Lufthansa 747-8 First Class In 2023: Frankfurt to Buenos Aires (Review)
I’ve wanted to try the Lufthansa 747-8 First Class cabin for years. Seriously, more than 10 years. Since I started my journey as a SAS EuroBonus member, my dream was to be able to redeem my points for a flight in LH First Class, as the award chart was actually decent! But it took longer than expected. Even though I had the points, I found it really tricky to find open seats, as you cannot book those award tickets online and only via the call center.
Finally, last April, I got the chance to score two seats on one of the longest Lufthansa routes: Frankfurt to Buenos Aires! The connection time from Stockholm was short, but it still gave me about two and a half hours to visit the First Class Terminal and taste the full experience.
Here’s my recap post with the trip report and impressions of what’s probably my most exciting flight of the past decade.
PRO TIP
Use AwardFares to see and monitor Lufthansa’s first-class availability. I found this flight by setting up a few alerts, then got notified via email when the seats opened.
Get 20% OFF when you upgrade using my AwardFares link.
Lufthansa 747-8 First Class In 2023 (Frankfurt to Buenos Aires)
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Flight Details (LH510)
- Airline: Lufthansa, LH
- Aircraft: Boeing 747-8I, D-ABYQ
- Flight Number: LH510
- Seat: 2A
- Origin: Frankfurt (FRA), Germany
- Destination: Buenos Aires, Ezeiza (EZE), Argentina
booking
Last April, I took advantage of the new AwardFares features and decided to set up a few alerts to monitor award seats during the first week of May. I had to go back to Argentina for work-related reasons, but I was flexible with the dates, so I was ready to jump on any available flights and book it last minute. This is often one of the success conditions for first-class flights, as airlines often release availability very close to the departure date.
After a few days, I received an email notification from AwardFares with 4 seats open on the route I wanted! So I called the SAS service center right away.
The agent was kind and efficient, but still, the whole booking process took about 30 minutes. I believe they need to check the inventory with the partner airline. Still, I successfully booked the flight for a total of 135k EuroBonus points, plus 1346 SEK in taxes per passenger (and we were two).
I had available an Amex Fly 2 for 1 voucher that I could have used, but since I needed to be flexible with the dates and possibly refund the ticket, I didn’t want to risk using it and losing it. Hence, I paid the full price and used the voucher.
Here’s the receipt and the debit transaction on my SAS EuroBonus account
Incoming flight and Transit
We arrived on a flight from Stockholm parked at a remote position. If you are connecting in First Class, Lufthansa picks you up in a shuttle that drives you to the terminal instead of being picked up by the regular bus.
Unfortunately, the shuttle cannot directly take you to the First Class Terminal because of security reasons. They drop you off at the Terminal, and then you go through luggage claim, exit the building, and walk left for about 5 minutes to reach the FCT. It’s quite straightforward.
Lufthansa First Class Terminal
Lufthansa First Class Terminal is not connected with the other buildings at Frankfurt Airport, so you need to walk out of the Terminal A building and then go to the left and walk for about 5 minutes.
Once you arrive at the First Class Terminal, you take an elevator and are greeted by the staff. They check on your boarding pass and passport and assign you a personal assistant who will care for you during your entire stay. This person also takes your passport for border control, so you don’t need to do that paperwork.
After a security check, you are welcome to the lounge, where you can first see the displayed First Class Terminal Rubber Ducks. There are plenty of seating areas, a dining lounge with a la carte service, a bar, a cigar lounge, a resting area, showers, and bathrooms.
Overall, I stayed here for 2 hours, and it was enough to see and try everything, but I totally see why people enjoy spending as much time here as possible. It’s a really great lounge with exceptional service, food, and drink options.
Porsche Cayenne Limousine
Lufthansa takes you on a limousine from the First Class Terminal to the boarding gate. If there are cars available, they take you on a Porsche Cayenne! We were only two passengers on this flight, so we managed to get the Porsche service to the 747-8.
The chauffeur escorted us to the gate and announced our names and seats to the crew when boarding.
Boarding, Seat, and Cabin
The cabin feels spacious, cozy, and intimate. We were only three passengers onboard, which made it feel extra special and private. The seats are very wide, open, and comfortable. You can also close a privacy screen to add extra privacy. There’s plenty of storage space above the seat and private lockers at the entrance.
Menu
The menu was handed out before taking off, so you have plenty of time to check the options. The crew was very explicit that you don’t need to choose because you simply can order everything.
WIFI
Shortly after takeoff, the senior purser greeted us personally and handed out a WIFI voucher, valid for the full flight.
PJs, Headphones, Seat Controls
The crew hands out a PJ set and a pair of sleepers (they ask for your size).
Amenity Kit
The amenity kit by Porsche Design was more complete than the one handed out in Business Class.
Dinner
Dinner was one of the highlights of the flight. The service was exceptional. Not only was the crew extremely nice and caring, but also the quality of the food and flavors were flawless. I got to try caviar before the starters, and the crew was very proud about serving it.
The service was well paced and with plenty of time to enjoy all the flavors and dishes without feeling rushed. You can also choose as much as you want and even repeat dishes or desserts if you’d like to!
Toilet
There are two toilets for first class on each side of the plane. The bathrooms are large and comfortable enough to change your clothes. They are also stuffed with extra amenities such as shaving cream, body cream, face wash, mouthwash, and even Evian water.
Bed
The crew prepares the bed for you with an actual mattress, blanket and extra pillow. While I was changing my clothes, they got everything ready for a good night of sleep.
Breakfast
After a solid 7 hours of sleep, I woke up in Brazil and got ready for breakfast. The service started with orange juice and coffee and then continued with pastries, fruit, cold cuts, and even scrambled eggs and bacon. All superb.
Landing and Gate
Conclusion
This flight was a dream and almost surreal. I had waited for it for so long that it was hard to catch up with my own excitement, but I’ll try to be objective in these final remarks.
With Lufthansa First Class, you feel special and valued. You become a priority for the airline, and they do everything they can to treat you well. Despite the old cabin design and the fact that they will change it soon, the hard product is still super solid: cozy cabin, wide seats, extra privacy sheet, comfortable bed, plenty of storage space, and good entertainment.
Where Lufthansa excels is in the soft product and whole experience. Every staff and crew member we met felt genuine and caring and took the time to get familiar with us as passengers and offer the best service. The First Class Terminal is a unique experience that is totally worth trying. The hassle-free border control and security checkpoint, the dining and drink experience, and even the shuttle pick up and drop off are just unique experiences that are hard to describe.
Onboard, everything was perfect. The highlight for me was the whole dining experience, plus the super comfortable bed, which is key for a long flight like this.
Overall, I had an amazing experience, beyond expectations, and even more considering that I didn’t pay in cash for this ticket, which is typically extremely expensive. Good job, Lufthansa!
