| Lufthansa | Paris (CDG) → Munich (MUC) | A320-200 | Business Class | 20/07/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Munich (MUC) → New Delhi (DEL) | A350-900 | Business Class | 20/07/2023 | |
| Vistara | New Delhi (DEL) → Bangkok (BKK) | A320neo | Premium Economy | 24/07/2023 | |
| Scoot | Bangkok (BKK) → Singapore (SIN) | 787-8 | Premium Economy | 09/08/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Singapore (SIN) → Frankfurt (FRA) | 747-8 | Business Class | 09/08/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt (FRA) → Paris (CDG) | A320-200 | Business Class | 10/08/2023 | Current review |
| Lufthansa | Paris (CDG) → Munich (MUC) | A320-200 | Business Class | 20/07/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Munich (MUC) → New Delhi (DEL) | A350-900 | Business Class | 20/07/2023 | |
| Vistara | New Delhi (DEL) → Bangkok (BKK) | A320neo | Premium Economy | 24/07/2023 | |
| Scoot | Bangkok (BKK) → Singapore (SIN) | 787-8 | Premium Economy | 09/08/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Singapore (SIN) → Frankfurt (FRA) | 747-8 | Business Class | 09/08/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt (FRA) → Paris (CDG) | A320-200 | Business Class | 10/08/2023 | Current review |
Hello everyone, and welcome to this new Flight review! This marks the sixth and (unfortunately) final episode of my trip to Asia. In my previous review, I took you on board Lufthansa's Boeing 747-8 from Singapore to Frankfurt in Business Class. In this Flight review, it's time for me to finally head back to France. This journey will take place on a Lufthansa Airbus A320, still in Business Class, flying from Frankfurt to Paris-Charles de Gaulle.
I meet you at Terminal 1 of Frankfurt Airport. I've just cleared immigration at the Z gates; a process that took only a few seconds.
Passing through Frankfurt's Heinemann Duty Free.
Then, I find myself at the famous central square of Gates A at the airport.
The flight is scheduled on time, departing from Gate A30.
Heading towards the gate, crossing the entire Concourse A1-A40. There are several small stores and cafés/restaurants along the way.
In the foreground, there's a Lufthansa A319, and in the background, D-ABYH, the 747-8 from my previous flight!
A close-up of the beautiful nose of the 747.
We continue the long walk through the entire terminal, arriving at Gate A30.
Finally, there's a gate change… Our flight will now depart from A28. Fortunately, the new boarding gate is right next door.
Boarding begins on time, starting with persons with reduced mobility and passengers traveling with infants.
Then it's on to Business Class and status members.
I can finally see my plane: it's D-AIZG "Sindelfingen", one of the last A320-214 with wingtip fences in the fleet. Most A320ceos in the Lufthansa fleet have Sharklets. However, delivered in 2010, it remains relatively new and well-equipped on board, with a rather sparse configuration of a maximum of 168 seats spread across two cabins (compared to the CY180 configuration of the A320neo). A little anecdote: this is the aircraft that wore the special livery "Say yes to Europe" in 2019.
Welcome aboard this A320. I quickly reach my seat, 03A.
This is the old version of the short/medium-haul cabin, different from the new version I've shown you on several occasions, including on my Paris-Munich flight at the start of my trip. It's not the newest seat, but it remains very classic for short/medium-haul flights in Europe.
As you may have noticed, it's a European Business Class, in a 2-2 configuration with the middle seat blocked.
The legroom is very good. It is improved compared to Economy Class.
The seat reclines slightly, as is common in most A320s, thanks to a button located on the armrest.
A generously sized tray table is available.
The seat pocket includes the safety card, a sickness bag, the WorldShop onboard sales magazine, and the "Onboard Delights" buy-on-board menu (for Economy Class).
A coat hook is provided.
A drawback of this older cabin: no USB ports, unlike the new short/medium-haul cabin.
The seat offers a great view of the front of the left wing.
Boarding is completed, and the cabin is almost full.
We push back, facing west…
…with a United Airlines 787 in the background,
…along with a Lufthansa 747-8 and a 787.
We taxi towards runway 18, passing numerous parked Lufthansa aircraft.
We give way to an Airbus A330 from Eurowings Discover.
Then we start a race with a Star Alliance-liveried A320.
And then a detour through CRJ-Land.
We line up on runway 18, having won the race against the Star Alliance aircraft!
At 08:55, with nearly 30 minutes of delay, we take off.
As the climb continues and before the service begins, let me introduce the onboard Wi-Fi offering.
D-AIZG, like many A320ceos in Lufthansa's fleet, is equipped with Wi-Fi. Passengers can connect for free to the FlyNet portal during the flight.
The portal provides various information, including the flight progress with arrival time and gate details, a list of connecting flights in Paris, and an interactive map to track the flight's position with classic information (altitude, speed, local time, etc.).
The portal also offers Wi-Fi packages. Firstly, there's a special package until December 31, 2023: just by logging into their Lufthansa Travel ID or Miles & More account, passengers can access a free 30-minute Wi-Fi package for instant messaging. While 30 minutes may seem a bit frugal compared to other airlines offering unlimited message packages on all flights without needing a loyalty account, it's still better than nothing. Especially on a 50-minute flight, excluding takeoff and landing phases, 30 minutes is more than sufficient.
However, information that came out after my flight: the free onboard Wi-Fi offering was still in the testing phase. Starting mid-January 2024, passengers will be able to enjoy a free and unlimited Message pass on all Lufthansa short and medium-haul flights. Great news! It is finally catching up with other European airlines.
In addition to this package, there are three standard rates: "Chat" at 3€ / 3,30$, allowing unlimited use of instant messaging, "Mail & Surf" aptly named at 5€ / 5,50$, and finally "Stream" for video streaming at 10€ / 11$.
Regarding onboard entertainment, as you might expect, there is no IFE screen.
However, Lufthansa also offers a good selection of magazines and newspapers to download before the flight. I covered this service in detail in one of my last Flight reviews with Lufthansa, in case you're interested.
The service begins shortly afterward.
Each Business Class passenger is served a cold tray with a selection of cold meats and cheese, yogurt with fresh red fruit, and butter/jam. Various bread choices are offered, and I opt for a Brötchen and a croissant.
I decide to accompany the breakfast with a glass of apple juice and green tea.
The cold meat and cheese are delicious, as are the yogurt and fruits. The bread and croissant are also excellent, slightly warmed. The bread is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the croissant is far from the typical plastic texture often found on airplanes.
In conclusion, the breakfast is excellent, with the only minor critique being that slightly larger portions would have been appreciated.
The crew is friendly and professional.
A quick visit to the toilets reveals nothing out of the ordinary – standard A320 lavatories without any additional features.
Shortly before descent, a chocolate is distributed.
The descent begins towards Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.
We fly over the airport.
We make one last turn before intercepting the ILS for runway 09L.
At 09:45, after a 50-minute flight, we touch down at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport, right on time.
We vacate the runway.
We cross runway 09R (still undergoing temporary work), and taxi to our gate at Terminal 1.
Interesting traffic is spotted near Terminal 1, including an Etihad Airways Airbus A350.
A Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 (they follow us everywhere ^^).
Another 777, this time from EVA AIR.
We finally park at Gate 65, to the right of an Austrian A321.
As usual in Paris, things move slowly. Baggage unloading has already begun, but the jetway has yet to move.
After 10 long minutes of waiting, we finally deboard.
Paris loves us still and always...
We take the iconic tunnel to reach the baggage claim.
On the other side, we ascend to the baggage Claim area, using the famous conveyor belts.
The jest continues as three flights share the same baggage belt, creating chaos. Everyone is crowded in front of the belt, making it impossible to move – an absolute nightmare. Not to mention the 15-minute wait for baggage, adding to the 10 minutes spent waiting on the plane during deboarding. One thing's for sure: we didn't get on the wrong plane – we arrived in Paris!
Once the baggage is retrieved, we head towards the exit.
We'll take a taxi to the city. Be careful to follow the many signs pointing in the direction of official taxis; many fake taxis try to fool you by pretending to be real.
And thus concludes this sixth Flight review aboard a Lufthansa A320 in Business Class, traveling from Frankfurt to Paris. This review marks the end of my trip to Asia.
Regarding the flight, it was overall very good. The cabin is suitable for such a short flight. The only disappointment is the lack of USB ports. Concerning the service, the meal was very good, and the crew was friendly and top-notch. The meal portions were just a bit too small for my taste. In terms of entertainment, the presence of Wi-Fi is a positive point, especially with the free 30-minute messaging offer (looking forward to the fully free offer in 2024!). The selection of magazines/newspapers is also quite decent.
As for Frankfurt Airport, not much to say except quick, efficient, smooth, clean, and well-supplied in terms of dining and shopping. A flawless experience!
Regarding Paris Airport, the experience would have been almost perfect if there hadn't been such long waits when disembarking and collecting baggage, and if several flights had not been grouped on a single baggage carousel, creating chaos for travelers.
Thank you for following my various Flight reviews. I hope you've enjoyed discovering these six flight experiences as much as I've enjoyed presenting them to you.
Thanks for reading and see you soon for the next trip ;)
