For the return portion of my superb journey to Germany with my mother and father, I ended up flying from Munich to Zurich to Munich on the identical Lufthansa CityLine CRJ-900 in enterprise class, with a fast flip. I’ll clarify in a bit extra element why under.
This was my first time in a decade flying Lufthansa CityLine’s CRJ-900 enterprise class, and it was a nice expertise total, with a pleasant crew, a good snack, and nice views. Nonetheless, these planes aren’t practically as comfy because the Lufthansa CityLine Embraer E190s.
How I booked my Lufthansa enterprise class ticket
Why did I do a direct flip from Munich to Zurich to Munich? That was by no means my intent, so let me clarify. Initially my plan was to spend an evening in Zurich, in order that I might evaluation the SWISS First Class Lounge Zurich within the morning (to make this evaluation extra attention-grabbing), previous to flying throughout the Atlantic in Lufthansa top quality.
I had booked the next itinerary from Frankfurt to Zurich by way of Munich in enterprise class, for 15,000 Air Canada Aeroplan factors plus $103.16 in taxes and costs:
8/18 LH116 Frankfurt to Munich departing 6:15PM arriving 7:10PM
8/18 LX1111 Munich to Zurich departing 9:00PM arriving 9:55PM
Then I had booked the next itinerary from Zurich to Boston by way of Munich in top quality, for 100,000 Air Canada Aeroplan factors plus $124.90 in taxes and costs:
8/19 LH2367 Zurich to Munich departing 9:20AM arriving 10:10AM
8/19 LH424 Munich to Boston departing 3:35PM arriving 5:50PM
Whereas I had flown the Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Munich as deliberate, my Munich to Zurich flight ended up being canceled, and I used to be rebooked for the next morning, for the next flight:
8/19 LH2367 Munich to Zurich departing 7:45AM arriving 8:35AM
As you may see, this is able to imply that I’d be flying backwards and forwards to Munich on the identical plane. Some might marvel why I didn’t simply reduce out that portion of the journey. Nicely, since these have been separate tickets, it’s not essentially that simple. Lufthansa makes use of married phase logic for some awards, and for those who skip a phase, the remainder of your ticket can be canceled. So I simply determined to go along with what I used to be booked on, to maintain issues easy.
Lufthansa enterprise class lounge & boarding
In earlier installments I reviewed the Lufthansa Enterprise Lounge and Lufthansa Senator Lounge at Munich Airport, which have been fairly good. My flight was scheduled to board at 7:15AM, half-hour earlier than departure, from gate G63. Unsurprisingly, I’d be departing from a distant stand, as gates G61-72 are all gates for distant boarding positions.
Boarding began a bit late, at 7:25AM, with households being invited to board first, adopted by premium passengers.
As a lot as there are a lot of issues I don’t love about aviation in the USA, I’m grateful that our system doesn’t so closely depend on distant gates, as there’s nothing enjoyable about piling onto these buses and ready till they’re completely full.
The bus lastly drove to the plane at round 7:40AM, and we arrived on the airplane shortly earlier than 7:50AM. This flight was operated by the roughly 14-year-old CRJ-900 with the license plate D-ACNA. For what it’s value, the CRJ-900 can’t accommodate full dimension carry-ons, so all normal dimension baggage must be positioned on the bags carts proper by the door of the plane, after which they’ll be delivered in the identical space when deplaning.
Lufthansa CRJ-900 enterprise class cabin & seats
Lufthansa CityLine CRJ-900s function a complete of 90 seats, unfold throughout 23 rows in a 2-2 configuration (the fitting aspect of the airplane solely has 22 rows, as the bathroom is throughout from the pair of seats in row one). As is normal on intra-Europe flights, the scale of the enterprise class cabin can fluctuate with every flight.
On my flight to Zurich, there have been three rows of enterprise class, whereas on my flight again to Munich, there have been 9 rows of enterprise class.
Sometimes intra-Europe enterprise class consists of financial system seats with a blocked center. Nonetheless, given the 2-2 configuration, every enterprise class passenger will get each an aisle and a window seat, in order that’s fairly good (technically the aisle seat is designated because the blocked area, with the window seat being what passengers ought to use).
On the outbound, I used to be seated in seat 1A, which is the bulkhead seat that encompasses a bunch of additional legroom. Whereas I don’t often desire bulkhead seats in premium cabins, intra-Europe flights are an exception, given how little legroom there may be in any other case.
Since I used to be in a bulkhead seat, the tray desk prolonged from the armrest, and may very well be folded over in half.
The overhead console had each a studying mild and two particular person air nozzles.
There was additionally a bottle of water ready at every seat.
I received’t be reviewing the return flight individually, so let me simply share some photos of what my seat was like on the return, once I was in seat 8A (additionally enterprise class).
Notice that Lufthansa’s CRJ-900s don’t have Wi-Fi, streaming leisure, or any energy retailers, so that they’re fairly primary.
Lufthansa CRJ-900 departure from Munich
Whereas boarding began late, it was environment friendly as soon as it received going, and all passengers have been boarded by 7:55AM.
Whereas ready to depart, I fairly loved the views of the taxiway from our distant stand, as I noticed a Lufthansa A380 taxiing, in addition to a Singapore Airways A350 being towed.
At round 8AM, the captain made his welcome aboard announcement, and apologized for the delay, which he blamed on a workers scarcity for floor handlers. He suggested us of our imminent departure, and our flight time of roughly 35 minutes.
By 8:05AM, the primary cabin door closed, at which level the crew carried out the guide security demonstration. Then at 8:10AM we started our taxi — one benefit of those distant stands is that no pushback is required, so you may simply instantly begin taxiing as soon as the engines are began.
We had a reasonably fast taxi, and by 8:20AM we have been cleared for takeoff on runway 8R. The CRJ-900 seems like fairly the rocket throughout takeoff, by way of acceleration and climb. It was a completely beautiful day to fly, and routes don’t get way more scenic than Munich to Zurich.
The seatbelt signal was turned off about 5 minutes after takeoff.
Lufthansa enterprise class snack service
As quickly as we have been airborne, the crew sprung into motion, and commenced the inflight service. I’m so used to having precisely the identical snack setup in Lufthansa’s intra-Europe enterprise class, so it’s attention-grabbing to notice that these CRJ-900s have a unique service. I think this is because of an absence of galley area, which is honest sufficient.
On this flight, the snack consisted of a bit of basket, which had some granola with berries and milk, an apple, and a chocolate bar of types.
The snacks have been distributed first, after which a cart was rolled down the aisle with drinks. I ordered a espresso, which was served within the typical Lufthansa enterprise class espresso cup.
On the descent, enterprise class passengers have been supplied a nougat chocolate.
Then the crew got here by way of the cabin to supply all passengers (together with these in financial system) a regular Lufthansa branded chocolate.
That’s fairly a little bit of service for such a brief flight!
Beneath is what the snack seemed like on the return, which was extra of a lunch snack (reasonably than a breakfast snack). This consisted of the identical apple and chocolate bar, together with some kind of an egg salad sandwich.
Lufthansa CRJ-900 enterprise class bathroom
The Lufthansa CRJ-900 has one enterprise class bathroom on the entrance proper of the cabin, proper behind the galley and throughout from row one.
I don’t typically get claustrophobic in airplane bogs, however am I the one one who will get legitimately uncomfortable in CRJ bogs?
Lufthansa CRJ-900 arrival in Zurich
There’s nothing fairly like flying to Switzerland (be it Geneva or Zurich) by way of the views. About 20 minutes after takeoff, the seatbelt signal was turned on in anticipation of our arrival. As you’d anticipate, my eyes have been simply glued out the window for your entire descent. I’ll let the images communicate principally for themselves.
We touched down in Zurich at 8:55AM.
From there we had a roughly 10 minute taxi to our arrival stand, which was additionally a distant parking place, the place we arrived at 9:05AM.
From there I received onto the bus, headed to the terminal, after which headed proper again to the identical departure gate to board the identical bus to the identical plane. The crew was a bit shocked to see me, however couldn’t have been lovelier.
Backside line
Lufthansa CityLine CRJ-900s supply a predictable intra-Europe enterprise class expertise. Don’t anticipate Wi-Fi, energy retailers, or huge overhead bins, however at the least you get each an aisle and window seat in enterprise class. These planes have a modified snack service as properly, so for those who’re flying Lufthansa CityLine, you’ll get a greater expertise on the Embraer E190.
No matter the way you’re flying, although, flights between Munich and Zurich are fairly the deal with by way of the views. What a surprising a part of the world that is…
What do you make of Lufthansa’s CRJ-900 enterprise class?