Flying Lufthansa’s European business class is like opening presents. You’ll never know what you get. No product (at least none that I know of) is as inconsistent as Lufthansa’s short-haul Business Class.
Join me (Joris Wendt) as I travel with Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Helsinki in Business Class.
Details:
- Flight number: LH854
- Aircraft: A321neo
- Seat: 2A
- Route: FRA-HEL
- Class: Business Class
What is European Business Class?
European Business Class usually means that you’ll be sitting on an economy seat, with the seat next to you being blocked.
Apart from that, you’ll benefit from different perks that vary from airline to airline.
Service-wise, Lufthansa has a lot of perks included in a Business Light Fare, such as a guaranteed vacant middle seat, 2x32kg of Check In Luggage, Priority Boarding and Security Control, free Seat Selection, a separate Business Class Check-In and complimentary meal service.
Often you’ll find great deals for Business class, which might even be cheaper than the economy.
For flights under 2,5 hours, I find European Business Class to be sufficient.
On flights over 2,5 hours, especially to the Canary Islands, I often wish for a 2-2 configuration with an actual business class.
Though the 3-3 Business Class with a vacant middle seat is still better than being cramped into the economy.
Seat
The A321neo on my flight to Helsinki featured the brand new Airspace cabin, which felt a bit airier than the old cabin.
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I especially liked the bigger overhead bins, where my trolley fit in without any problems. The seat featured a coat hook and a USB-A plug.
On this particular flight, the Aircraft operated with 5 rows of Business Class, which all offered sufficient legroom.
The seat pocket feature an inflight magazine and a safety card.
Boarding
Boarding started with a slight delay, with Business Class and Status customers boarding first. I settled into my seat, and boarding was completed within no time.
Soon after boarding, the crew announced that we’ll be delayed due to missing catering and delayed baggage.
The crew didn’t handle the delay well, but that’s probably due to the fact that they were calling all around Frankfurt airport to find some spare Catering for us.
Thankfully, 45 minutes after boarding was completed, the catering truck arrived, and we were soon of to Helsinki, with a delay of a little over an hour.
Service on Lufthansa’s European Business Class…
Once we were in the air, the crew sprung into action, starting the preparation of the meal service and coming by to hand out menus and take meal orders.
I ordered a Cabbage roulade with mashed potatoes and broccoli, which came with Pastrami as a starter and a Berry desert.
The meal was cooked just right and tasted very well. The service by the crew was very German, which necessarily isn’t a bad thing.
The crew was efficient, friendly, and professional while not putting any stress on the meal service.
Every passenger was given enough time to finish their meal. For the drink, I choose a Cola and a Gin Tonic; both served with ice and lemon.
After all tray tables were cleared, the crew dimmed the lights and offered blankets and pillows to all passengers.
The crew regularly came around and offered drinks to all passengers that were awake. I fell asleep soon after Dinner and slept for a little while before having tea just prior to landing.
Final Verdict
All in all, this was a pleasant flight.
The crew was very attentive and efficient. Dinner service was sufficient – the food was alright, nothing I’d die for, but it did its job.
All in all, this flight was a solid 7/10, with nothing to really complain about but also nothing to brag about.
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