Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Business Class: Washington Dulles to Frankfurt
by Krish Patel
Flying on the upper deck of a Boeing 747 is on every aviation enthusiast’s bucket list. It’s a distinct bubble that makes up a passenger section towards the front of the aircraft. Lufthansa’s 747-8s feature 32 Business Class seats on the upper deck, which provide a completely different perspective on flying as a passenger compared to traditional single-deck widebody aircraft. This plane won’t be around forever, and getting to fly on the Queen of the Skies (let alone on the upper deck) is an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed out on.
Here’s our experience flying Lufthansa’s 747-8 in Business Class between IAD and FRA.
The Ground Experience
I arrived at Washington Dulles Airport just shy of three hours before my flight. All airlines at IAD share the same check-in hall, with Lufthansa’s counters being situated at door 3. The Business Class line was somewhat busy despite it being Christmas Day, generally one of the quieter travel days of the year. Since I was traveling in Business Class, my checked luggage was tagged with a Star Alliance priority bag tag.
The TSA PreCheck line at Washington Dulles felt a lot less crowded than that at JFK, which is what I’m used to since I usually fly from New York. Even the TSA agents were friendly, which is something you can’t always expect to find at all U.S. airports.
The Lufthansa Lounge in IAD’s Concourse B is currently closed and undergoing renovations. Instead, passengers had the option between the Turkish Airlines Lounge or United Polaris Lounge. Since the airport is a significant hub for United, I decided on the Polaris Lounge, which is located in Concourse C near gate C18. This meant that I had to take the underground AeroTrain from the main terminal building to the C Gates, but wouldn’t have to re-clear security.
Polaris Lounges are exclusive to long haul international Business Class passengers flying United or a Star Alliance partner, which was Lufthansa in my case. The main lounge area can be found up a brief staircase to the right of the front desk. You will immediately be greeted by a colorful painting by Maggie O’Neal of Washington D.C., with this being one of several of her works in the lounge.
Comfortable seating spreads throughout the space, with plenty of high-end furniture options. The seating areas feel spacious and create a sense of privacy for passengers thanks to the tall black partitions separating every few seats. Travelers can choose from swivel chairs, soft armchairs, and various lounge chairs. The main seating areas create a visual contrast between light and dark tones thanks to the marble walls, blue carpeted flooring, and mix of gray and light brown seats. No matter if you want to catch up on work, recharge, or simply enjoy the views overlooking the taxiway, the lounge’s furniture offers something for every traveler. Despite the great number of seats, the lounge still felt crowded with passengers who were about to embark on international United flights in the evening.
The Polaris Lounge includes all the bells and whistles one would expect in a top tier Business Class lounge, including a generous buffet, cocktail bar, quiet rooms, and showers. United has installed a gorgeous bar in this space, with friendly bartenders that can mix up signature cocktails or flavorful non-alcoholic creations. Hungry passengers hankering for a light snack can graze the hot and cold dishes at the buffet made ready to serve. Although, if you have the time for a sit-down meal, I recommend making a reservation at The Dining Room. Compared to the lounge in Newark, IAD’s Dining Room is on the smaller side and feels crowded, with long wait times for a table.
What truly leaves me impressed from the Polaris Lounges are the showers and quiet rooms. There are six showers and two quiet rooms with day beds, both of which are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. You’re provided with several amenities in the nap rooms, such as an eye mask and Saks Fifth Avenue bedding. The shower suites feature complimentary slippers, Therabody soap, and hand cream for guests. After a revitalizing shower and a few pages of a good book in the quiet room, I headed to Concourse B to board my flight.
Lufthansa Business Class passengers board in group 2 after pre-boarding and First Class customers. Given the large capacity of the 747 (364 seats), it makes sense that the gate area was very crowded, with most seats already occupied. Even the queues for Business Class boarding felt really busy. However, I still managed to get a decent view of the Queen of the Skies that would be flying me to Frankfurt, registered D-ABYD.
Lufthansa 747-8 Business Class Cabin and Seat
Upon boarding, I passed through a section of the main Business Class cabin to reach the stairs that extended to the upper deck. Right off the bat, I noticed that the Lufthansa cabin felt older compared to those on other airlines. The seats themselves lack privacy, and those positioned by the windows lack direct aisle access. Lufthansa’s color palette is simple and bland, with gray seats and minor black and brown touches. Overall, the cabin is uncompetitive by the standards of 2026, when most other airlines offer impressive Business Class seats with privacy and direct aisle access.
However, none of that mattered as much as getting to fly such an iconic aircraft. Climbing the stairs to the upper deck felt super special, providing an exciting perspective on flying aboard a widebody aircraft in a small, single-aisle bubble. The A380 might be a more luxurious aircraft for passengers, but does not provide the same cozy and intimate feeling that the 747 does. Another advantage of flying on the upper deck is having access to plentiful storage for personal items. Travelers seated along the windows will certainly appreciate the side storage bins, which were large enough for my heavy backpack. With only 16 aisle seats upstairs, there’s even more room in the overhead bin for passengers to store luggage.
In front of you is the seatback screen, which is somewhat small and old for the standards of Business Class. It’s not very responsive and has a poor interface. Found below the entertainment monitor is a seat pocket for literature and a storage compartment, which houses the water bottle and amenity kit.
To the side of the IFE system is a coat hook and foot rest, under which is room to store shoes. The position of the footrest is quite awkward since it’s at an angle and feels narrow.
Shared by the window and aisle seat is a side console that features the drinks table and seat controls. The tray table and IFE remote both pop out from the side of the seat. You’ll also find a USB-A outlet and noise cancelling headphones adjacent to the old-style remote.
On the upper deck are two lavatories, one of which is near the cockpit and the other in the galley. Both are equally spacious and come with similar amenities such as refreshing towels and mouthwash. I found there to be plenty of room for my legs and knees to stretch out.
Two and a half hours into the flight, I reclined my seat into a bed. The width was not super generous, but the seat was soft and well-padded, which helped ensure a good night's sleep. I rested well for about four hours and woke up to a pleasant sunrise an hour and twenty minutes before landing.
Food and Drink in Lufthansa Business Class
Once I boarded, a bag of nuts was waiting for me at the seat. Flight attendants came around to offer the menus and pre-departure beverages, for which I ordered an orange juice.
Once in flight, service began with an aperitif (polenta cake) and drink of choice. I got myself a bitter lemon, which tasted sweet and refreshing.
For the appetizer, I had selected the asparagus, one of Lufthansa’s classic offerings. The asparagus was accompanied by a portion of beets and farro. A flight attendant offered me a selection of bread to go along with the appetizer, and a side salad was also provided. Just like most airplane salads, this one felt tired and uninspiring. I then went for the Japanese bowl with rice, veggies, and ponzu dressing as my entree. Both were delicious, with the asparagus being the highlight for me.
Dessert was just alright. The apple crumble was served as a small portion along with vanilla mousse and berries. The presentation felt basic, and the dessert lacked inspiring flavor. After dessert, the meal service was concluded with a box of delicious chocolates.
Just over an hour before landing, breakfast was served, for which there was only one option. It would have been nice to have two or three meal options to choose from, but the yogurt I was served was nice and fluffy. It came with fresh berries and cherry compote alongside a bowl of assorted cold cuts. As a vegetarian, I did not eat the two pieces of meat, but had every bite of the yogurt. I ordered an earl grey tea for my drink.
Another box of chocolates was offered prior to landing, with four heart-shaped chocolates inside.
Amenities in Lufthansa Business Class
Once I boarded, waiting for me at the seat was a pillow and blanket. Lufthansa’s Business Class bedding on transatlantic flights is very basic compared to other airlines, since there’s no duvet or mattress pad.
Basic noise-cancelling headphones, an amenity kit, and bottle of water were also provided to Business Class passengers. The amenity kit came in a high-end German bag and included several useful contents for an oceanic crossing, including L’Occitane lip balm and hand cream. Provided in the pouch was also a dental kit, eye mask, breath mint, earplugs, and sleep socks.
Lufthansa’s entertainment system on the 747 is one of the worst quality seatback screens I’ve had on a flight. The interface is not user friendly, and after clicking on a certain playlist more than once, it failed to load. While the airline has a decent selection of movies and TV, it’s in a list format, which makes it long to browse through the entire entertainment selection. The screen is very unresponsive and has an interface that’s rather frustrating to use, so I didn’t bother after several attempts.
Service in Lufthansa Business Class
The three flight attendants working in the upper deck Business Class cabin on my flight were friendly and attentive. During the meal service, they proactively offered drink refills and made sure that I was satisfied with my meal choices. They were generally positive and consistently checked on passengers during the earlier and later portions of the flight, when most people seated in Business Class were not sleeping.
The Arrivals Experience
Business Class passengers arriving on transatlantic Business Class flights operated by Lufthansa or United are invited to use the former airline’s Welcome Lounge. It’s located after customs and passport control, but be prepared for a decent walk from the passport counters.
Inside, passengers can grab a light breakfast from the buffet, take a shower, or relax in the seating area. There’s a classic German buffet spread, including local breads, pretzels, pastries, and cold items such as juice and yogurt. You can also make a coffee or get some water in case you’re thirsty.
I went downstairs in the lounge to secure a shower, but it took five minutes for the manager to arrive at the front desk after making my way down. It was already 8:30 AM, so a few other passengers who had arrived in Frankfurt who were looking to take a shower expressed a look of confusion. The shower suites are a nice place to refresh after a 7 hour flight and feel somewhat modern, especially when compared to those in the British Airways Arrivals Lounge at Heathrow.
Booking Lufthansa Business Class
The cost of a Lufthansa Business Class ticket depends on the flight’s distance and number of hours. Generally, one-way Lufthansa Business Class flights to FRA originating in Washington D.C. start from $5,800 and sometimes reach $6,200.
However, Lufthansa is a member of Star Alliance, which gives people several opportunities to utilize airline points. Travelers can snag an award redemption using Lufthansa’s own Miles & More program, but it’s not a transfer partner of any major points program. Instead, it’s worth taking a look at United MileagePlus or Air Canada Aeroplan, both of which are transfer partners of Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards. Additionally, Air Canada is a transfer partner of Amex, Capital One, and Marriott.
Air Canada utilizes award charts for partner airlines like Lufthansa, with one-way awards on the Washington D.C. and New York routes starting at 85,000 Aeroplan points. Meanwhile, United will usually charge closer to 110,000 MileagePlus miles.
Overall Thoughts
Is Lufthansa Business Class on the double decker 747 a solid way to cross the Atlantic?
The honest answer is that it’s a slightly above average product as a whole, but has plenty of room for improvement when it comes to the cabin and seat. In the mid-2020s, it’s an uncompetitive product that barely offers any privacy and direct aisle access. Nothing about the experience is sophisticated or screams excitement (aside from getting to fly on this aircraft). However, the Lufthansa service is friendly and welcoming, which puts the airline a step ahead of its competitors in terms of cabin crew. If the price was similar or even lower than other carriers, then I would certainly book Lufthansa Business Class again. Otherwise, I’ll stick to flying another airline when crossing the Atlantic.