A question about Luthansa

[Ka6crpe]

I'm travelling Air NZ from CHC to AKL then to LAX in June, and can choose my seat for both legs. However LAX to Munich with Lufthansa, apparently does not give that option.

On the return trip I'm travelling Lufthansa to Singapore, then Singapore Air to CHC, and again Singapore allows me to choose my seat, but not Lufthansa.

My question is: Does Lufthansa open the seating option at some future time, or is it just pot luck where I get to sit?






Also, What is Lufthansa's cabin service like?

[fa2fi]

If you're in economy and you're not in a front row expect an uncomfortable ride. Their seats have a rediulous amount of recline. More than I've seen on any other airline, so much so that you're screen can't even tilt enough to cope with it. Otherwise it's pretty good service.

I'm pretty sure I was able to reserve a seat in advance but I bought my ticket direct from LH but I'm unsure how it works if you've bought an interlining ticket from another airline.

[ExXB]

My experience with LH (actually AC flight number, but LH metal) is that you can't book a specific seat. Other Pax, who booked direct with LH could. AC staff at YVR says they get lots of complaints because of this.

Having said that we got put into two seats together near to where I would have chosen them myself so it wasn't a big deal. Seats reasonably comfortable and service OK.

This was 18 months ago, things may have changed.

[Phileas Fogg]

My experiences with LH have been just inter-Europe, much with their puddle jumper subsidiaries on CRJ's & BAe146's and with LH mainline up to A320/B737 size.

A couple of notable events:

Due to high winds FRA was on a single runway operation, everything it seems was delayed, the information coming out of the LH staff at the gate desk was limited if at all.

The LH staff member clearly couldn't cope with the pressure and began threatening pax to the effect that if they didn't back off (when all they wanted was some information) then she would call security to have them removed.

Our FRA/BHX service suddenly went from on-time to cancelled, clearly they had poached our BAe146 to operate on another route, we were rerouted via MAN assured that there would be a coach to BHX waiting for us, I was the first to the LH desk in MAN where they knew diddly squat about us ... Some 2 hours we sat around in MAN waiting for our coach that FRA had assured us would be waiting for us.

And LH are tighter than a duck's backside with the cabin service with, on such a route as MUC/TSR, no more than one 250ml beer being served whilst citing "they need to control our drinking" :)

[Ka6crpe]

Many thanks for those replies. I booked via Orbitz, but my payment went to Lufthansa directly, so they would be the principle airline for this trip.


Previously most of my international travel has been ANZ or Qantas, but I chose this route to Europe as the shortest great circle route touches the tip of Greenland and I'm hoping for a window seat on the left so as to get a chance to see those ice sheets (weather permitting).

[ExXB]

Ka6crpe, Two things:

Who has got the money is an important consideration but MORE important is who's flight you are booked on. If it is a LHnnnn flight number then the marketing carrier is LH regardless of who actually operates the flight. I believe NZ code-shares on that flight ...

Trans-atlantic flights rarely use the shortest GCM path. Winds over the Atlantic, and in particular the jet stream have a big influence on the track your particular flight takes. You may get lucky and have a more northerly routing and you will see Greenland (spectacular) and the iceberg filled waters ... On the other hand you may get a southerly routing and miss a lot of the white stuff.

It's not possible to know in advance what the winds will be doing on the day of your flight, but good luck.

[alserire]

I've only done short haul with them and long haul can obviously be very different but I would be quite happy with them. Cabin service is fine and I never saw anyone refused an extra drink. But again this is short haul. They may want to restrict excessive drinking on an 11 hour flight!!! And I wouldn't blame them! Never found seat recline an issue but then again it might be different on longer flights. And I've gone through Frankfurt numerous times with no problems. Munich I've never been to but it is highly rated as an airport.

I think you can choose seat purchase but you can check in from 24 hours out and pick your seat then and that usually does me. You should be able to get a window seat at check in. So far so good as far as I am concerned.

[Ka6crpe]

ExXB, great to get your input.
Yes it is an LH flight number, so I'm assuming LH are the principal carrier. I have watched the same flight on FlightRadar24 a number of times and around 2 out 3 flights they do take the Greenland route, hence my initial comment of "weather permitting".


alserire, That is good news about seat selection at early check-in. I shall try that. Between AKL- LAX then only 2 hours on the ground before LAX-MUC, I won't be drinking much alcohol, but will want plenty of fruit juice or similar.

[Ignore the HUD]

I fly them quite often to LHR and have had no problems with cabin service or the offer of a top up.
Tried several times to change flights but have always been told it will cost me etc etc. Maybe I'm not doing it right! Seems very little flexibility with them here.
Interestingly this year BA has been consistently cheaper to fly to London that LH.

[alserire]

Totally the other way round for Ireland/DUB. LH much cheaper (and no extras) than EI to FRA and MUN. And competitively priced connections to other Euro cities not served by EI. First place I look now for air travel.

[EDMJ]

I recently flew from Seattle to Frankfurt on a LH A330, in Economy. Plenty of legroom (I'm 188 cm tall), superb inflight-entertainment system, excellent service (regular helpings of - free - booze, snacks and food; cabin attendants ensured that seat backs were upright during meal times for the benefit of the person behind the offender).

[gdiphil]

I've used LH Frankfurt to Tokyo (A380) and Frankfurt to Newark(747-400). Excellent service levels, seats in economy just fine, good entertainment, excellent attentive cabin crew. And indeed used them yesterday Munich to LHR. Good flight. However if my experience of last night at T2 LHR is anything to go by you are in for a world of hurt in getting your baggage back. It took 3 hours for the bag to arrive and the previous Munich to LHR flight took 5 hours to get their bags according to very irate passengers I talked to. T2 so far in my experience is a disaster.