Review: Lufthansa's Short-Haul Economy Class

• By Niko Suominen
• 11 December 2023 - 12 min read

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We chose to travel with Lufthansa for our journey from Helsinki to Belgrade. Although the tickets were not the most affordable, the flight times were convenient. Furthermore, it presented us with a prime opportunity to pen a review on Lufthansa and enhance our collection of airline reviews. Read on to understand our experience with Lufthansa's economy class and the potential areas we identified for improvement.

Lufthansa

In October 2023, we decided to spend a brief vacation exploring Serbia where the weather was still summerish. Lufthansa offered the most convenient flight timings from Helsinki to Belgrade and also the price was reasonable so we decided to choose this airline. In this review, we share our thoughts about the economy class of Lufthansa and give a rating based on our experiences.

Lufthansa originates from Germany and was established in 1953. It is a part of the Lufthansa Group. In addition to Lufthansa, this group encompasses a variety of airlines, such as Eurowings and Austrian Airlines. Amid the pandemic, Lufthansa grappled with near-bankruptcy, however, it is steadily bouncing back and reinstating its operations.

Lufthansa boasts a global route network, with three primary bases of operation: Frankfurt, Berlin, and Munich. This often necessitates a layover in Germany as direct flights are seldom obtainable. By the conclusion of 2022, the Lufthansa Group's fleet had expanded to include an impressive 710 aircraft.

Review of Finnair Short-Haul Business Class

Our Lufthansa Economy Class Experiences

We flew from Helsinki to Belgrad via Frankfurt and back from Belgrad to Helsinki via Munich in the economy class of Lufthansa. The flights were operated with Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft. We describe our travel experiences onboard Lufthansa.

Booking

Instead of booking our flights directly on the Lufthansa website, we used an online travel agency this time. We compared flight prices on Skyscanner and eventually booked our flights from Travelis. Although booking through an online travel agency carries more risk, we saved approximately 50 euros. The booking went smoothly, and we received the ticket in our email.

As members of the Lufthansa loyalty program, Miles&more, we added the flights to our Lufthansa mobile application, and everything appeared to be in order. Since we don't fly frequently with Lufthansa or other Star Alliance airlines, we don't accumulate miles for Lufthansa's loyalty program. Still, the mobile application is useful for seeing and managing bookings.

Lufthansa has a well-designed and user-friendly mobile application.

Check-in

It was possible to check in using the mobile app 36 hours before the flights. Despite being unable to select free seats, the check-in process was quick and straightforward. We were travelling with Light tickets with minimal luggage. Our tickets allowed us to bring only cabin-size luggage (8 kg) onboard and a small personal item. However, in both ways, Lufthansa recommended passengers check cabin luggage into cargo without an extra fee but we rejected these offers for two reasons. We had some fragile items like cameras and laptops with us which we didn't to put on hold. Secondly, we wanted to save time when arriving at the airport since we have scheduled time for car hire pick-up and return.

Boarding passes were conveniently accessible through the mobile app, eliminating the need for printing anything at the airport. We appreciate this trend among airlines promoting the use of digital boarding passes which is helping to curb CO2 emissions.

Boarding

Lufthansa's boarding procedure was efficient and organized, starting with priority passengers, then those seated by the windows, followed by passengers in the middle and aisle seats. Like other airlines, passengers were categorized into specific boarding groups who were called to board in order. The airline staff at the gate made sure that every passenger would only board according to one's group.

There were instances where the cabin luggage sizes were not checked thoroughly. In Helsinki, a passenger managed to bring aboard an oversized bag which she struggled to fit into the overhead compartments. This seemed to frustrate a flight attendant who behaved in an unfriendly way saying in a quite angry tone, 'Nobody told you can't bring this big-sized luggage to the cabin?'.

In another boarding instance at Munich airport, the boarding gate machine flashed an unusual message: "Wrong flight". Upon seeking assistance from the staff, their response was less than courteous, like accusing the passenger saying, 'You have shown the wrong boarding pass' even though it was surely a glitch in their system.

Despite the well-structured boarding process, the attitude and professionalism of the staff fell short. An improvement in this area would significantly enhance the overall boarding experience.

In Helsinki, pushback started when people were still standing in the aisle.

Aircraft

We embarked on our journey with the Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft. These featured a 3+3 seating arrangement, with the business class located at the front and the economy class behind it. Notably, these flights were not equipped with LCD screens or the conventional in-flight entertainment system so the cabin was simple.

The aeroplanes were maintained well and were very clean and lighted with Lufthansa's prominent orange colour. The level of comfort provided by the economy-class slim leather seats was as good as it gets and there was enough legroom even for a tall passenger. Interestingly, onboard Wi-Fi was available on two planes we travelled with but unavailable on the other two flights. During our trip, one Lufthansa plane offered USB sockets for charging, while the others did not. This indicates that Lufthansa features a diverse range of aircraft similar with varying amenities.

The complimentary Wi-Fi was accessible for 30 minutes, which necessitated the use of a Miles&Account for free access. Once connected to the in-flight Wi-Fi, it required us to navigate to the login page and input our Miles & More credentials. While Lufthansa only guaranteed functionality for instant messaging, the Wi-Fi functioned also for web browsing and sending emails. However, the speed of free Wi-Fi was extremely slow. We would expect the paid Wi-Fi service to have a better speed internet connection. The complimentary Wi-Fi provided onboard served as a valuable source of real-time updates about the flight's progress. This feature kept passengers like us informed about the journey's advancement.

The aircraft did not have magazines for reading but only catalogues for shopping and onboard snacks and drinks.

Service Onboard

While Lufthansa was once known for its exemplary service in Economy class, the current offerings were rather basic. Only a bottle of complimentary still water was provided before take-off, with any additional amenities or services requiring an extra payment.

On our last flight from Munich to Helsinki, we decided to purchase some food. Unfortunately, the menu was more than standard, mirroring the typical airline selection. To our surprise, almost all the food seemed to have run out by the time our turn to buy. Despite our willingness to pay, it was impossible to secure any decent meal. Only noodles and similar light snacks were available. This experience highlighted an area where there is considerable room for improvement.

Otherwise, the flight attendants were friendly. There were a few instances when the pilots addressed the passengers, but this was not a consistent practice across all flights. These inconsistencies underscore the perception that the standard of service fluctuates from one flight to another.

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Flight Connections

Our connecting through Frankfurt and Munich were generally straightforward, although the walking distances can be considerable. The availability of Wi-Fi inflight provides access to the flight information portal of Lufthansa where one can check updates about arrival and departure gates before landing. However, during our arrival in Frankfurt, the provided information was inaccurate. Nevertheless, the signage at Lufthansa's terminals at Munich Airport and Frankfurt Airport was clear. We also like the abundance of flight information screens in these airports ensuring that you can effortlessly locate your next gate.

Connecting from a Schengen origin to a Schengen destination is simple because there is no need for security or passport control.

Rating

Our overall evaluation of Lufthansa, when travelling in Economy class, results in a 3.5-star rating.

What we Liked in our Lufthansa Flights

From our perspective, Lufthansa's advantages include well-maintained clean aircraft run by professional staff in general with a few exceptions. We also found the main airports Lufthansa operates are easy to navigate. The airline's basic in-flight entertainment systems were reliable and the Lufthansa mobile app was intuitive and useful during our journey.

What Could Be Improved?

While our journey with Lufthansa was reasonably comfortable, it was not without its shortcomings. The complimentary offering of just a bottle of water was somewhat disappointing, and the unavailability of food onboard advertised on their menu further compounded our dissatisfaction. We also witnessed the unpleasant behaviour of one flight attendant towards another passenger on our Munich-Helsinki flight who brought a large amount of luggage to the cabin which could have been handled better. Additionally, the unfriendly female gate agent at Munich Airport made a bad impression due to her discourteous attitude when passengers including us asked for help since their check-in machine at the gates was somehow giving errors randomly.

Review of Lufthansa's Long-Haul Experince in Economy Class

Bottom Line

Lufthansa stands as a dependable airline in Europe, offering both domestic and international routes. Although the level of service is comparable to budget airlines, additional charges apply for most amenities. Its strategic and comfortable hubs in Germany may be the driving factor for choosing Lufthansa when the price matches.

Lufthansa operates efficiently, with a user-friendly website for booking flights and a practical app that simplifies flight management and check-ins. The boarding process is swift, and in-flight services are effectively coordinated. The professionalism and expertise of Lufthansa's crew are evident in their performance. However, the experience of flying in Lufthansa's Economy class doesn't exactly leave you astounded.

Did you have a chance to travel with Lufthansa? What was your experience like? Feel free to share your anecdotes below.

Tags: airline, review, Lufthansa
Destination: Germany