For my brother’s wedding I traveled solo to Cameroon during peak season using United MileagePlus Miles to fly Lufthansa Business Class A330 -300 from Washington D.C. (IAD) to Munich (MUC). Alexis and I had flown Lufthansa First Class from IAD to Frankfurt on the 747-8 and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I was curious to see how the Lufthansa A330 Business Class compared to Lufthansa 747 First Class. Lufthansa Airlines is certified with a 5-Star Airline rating by SkyTrax because of its onboard product and service, so I had high expectations. Read our Lufthansa Business Class review on the Airbus A330-300 from IAD to MUC on Lufthansa LH415 for all the details on this 8h 15min flight.

Lufthansa A330 Business Class Review IAD to MUC

**Our WTA score represents our own views based on our personal experience with the entity being reviewed.

Lufthansa A330 Business Class

Post from RICOH THETA. – Spherical Image – Lufthansa Business Class A330-300

Lufthansa A330-300 Business Class Cabin

How I made my Lufthansa booking in Business Class

Booking Lufthansa flights can be pricey, especially in peak season around Christmas in the Business Class Cabin all the way to Africa. The Lufthansa Business Class A330 ticket from IAD to MUC was priced at $8,756.70 for the date of my travel. However, I booked my flight with miles and paid pennies on the dollar.

There are several ways to book Lufthansa Business Class award tickets since Lufthansa is a member of the Star Alliance. Lufthansa bookings can be made using miles from its own loyalty program Miles & More or from any of the Lufthansa partners.

To secure my Business Class ticket from IAD to Cameroon, I used my miles from United Airlines, one of the many Lufthansa Airline partners through Star Alliance. I redeemed 80,000 United MileagePlus miles under the Premium cabin saver and only paid $65.30 in taxes and fees. This was an excellent value since the fare for the one-way from the US to Cameroon was $10,831.39.  I saved $10,766.09 by redeeming my United MileagePlus miles. My ticket included 3 flights: Lufthansa A330 Business Class to Munich (covered in this review), Lufthansa Business class from Munich to Brussels (on a different plane in the Lufthansa fleet), and then Brussels Airlines Business Class from Brussels to Yaounde (review coming soon). I was able to make my Lufthansa seat booking online at time of purchase and opted for a window seat.

It is important to note that starting November 15, 2019, United will be discarding its fixed award charts in favor of dynamic award pricing. This means that an award flight during peak season will cost considerably more miles and most likely will not be a good value. So if you’re planning to redeem United miles for a trip during high season after the change date, make sure to lock in your award tickets before the switch to avoid an unpleasant surprise at the time of booking.

Lufthansa Air Business Class Check-in at IAD

Since the departure from IAD was scheduled for 10:30PM, there was no wait time for check-in in the Business Class line. I spent no more than five minutes at the counter including the time it took me to drop off my checked luggage at the security counter.

Lufthansa baggage allowance for business class passengers on intercontinental flights includes 2 checked bags of up to 32kg (70 lbs) each. Lufthansa business class baggage allowance also allows 2 carry-on items up to 8kg each in addition to a small personal item like a purse or laptop bag. The generous Lufthansa baggage policy was helpful since I was bringing over extra items for my brother for the wedding. After checking my luggage, I made my way to the Lufthansa Senator Lounge, which is the Business Lounge at IAD.

Lufthansa Business Class Lounge at Washington Dulles

Before arriving at the Lufthansa Senator Lounge, I made my way to the security lanes. Lufthansa participates in the TSA PreCheck program, which allowed me to make use of the expedited lanes. CLEAR (Get 2 month free trial) is also present at IAD, cutting my wait time further. I spent less than five minutes going through security thanks to the combination of both programs, which at IAD is pretty impressive.

The Lufthansa Business Lounge is located across from gate 50 in concourse B. There is a reception desk where the staff will check your boarding pass to make sure you are eligible for entry. The Lufthansa lounge offers ample seating, great alcohol and beverage options, and a decent selection of food in a buffet. Boarding is done from the lounge which I found very convenient. Check out our review of the Lufthansa Senator Lounge and Business Lounge at Washington Dulles.

A330 Lufthansa Business Class Cabin

The Lufthansa Business Class A330 cabin consists of 42 flat bed seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. The premium cabin consists of 5 rows at the front separated by 2 bathrooms on each side, then 2 rows in the back. Though the cabin was full with people getting set up for the flight, the Lufthansa flight crew efficiently moved through the cabin distributing newspapers.

The 2-2-2 seat configuration is perfect for those traveling as a couple. I was traveling solo for this trip and hoped the seat next to me would be empty so I wouldn’t have to climb over anyone if I needed to get up. I thought I was in luck until just a few minutes before takeoff, when a women settled in next to me with her chihuahua in tow. Thankfully the dog was on his best behavior during the flight and didn’t whine or bark at all. However, I was disappointed not to be able to use the extra leg rest since mine was small for both my feet.

All the Business class seats except the windows seats have direct aisle access, which is convenient if you like to get up and move around often. The middle seats offer larger storage areas under the footwell, so you may want to opt for middle seats if you have a lot of carry-on luggage.

Those seated in the window seats will trade storage space and aisle access for the views and a bit more privacy. I picked window seat 4K because I like to take in the views from the window. I was satisfied with the seat for the most part, but could have used more legroom since I’m tall.

Lufthansa Business Class A330-300 Seats

As expected from Germans, the Lufthansa Business Class A330 seats are very functional with multiple controls. The seats are made of cloth with adjustable controls by the armrest. The cushion firmness can be adjusted to any setting desired. When fully flat, the length of the bed is 78 inches which is adequate for most travelers. However, being 6’6, I would have been more comfortable with a longer bed.

Compared to the First Class seats on the 747-8, I found the Business A330 seats to be surprisingly narrow at about 20 inches.  Though the seats are comfortable, passengers with broad shoulders like me will find them to be a tight fit. I was able to squeeze my 6’6 frame and get solid rest by sleeping on an angle. However, compared to Business Class on Singapore Airlines B777, A380 and A350, the lie flat bed was not nearly as spacious or comfortable.

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There is a USB station on the side of the seat for those wishing to charge their devices.

There is also a 110V power station available towards the base of the seat.

Airbus A330-300 Lufthansa Business Class Bathrooms

Lufthansa Airlines Business Class bathrooms were clean and tidy whenever I used them. The two bathrooms were located between the front and rear business class sections.

Inflight entertainment on Lufthansa Business Class A330-300

Each Business Class seat has a 15″ monitor display for inflight entertainment. I found the Lufthansa inflight entertainment adequate with a decent collection of recently released Hollywood and Bollywood movies, games, and international documentaries with captions. There was also a display showing information about the time to destination, flight progress, and weather.

The WiFi was not complimentary and consisted of various plans ranging from $8 to $34 for up to 24 hours on connecting long haul flights.

The free FlyNet Portal also came in handy for getting information about several destinations Lufthansa covers, current news, information about connecting flights, and weather.

Lufthansa Business Class Amenities

Lufthansa Business Class amenities include the necessities for a long haul flight. The Lufthansa Business Class amenity kit includes a dental kit, eye mask, earplugs, and cream by L’Occitane de Provence packaged in a branded Lufthansa pouch. The amenity kit felt cheap and underwhelming for a $10,000+ flight compared to kits on other premium flights we’ve taken. This is where we feel Lufthansa can take a cue or two from Emirates when it comes down to providing valuable amenities in its premium cabin. The Emirates First Class amenities are some of the best we’ve seen. There were also noise-canceling Bose headphones provided for all the seats in the Business Class Cabin.

Lufthansa Business Class Menu

Once seated and settled, a flight attendant offered water, juice or wine and menus. Since I had a copious meal including wine at the lounge prior to boarding, I simply opted for water. After takeoff, the flight attendant returned with almonds and red wine.

Since I was expecting to take part in the festive activities in Brussels as part of this trip, I made sure to place my order so I could get dinner early and get 5 hours of sleep on this flight. The appetizer for dinner was fresh seasonal salad with grilled peppers and artichokes and shaved parmesan cheese. Among the three selections for the main course, I picked the Grilled Beef Filet, Cabernet Veal Jus with sautéed baby spinach, green asparagus and roasted potatoes.

For dessert, I chose simple vanilla Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream. I found the multi-course dinner to be delicious and the staff was very accommodating with any request.

After a 5 hour long rest, the flight attendant woke me up for breakfast. This quick meal consisted of fresh orange juice, a fruit plate, muesli with strawberry compote, cream cheese, rye bread, smoked salmon, a croissant and tea. It was not the best breakfast I’ve ever had in a premium cabin, especially since there were no hot dishes. However, it was sufficient to give me energy to start the day.

I enjoyed these views while eating breakfast and approaching Munich on a bright and sunny day.

Last words on Lufthansa Business Class A330-300

In conclusion, the Lufthansa flight from Washington DC to Munich in the A330 Business Class cabin was quite enjoyable thanks to the consistent service of the Lufthansa flight crew. When comparing the B747-8 cabin to A330, the latter was noisier and less comfortable. The amenities provided did feel cheap in relation to the price of the Business Class ticket, but since I had the necessities I couldn’t complain. The seat width was narrow and length when in the lie flat position was short for a giant like me, but not serious enough to affect the overall quality of the flight. I made it to Munich without any issues and ahead of schedule. It’s no wonder that Lufthansa holds the current Skytrax rating.  As a member of the Star Alliance, Lufthansa is a solid option to cross the Atlantic with miles. Check out more of our premium cabin flight reviews.