| Lufthansa | Paris (CDG) → Frankfurt (FRA) | A321-200 | Economy Class | 02/08/2021 | Short review - 4.1/5 |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt (FRA) → Cairo (CAI) | A321neo | Business Class | 02/08/2021 | |
| Egyptair | Cairo (CAI) → Hurghada (HRG) | 737-800 | Economy Class | 02/08/2021 | |
| Lufthansa | Hurghada (HRG) → Munich (MUC) | A320neo | Business Class | 13/08/2021 | Current review |
| Lufthansa | Munich (MUC) → Paris (CDG) | A320-200 | Economy Class | 15/08/2021 | Short review - 3.9/5 |
| Lufthansa | Paris (CDG) → Frankfurt (FRA) | A321-200 | Economy Class | 02/08/2021 | Short review - 4.1/5 |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt (FRA) → Cairo (CAI) | A321neo | Business Class | 02/08/2021 | |
| Egyptair | Cairo (CAI) → Hurghada (HRG) | 737-800 | Economy Class | 02/08/2021 | |
| Lufthansa | Hurghada (HRG) → Munich (MUC) | A320neo | Business Class | 13/08/2021 | Current review |
| Lufthansa | Munich (MUC) → Paris (CDG) | A320-200 | Economy Class | 15/08/2021 | Short review - 3.9/5 |
Hello everyone,
After almost two weeks spent under the Egyptian sun, it is unfortunately time for me to fly back to France. So, as usual, I have the pleasure to take you with me on my flight. While I flew via Frankfurt and Cairo on the way out, it's a completely different itinerary that awaits me there to return to Paris. I'm flying directly with Lufthansa to Munich, thus introducing you to a rather uncommon flight, operated only during the high season and with only one rotation per week.
I arrive at Hurghada Airport a little more than two hours early.
As in Paris, we have to show our boarding pass or our reservation receipt to be able to access the terminal. As soon as we entered the terminal, we were "assaulted" by a dozen people who wanted to sell us priority access to get through the border police and security controls faster for the modest sum of 13€ per person. Needless to say, I refused. Instead, I went to the departure board to find out where the check-in counters were located for my flight.
A lot of flights are scheduled today to Germany. Lufthansa to Frankfurt and Munich; easyJet to Berlin; Condor to Düsseldorf, Hamburg, and Frankfurt, and later today to Munich as well.
While the domestic terminal I was in when I arrived in Cairo (with Egyptair) was a bit dated, the international terminal is really modern. Also, everything is very clean.
So, I head to the check-in hall and like in Cairo, a security check is done even before accessing the check-in counters. If you have read the Flight review of my flight from Cairo to Hurghada with Egyptair, you certainly remember the very approximate security measures in Egypt. Well, once again, it's all nonsense... They don't care about computers, liquids, and phones, as long as you take off your shoes. And for a change, you are well palpated as it is necessary, even when the portal does not ring, and it is still rather unhealthy this incessant ballet of the hands... The measures are moreover pushed further with a security control dedicated to women and another to men.
After these checks, we can finally go to the registration counters. Everything is once again very clean.
However, I was really amazed to see that there was no priority line reserved exclusively for Business Class passengers. I took the liberty of asking the person in charge of the flight check-in. He kindly explained to me that the Hurghada Airport staff was "lazy" to open an extra counter. So, we see on one side several people installed at check-in counters, said to be closed, watching videos on their phones, while we had to queue for no less than 40 minutes with Economy Class passengers. A shame…
Once checked in, we go to passport control.
The queue was not very long. We then pass directly the security, and this for the second time, with still separation between men and women, compulsory withdrawal of the shoes but no interest for the rest, hands wandering around...
We then arrived in the transit area. This one is no exception to the halls of the terminal; it is always modern and clean.
I see a Boeing 747-400 of the Russian Airline Rossiya pushing back towards Moscow. I hasten to draw my camera to try to take a picture. It's not so common these days... The backlighting added to the tinted windows does not help to get a great picture.
I then walk along the wing of the terminal towards my gate, gate 32. I pass several Duty-free shops. The International terminal of Hurghada Airport is really well equipped. It is also full of souvenir stores.
There are restaurants and fast foods on the floor, as well as a Lounge that I will unfortunately not have the time to visit. Indeed, the 40 minutes of waiting at the check-in accompanied by the lousy fluidity and the multiple queues to be realized at each control almost made my two hours of advance just right.
We finally arrive at the gate.
I catch a glimpse of my aircraft of the day. It is D-AINO, an Airbus A320-271N delivered to Lufthansa in November 2018. It is wearing the airline's new livery. The plane arrived a short time ago; it was slightly delayed on departure from Munich.
Then comes the boarding. This one was about to start without any announcement. We had to wait for the Business Class passengers to force their way into the queue before the airport employees thought about priority boarding. Another very bad organization...
We finally reach the jetway and can board this beautiful A320neo.
Always the little fuselage shot that makes you happy ;)
We boarded the plane. The Business cabin is already full, it is thus complicated for me to show it to you. To apologize, here's a picture of the Economy Class cabin, still empty.
As you may have noticed from the picture above, this is the old short/medium haul cabin that features this A320neo. In fact, the latest A320neo arrivals, as well as all A321neo aircraft in the fleet, are featuring a beautiful new cabin with revised seats in a darker and more modern style. The major asset of this cabin is the presence of USB-A and -C ports at each seat. If you'd like to read more, I'll redirect you to the Flight review of my flight from Frankfurt to Cairo aboard the Lufthansa A321neo in Business Class.
I finally arrive at my seat, the 04A, offering a magnificent view of the PW1127G!
The legroom, even in this old cabin, is really good! I'm over 1m80 tall and can stretch my legs almost all the way out without touching the front seat.
This cabin is a European-style Business Class cabin, meaning that the cabin is exactly the same as in Economy, except for two details: the middle seat is blocked, creating a 2-2 configuration, and the legroom is much better than in Economy. It is true that for a flight of this duration, a real Business Class cabin would have been appreciated. Afterward, for a daytime flight like mine, the cabin is still decent, especially with this legroom.
At the time of boarding, the flight attendant gave each passenger a disinfection wipe.
In the seat pocket, you will simply find the safety instruction card and the sickness bag. No more Lufthansa Magazin or Lufthansa WorldShop... All magazines are now dematerialized on the Lufthansa app.
No pillow or blankets on the seat. However, it is possible to ask the cabin crew for some if needed.
The boarding is over. No welcome drink though, maybe because of the current situation... No amenity kit on this flight either, although it was present on my flight from Frankfurt to Cairo. We'll pass on the fact that it's a more "holiday" flight than Cairo which can be considered more as a “business” destination.
Without further ado, the jetway is removed from our plane and we push back to the South.
We taxi to runway 34R, passing an Egyptair Airbus A330 parked offshore.
No traffic in sight, we lined up and took off 35 minutes late.
We see on the left the second runway of the airport - the 16R/34L - quite far from ours.
Just after our takeoff, we make a big turn to the left of almost 90 degrees.
We then quickly climb to our cruising altitude, seeing magnificent desert landscapes.
As soon as the "Fasten Sealtbelt Sign" is turned off, I take out my computer and get to work. I immediately notice a huge advantage of this cabin compared to the new one: the tray tables are much bigger! Indeed, on my outbound flight in the A321neo, my computer was half in the air. Here, despite the passenger seat in front of me being reclined, my computer is well supported by the whole tray table.
No plugs or USB ports are present on this flight, as I mentioned earlier. My phone will be powered by an external battery, while I'm praying that my computer battery will last...
Another feature that is missing on a flight of this duration is Wi-Fi on board! While almost the entire Lufthansa fleet is equipped with an internet connection, all A320neo and A321neo aircraft are without a Wi-Fi service. The reason for this is quite simple: the planes are configured in a dense configuration with a large number of seats, and adding a Satcom to the fuselage at the back of the plane would create problems of weight distribution in the aircraft, or even result in too much weight at takeoff. This is a problem encountered by many airlines, so few have Wi-Fi on their A320neo/A321neo. However, Lufthansa has been working for two years now on a solution that would allow the introduction of Wi-Fi on board in a different way. To be continued...
No IFE, no interactive map on board... Only the view through the window is a reference.
We are then served the menu of the day. For the first course, I will have Pink seared Saddle of Veal, Mango Chili Sauce, seasoned Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Bell Pepper. For the main course, I'll go with Beef Stripes with spicey Tomato Sauce and Rice. There will also be Gouda Cheese, Montagnolo Blue Cheese, and Teatime Cheese, all served with Apricot and Mustard Chutney. The meal will end with Yogurt and Line Mousse on Mango and Passion Fruit Compote.
This time I also photographed the drinks menu.
Before the meal is brought in, we enjoy an appetizer - in my case, a good German apple juice and water - accompanied by peanuts.
The meal is then served, all on one tray, but in porcelain dishes with metal cutlery. All dishes and containers are covered, in order to reduce the risk of contamination. In addition, several types of bread are offered, brought afterward by the crew.
The meal was honestly just excellent. The dish in particular was of a very high quality. The starter was interesting with the Mango Chili Salsa. The cheeses were very good, accompanied by the good German "Brötchen" and this exotic dessert between lemon, mango, and passion fruit, it was exquisite!
We have been flying for almost an hour now and after an hour in the desert, we finally see the sea! We fly over the Egyptian coast and officially leave Egypt, thus starting our crossing of the Mediterranean Sea.
About thirty minutes and an apple juice later, we can see on our left the island of Crete.
The captain, very nice in his way of speaking - having greeted each passenger one by one at the entrance -, makes several Addresses to inform us about the islands around, a funny attention. He does not hesitate to target each of his passengers during his announcements! I still remember his repeated "Liebe Fluggäste, und liebe Kinder!" (in English, "Dear passengers and dear children!").
We then arrive over the European continent and see the Athens Airport on the left.
We continue by passing over Thessaloniki then we go inland. We fly over Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, and finally Austria.
We met some beautiful clouds during our flight over Austria, in the middle of our descent to Munich.
It is getting darker and darker in the cabin and a very pleasant lighting in orange/yellow tones is settling in, matching well with the colors of the sky.
We descend quietly and fly over the northern part of the city of Munich with the Allianz Arena just below us.
We make one last turn and line up on the ILS runway 08R, enjoying a beautiful sunset.
After a 4h15 flight, we finally landed right on time at the Franz-Josef-Strauß Airport in the Bavarian capital, Munich, despite the late departure.
After a very short taxi of only 4 minutes - which will make us see on our left one of the latest A321neo of Lufthansa, delivered only a few days ago -, we arrive at Stand 216, corresponding to gate H32.
The jetway quickly arrives and deboarding begins, row by row, starting of course with the Business Class passengers.
We quickly deboard with a last small fuselage shot.
And a last picture of our beautiful A320neo of the day.
We now walk through the modern and ultra-clean corridors of the terminal, following the signs indicating the exit.
We arrive at the German border police. The controls are very fast.
We then go down the last escalators and finally arrive at the baggage claim area. Again, everything is just super clean and modern.
Our luggage is on belt number 13.
An incredible fact: we arrive, and the luggage is already on the carpet.
We leave the controlled area and arrive on the city side, ready to leave for the city of Munich. And get this: precisely 13 minutes ago, I was still sitting in my A320! What fluidity and speed, it's incredible for such a large airport! Some airports should follow this example... And this is the end of my trip to Egypt, I was happy to be able to present you with these few flights and I am already looking forward to meeting you as soon as possible for the next Flight review!
In conclusion, it is still and always an excellent flight which was proposed to me by Lufthansa today between Hurghada and Munich. The service is still as good as ever, with a very friendly and professional crew. The food, the drinks, and more generally all the services offered, is simply excellent. I would however criticize the entertainment which is a bit light for my taste with the absence of plugs or USB ports (present however in the new cabin), IFE, and Wi-Fi (this last problem is more Airbus than Lufthansa's fault). A real Business Class cabin instead of the European business one would also be welcome, even if the legroom is excellent in this cabin.
Regarding the Hurghada Airport, it was less disastrous than when I arrived at the domestic terminal two weeks ago. The international terminal is clean, modern, and aesthetically pleasing. It has a decent selection of restaurants and stores. Nevertheless, there is a systematic lack of fluidity, accompanied by multiple security checks, each one less secure than the other - as in Cairo - slowing down the whole thing. There is also a big lack of priority access, dedicated check-in counters for Business Class passengers, and signage/logic to enforce boarding groups. These elements really spoil the passenger experience...
Finally, concerning Munich Airport, it is just perfect! Extremely modern, clean, beautiful, pleasant, smooth, fast... The staff is very professional and efficient. This airport has already shown me many times that you can always count on its efficiency.
Thanks for reading and see you soon ;)
