It’s hard to describe exactly how excited I am at the moment. I literally just purchased a Lufthansa First Class seat from Chicago to Frankfurt on the 747-8, a flight I’ve wanted to take ever since I knew of it. Finding this space wasn’t easy, but I jumped on it and just received the confirmation number!
Finding First Class Award Space On Lufthansa
What makes finding First Class award space on Lufthansa so difficult is that it only opens up 2 weeks prior to departure. Lufthansa doesn’t make First Class seats available until 14 days out. That means if you want to snag a seat on Lufthansa First you better be flexible or patient.
The first time I flew Lufthansa First Class I was flexible. I knew I wanted to give Lufthansa a try and knew I wanted to fly from Frankfurt to the US to use to incredible First Class Terminal. So, I patiently waited week after week for a First Class award back to the US to open up on a Sunday. When it finally did I booked it and then figured out how to get to Frankfurt. In the end I flew Singapore Suites which wasn’t bad at all…
This time is different. I knew I need to be in Stockholm on a specific day. This flight from Stockholm back to the United States is an important one as a significant portion of my remaining 2018 travel depends on it. The Stockholm to US flight begins a series of flights which span until October 2018! So, clearly I needed to get to Stockholm.
When planning I got the idea to fly Lufthansa First Class to get over there because, well, why not? So at exactly 14 days prior to departure I began looking for space. I then found a seat from JFK to Munich which wasn’t great, but doable. Sadly, I waited too long and it dried up. I continued searching city pairings all weekend until tonight I hit. I first searched ORD to Frankfurt and found the nonstop flight I wanted. Then, I searched ORD to Stockholm (ARN) and that worked!
Upcoming Trip Report!
I ended up finding the unicorn of itineraries from Chicago to Stockholm. My Lufthansa flight departs from Chicago O’Hare at 10PM so I don’t have to take that day of PTO from work. It also means that I’ll have some time to explore Chicago O’Hare’s United Clubs of which I’ve never been in a single one. Most importantly I’ll finally have a chance to visit the Chicago O’Hare Polaris Lounge. I’ve seen many pictures and read many reviews of the lounge so I’m definitely excited to finally visit and write a review. Remember, Polaris lounges are supposed to open up around the country, but so far only one is open.
In addition to the full United Polaris Lounge Review I’ll also provide a complete Lufthansa First Class 747-8 flight review. I’ve actually flown this exact cabin before, but admittedly I don’t think I did the review justice. That review was just over a year ago now and I think my review skills have improved since then. For that reason, I’m very excited to have another chance to review this fantastic product.
I’ll also have a connection in Frankfurt so I’ll have a chance to use the Lufthansa First Class Terminal again! While my connection is just 2.5 hours I should still have enough time to clear customs, exit the airport, and visit the First Class Terminal. This time I want to take the time to enjoy the First Class Terminal dining room and of course take another bath.
Lastly, I’ll have a chance to review Lufthansa’s intra-Europe business class cabin.
Final Thoughts
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post I am beyond excited right now. Of all the flights I took last year my Lufthansa First Class flight was my biggest regret. I say that because I was absolutely miserable during it. For that trip I had flown to Frankfurt in Singapore Suites and had overindulged in Krug and Dom Perignon Champagne. I also only got about 2 hours of sleep on that flight so I was exhausted when I boarded my Lufthansa First Class flight to the US. For that flight I basically sat there miserable. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the flight, but I simply felt to bad to enjoy it. This time, I should be fresh and ready to go!
Lufthansa First Class award space is difficult to come by, but trust me, it’s worth it. While I thing 110,000 miles is A LOT of miles to spend on a one-way flight, I believe it’s a great way to get across the Atlantic. I definitely don’t plan on making Lufthansa First Class a habit, but whenever I have enough Chase Ultimate Rewards points to pay for a flight, I’ll definitely consider booking Lufthansa First over most other international long-haul products.
