Lufthansa (LH) remains one of the few global operators of Airbus A380 superjumbo aircraft and is one of only two airlines that provide service between Europe and New York.
In light of my business commitments in New York City, I arranged to travel on flight LH410, the midday superjumbo service connecting Munich and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
The Process on the Ground
Having just disembarked from a routine regional flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), I encountered an additional layer of complexity in my transfer. Passengers were transported to the terminal by bus, and I needed to make my way to the non-Schengen satellite terminal. Generally, such transitions can be laborious; given my one-hour layover, I was apprehensive. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the passport control process was completed in approximately 15 minutes.
Upon arrival at gate L28 in the USA-bound flights section of Terminal 2, I was selected for secondary screening, which entailed a separate security check. This process was efficiently conducted and lasted about 10 minutes.
The aircraft assigned for my transatlantic journey was D-AIMB, the second A380 delivered to Lufthansa fourteen years ago.
I had requested special assistance from the German flag carrier due to a disability requiring additional boarding and disembarkation time. Consequently, after a waiting period of approximately 40 minutes at the gate, I was permitted to pre-board, allowing me a brief window of 10 to 15 minutes to settle before general boarding commenced.
I opted to pay extra for a seat in the upper deck’s mini-economy cabin, which proved prudent as several seats, including mine, remained unoccupied.
Pre-Departure Experience
As the doors closed, we commenced pushback 15 minutes ahead of schedule. After a short wait on the taxiway, we departed on time to the active runway.
In-flight service began promptly after I reached cruising altitude. I was given a small snack packet and a selection of beverages. I chose tomato juice for my refreshment.
Significant Issues with the IFE
I thought this was the right time to try the inflight entertainment, which was showing its age—for some context, this jet was brought back to service as a contingency measure. After the pandemic, the airline had to respond to growing demand, crucially without the Boeing 777X, which is not certified yet and is facing significant delays.
The interior of Mike Bravo, therefore, was never refurbished; it was destined for crap after all. So, what was left was a very unpleasant UI/UX. Having flown on other A380s, I expect the screen to be faster. This, paired with hardware issues, led to many of the movies you’d see on the A350 or 787 being unavailable.
There were also no remote controls, which meant no way to bypass the slow interface.
With limited entertainment, the 8 hours of flight, especially with my disability, was excruciatingly long.
The Areas where LH Excel
The highlight of the experience, however, definitely was the catering. I ordered a special lactose-free meal, and it was delicious. First, we were served a vegetable curry with rice (oh, and metal knives and forks, for an excellent premium experience)
Then, shortly before landing, we were served a sandwich which, although it looked bland, actually ended up being very, very flavourful – it was fresh cream (Philadelphia style is the best way to describe it)
Some Thoughts on the A380 and LH
The rest of the flight was uneventful. There was occasional turbulence, but the overall experience was smooth. Unfortunately, the A380 experience disappointed me.
It is an excellent aircraft by design and played a crucial role in making the flight smooth, but the plane felt severely outdated, even though it is supposed to be a flagship product.
To make the experience more enjoyable, Lufthansa should revamp the A380 and give it the Allegris treatment. Whether they will do it remains to be seen as the days of the superjumbo are limited; as soon as the 777X is delivered, the quad jet will leave the fleet.
Do I recommend trying the German A380? Maybe because you can sit up top like I did, which is a bucket list item for many geeks. But be prepared not to experience the most state-of-the-art offerings LH has in store.
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News
