Review: Seville-Frankfurt, Lufthansa Business Class, A321

Back to Paris via Frankfurt. That day Lufthansa was facing a massive strike and luckily my flight was not cancelled. On the other hand, the announcements of delay follow one another. So let’s see how it goes.

Ground experience

Luckily Lufthansa announced the delay of the flight in the middle of the morning so no need to rush to the airport and I can enjoy a little more the comfort of the Alfonso XIII.

My stopover in Frankfurt being longer and the connections quick, I am not worried about it.

Note the possibility offered by the application to learn about the route of the aircraft before arriving in Seville and to choose the alerts that you want to receive.

If I generally find the Lufthansa digital experience a bit frustrating and uncomfortable when you’re used to Air France, these are nice features just like the one that allows you to have your baggage tag on your cell phone and to be informed about your luggage.

On the other hand, sometimes Tripit is a bit early and I learn a new delay shortly before leaving the hotel.

It doesn’t matter, at least it’s not cancelled, my connecting time is comfortable and once in Frankfurt at worst the airline will do the best.

In addition, we have the proof by example that Lufthansa manages this type of incident in a very efficient and professional way.

The ride to the airport is fast and my Uber driver who studied in Paris is very happy to speak French with a client.

However, the airport looks a bit “cheap”. Bringing back a large quantity of “liquids” I have to check-in my luggage. We note the larger than usual queue with all the passengers asking for information about the delay and possible connections (banks 32 to 35).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thetravelguys/49144219962/in/album-72157711993644522/

On the other hand in the priority line (bank 31) it is very fluid.

The security checks are well sized and go very quickly for me despite the lack of a fast track.

I say “for me” because who says “tourist” airport says a lot of passengers not used to travel and not well organized to pass the controls which slows down everybody because they always forget to take something off, do not respect the limit on liquids etc.

It can quickly become annoying to others.

I then cross the duty free zone. It’s ugly.

No further delay announced, so I head to the Aena Sala Vip Azahar lounge which I have already mentioned. Cute but more than ordinary.

If the departure time does not change, the boarding gate changes every ten minutes.

At some point the information about the time and the gate is completely different on the Lufthansa app and on the airport displays.

For safety reasons with some passengers we will trust the airport displays and go to the gate 30 min earlier than the application told us.

Gate changes don’t just affect passengers. Airport staff walk from gate to gate to move the boarding sign. On the edge of comedy.

I finally arrive at the door…to change it.

Finally, the announced time and gate were right at Lufthansa and wrong on the airport screens.

I’m too lazy to go back to the lounge, especially considering the poor service. I will wait 30 minutes at the door.

The lines are well organized and respected, I am 3rd in the priority line.

Oh a Beluga on the tarmac!

The plane arrives at 3:44 pm. We must embark at 16:10. With the time needed to disembark the passengers and prepare the aircraft it is impossible. And as is often the case, Lufthansa’s “operational magic” is at work.

We will board at 4:05 pm!

Boarding

The announcement is made so quickly after the passengers disembark that we are surprised. From that moment on and as always with the German airline, it doesn’t take long. Everything is done in order, in a fluid way.

I am the third to enter the cabin.

At this moment Olivier sends me a text message saying “to go so fast they had to sacrifice the cleaning, hello crumbs”.

Well, no! The cabin is immaculately clean and not a crumb on the floor.

The cabin

There is nothing special to tell about this now very well known cabin. “Only” 3 rows of business on this flight.

The usual Nek seat a little too slim and hard for my taste. But I like its leather upholstery and the tones of the cabin.

The central seat is logically neutralized in business, but for once in a “physical” way, which is not always the case on Lufthansa.

I’m in bulkhead but the remarks made on the outbound flight about legroom are still valid.

There’s definitely legroom.

We can even cross them without worries.

The boarding ends at 4:24 pm, so with 6 minutes of advance while the aircraft is full.

We are ready to go.

Flight and service.

The service begins shortly after takeoff. I’m thinking the same thing as on the outbound trip, especially considering the departure time: given the length of the flight, maybe they could wait 20 minutes more.

Here is the meal served on this flight.