| Lufthansa | Paris (CDG) → Frankfurt (FRA) | A321neo | Economy Class | 21/12/2023 | |
| Lufthansa CityLine | Frankfurt (FRA) → London (LCY) | E190 | Business Class | 21/12/2023 | Current review |
| Lufthansa | London (LHR) → Frankfurt (FRA) | A321neo | Business Class | 26/12/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt (FRA) → Paris (CDG) | A319-100 | Business Class | 26/12/2023 | Short review - 4/5 |
| Lufthansa | Paris (CDG) → Frankfurt (FRA) | A321neo | Economy Class | 21/12/2023 | |
| Lufthansa CityLine | Frankfurt (FRA) → London (LCY) | E190 | Business Class | 21/12/2023 | Current review |
| Lufthansa | London (LHR) → Frankfurt (FRA) | A321neo | Business Class | 26/12/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt (FRA) → Paris (CDG) | A319-100 | Business Class | 26/12/2023 | Short review - 4/5 |
Hello everyone and welcome to this new Flight review. In the first leg of my trip, I shared with you my experience on board a Lufthansa Airbus A321neo from Paris to Frankfurt in Economy Class. For this second flight, I'm taking you with me aboard a Lufthansa CityLine Embraer 190 in Business Class from Frankfurt to London-City. I not only wanted to try out London-City Airport but also Lufthansa CityLine in Business Class, because I was fascinated by the 1-1 configuration, which I had already experienced in August 2022 aboard an Embraer 195 of Air Dolomiti.
I meet you at the check-in hall of Terminal 1 at Frankfurt Airport, where there is an entire area dedicated to Business Class passengers.
There's nobody around at this hour.
My flight is well indicated on the large boards in the check-in hall.
An unavoidable stop at the Lufthansa WorldShop.
I head towards Gates B, passing through an area with plenty of shops and restaurants.
Then through security. There's a priority lane for Business Class passengers. No waiting at this hour anyway.
Interestingly enough: Frankfurt Airport now has new scanners that no longer require you to take out your laptop, liquids, etc. Everything can stay inside, making the experience much smoother, faster, and more convenient. A huge time saver. Can't wait for this to become standard everywhere!
Then immigration. For some obscure reason, the automated immigration gates are closed today. So, I resort to a classic booth. Immigration is done in less than a minute.
Here we are, in the non-Schengen zone B of the airport. The last time I was in this zone was in July 2022, on my Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Delhi on a Boeing 747-8.
Our flight to London-City is scheduled on time, along with several flights to London-Heathrow and Gatwick.
I stop at a German restaurant. Time to have a Currywurst (curried sausage) and Kartoffelsalat (potato salad), accompanied by an Apfelschorle (sparkling apple juice).
Then I walk to Gate B26, where my flight will depart, passing once again several shopping and dining options.
On the way, I pass by an Air Canada Boeing 787 and a LATAM 777.
Arrived at the gate.
My plane has just arrived, from Leipzig. It's D-AECF "Kronberg/Taunus", an Embraer 190 LR, delivered in 2010. It's one of the airline's last Embraers. One by one, they're being transferred to Air Dolomiti, a Lufthansa subsidiary that operates certain flights for Lufthansa CityLine.
A thorough identity check is conducted just before boarding. Visas are also checked for people whose nationality requires a visa to enter the United Kingdom.
Boarding finally begins, starting with PRMs and families traveling with small children. Then Business Class passengers are invited to board.
Cold welcome on board by the purser, busy enjoying a pastry.
Arrived in the cabin. This Embraer has 6 Business Class seats in a 1-1 configuration, over 3 rows. A configuration similar to the one I tested on Air Dolomiti between Munich and Paris-Orly.
I reach my seat, 3A, in the last row of the Business Class cabin, by the window.
As always with Lufthansa on short- and medium-haul flights, it's a standard European Business Class seat. That means it's the same seat as in Economy Class with an empty seat next to it and a bit more legroom. But the advantage of the Embraer (as with the CRJ) is that the original 2-2 configuration means that the empty seat next to you offers full aisle access.
The empty seat has a surface for placing drinks, although it is a bit fragile and wobbly.
The seat offers a very decent legroom.
It comes with a standard-sized tray table.
The seatback pocket contains a safety card, a sickness bag, and the Buy on board “Onboard Delights” menu for Economy Class passengers.
A coat hanger is provided for each seat.
The seat reclines with a button on the armrest, just like any other Economy Class seat.
There are no power outlets or USB ports in this Embraer cabin.
Boarding is complete. The Business Class cabin is full.
Safety demonstrations begin, led by the purser, who is now munching on an apple between each announcement...
The sun is about to set over Frankfurt.
After a while, we push back, with a view of an Air China Airbus A350 and a United Airlines Boeing 777.
I apologize in advance for the bad quality of the exterior photos, due to the onset of rain and the cabin lights remaining on.
We taxi to runway 18.
The special "600th Airbus Aircraft" livery worn by the 600th Airbus aircraft received by Lufthansa.
An A380 is visible in the darkness on the other side of the runways.
We approach the runway and line up.
At 17:45, with half an hour delay, we take off. The cabin lights remain strangely lit during takeoff.
The climb is very turbulent.
Before the service begins, I would like to discuss entertainment. But it's practically non-existent on this flight.
This plane doesn't have Wi-Fi on board, no IFE screens, and no portal with entertainment content, although Air Dolomiti offers a portal on its Embraer with an interactive map, useful information, music, games... Too bad that Lufthansa CityLine doesn't offer anything like that.
However, Lufthansa 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 starts after some time, probably due to the strong turbulences, which require a little patience.
The meal consists of a light tray signed "Heimat", the catering offer provided by Lufthansa in Business Class on its short- and medium-haul flights.
Regarding the cold "main course," it consists of slices of chicken served on an assortment of vegetables, including lettuce, carrots, green beans, and what seems to be edamame, all accompanied by a sauce I couldn't quite describe. It was okay, but far from exceptional.
The Brötchen (bread) was extremely hard and disappointing.
The dessert, an opera cake, was excellent.
A glass of apple juice accompanies the meal.
The service was very efficient. The purser came by several times to make sure we weren't missing anything. Still very cold though.
A little later, the descent towards London begins. A piece of chocolate is distributed.
The approach is also quite turbulent, though very nice over the city.
We land at 18:05 (local time) on runway 27 at London-City Airport, with a 25-minute delay and after 1 hour and 25 minutes of flying, 15-20 minutes more than usual, probably due to the wind and storm Pia.
We quickly vacate London-City's short runway and taxi to our stand.
We stop at stand 7, next to a British Airways CityFlyer Embraer 190.
After a good 10 minutes of waiting on board, we finally deboard.
Who says London City, says deboarding via stairs, giving the opportunity to see our Embraer from the outside before entering the terminal.
Immigration is accessed through a narrow, relatively long corridor.
Thanks to the automated immigration gates, it takes less than 30 seconds.
Then we arrive at the baggage claim area. My luggage arrives in only 5 minutes. A small negative point: no respect for the priority of the luggage delivery... But at least it was fast.
Then towards the exit, which leads directly to the departure hall of the terminal.
I then take the tube to get to London. It took me less than 35 minutes to reach the Westminster area from the airport (DLR and Jubilee lines). The big advantage of London-City Airport!
And that concludes my second review of this trip to London, aboard a Lufthansa CityLine Embraer 190 in Business Class from Frankfurt to London-City.
Regarding Lufthansa CityLine, the flight was okay but frankly far from exceptional. The cabin is nothing special either, just a typical European Business Class cabin. The legroom is good and the empty seat next to you offers quite a bit of extra space. However, the lack of power outlets or USB ports is unfortunate. As for the service, it was decent, the food was pretty good, but again, far from exceptional. The crew was helpful but not friendly. The purser preferred his numerous snacks to serve the passengers... In terms of entertainment, nothing at all is offered, except for an interesting selection of newspapers and magazines to download before the flight. No Wi-Fi is offered, not even a portal as it can be found on Air Dolomiti Embraers.
Concerning Frankfurt Airport, it was more than decent. No waiting, everything went very smoothly. Security and immigration were almost instantaneous. The airport is very clean, modern, and comfortable. There's a wide range of shops and restaurants. A flawless experience!
As for London-City Airport, the experience was really pleasant. A clean, very smooth airport, immigration was a breeze, baggage arrived quickly, all very convenient and connected to downtown London in just 30 minutes. Nothing to complain about, it's unbeatable!
I hope you enjoyed this Flight review. In the next episode, I'll take you from London-Heathrow Airport to Frankfurt Airport aboard a Lufthansa Airbus A321neo in Business Class!
Thanks for reading and see you soon ;)
