TravelStories Episode 44: Lufthansa First Class with JT Genter

Episode 44: Show Notes.

Lufthansa’s First Class is revered as one of the more aspirational airline products to flight; Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal (FCT) is among the top 3 airline lounge experiences, and Trevor and Thomas both agree. Miles and Points expert and writer JT Genter joins us to share about himself, and to discuss his first Lufthansa First Class experience. JT and his wife, Katie, are digital nomads, and our conversation begins with a brief look at their recent jam-packed travel schedule. After JT details his approach to living as a digital nomad, he offers some advice, recommendations, and strategies for life on the road. JT's retelling of his LH F experience begins with how he met Trevor at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, before moving on to his arrival and overall impressions of the Lufthansa FCT. He then describes how he felt about the food, drinks, and service aboard Lufthansa’s Retro livery, and why he can’t wait for his next LH F experience. Somewhere in between, we discuss the degradation of travel apps like ExpertFlyer and why this loss of value is a common industry trend, and to end, JT describes his roles and responsibilities as a travel blogger and as the Editor-In-Chief at AwardWallet, and how he would fix common industry pain points to give miles and points a better future. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• [01:20] JT Genter details his professional history and how he entered travel. 
• [04:03] A quick look at his recent (and extensive!) travel log.  
• [05:26] JT’s approach to living as a digital nomad. 
• [10:03] His experience of traveling to Calala Island, and where Hyatt and Hilton fit in. 
• [11:05] JT’s advice and recommendations for life as a digital nomad. 
• [14:42] How Trevor and JT ran into each other in Germany.   
• [17:02] JT’s first-ever Lufthansa First Class (drinking game trigger word!) experience.
• [20:50] Why many flight apps like ExpertFlyer are rapidly decreasing in value.  
• [25:18] Getting back to JT’s first-class experience as he walks us through his airport arrival.  
• [26:57] His thoughts on the lounge in Frankfurt.
• [33:25] Lufthansa’s unique first-class terminal adventure. 
• [36:30] Unpacking JT’s in-flight experience aboard Lufthansa’s Retro livery.  
• [39:40] How he felt about the food, drinks, and onboard service.  
• [43:18] His final thoughts on flying Lufthansa First Class for the first time. 
• [44:33] Shifting gears as JT explains his role and responsibilities at AwardWallet. 
• [45:42] Our guest shares his perspective on the future of miles and points, with some suggestions for fixing common industry pain points. 
• [53:02] How to connect with JT. 

Quotes:

“It’s now been seven years [that] we’ve been full-time digital nomads. – We want to slow down, but we’re not anywhere close to settling down.” — @JTGenter [03:51]

“The crew was very welcoming once we got on board. We had an incredible crew, probably some of the nicest flight attendants we’ve ever had, which seems to be par for the course with Lufthansa.” — @JTGenter [37:25]

“The whole Park Hyatt motto of ‘luxury is personal’ is so true. Not one size fits all.” — @JTGenter [39:04]

“I can’t wait to [fly Lufthansa First Class] again!” — @JTGenter [43:27]

Longer Quotes:

“The people who are writing about points and miles choose not to write about [the best travel hacks] because they don’t want to kill it off, or they don’t go through the experience themselves. There are a lot of people in the miles and points community who write about it but don’t really live it.” — @JTGenter [47:32]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

JT Genter

JT Genter on X

JT Genter on LinkedIn

JT Genter on Instagram 

JT Genter on Threads 

Katie Genter on X 

Adventures of JT and Katie 

JT and Katie's Travel Schedule

AwardWallet 

Lufthansa 

ZorkFest 

Calala Island

Hyatt

Hilton

ExpertFlyer 

SeatGuru

AeroLOPA 

Chicago Seminars 

AwardHacker 

ITA Matrix 

Seats.aero 

EasyPASS 

Park Hyatt

Thomas Kim on X

Trevor Mountcastle on X