Flight Review: Lufthansa – Newark (EWR) to Frankfurt (FRA)

(Note:  This is an older flight review from a few years ago that I had written and decided to share)

I recently flew on Lufthansa between Newark, NJ (EWR) and Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) on board a Boeing 747-400. This was by far the best flight that I have ever been on.

I forgot about the massive size and separate terminals of Newark. It’s quite the pain when connecting flights. I was not too happy that I had to take the crowded train to the next terminal (my arriving flight from PIT was on United Express), and then proceed through the international security line. The serpentine wrapped forever, and fortunately it was only half filled. I would be safe to guess it took about 20 minutes to proceed through everything.

Once at the gate, my hunger had hit me, as I had not eaten all day. I glanced around for something quick, but sadly, there were only 2 full service restaurants. Even though I had time, they were about to start boarding our Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt. I sat down in a restaurant and told the server that I was in a rush and wanted to place a to-go order for the flight. He disappeared for about 15 minutes, at which point I walked out. I was so hungry, but sucked it up and figured we would eat on the flight.

I was very appreciative of the “power charging center” for cell phones and laptops right by the gate. I sat there charging my iPhone while the massive crowd of passengers began to swarm the gate. Within a few minutes, we began boarding our 747-400 aircraft to Frankfurt. While proceeding up to the agent, they greeted me with a smile, and a welcome aboard.

The moment I stepped foot onto the aircraft, I was greeted with warmth and hospitality. Each flight attendant greeted me in German (as well as English) and directed me to my seat. I was impressed once I arrived at my seat, to find it not only clean, but a hefty pillow and blanket nicely position on the seat, along with an inflight magazine, safety card, and sickness bag, all tucked into a nice clear plastic pouch. I felt that I was on a “serious” product in terms of presentation. I could not wait to see what the rest of the flight entailed.

Right after takeoff, drinks were served to the cabin, along with a nice little cracker snack. After the snack, warm hand towels were provided to the passengers. Wow did that feel nice! What a great personal touch. After this, they circled around again with drinks prior to serving dinner. The dinner was a choice of chicken or pasta. I opted for the chicken, as I needed some meat and strength from not eating all day. The food was actually good with no complaints from this guy!

After a while, the lights were turned off, and I had attempted to watch a movie / sleep, but this was to no avail. I cannot sleep on airplanes for some reason. I turned on some classical music and thought about my fun journey to Latvia ahead of me!

After a few hours of darkness, the lights were turned on, with hot towels and coffee disbursed to the passengers. The crew was on the ball with drinks the entire flight. I was mighty impressed. We were served a light breakfast of a Blueberry Muffin, fruit cup, and granola bar. The muffin was amazing!

Our flight landed on time in Frankfurt Airport with me having a new found respect for Lufthansa and the superior product they deliver. I wish more airlines in the US would take notes about the level of service provided, along with the quality of the product. The final concern that I had was being one of the last rows of the 747 and the length of time it would take to exit the aircraft for my connection. However, contrary to my thoughts, the 747 emptied quicker than any single aisle plane I have ever been on!

Thank you Lufthansa and I look forward to my next flight on your airline!