By the time I enter the terminal building, coming off my flight from Basel, it’s 14h10. I have about 45 minutes before my flight to Helsinki starts boarding.

My flight will depart from the K concourse, which is the Schengen-secure level of the satellite terminal that is accessible by underground train.

The Lufthansa Senator Lounge

The big advantage of a departure from the satellite terminal is that the lounge on the K concourse is fairly modern and has excellent views of the ramp, unlike the lounges in the main terminal, that have no windows at all, let alone a view.

The lounge is surprisingly quiet, and I even manage to snag one of the fancy loungers right by the window.

The food options are extensive. I’d actually decided not to have anything here in the lounge, figuring I’d eat on the plane. But then they bring out a pan of warm Apfelstrudel and vanilla sauce and, as we say in Maltese, “Waqgħatliw iż-żokra”, which literally translates as “my bellybutton dropped” and is used metaphorically to describe that moment when you cave and give in to a craving, even though you’re not really hungry.

Boarding

At 14h50 my flight shows up on the display as “ausgerufen”, called for boarding. I reach the gate just as my group is asked to come forward. By the looks of it, our aircraft must have arrived late from its previous mission, because there’s a catering truck waiting by the R1 door to unload the old trolleys, load the new ones and replace the dry stores.

The Lufthansa Business Class Cabin & Seat

On today’s flight there are only twelve seats on three rows in the Business Class cabin, with ten seats occupied. I’m on 1A and there’s somebody on 1F. The aisle seats 1C and D remain empty. The seat pitch on the bulkhead row is not bad.

The Lufthansa Service & Crew

The crew on this flight are excellent, really good. They’re friendly and welcoming and the purser is a charming young man who engages effortlessly with the passengers. I should also like to point out that his announcements in both German and English are flawlessly executed, without a single stammer or stumble, and very clearly enunciated. Apparently, we’re two M&M Senators in the cabin, and the purser makes a point of introducing himself to each one of us individually. The other guy is seated on 2C.

Just before departure, the crew pass through the cabin handing out pillows to passengers. Eventually, we push back exactly thirty minutes behind schedule. However, with a flight time of only two hours and five minutes, the crew are still anticipating an on time arrival in Helsinki.

Once we’re airborne, the service starts with the distribution of hot towels, followed by an apéritif. I just stick to sparkling water, which is kept topped up throughout the flight. It is served with a packet of salty cashews.

The Lufthansa Business Class Meal – Late Hot Lunch

While I’m snacking on the cashews, the purser comes to inquire what I’ll be eating. There is a choice of beef or a vegetarian option for the main course. He apologises and tells me that the menus were not loaded onto the flight today as the turnaround was a bit of a mad rush.

For the first course there is what the purser describes as a variation of mushroom. I’m literally just about to dig in when I notice one sole broad bean, which I’m severely allergic to. This seems to be happening more frequently, and it’s starting to be a problem. Broad beans have become a popular superfood and are used much more widely these days.

The main course is quite delicious. I have the quinoa pattys in a rich, creamy sauce, pistachios, and spring vegetables. The purser even checks to make sure for me that there are no broad beans in the hot meal.

And then for dessert there’s a sinfully sumptuous chocolate cheesecake on a biscuit and peanut base with peanut and pistachio brittle on top. Goodness, this is just so, so good! In the sum of all things, I think I’d be more annoyed if I were allergic to peanuts and wouldn’t be able to have this. I can live without broad beans.

The crew come to remove my tray and inquire if I’ll have a coffee or tea to drink. I request a mint tea, which even comes with a cardboard cup to dispose of the teabag.

Arrival in Helsinki

Just before we start our descent into Helsinki, the crew pass through the cabin with a tray of Lindt Easter Bunnies. The purser comes to say good bye and thanks me for choosing Lufthansa. He also shows me the report he’s written for catering about the broad beans.

The weather in Helsinki is very different to Basel. It’s cold and wet, with low clouds and a steady drizzle.

The airport is quiet. There are two ATR 72s and the Lufthansa A 321 service from Frankfurt on the ground. All other stands are unoccupied.

Getting into Helsinki

It’s been many years since I last visited Helsinki. In the meantime they’ve built a railway line to serve the airport. The journey to Helsinki’s central station is 32 minutes and costs EUR2. The route is served by the same Stadler FLIRT trains the Swiss Federal Railways operate on local trains.

Conclusion

This trip with Lufthansa from Basel to Helsinki via Munich has been easy and rather pleasant. Especially the crew on the second flight were an absolute pleasure. They were flawless and struck a perfect balance between attentiveness, efficiency, and impressive hospitality. Perhaps it’s just my imagination, but it seems to me that the crews ex Munich are usually a lot more pleasant to deal with than those in Frankfurt. Other than that, the ground experience at Munich airport was pleasant. Considering it’s a fairly big place, the terminal is easy to navigate and distances are short.