Air Canada Flight AC 33

Time

Wow, what a difference a country makes. We got to the airport very early but it still took ages to check in. The airport staff didn't inform us that once we checked in, there was no customs, so we couldn't claim our tax back. They operate on Canada time, which is a bit slower than Australia time but faster than Italy time.

Rating - 3

Comfort

Unfortunately this was the least comfortable of all the airlines we flew this trip and this was our longest flight yet. Everything was old and needed a rehaul or at least some refurbishment. The headrests didn't fold to the side, and personal screens? ha. The best thing was that the flight was not very full so we could move around to seats we wanted. If it was a full flight it would be VERY uncomfortable as the leg room and seating were crap.

Rating - 3

Service

Hey, at least they don't discriminate. The Air Canada air hostess were the oldest and ugliest I have seen, they were also extremely slow but they were very very friendly and willing to serve, it was just that their ability to serve was not great. Hmmm, which one is better, efficiency or friendliness?

Rating - 3.5

Allowance/Gifts

Well, because we were flying through the US, it meant that we could have lots more luggage as long as each bag is not more than 20kg. So we managed to haul all our chocolate home! As for gifts, we were happy to get a meal, as some people actually missed out.

Rating - 3

Food

Before I describe the food, just remember that this is America, and they don't serve Asian food. The food was the worst of all the airlines on this world trip. The pasta was damp and tasteless. They actually ran out of choices of food so I only got to try one meal. The best thing they served was probably the ice-cream. All the desserts were too sweet for my taste. Their redeeming grace though, were the Clamato drink, yup, you guessed it, a combination of clam and tomato juice, which I thought would taste very strange, but in actual fact, is quite addictive.

Rating - 2.5

Value

This was our last leg of our Round the World Fare with Lufthansa, which costs a total of $1779 + $665 in taxes, not bad for the amount of travel you get. We could've got it cheaper but Flight Centre ripped us off.

Rating - 4.5

Jumbo Points - 19.5

Info

Vancouver -> Sydney
Website

Lufthansa Flight LH 492

Time

The lines were really slow and long, so I was pretty frustrated.

Rating - 2.5

Comfort

We were originally in the 2 middle seats out of the 4, but fortunately we were able to swap for the 1 side aisle seat instead. We got to sit next to some interesting Canadians, a mum and her son, traveling back home. The mum used to be a flight attendant and spoke fluent German. I watched them try to get upgrades but it didn't work. They laughed really loud at Rumours Has It, so I don't know about their taste...Speaking of movies, their entertainment program was pretty bad. I've seen both the movies and Harry Potter before, and it was really difficult to see the screen from my seat. One thing I have to commend them for is the set up of the toilet area (very important!), it was in one big space downstairs where you wait. It was pretty quick and there are refreshments available while you wait (the setup is better than it sounds!)

In terms of seating and gifts, by this time we knew what to expect from Lufthansa flights.

Rating - 3

Service

The staff were friendlier at the airport and more lenient, except for the cold no word dude at passport control. One particular air steward by the name of Alex M deserved special mention for his good looks, charming and friendly manner and efficiency. I didn't see any rings on his finger and two ladies were openly flirting with him and he played along...

I'd come to expect this from Lufthansa, they were able to handle the request for new headphones while they were also serving lunch...if I'd asked Qantas...well...

Rating - 4.5

Allowance/Gifts

We had no problems with the 43kg and the extra hand carry.

Rating - 3.5

Food

The usual excellent standard from Lufthansa (See list). The bread roll was dry but they had that morish chocolate cake again...I didn't drink the beer this time though...

Rating - 4.5

Value

This was our 5th leg of our Round the World Fare with Lufthansa, which costs a total of $1779 + $665 in taxes, not bad for the amount of travel you get. We could've got it cheaper but Flight Centre ripped us off.

Rating - 4.5

Jumbo Points - 21.5

Info

Frankfurt -> Vancouver
Website

Lufthansa Flight LH 4751

Time

We left on a busy time from Heathrow so I was expecting chaos, but no such drama. The plane took off and landed around 10 minutes from scheduled time.

Rating - 4

Comfort

Yup, the same seat as the other flight except this time of course the middle is filled. I think they are not bad for short haul. And there was no entertainment or anything to report on, not to mention any gifts.

Rating - 3.5

Service

Being our 3rd Lufthansa flight, I was starting to expect some pretty nice and decent service. The attendants were ok at Heathrow and ok on the flight, but my expectations had been raised.

Rating - 3.5

Allowance/Gifts

They let through 48kg, and the process was pretty fast, nothing like the horror stories I've heard about Heathrow. We didn't get any upgrades though. Again no gifts not it was to be another short
flight.

Rating - 3.5

Food

ok for a 1.5 hour flight. We got a bread roll with some pretty tasty cheese and lettuce. It was not bad but it was nothing compared to business class. I'll actually like to know what they get in business class normally, you would almost eat non-stop!

Rating - 3.5

Value

This was our 4th leg of our Round the World Fare with Lufthansa, which costs a total of $1779 + $665 in taxes, not bad for the amount of travel you get. We could've got it cheaper but Flight Centre ripped us off.

Rating - 4.5

Jumbo Points - 22.5

Info

London -> Munich
Website

Lufthansa Flight LH 4088

Time

Because this was a "domestic" flight, everything was quick - no customs or passport checks needed. We flew out just about on time.

Rating - 4

Comfort

We were upgraded to business (yeah!) but the seats were all the same. There was plenty of leg room and the seats were covered in comfy leather. The only difference was that instead of sitting 3 across, we had a seat between us free so it was more roomy. Unfortunately this was the shortest leg of our flight, being only about 1 hour, so we really didn't get to get comfortable.

I thought we might get some gifts or our own TV in business, but no such luck. We were kept pretty busy just trying to eat all the stuff they brought out for us anyway.

Rating - 4

Service

They were extra nice to us, delivering everything with a smile, and they were very attentive, but was that because we were flying business?

Rating - 4.5

Allowance/Gifts

We had 49kg this time, but was told we could only be allowed max 44kg, so we had to remove some stuff from check-in luggage into hand-luggage. Fortunately our hand carry was light, but it wasn't pleasant carrying around a few kilos while waiting to board the plane. At least we didn't have to pay extra.

No gifts but I wasn't expecting anything for such a short flight.

Rating - 4

Food

As usual, the standard was good, and we did get a feast compared to what they were given in economy (see the list). My only gripe was the fruit tart's pastry was a bit too soft. The staff's timing on food delivery was impeccable.

Rating - 4.5

Value

This was our 3rd leg of our Round the World Fare with Lufthansa, which costs a total of $1779 + $665 in taxes, not bad for the amount of travel you get. We could've got it cheaper but Flight Centre ripped us off.

Rating - 4.5

Jumbo Points - 25.5

Info

Frankfurt -> Venice
Website

Lufthansa Flight LH 211

Time

We arrived right in the middle of peak time, and waited in queues for everything - check-in, security check, passport, check, immigration, boarding AND getting INTO the departure gate. The plane took off a half hour later than the scheduled time and also landed EXACTLY half hour later. At least the Germans are exact on everything, even how late they are going to be...

Rating - 2.5

Comfort

The seats are slightly narrower and shorter than Qantas but not by much, again it had the adjustable headrest, but alas, no personal TV. You really notice the difference especially when they are playing crap movies.

Rating - 3

Service

Very friendly and more importantly, very efficient, just the way I like it!

Rating - 4

Allowance/Gifts

We were 10kg over the limit at 51kg but they let us through. Maybe they didn't have time to argue with us? There were no gift bags though.

Rating - 4

Food

I won't recall everything we had again (click here if you want to know) but I was very impressed. The beer tasted great with the pretzel.

Lunch was very impressive. The sushi actually tasted fresh and I loved the vermicelli salad. They also bring out water, drinks and tasty snacks at the right moments.

The standout from the again excellent dinner was the chocolate cake.

Rating - 4

Value

This was our 2nd leg of our Round the World Fare with Lufthansa, which costs a total of $1779 + $665 in taxes, not bad for the amount of travel you get. We could've got it cheaper but Flight Centre ripped us off.

Rating - 4.5

Jumbo Points - 22

Info

Tokyo -> Frankfurt
Website