Review: Discover Airlines Business Class from Frankfurt to Zanzibar (4Y134)
- creditcardadventures
- Jun 20, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 10, 2024
Since flights to East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, etc.) only cost 35,000 miles in Business Class (Miles&More, Lufthansa's frequent flyer program), my girlfriend and I decided to travel to Tanzania and Kenya for ten days to escape the rather bad European summer weather. This article covers the flight from Frankfurt to Zanzibar with a short stop in Mombasa on Discover Airlines, which is part of the Lufthansa Group.
Details:
Route:Â Frankfurt (FRA) to Zanzibar (ZNZ) via Mombasa (MBA)
Airline: Discover Airlines
Airplane: A330-200
Departure: 7:35pm
Flight time: 10h 30min (including 1h layover in MBA)
Class: Business Class
Seat: 4K and 4H
Check-In:
Our trip started on a cool and rainy Monday morning at Düsseldorf Airport. As we were flying Business Class, we were able to use the Business Class check-in, which of course sped up the process. After an extensive check of our passports and the visa for Tanzania, we held the boarding passes in our hands and went to the priority security control.
After visiting the Lufthansa Lounge at Düsseldorf Airport, we first traveled with Lufthansa from Düsseldorf to Frankfurt in just under 25 minutes. I'll leave out this part of the trip for now, this review only covers the flight from Frankfurt to Zanzibar via Mombasa.
Boarding:
Exactly 30 minutes before departure, boarding began at the C gates at Frankfurt Airport. Boarding was done by groups, with us as Business Class passengers being allowed to board as the second group after families with children and older people.
Once our boarding passes had been checked, it was time to board. There were two different bridges at gate C16, whereby Business Class passengers were allowed to use their own bridge.
We were greeted in a friendly manner and made our way to seats 4K and 4H, which to our surprise were the last row of the Business Class cabin (the A330-300 usually consists of five rows). It was later explained to us that the aircraft had been changed at very short notice and many passengers had to accept downgrades, which fortunately did not affect us.
We also received a welcome drink with a choice of water, juice or champagne. We both opted for the juice, which turned out to be orange-mint juice and was very tasty. Unfortunately, boarding took way longer than expected and we left the parking position 40 minutes after schedule.
Rating: 3.5/5
Seat:
Since Eurowings Discover is part of the Lufthansa Group (flies to vacation destinations that Lufthansa does not fly to), the seating is also very similar or even old Lufthansa airplanes have simply been taken over and adapted in color. This was also the case on this flight and the similarities are immediately apparent. As already mentioned, we were seated in seats 4K and 4H in the last row of the Business Class and had a little more privacy due to that.
The seats are all grey with blue accents to match the colors of Eurowings Discover. I'm not really a big fan of a 2-2-2 configuration, as you don't have your own aisle access, but with a vacation airline like Discover Airlines it works pretty well.
Nevertheless, the seats are of course very outdated, as can be seen from the screens alone. There were also signs of heavy use in one or two places, but this is normal after such a long period of use.
The center rest between the to seats has a panel for the seat controls (including a massage function).
It also contains a remote control for the screen and a fold-out table.
There were also two compartments under the screen for storing personal items.
To the right of the screen was the footrest, under which shoes could also be stowed. There was also a coat hook above it. Especially on such long flights, it is important for me that the seat can be reclined into a bed. Discover Airlines offers completely flat beds here, which were also very comfortable.
Unfortunately no mattress or seat support was provided by the crew which would have made the bed way more comfortable.
Rating: 3/5
Amenities:
Discover Airlines provides an amenity kit as well as a pillow and blanket on this flight. All three were already at our seats when we boarded.
The amenity kit is very well filled and contains an eye mask and earplugs as well as a few creams, socks and a toothbrush. It can also be reused as it is a waterproof beach bag that can be folded out.
Both the pillow and the blanket were very comfortable and perfect for sleeping. Nevertheless, I missed a pair of slippers or a pyjama on this overnight flight.
Rating: 3.5/5
Food and beverages:
While still on the ground, we were asked which dishes we would like to have. We also had the option of having a breakfast shortly before Mombasa or to keep sleeping. We then decided to order the breakfast.
Shortly after takeoff, the preparations for the dinner began and a bowl of cashew nuts was provided along with a drink of choice.
I opted for the serrano ham with ratatouille, the barramundi filet as well as the apple crumble with vanilla sauce. Especially the starter was really delicious. Unfortunately, the fish filet was a little dry and lacked of flavor.
Tastewise the apple crumble was also pretty solid, but there was not enough vanilla sauce; hence, the tart was a little dry. But the food looked visually appearing anyways.
After a very short night, we were woken up 90 minutes before the stopover in Mombasa at around 3 am German time for breakfast, which was served together with a drink of our choice.
The Sicilian muesli with pistachio crunch and orange filets was really delicious, but the crepe filled with spinach and ricotta was not at all to my taste. Unfortunately, the soft cheese was not that great either, which is why I made do with the muesli and bread roll. In addition to the meals, snacks were also provided in the galley, but we did not try them.
After we landed in Mombasa, we had a drink of our choice during the 1 hour layover, but there was no service on the short 30-minute flight to Zanzibar.
Rating: 3.5/5
Service:
If there's one thing that sticks in my mind on the flight, it's definitely the service. An older flight attendant was responsible for our row, who was super nice, helpful and humorous at all times. Although the flight was fully booked in all classes, we never had to wait long for drinks or food.
Rating: 4.5/5
Result:
Even if the seats are a little older and cannot keep up with those of Qatar Airways or British Airways, for example, they are still perfect as a couple for flights to such vacation destinations. The food was also definitely above average and was somewhat boosted by the excellent service. Especially for the price of only 35,000 miles, I would choose Discover Airlines again at any time for a relaxed flight.
Check-In and Boarding: 3.5/5
Seat: 3/5
Amenities: 3.5/5
Food and drinks: 3.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Total: 18/25