I Flew on a RARE Airbus A340-600!

[@HaCkEr6662k7]

OMG! What a treat to have you do this review. The 600 varieties are just the gift that keeps given. So many features and unique quirks about this one. I finally flew one from HK to FRA in first a few month back and it was truly a childhood dream come true. One of the things on my list was to walk round trip from front to back and see how long it takes. It is such a wildly long plane. Aah. I think I have to do it again. Even though it was a rough and loud ride without any of today’s comforts.

[@Brobbs4549]

So you fly from hongkong to Frankfurt

[@HaCkEr6662k7]

@@Brobbs4549 Correct. Ground experience in HK is not the best, but in frankfurt you have the FCT wich is one of the best lounges in the world. Plus if you start in HK and you book with miles, there are zero fuel charges and taxes- best value for your miles.

[@noahrp777]

I second that. Flew FRA-HKG about five years ago and it was quite the unique experience. Glad I decided to take the detour from YYZ to FRA to do that flight.

[@HaCkEr6662k7]

@@noahrp777 A detour worth the effort. Starting in FRA is much more enjoyable than in HK as well.

[@vietnam.airlines.a350]

The A340 family having 3 main landing gear (and it having 4 engines) had always made it an interesting aircraft

[@attari56]

yes just like the il-96

[@Atti-x3u]

@@attari56I have no idea what that is lol

[@attari56]

@@Atti-x3u the ilyushin il96 is a russian 4 engined widebody plane

[@JacobBasheer]

As a Denver resident, I am overjoyed that Lufthansa has decided to replace their winter a340-300 service with the A340-600. During summers we get the somewhat rare 787-9, and during winter, the beatiful A340-600. I couldnt be more happy!

[@liambengif7663]

We used to get the 747-400 at Denver with BA and LH . but sadly that's gone for now. If Edelweiss operated to DEN year round we could get both the a340-600 and a340-300 at the same time! Also Lufthansa operates the a340-300 regularly to DEN from Frankfurt year-round , but has switched to the -600. with them also operating the a350/787 to Munich . I hope we see a 747 return or even an a380 (DEN has 2 gates which are designed for a380s but they have never seen one). The 787-9 is also not at all a rare plane and the by far most common widebody at DEN, even more so than the high capacity united 777-200.

[@JacobBasheer]

@@liambengif7663 Oh, earlier last winter I took the Lufthansa 787 to Frankfurt. Also, the Lufthansa 787 is quite rare as there are so few in operation. This is especially true considering they will soon be switched to Austrian airways.

[@mikestone9129]

Love the A340-600. Brings back memories of flying the 707 and DC-8. I'd love to get a ride on one before they disappear.

[@Raptorjpt12]

I flew on one of these two years ago from Boston to Munich! My first long haul flight, it was amazing, especially the downstairs bathrooms.

[@Carsandaviationreal]

Same but only to frankfurt

[@robertwoodwardwoodward247]

Hi Alex, i flew on a Lufthansa A340-600 in 2012 from YVR to FRA in buisness class in the same seat as you did in this video except that the seats were very different as they were like over sized premium economy seats. They were very comfortable and lie flat seats in a 2x2x2 configuration with little privacy. The service was very good as you would expect. I enjoyed the video very much as it brought back some great memories, thanks again.

[@american101]

The A340-600 looks great, sounds great, and always catches my attention every time! Plus the fact that rainy takeoffs sound 100x better!

[@robharris5467]

I expect that Lufthansa is managing its A340 fleet in conjunction with the plan to retain B747-400 long after other majors have decided to retire it. Eventually the 747 will be the only 4-engine aircraft in the fleet. I understand that Lufthansa made this decision partly on the nostalgia appeal of the 747 plus some economic factors related to service capability at Lufthansa Technik. My affection for A340 is because it is in effect a stretched widebody version of the 707 on which I made my first international flight. CP Air Auckland to Honolulu in 1967.

[@guest-nt6lu]

I flew on anA340 from Sydney NSW to Hawaii then on to Toronto several times. One of the best long distance planes I ever experienced.

[@semsemeini7905]

Flew on a South African A340-600 with 34 inches legroom in economy for 15 hours. It was wonderful. The bread on Lufthansa is good compared to Air France where it tastes of rubber.

[@Tweedaviation]

Happy that you finally got on that lovely bird,I flew on the a340-600 and 500 on my way to the uk with etihad it was 10 years ago but it was such a good experience and glad that you can join me in the a340 600 club

[@eaglerare1273]

Excellent content Alex. I loved when LH flew the 346 for our daily MUC flight from CLT, now replaced with the 359😢. I also Loved the huge bier garden Munich airport has between the terminals 🍻

[@michaelbruchas6663]

Thanks!

[@tonybeam]

The A340-600 is an iconic airplane. Thank you for a nicely compiled and well narrated video. I have been in Lufthansa’s business lounge twice in the past two years for six to eight hours. The showers are really nice.

[@yeetyboi1437]

That transition at 11:07 is slick, sheesh

[@ii_trooperlawz3912]

so relieved that someone else noticed that. I was astonished when I saw it 😂😂

[@tonybeam]

The A340-600 is an iconic airplane. Thank you for a nicely compiled and well narrated video. I have been in Lufthansa’s business lounge in Frankfurt twice in the past two years for six to eight hours. The showers are really nice.

[@ethancampbell6076]

9:54 That turn n burn is excellent and full power on T/O 🔥🔥🔥

[@idxluaviation]

I fly on JFK to MUC quite often, I've only experienced its A380 service as I fly it exclusively during the summer but I'm trying to find time to fly on the Lufthansa A340-600 before they retire.

[@sushi777300]

In January 2024 I did BRU-MUC-JFK-MUC-BRU for a one night stay in Manhattan just to get the chance to fly the 346. I absolutely loved the experience. It's been two of the most enjoyable flights I've ever taken. The 346 is a beauty from outside and very comfortable inside, even in economy class

[@magnustan841]

I’m doing HKG-FRA-STR-FRA-HKG for a short holiday just for the A346 just after Christmas, also in Economy! I’m glad I’m not the only one crazy enough to do that. It wasn’t the cheapest ticket I could find, but to cross of the true flying pencil, I’m sure it’ll be worth it 😊

[@NicolaW72]

Indeed.

[@sushi777300]

@@magnustan841 Sounds great 😃 Enjoy those flights. Glad to know that there are some other crazy avgeeks like me out there

[@kenpalmer1965]

This is a great video! Being I have never flown internationally as an adult, I have not flown on one of these magnificent aircraft. I like them too in their appearance. I admire that they are four-engine jets in this world of the two-jet aviation scene. I am happy you had the opportunity to fly on one of these planes before their retirement. Superb filming once again!

[@FinnTheCanadian]

Sunday with a Alex Video is a good day 😄

[@aronbregman6753]

I am supposed to fly the A340-300 next week, fingers crossed since I went out of my way just to fly iy.

[@jeadie2273]

I just flew on one of these with Lufthansa a week ago from Chicago to Frankfurt in coach. I loved it. Very comfortable and great crew. Loved the lower level bathrooms. Sadly on a United 777-200er on the way home Tuesday.

[@henson2k]

We flew on the same D-AIHF Lufthansa A346 from Munich to Newark back in June 2024 and 2 things surprised me: 1) How strange are turns on the ground due to a long fuselage 2) Beautiful area on the back with lavatories downstairs. Also flew on Austrian OE-LAZ B763 parked in JFK next to gate you arrived. Small world I guess

[@karlossargeant3872]

Yup Alex Praglowski Lufthansa A340-300's/A340-600's won't be around too long Plus There New Airbus A350XWB's will replace them and there Older Boeing 747-400's by there New Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners too Awesome Video Man 💯

[@adamauxier4035]

Good work! I managed to snag rides on SAA/VS's A340-600's in economy over the years and once on Lufthansa's in First Class...never in business class though. The SAA and VS birds were just stunningly beautiful. By the time i rode LH, they had shifted to the drabber scheme with the blue tail and all the yellow deleted.

[@johndornoff]

So glad I was able to fly one from Boston to Munich last year knowing that would be gone soon.

[@aznandyroo]

I've always wanted to fly on the A346. Hopefully sometime in 2025 but I love geeking out over this!

[@gunvaldsandhaland7757]

A340 -600 Was On Of Favorite Air Craft.Great Video And Info

[@1265peter]

Thanks Alex for this awesome review. I share the same sentiment in which the seat and comfort onboard Air Canada business is better than Lufthansa however, LH shines when it comes to the quality of food

[@TrooperClerk]

Honey, Alex Praglowski just posted a new video!

[@borinod7601]

I am lucky to have a340-600s based at a nearby airport, flying with european cargo. They are the only a340-600 freighters and were previously owned by virgin atlantic. They currently have four a340-600s in active service with about 10 that are being converted to freighters. I dont get to see them very close (12-7k feet high), but i do visit the airport every once in a while. Havent really been able to catch one as i always miss them whenever i visit, only getting to see them parked. Bournemouth airport has some really great spotting spots, so anyone who lives near bournemouth should definitely visit. Sadly no passenger a340s but you are at least able to get pretty close to them and see other aircraft like the conroy skymonster.

[@BFLGB]

My biggest aircraft is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner from YYZ to MBJ

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Great video! I'm scouting out LH routes to try and get onboard one of these before they're retired and I think you've shown me which seat to get! I'm trying to workout which route has a good view of the airport apron and sunset/sunrise. Possibly IAH-FRA which I've done on the 748. But I'd also love to fly over Greenland too!

[@nickkarvelas4082]

Brilliant video Alex!!!!!

[@craze227]

I'm going to miss those quad engines. Loud. But fun to see. One of their only planes that has a not ridiculous seating arrangement. On another note, very much convinced that alex is actually either a nomad or secret agent because he's never actually in Calgary.

[@nurrizadjatmiko21]

Such a unique and fascinating Airbus widebody aircraft in my opinion.

[@Ali_ON3]

Thanks Alex for taking us on this journey😊. The engines’ shot is just amazing.

[@TeddyBearGaming999]

Glad I got to fly on an A346 with Iberia a few years ago. Unfortunately I was in a middle seat in economy and slept through the whole redeye flight.

[@icypolar2294]

This was a great video! I’m kinda sad these don’t operate FRA-YYZ, I booked that for late January hoping to get on the 747-400 but they changed equipment to an A340-300. I’m a little sad about that but I’m still looking forward to it as the A340 is still pretty rare! Plus, another excuse to go visit Germany again!

[@MrTomcat104]

I agree on the "something about -600" that you liked. Its four engines make it stand out in a sea of twin jets. And unlike the more common -300, the -600 had more than adequate power from its Trent engines, so it can take off and climb with authority, the -300 by contrast with its underpowered CFM engines seem to struggle and stagger up into the air like a drunk sailor.

[@peimanmalekmarzban4633]

Awesome video Alex. I had the chance to fly on one of these planes maybe 6-7 years ago from FRA to IKA. Bathrooms downstairs is a cool feature.

[@MrJewishking]

I always really appreciate that you are blurring people faces. Nothing is more annoying that someone recording you in travel.

[@gerryward9627]

Thanks for the memory. I flew with my nephew from Frankfurt to Toronto on the -600. However, we were in economy. The toilets downstairs were a brilliant move and it always smelled fresh as opposed to main floor ones. It was a great flight but the food was so skimpy that we broke out some chocolate to ease the hunger pains. Not impressed with Lufthansa food-wise, but a great plane.

[@magnustan841]

I have a flight booked on one of these in 3 weeks time and now my appetite has been made even more wet! Not in business though, right at the back of the big bus, but I’m hoping to get a seat with a view of the outboard engine’s rear. People call the 757 the flying pencil, but really this could also take that nickname! Coupled with those 4 massive Trent 556s, the A346 is easily one of the coolest looking airplanes of all time and I hope every avgeek gets a chance to ride one.

[@pixel11aviation]

im glad that i have flew in an A340-600 operated by Lufthansa in July from HK, it was a decent flight! Sadly this plane will be retire soon..

[@danielx6960]

I just flew on one of these! My first flight on an A340 since flying on a DL one in 2012. In LH first class no less, thanks to Aeroplan as well. Although given how lackluster LH F is these days, I almost wish I'd booked J instead just for the engine view, lol (ultimate first world problem). At least the F ground experience at FRA is pretty cool. I was hoping to find award space on an LH 747-8, but the more I think about it now, the happier I am to have scored an A340-600, since they'll all be gone sooner.

[@jerrydabear7724]

Smooth transition at 11:07! ❤

[@RodolfoCanales-ud7cs]

Very nicely edited and narrated!

[@vc-cw1yp]

Thanks for the video Alex 😊

[@jessemillington5988]

Well done! It's like a flying meter stick. Another off the list! Love those stairs, just like the PSA Tristars of yesteryear!

[@wotan10950]

I’ve only been on one A-340-600 flight. I remember the downstairs lavatories! BTW, I was just at Munich last month for my first A-350 flight. I purposely avoided Frankfurt because of the chaos. Unfortunately, Munich was just as chaotic, especially if you’re flying to the States. 😑

[@radd1975]

I always enjoy watching your videos!! What a great experience to fly the A340-600.

[@dolbyman]

I remember flying the A340-600 from FRA to YVR in 2009 and 2010, I had the last row in the back of economy that is apparently known for condensation rain showers on landing .. I was quite surprised when I got an unexpected shower during landing *yuck* (the downstairs saloon washrooms were cool though)

[@taiyoki_futatsu]

8:11 One time I saw a person describe the a340-300 as an aircraft powered by 4 APUs. Cracked me up lololol

[@STEALTH5802]

5 apu, can’t forget the one in the back😅

[@iangraham2133]

Great trip report :) I wonder what they would have done for landing if your seat didn't get back to the upright position though. I flew one of these back in 2014 from FRA to YYZ as an equipment swap from a 747-400, haven't been on one since.

[@CohenTocher]

11:02 smoothest transition ever

[@jonathanscott550]

A340-600 a very interesting plane to fly on. 've seen other You Tune videos on this plane. The downstairs toilets are different. Yes I don't understand business class seats that are 2x2x2 layout. Centre 2 seats at least have aisle access, but the window sides you've got to climb over the person in the aisle row. For the money spent on this seat setup is not worth it.

[@HaydenMSanders]

I love the A340-600! Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure no accidents have been recorded with these aircraft. I was lucky enough to fly one back in 2017 from LHR-SFO on Virgin before they soon all switched to Dreamliners.

[@dannyboyUwU]

Omg you flown on my favourite a340-600. This is my favourite as as you said it was one of the ones that got reactivavted after 3 years and it came to my country to do maintenance. It was here from July till October and i saw its departure back to germany to fly again.

[@cumbriaplanegeek7092]

Oooh! You’re back!

[@reedsehon4881]

Another great video. Thank you.

[@TheShowblox]

Paint one of these bad boys to look like a Chinese dragon

[@deltafox757]

Aren’t the A340-600s no longer based in Munich? I could only find FRA flights on the type through 2025.

[@hans-joachimrottger3495]

@deltafox757 You are right, all 10 of the Lufty A340 600 Airbus are now in their homebase in Frankfurt since 5 of them were replaced from Munich in September.The reason was the return of 8 Lufthansa A380 from storage in Teruel/Spain after the pandamic to come back in service. Greetings from Germany

[@NicolaW72]

Lufthansa is facing a couple of A 350-900-deliveries during the next months and this new A 350-900 will have a First Class, too, so they´re shifting the remaining A 340-600 to Frankfurt. The CEO Carsten Spohr announced that they will stay in Frankfurt then only for a short period of time and will be outfleeted end of 2025 because their unique engines are simply too expensive to maintain. The A 340-300 will in opposite to them stay in the fleet for a couple of years.

[@Warmachine_23]

Awesome that this is the first plane I can say that I've flown on too, from Frankfurt to Boston, back in August.

[@aaronthe747fan]

Im planning on flying on the a340-600 aircaft next year to JFK if you ever want to fly on again you have to go on Mahan air the Iranian carriers fleet is comrised on they fly the last a340-200 the aslo fly the 300 and 600 from Terhan to dubai Shanghai and Beijing are routes that can be taken Also Thanks for making great videos

[@gregsalter]

Got a chance to fly the Lufthansa A340-600 a few years ago out of Vancouver. Everything was very nice, but I REALLY liked the downstairs lavatory. Why? If you can't sleep on an overnight flight (like me), a few of us random passengers kind of hung out there by the little table area and chatted for some time with voices barely above whispering, while folks upstairs slept in the dark and quiet cabin. I know that standing near lavatories chatting with other folks might sound weird, but I assure you it felt very normal for us at the time.

[@NicolaW72]

Thank you very much!🙂👍 - The Engines are making this Aircraft model disappearing from the Lufthansa-Fleet in the near future, too. They´re indeed unique to the A 340-600 and therefore especially expensive to maintain. The A 340-300 will in opposite to the -600 for a couple of years to come in the Lufthansa fleet (the plan is to replace them piece by piece with B 787-9 but Boeing will probably keep them airborne for a couple of time).

[@a.c.2219]

As a kid, I remember flying on this bird in Lufthansa colors back in 2007. I was fascinated by the downstairs bathroom.

[@AnetaMihaylova-d6f]

Great content especially the comment about Lufthansa livery ...the previous one was much better

[@Arthion]

It's been quite a while since I flew an A340 at all but I remember them as being quite comfortable and quiet for the late 90s, early 00s standards.

[@Georgejoseph74]

Whoa..tx u for another fantastic video

[@marcschouten3527]

Lufthansa keeps unique planes. I flew back from Mallorca yesterday via Frankfurt and was happy to see the 747-800s at their gate and thought I saw an A340, I wonder if it was a 600.

[@ghostrider-be9ek]

0:43 - DAMN that was a very precise flare.

[@viktorm3840]

Nice! some glory at 11:27.

[@sam.v4]

my favourite!!

[@cherifbar]

I flew on the Lufthansa A340-600 back in 2010 between CYYZ AND FRA. we then continued on to CAI on the Lufthansa A340-300. Oddly enough that particular A340-300 was named after Gander Newfoundland.

[@dafirnz]

Probably had to do with all the planes that landed there on 9/11.

[@erik_griswold]

@@dafirnzGander was an important airport in the early days of trans-Atlantic passenger service.

[@AviatnRecap]

I love the a340

[@realmberlin]

HOLY! You are so lucky! My home airline, Iberia has soem a340-600s, but they’re too rare. Tehey are only used for Iberian-Latinoamerican Routes.

[@cabc74]

I flew a dozen times on Iberia's A340-600s. I miss them, the n3w A350s are configured as a sardine cans.

[@Energetics44110]

I flew on one in Feb. 2020 from SFO to FRA. I was surprised how silent the cabin was, compared to the 777 I flew in a week before.

[@Tropic101x]

I remember travelling on Virgin Atlantic A346 - they were so good.

[@FunkMasterJunk]

Very cool. What an awesome plane.

[@TheShowblox]

THE BEST AIRBUS🔥

[@rezaomar3397]

Fun fact: Lufthansa only operate their a380s out of Munich and none have flights out of Frankfurt (surprising to me considering Frankfurt is their main hub)

[@NicolaW72]

Munich will be their hub for A 380 and A 350-900, Frankfurt the hub for the B 747 (both -8 and -400), B 787-9 and for the remaining A 340-300 (A 340-300 shall be piece by piece replaced by 787-9 if Boeing is able to deliver them). So Munich will be the "Airbus"-Hub for Lufthansa and Frankfurt will be the "Boeing"-Hub for Lufthansa. At least that´s the plan announced by the Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr.

[@rezaomar3397]

@ oh interesting!!!

[@NicolaW72]

@@rezaomar3397 🙂

[@CaptureKing247]

11:40 You also get a nice view of a stranger's feet 🤣

[@QUAD405]

Hey I'm hopping on it at the end of the year! ORD - FRA

[@Mitchellisawesome100]

I flew on an A340 with Swiss from Zurich to Johannesburg earlier this year and glad I got to experience the aircraft. Not sure which variant it was tho

[@NicolaW72]

It was an A 340-300 - Swiss ownes only A 340-300, no A 340-600.

[@Mitchellisawesome100]

@ ahhh gotcha, thanks!!

[@NicolaW72]

@@Mitchellisawesome100 🙂

[@papercrane747]

My favourite plane. One of the prettiest as well

[@Eyob797]

Nice flight review, the inflight service looks good even though those business class seats with 2-2-2 layout are awful and outdated that offers zero privacy. The A340-600 is an interesting large airplane.

[@vapour_xs9235]

I had the pleasure of getting to ride 2 of the larger wide-body long haul aircraft around, too and from Taipei back in July 2023. Going there I was on a 777-300ER, and I must say it was not a great ride... Economy class in the middle row, middle seat, was pretty uncomfortable. But, I really enjoyed being on an aircraft I'd always pondered about. On my way back, however, I was treated to a window wing seat on an A350-1000. It was an absolutely incredible flight, with the catering and seating being exponentially better than the trip on the 777. This was all on China Airlines, an all around great airline to fly on a budget.

[@_Erogaki]

11:26 cool ass shot

[@ianghose1]

I've flown the A340-600 on the Frankfurt-San Jose and return routes. Much smoother than than the A380..

[@Atti-x3u]

22:01 is that the same a340 you saw pushing back before you?!?!

[@yashthorat8268]

Maybe a low cost carrier will pick up these unique stretched aircafts from Lufthansa

[@Blank00]

Most likely it will be an airline based in a sanctioned country like Iran Air or Conviasa

[@CaptureKing247]

As mentioned in this video, the main reason why A340 were retired earlier than expected, is due to the high cost to operate them. Highly unlikely a low cost carrier will "pick up" these.

[@yashthorat8268]

@@CaptureKing247 true. I meant not only low cost carriers but also carriers who cannot spend much on new aircraft. But they may buy them cause these A340 - 600s will be sold for comparatively cheap compared to latest planes.

[@MaShcode]

Exceptionally quiet for a four engine heavy. Isn’t the 340 the longest wingspan of any Airbus, excluding the super A380? Thanks for the tour of a plane with a basement. 😂

[@Rwlp_PhotoGraphy]

Now just need to get the rest of the family the -500 and -200 ( impossible) live the videos keep it up ❤

[@TheShowblox]

A340 gang👇🔥

[@TripReportaviation]

I hope I'll have an opportunity to try one of those and also on an A340-300. To me, the plane itself has made up for all the downside like dated cabin and I'd happily fly this plane.

[@TheShowblox]

Why don’t they put a little tire on the back like the Concorde bruh