Review: Lufthansa A320neo Business Class Frankfurt Riga

This is the second leg of my journey, if you want to catch up with the review of the Nice/Frankfurt flight can be found here

Specifications

Aircraft:

A320neo

Class:

Business

Treat:

Fra - Rix

Price:

Upgrade 75€

Book

I took advantage of an upgrade offer sent in the weeks leading up to the flight; the request was only 75€ for the just over two-hour leg. At the gate the same upgrade was offered at the "unbelievable" amount of 125€ instead of 185€. So on balance I can be satisfied.

Thanks to my business class ticket (and Gold Star Alliance status), I was able to experience both lounges both the one specifically for business class passengers and the one for Lufthansa Senator status holders. You can read the review here.

The experience on the ground was perhaps the strangest part of the trip, seeing in the middle of the summer the airport semi-deserted, many shutters down and dozens of hot dog stands closed brought my feet back down to earth, if one sometimes forgets to fly with a mask on, seeing on the monitors so few flights and so few routes is something really hard to accept.

In flight

Welcoming me aboard this Airbus 320Neo, plates D-AINBd in service for a little over 4 years, a nice "Love is in the air" hand-added to the welcoming sticker on the side to the right of the tailgate.

The Airbus 320neo, the most modern of the family, is configured with 186 seats. All seats are identical, the only difference being that in the first five rows, normally intended for business class,there is a little extra legroom (81 cm instead of 74).

My seat was 1A, being the first row you always enjoy a few extra inches of comfort.

As is the case with many European airlines that offer business class, the middle seat is left vacant, on the headrest there is precisely an inscription "your free space," but otherwise it is a seat absolutely identical to the others.

Cab maneuvers completed, we were out of Frankfurt Airport in no time, a sign of the little traffic at the airport, which usually hosts 1 movement every 2 minutes on its 4 runways.

As per practice, in the new post-pandemic reality, in addition to classic safety announcements and demonstrations, staff reminded that there was a requirement to wear a mask throughout the flight.

About 10 minutes after takeoff, in-flight service began. It is always a pleasure to be greeted by name by the staff, a custom that some airlines have discontinued even in long-haul business, it is, however, appreciable that Lufthansa has not abandoned good manners even in short-haul.

The length of the flight and the late hour definitely pushed for a light dinner, say a midnight snack was served.

The main course was a classic Caprese salad. In this case, a stracciatella accompanied by sliced tomato and a sauce that was vaguely reminiscent of pesto, especially because of the color and the presence of pine nuts.

Also pleasant was the warm bread and accompanying salted butter. For dessert a slice of fruit cake and a small package with two chocolates. Those who sat in economy were served only a small bottle of still water and no snacks.

Given the time, landing in Riga was scheduled for 1 a.m., I opted for an ice-cold bottled beer with a glass.

After the service was over, the cabin crew also picked up forms to be filled out in preparation for landing, as required by Latvian law for this new phase of international travel.

The new disembarkation mode, which we hope will remain for the foreseeable future when Covid-19 is just an ugly memory, is done in an orderly fashion, starting in Business Class and then row by row, with flight attendants announcing the queue and passengers neatly getting up, retrieving their belongings from the overhead bins, and moving toward the exit. Too bad that not all airlines have adopted a similar system.

In conclusion

Traveling business class on intraUE flights, as repeatedly remarked on our site, is only worth thinking about if the amount is "frighteningly" low or if it is necessary to accumulate points/miles to obtain/renew frequent flyer status. In any case, the service is taken care of and the attention to the passenger is always top notch.

The verdict

There is not much to say, compared to an economy flight the difference here is the service. Upgrade only if the ticket is really cheap

7

Service

7

F&B

7

Cabin and Armchair

7

Pro

• Service is business class, ceramic cutlery and glassware
• You go up and down first

Against

• Zero IFE
• No wifi