Last Oct, I took the LH flight from Toronto to Frankfurt (ultimate destination Vienna). One reason I took it was the presence of the sleeper bed in business class. I understand that the LH on this route no longer offers the sleeper bed?

 

I'm informed that LH is flying old Sabena aircraft on this route now, so the J seats are not the sleepers, and interiors rival AC's "duct tape" specials. [Which of course are really the valcrow strips that hold the curtains over the pilots' seats.

 

My flight last Sunday from YVR was on a 343 with the older business class. At least 3 seats in the cabin would not work properly.

I had a few flights from YYZ last year in the Sep/Nov timeframe on the 346 - if they've switched aircraft it must be after that. They were never very full...
I did like the underfloor washroom module, as it gave a bit of space to walk around and stretch, and for my flight in Y I probably didn't notice the space issue as I had a row of 4 to myself!

I have to agree with everyone here who has said that LH is consistent. They are predictible to a fault! Wine - gotta give them that as well, not to mention the German beer! In terms of service, I wonder if perhaps their business class service is tempered by the fact that they retain first class on certain airframes and routes?

The point I wanted to make WRT AC is that I'm seeing a lot more consistency of service than I did a year ago, and I like what I'm seeing. If they can take the 5-9 scale mentioned earlier and get the consistency to the 8 or 9 level we'll really have something! (BTW I give LH a 7.5 IMHO)

 

With the beginning of the summer schedule LH will operate a 744 with the old C class configuration.

 

Actually, AC is not much behind LH in respect of their security record. See JACDEC Airliner Safety Record

I agree that the 763's of AC are worn out, but for example the legroom of seat 1K (2-2-1 config.) is really nice and far better than anything on LH's Business Class, be it the old or new version.

 

When will LH re-introduce the sleeper beds in business class on the YVR-FRA and YYZ-FRA routes?

 

I don't really like their crieterion. Basing a figure on passenger-km is more or less useless. By number of departures would be more significant. Or some combination, in which the number of departures would weigh more.

This said, I don't believe there is a significant difference between airlines such as AC, LH, or for that matter, BA (which in that table scores better), or some of the American majors.

Among which AA comes out lousy in that table. While I would agree AA may not quite be in the same league as these other ones, surely it's not anywhere as lousy as the figures there would seem to indicate.

There are figures at www.airsafe.com also. Which may well be equally questionable. Same thing there though, the difference between AC and LH is well within the noise.

Then there are the small airlines, which have a wonderful figure, until s*h*i*t happens and the figure jumps to an awful value. When reality should be in the middle, probably close to larger airlines with significant statistical data.

 

YYZ will be served with an A 340-600 from October 30.
YVR will be served with a B744 till Oct 29 afterwards with an A 340-300 but I have no idea if it will be a reconfigured one.

 

I've flown First Class in LH twice from Vancouver to Frankfurt, and I'd say it was definitely superior to AC with respect to comfort, food and service. My most recent long flight on AC was LHR-YVR on Feb 26th. Really poor food, decidedly average service, and the usual shabby interior even on the Airbus 340, but it did at least land in Vancouver about 15 minutes early.

 

It's hard to compare LH First with AC Executive First. Executive First is an upgraded business class product, whereas LH First is--first class .

 

Does LH still have first class on any routes to Canadian destinations? I thought it had been eliminated on all?

 

I believe F will be offered when 747 service restarts--spring? ReluctantCanadian didn't say when he/she took the F flights.

 

You cant really compare international business with intra-euro business.

Intra-euro J on any airline is basically the same thing as Y, except you get a plate with meat and cheese on it (maybe a meal on longer flights), and no one next to you (on AF at least)

 

The last time I flew Lufthansa First was December, 2002, YVR-FRA, I think on an Airbus 340.