Review: Lufthansa B747-8 Economy IAD-FRA

I never expected to be writing this review. Not only did I not anticipate flying Lufthansa, but I was not expecting to get bumped from Business Class to Economy Class (check out the article for more details). In this article, I am reviewing my Lufthansa B747-8 economy IAD-FRA flight.

The highlight of this flight was that it was my first time ever on the queen of the skies, the infamous B747. Being the av-geek that I am, this was very exciting to me. Unfortunately, I was not on the upper deck as planned, but nonetheless, I was happy to get to fly the aircraft. 

This article is part of my Trip Report: Starting Summer in East Africa including:

• My Comically Bad Luck Flying to Africa
• No Compensation for an Involuntary Business Class Downgrade?!?
• Review: Lufthansa Senator Lounge IAD
• Review: Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD
• Review: Lufthansa B747-8 Economy IAD-FRA 
• My First Flight on the Queen: My Thoughts
• Review: Lufthansa Senator Lounge FRA
• Review: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge FRA 
• Review: Lufthansa A330 Business Class FRA-NBO
• Review: DoubleTree by Hilton Nairobi Hurlingham
• Review: Air Kenya into the Safari
• JW Marriott Masai Mara Review: Luxury in the Savannah, a Truly Unforgettable Safari
• Is the JW Marriott Masai Mara Worth $3k a Night?
• Review: Aspire Lounge Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (NBO)
• Review: Kenya Airways NBO-ZNZ E190
• Exploring Tanzania: My Thoughts on Zanzibar
• When Flights Don’t Go as Planned: Delayed in Zanzibar
• Review: Air Tanzania ZNZ-ARK
• Mt. Kilimanjaro Day Hike: My Thoughts
• Exploring Moshi, Tanzania: What Everyone Gets Wrong
• Review: Twiga Lounge by Aspire Lounge Kilimanjaro International Airport
• Weirdest Flight Delay I Have Ever Had… 
• Review: Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa Executive Regency Suite
• Exploring Addis Ababa: My Thoughts
• Review: Ethiopian Cloud Nine Business Class Lounge Addis Ababa
• Review: Ethiopian Cloud Nine B787-8 Business Class ADD-IAD
• My 18 Hour Odd Business Class Experience: A Stop in Lome, Togo?

Ground Experience

Given that I was expecting to fly business class, this part of the review will likely differ from the typical economy experience. 

Although I checked in online, my TSA PreCheck never showed up on the boarding pass. This led me to the check-in counters to receive a printed pass, hopefully with the little check mark stamp, which it did. The line was short thanks to having access to the business class line. 

After check-in, and getting through security, I made my way to the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge, so I could check out and review it, along with the Senator Lounge. 

I would have been able to access the business class lounge with or without my business class ticket thanks to Priority Pass, which I receive as a perk from one of my premium travel credit cards such as the American Express Platinum Card. 

After relaxing and having a snack in the lounge, I made my way to the gate. While you can board some Lufthansa flights directly from the lounge, I wanted to take some photos of the B747 that would take me to Frankfurt.

Unfortunately, when I went to the board, I was told that there was a seating issue. Due to mechanical issues, this meant that I was downgraded to a middle seat in economy, which is where this review truly starts. 

The Seat

Lufthansa B747-8 economy is configured in a 3-4-3 configuration. While I would have opted for a window, the involuntary downgrade meant that I had a middle seat in the middle section on the flight to Europe.  

I was lucky enough to receive a bulkhead seat, directly behind Premium Economy. The main perk was that it provided plenty of extra legroom, which made the flight far more comfortable. In fact, it was almost possible for me to get by my neighbor without disturbing him if I wanted to get out of my seat while he was sleeping. 

The seat was plenty comfortable for economy and had a good amount of recline. The downside of being in the bulkhead was that the in-flight entertainment screens swung up from the armrest, limiting my ability to access the screen while my sleeping neighbor’s foot blocked it. The tray table also came out of the armrest. 

Food and Beverage

After takeoff, the first meal service was conducted. Unfortunately, since I was put on this flight so close to departure, there had been no time for me to request a gluten-free meal. It was a good thing that I had quite a bit to eat in the lounge before the flight.

The options on board were the typical pasta or chicken. I selected the latter hoping it would be gluten-free. While I did not end up eating most of the meal, my neighbors on board said that they were happy with the meal, and despite not visually being the most appealing, they thought it tasted decent. 

Drink service was also conducted, including a variety of soft drinks, in addition to wines and beers. I was happy that they had lemon slices for my sparkling water. The trouble I found was that there was no decent place to put my cup while using my laptop.

Before landing, they came around with a light breakfast. It was a muffin and some yogurt, as well as drinks.

Service

Although I was downgraded, the flight attendants handled it with great care. During the flight, they offered me a reusable coffee cup and amenity kit (both to take with me), which was a nice touch given that I was in economy. 

They were incredibly nice to talk to and it was fun to hear some of their flying stories. However, after asking around, this was the only time they had ever operated a flight with the upper deck closed, just my luck.

After landing, the head purser offered me the opportunity to check out the upper deck since I was not able to fly it, and I happily took the opportunity. Although he told me I could not say hello to the pilots in the cockpit, while on the upper deck, the captain invited me in and offered to take my photo, which was certainly a highlight. 

Overall, despite the unfortunate circumstances, I found that the crew was incredibly accommodating and kind during this flight. They were also very funny, making jokes about other airlines such as BA.

The Last Point

While I would have absolutely loved to fly business class on the upper deck, I knew that the crew did everything they could to make the flight as comfortable as possible for me in economy.

If heading to Europe, I would not hesitate to fly on Lufthansa again. Next time, the upper deck is the goal. In conclusion, my Lufthansa B747-8 Economy IAD-FRA flight was a pleasant experience for economy and I would recommend it.