll find companies like Lufthansa, BA etc do pay into these schemes for their employees, also when there are any delays to their flights, have you seen how much they have to pay in penalities to their customers due to EU legislation, please compare this to the US situation.
Lufthansa and other European airlines face a lot more competition than in the US due to all the budget airlines. Which airline in the US offers flights for free or 99 cents. Southwest or Jetblue may be a cheaper alternative but they are certainly not cheap when compared to say Ryanair.
To say Lufthansa has an advantage due to it being subsidised, is ridiculous, look at all the US airlines in Chapter 11, that's the worst form of subsidy. In addition the payments they received after 911 ran into billions, no the problems of the US aviation are a lot more deep rooted than you've mentioned.
Look on www.airlinequality.com and see the quality ratings for US airlines, their service levels are a joke. Wally may like a free drink, so I do I, its part of the overall service, just like when I've paid for a Business Class fare I don't expect to go the lounge and be asked to pay $5 for a beer and have only a selection of pretzels to choose from.
US carriers use a lot of old and uncomfortable planes that are inefficient to run and maintain. Management are paid way over the market value and seem intent on being empire builders rather than businessmen.
The sooner the US govt. relaxes the 49% share limitation on foreign ownership then the sooner you will see the rise in service & overall quality of the US aviation industry.
Geordie
The airline business in Europe is highly regulated, especially regarding safety. I have never been on any plane and not heard 'Please go back to your seats and put your seatbelt on' when the sign goes on.
Regarding your perceived higher safety on US carriers, when I've flown on numerous US airlines one of the things that's struck me is the general age & size of the female FA's, in general, these are not fit and agile people who I would like to depend on in the event of an evacuation. In addition their attitude and manners often leave a lot to be desired, compare them with European & Asian airlines, no comparison.
Regarding health & pensions, you'll find companies like Lufthansa, BA etc do pay into these schemes for their employees, also when there are any delays to their flights, have you seen how much they have to pay in penalities to their customers due to EU legislation, please compare this to the US situation.
Lufthansa and other European airlines face a lot more competition than in the US due to all the budget airlines. Which airline in the US offers flights for free or 99 cents. Southwest or Jetblue may be a cheaper alternative but they are certainly not cheap when compared to say Ryanair.
To say Lufthansa has an advantage due to it being subsidised, is ridiculous, look at all the US airlines in Chapter 11, that's the worst form of subsidy. In addition the payments they received after 911 ran into billions, no the problems of the US aviation are a lot more deep rooted than you've mentioned.
Look on www.airlinequality.com and see the quality ratings for US airlines, their service levels are a joke. Wally may like a free drink, so I do I, its part of the overall service, just like when I've paid for a Business Class fare I don't expect to go the lounge and be asked to pay $5 for a beer and have only a selection of pretzels to choose from.
US carriers use a lot of old and uncomfortable planes that are inefficient to run and maintain. Management are paid way over the market value and seem intent on being empire builders rather than businessmen.
The sooner the US govt. relaxes the 49% share limitation on foreign ownership then the sooner you will see the rise in service & overall quality of the US aviation industry.
Geordie
Oct 12th, 2005, 12:51 PM
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Hi Geordie,
Well we obviously disagree. The whole seatbelt sign being off for the whole flight except for takeoff and landing is a safety issue to me. It creeps me out when the whole plane is up and around in such a small space.
The size of the f/a's? I am going to let that speak to who you are.
When I worked for a major corporation my health benefits cost exceeded $11K. Spread thru a society I doubt that benefits are that costly in Europe, but not being that curious, I'll defer to you on that. Retirement, again beyond my math.
9/11 entailed the shutting down of airspace in the entire U.S for a week. It would have taken the richest company to withstand that. I don't believe that Lufthansa was shut down.
Like I said, some of this is living in the system you have. I have received good and bad service from airlines, but largely good. But then I take the view that I'll get what I give. I do not expect flight attendants to be servants. I think a lot of people do, and with US airlines now you get into cultural stuff. No one in the US should be treated like a peasant. Americans do jobs, the jobs don't define who they are. As for foreign ownership of US airlines, well, I heartily disagree with that. I like patronizing American businesses. It's hard to do that now, but as much as I can I like to do so.
Lufthansa is a very fine airline, I flew them business class intra Europe. My post was not a bash of them. I am just tired of seeing people bash US airlines and their now very under attack staffs. Also, I do think that choosing an airline based on free drinks defies sense but that is just me. That's all I will say. Enjoy your trip John F.
Well we obviously disagree. The whole seatbelt sign being off for the whole flight except for takeoff and landing is a safety issue to me. It creeps me out when the whole plane is up and around in such a small space.
The size of the f/a's? I am going to let that speak to who you are.
When I worked for a major corporation my health benefits cost exceeded $11K. Spread thru a society I doubt that benefits are that costly in Europe, but not being that curious, I'll defer to you on that. Retirement, again beyond my math.
9/11 entailed the shutting down of airspace in the entire U.S for a week. It would have taken the richest company to withstand that. I don't believe that Lufthansa was shut down.
Like I said, some of this is living in the system you have. I have received good and bad service from airlines, but largely good. But then I take the view that I'll get what I give. I do not expect flight attendants to be servants. I think a lot of people do, and with US airlines now you get into cultural stuff. No one in the US should be treated like a peasant. Americans do jobs, the jobs don't define who they are. As for foreign ownership of US airlines, well, I heartily disagree with that. I like patronizing American businesses. It's hard to do that now, but as much as I can I like to do so.
Lufthansa is a very fine airline, I flew them business class intra Europe. My post was not a bash of them. I am just tired of seeing people bash US airlines and their now very under attack staffs. Also, I do think that choosing an airline based on free drinks defies sense but that is just me. That's all I will say. Enjoy your trip John F.
