In Steerage With The Red Baron
Written: Feb 17 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: On time, clean, hospitable cabin service. Great route system.
Cons: Food, cabin configuration and climate controls less than desirable.
The Bottom Line: Efficient schedules. Pleasant people. Mediocre product.
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| ulysses4's Full Review: Lufthansa |
With 158 reviews of Lufthansa in the pipeline, do we really need one more? Well maybe. Each day, while getting us to our destinations with commendable safety, the airlines seem to explore new depths of mediocre customer service. Lufthansa personnel we encountered were uniformly courteous and efficient. My quibbles are with the deteriorating economy product.
While I have close to 1 million miles under my belt with U.S. Carriers, other than our regular trips with Air France, flying with foreign carriers is still for us a little exotic. Consequently, a less common experience worth observing. So here is one more present day view on the German giant.
We just returned from a pleasure trip to Malta, a delightful venue and due for separate review. From New York, our logistics options were many, and most with some drawbacks. Some 40% of visitors to Malta come from the United Kingdom, so transit via London was a clear option, but with deficits. British Airways is no longer the world's (nor my) favorite airline. Also, transfers at Heathrow are not always seamless. We were willing to give Air Malta a try, but they don't fly trans-Atlantic, and that would mean an airline change in London or somewhere else in Europe.
Connections through Italy and Alitalia were a possibility; but a very tight transit times through Rome (less than an hour) and then nothing to the next day seemed a gamble. Homeward bound, there was no way to get back to New York the same day; which would have meant a stopover in Rome or Milan, due to the airline's limited schedule. Between petulant strikes and incipient bankruptcy, Alitalia hasn't been our first choice for awhile either.
GOOD SCHEDULES, CONNECTIONS AND CHECK-IN
Both Sidestep and Expedia showed some competitive and fairly reasonable Lufthansa options. We elected to fly out through Frankfurt, and back through Munich. In both instances there were two and a half to three and a half hour layovers, but I never trust schedules out of JFK anyway.
The 4:25 PM departure out of JFK was scheduled to arrive in Frankfurt at 5:55 AM in the morning local time. The great advantage of this time slot is that you are leaving New York before the long conga line of outgoing flights that bunch up between 6 and 9 PM. Spending two or more hours on the runway before you can take off is no treat, and can often mean missing a connecting flight at the other end. Frankfurt, and to a slightly lesser degree, Munich, appear to offer myriad connections to Lufthansa's far flung empire in Eastern and Middle Europe and beyond.
Check-in at JFK was quick, courteous and none of the new British Airways nonsense of charging travelers for more than one checked in bag each, even when within the weight limits.
True to their reputation, Flight 401 was out on schedule. Our Airbus 330-300 appeared clean and nearly full. The seats were more or less comfortable, but the seat pitch (distance to the next seat) perilously close. As the trip unfolded, there were a series of minor annoyances, some put to Airbus' doorstep, and others to our host airline. Putting this all in perspective, I know that most airlines are financially squeezed these days, and it is hard to expect more that a safe bus in the sky.
ON BOARD MINOR ANNOYANCES ABOUND
When the seats are scrunched together, why do they let them still recline three or four inches? Not enough to make one comfortable, but plenty to take 30% of the limited space of the person immediately behind: you. It is hard enough to eat your nursing home meal when the seats are up straight. This isn't exclusively a Lufthansa problem, but a universal airline affliction.
The ventilation system on the Airbus leaves much to be desired. Unlike Boeing aircraft, there is no passenger controlled vent which can allow you to have a little cool (who knows how fresh) air on demand. Ventilation comes and goes, at someone else's discretion through a vent somewhere up near the closed luggage racks. There is little or no air moving about the window seat, where my wife usually sits.
The entertainment system, such as it is, consists of small TV monitors placed at inconvenient intervals in the aisles, and a fairly tinny, but wide ranging series of audio channels accessed via a reusable head set fitted with mini-socks that you need to put over the metal earphones. These don't fit very well, and can wind up on the floor or between the seats never to be seen again.
Meal time. I have now concluded that a German airline has no business serving any form of pasta and tomato sauce. While they may know something about noodles and spaetzle, what arrived on our plates was pathetic and an embarrassment. On the flight back, I opted for a salmon dish which was overcooked but edible. The accompanying mashed potatoes, however, were a poor but vivid imitation of southern grits. This airline has a way of coming up with strange salad combinations that are far from appetizing. I realize they have a separate vendor for this industrial food, but I believe it is owned by Lufthansa.
The flight attendants served these depressing meals with surprising grace. Through these long flights, someone came by every hour or so with a tray of water and juice to keep us hydrated, if not happy. Coffee and tea were also readily available, along with nearly generic wine.
Another minor, but irritating annoyance. The overhead, and then side (bulkhead)lighting were kept on for all but about an hour or so on a flight where most folks were trying to get some shut eye. Full lights back on to serve us their "breakfast snack", another make do meal of questionable nutritional and aesthetic value.
After all the above negatives, it is only fair to say that the flight crew was intensely courteous, and doing their best to exemplify good service.
Overhead storage space was adequate, especially with the current limitations on what you can take on board.
FRANKFURT AND MUNICH AIRPORTS
Both of these major hubs provide minimal hassle for transiting passengers heading for different countries. Both are fairly austere, and Munich appears to be incredibly long and narrow. We didn't mind, indeed enjoyed a long walk, but this would pose a problem with someone with a physical impairment. Frankfurt is undergoing some renovations, but does seem a little dated. The rest room facilities in Munich were as clean and modern as I have seen anywhere.
FLIGHTS TO AND FROM MALTA
Our outbound flight was a Lufthansa jet, and the return an Air Malta flight code shared with Lufthansa. Both were smaller Airbus aircraft, I believe an A321 and A319 respectively. The outbound flight afforded outdoor boarding with a front and back ladder, which made for quick loading. These were much like our domestic flights, about 2 hours and twenty minutes in duration, but with far more interesting scenery going from the Alps to the Mediterranean. Little to report on other than a beverage and snack.
CONCLUSION
The International Terminal at JFK is the newest and most pleasant at this somewhat dysfunctional airport. Both before you head out, and going through customs, the experience is much better than some of the older U.S. Airline terminals. Lufthansa is a (relatively) financially sound airline that could offer their economy passengers a little more. Considering there is a rush to the bottom, when I can't find a sensible connection on Swiss or Scandinavian, I will probably grit my teeth and fly them again. (Maybe next time I will bring my own meal). They probably deserve a 3.5, but I would rather stay with a 3 than give them a 4.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ulysses4
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Member: Alan R. Fridkin
Location: Westfield, MA USA
Reviews written: 233
Trusted by: 21 members
About Me:
Mediator;attorney;retired Navy Captain;avid traveler;bon vivant.
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