Lufthansa Is Tapping Kegs of Beer on Certain Flights for Oktoberfest

Celebrate the annual beer festival at 30,000 feet this year.

Lufthansa Is Tapping Kegs of Beer on Certain Flights for Oktoberfest

Lufthansa is serving draft beer on board its flights for the first time since the 1960s.

Courtesy of Lufthansa

For the first time in 50 years, Lufthansa is serving draft beer from kegs on board certain flights to celebrate Oktoberfest.

Back in the 1960s, passengers on “Lufthansa Senator Service” flights were treated to draft beer, as seen in the picture above. Limited to just three flights during Oktoberfest this year, the special beer service returns September 19 on the Munich to Newark route and continues September 25 on the Munich to Singapore flight. Just before the annual festival ends, anyone flying the Munich to Shanghai route on October 6 will enjoy the last in-flight keg of the year on Lufthansa.

To serve the beer at 32,808 feet, Lufthansa selected a special keg designed with a valve to regulate the carbon dioxide pressure so it doesn’t explode.

An example of what the kegs will look like on board

An example of what the kegs will look like on board

Courtesy of Lufthansa

But that’s not all. To get everyone in a celebratory mood, the cabin crew on these flights will swap out their regular navy and yellow uniforms for traditional Bavarian outfits in dark blue and silver gray. Lufthansa tapped Munich-based clothing specialist, Angermaier, to design the custom dirndls for the women and lederhosen for the men.

Munich’s traditional clothing specialist, Angermaier, designed the custom dirndls and lederhosen for the flight attendants.

Munich’s traditional clothing specialist, Angermaier, designed the custom dirndls and lederhosen for the flight attendants.

Courtesy of Lufthansa

If you don’t happen to be flying on one of these three flights, you can still celebrate Oktoberfest on Lufthansa flights over the next few weeks. Business-class passengers on intercontinental flights in September and October will be treated to an Oktoberfest menu including ox tartare with truffle and char with riesling sauce, while anyone passing through a Lufthansa Lounge at Munich’s airport can enjoy pretzels, white sausage, and Leberkäse, a type of German meatloaf during the annual festival.

If you’re heading to Munich for the first weekend of Oktoberfest, any passenger who lands at Terminal 2 in Munich between September 22 and 23 will receive a free box of goodies, including beer-mug-shaped gummies, pretzels, a vitamin drink (to fight off the hangover), and a special ribbon to decorate your beer mug. Prost!

>> Next: 10 Secrets to Doing Oktoberfest Like a Local

Lyndsey Matthews is the senior commerce editor at AFAR who covers travel gear, packing advice, and points and loyalty.
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