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-   -   Your experience flying with Lufthansa (https://www.fodors.com/community/air-travel/your-experience-flying-with-lufthansa-905825/)

etaner Sep 11th, 2011 03:58 PM

Your experience flying with Lufthansa
 
Thinking about booking with Lufthansa from Miami to Frankfurt to Berlin. Does anyone have experience with them -- how are their planes (comfort wise) and customer service?

The planes I would take are the 330-300, 737-300, A321 and 380-800. Has anyone flown on these planes? What is the comfort level in coach?

And if anyone has flown Air Berlin, how do you compare the two?

Thank you!!!!

J62 Sep 12th, 2011 02:24 AM

Lufthansa coach seats in the A330-300 & A380-800 are the same. Pretty good AVOD. Reasonably comfortable as far as coach seats go, but it's still coach.

Eastbound food is a choice of chicken or pasta. Westbound it's pasta or chicken. Edible, but nothing remarkable.

Your Frankfurt to Berlin legs are short hops. Those planes are just fine - time in the air is about 45min.

Seat pitch on Lufthansa is 31" vs 30" on AB.

travelgourmet Sep 12th, 2011 03:47 AM

Given that these aircraft have AVOD, I'd say that Lufthansa is basically average in most respects. Not the roomiest in the back, but not terribly worse than most others. A slight notch above Air Berlin, IMO, though I've only flown Air Berlin for short-haul.

qwovadis Sep 12th, 2011 05:17 AM

LTU sucks less than Air Berlin pretty much lesser of 2 evils

AB going bankrupt a cattle car in coach for me 2 years last

airlinequality.com recent reviews rankings...

JoanneH Sep 12th, 2011 09:40 AM

I have always had good experience with them though Frankfurt airport I could live without allow yourself time if your going from international to domestic through there.

Treesa Sep 13th, 2011 11:54 AM

Any recent experience on LAX-FRA 747? I have not flown Lufthansa for over 40 years but have flown Swiss and Air Berlin which were passable.

1965 Sep 17th, 2011 12:51 PM

Flew Lufthansa last fall. Neither better nor worse than any other. We have to fly coach, and we find coach just about the same on all airlines.

Treesa Sep 17th, 2011 07:39 PM

Thanks, 1965. No great expectations on my part.

PamR Sep 21st, 2011 08:51 AM

Have flown a few times in the past couple of years. Business class was beyond wonderful. Coach as others said. Avoid middle seats. I got one 3 years ago and the space was so cramped getting up that as I twisted out of my seat, I popped my knee out of its socket! Turned out I had torn ligaments -- a lot of pain, but lucky it wasn't worse. This year I flew in coach again, but had an aisle seat so I could stretch my legs. Turned out fine. It's a reliable, clean, well-managed airline. But unless you are in Business, I wouldn't stress the comfort. Food also just average. Better on return trip (from German kitchens) than departure trip (US catering).

P_M Sep 21st, 2011 05:15 PM

I'm just back from a trip on LH, I returned a few days ago. Be advised your carry-on must be extremely small. They were going around the waiting area by the gate telling everyone to check in carry on bags if they were much bigger than a backpack. The carry-on I had is one I've used on many trips and I've never had a problem before. Before your trip be sure to check size requirements for carry on luggage.

On board the food was disgusting and the cabin was cramped. I've taken a lot of coach flights in my life and of course these things are to be expected in coach but this was truly some of the worst food I've ever had, even by airplane standards.

On the good side: The wine and beer flow freely even in coach. Service on the plane was friendly. The flight arrived on time, and I found the Frankfurt airport to be easier to navigate than CDG or LHR. I would probably fly LH again, but next time I will bring my own food.

wally34949 Sep 22nd, 2011 03:15 AM

As PM mentioned, the beer and wine will flow for free, the fasten seatbelt sign will be off, but don't try to bring your large suitcase on the plane.

If you want to fly across the Atlantic where you can bring your larger suitcase on the plane, people pay for booze, and the fasten seatbelt sign stays on almost all of the time, fly with Continental.

wally34949 Sep 22nd, 2011 03:16 AM

Have you considered Swiss from Miami. Seeing that you have to connect.

annw Sep 22nd, 2011 08:26 PM

A side question -- do you suppose carry on requirement (i.e. tiny) is the same in biz and FC?

I ask because I scored FC tix with miles from Chicago and Atlanta (separate, alas) for me and DH. We usually do carry on only but it sounds risky here. (Taking United back.)

P_M Sep 23rd, 2011 03:23 AM

I would bet just about anything the carry on allowance is more generous for people not in coach. Check their web site when you get a chance.

DonTopaz Sep 25th, 2011 04:09 AM

No problem with carry-ons in business or first on LH. I've very often taken a 21" rollaboard plus a decent-sized duffel on board.

Don

annw Sep 25th, 2011 07:08 AM

Grazie! we each have the 21-22' roll aboard plus a "personal item." Can check the bigger bag coming back.


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