This flight fills a few “firsts” for me. It’s my first trip report with a growing presence in Lufthansa’s long-haul fleet, the 787-9 Dreamliner, and my first trip to Rio de Janeiro, the city perhaps most associated with Brazil, in the way New York and Los Angeles are with the United States and Sydney is with Australia. It’s also my first trip report with Lufthansa’s new Allegris business class seats, which debuted on the FRA-GIG route less than a month ago. Hope you all enjoy this one!
Server: Solo
Airline: Lufthansa
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Origin: Frankfurt Airport, Frankfurt, Germany (FRA)
Destination: Rio de Janeiro/Galeão-Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport, Galeão, Brazil (GIG)
Flight Number: LH500
Route: EDDF-SBGL
Seat: 4A (Allegris)
Time En Route: 11 Hours 27 Minutes
Waiting to board our aircraft in the late night at Gate B26. The new Allegris seats for the 787 have had a troubled development, with it being featured as a consequence on far fewer routes than its A350 iteration and on far fewer aircraft. However, once those hurdles to certification were cleared, it entered service to much fanfare. Time to see how it holds up!
Pushing back from our gate at Frankfurt. Right from the start, it’s apparent that Allegris is a bold step forward for a historically conservative airline. It amounts to an entire redesign of Lufthansa’s long-haul cabin, with new seats in business, premium economy and economy. Definitely bodes well for the journey!
Making the long taxi out to Runway 18 for takeoff. Our seat, one of the ones closer to the window on the left side of the cabin, has a secluded and intimate feel to it, like a personal hotel room, while not feeling like one has the entire airplane to themselves and is alone on this great carbon fiber-and-aluminum bird.
Taking off from Frankfurt. According to our captain, we’re estimated at 11 and a half hours en route, ample time for reviewing this seat.
Dinner service begins once we level off at 36,000 feet just across the Swiss border, with the Akps in the background. Tonight, we’re dining on smoked duck breast with marinated red cabbage salad, beetroot-cashew cream, and wild lingonberries. Now, it’s time to put the seat to one of its biggest tests: that of how easy to sleep in it is.
After several hours, we’ve woken up somewhere over the South Atlantic. Sleeping in the Allegris suite was remarkably easy, due to the privacy, high-quality bedding, and long bed that the seat converts into. Breakfast is in the process of being served, and we’ve ordered a yogurt with apricot compote to tide us over until we arrive at Galeão.
Starting our final descent over coastal Brazil
Landing in Rio a few minutes ahead of schedule. It’s been a wonderful flight, and we find ourselves wishing it could’ve been longer.
Got another long taxi to our gate from Runway 28
Deplaned at Gate C63. After our all-too-short trip, we’d say Allegris is arguably the best long-haul business class on a European airline right now, and we look forward to flying in it again in the future!