airberlin topbonus - Questions about Air Berlin

I hope this is in the right place.

This Saturday I will fly with Air Berlin from MIA - TXL - MUC for a summer study abroad, and I have several questions.

Do they enforce the 8kg hand baggage rule?

I'm willing to check a second bag for $40, but I've heard that they often "lose" checked baggage to make room for cargo on transatlantic flights. So I might arrive, but get my stuff a week later. Is this true?

If both are true, it shall be difficult since I won't have phone, internet, or many open stores until Tuesday evening since I will arrive on a Sunday and then Monday will be a holiday, and most of my 8kg is used up with my valuables.

:confused: I'm probably worrying to much, but yeah...

Also, is 2 hours enough time to go through customs and transfer?

My wife and I recently flew roundtrip JFK - TXL, and while not directly related to your question re departing from Miami, our experience may be relevant.

From JFK there was no ostensible monitoring or control of carry-on luggage, and we saw many bags being hoisted into the overheads that probably weighed considerably more than 17.6 lbs (8 kgs). However, on the return yesterday from TXL, each carry-on required a tag/sticker obtained at check-in ---- where there were scales and a vested monetary interest in finding overweight luggage. In other words, even if you have no trouble boarding at MIA, you might be dinged when boarding your connecting flight at TXL.

Regarding timing of connections, much depends on your ability to get through German passport control in a timely manner. Deplaning occurs from both the front and back of the plane, you board a bus that then takes you to a customs shed. We were seated in the middle of the coach section, and were therefore among the last to deplane, and our busload joined a mob scene as bad as any we had ever witnessed in India or the former Yugoslavia --- no lining-up, no ropes, no markings on the floor....hundreds of people pushing to enter three doors, each with a single customs official, each working very, very slowly. If we had been in a hurry, we would have chosen to sit near the front or back of the plane, and then positioned ourselves on the bus nearest to a bus door, and then raced from the bus into the shed and then to one of the two open doors (for non-EU passports) behind which sit the passport inspectors, and done so without any regard whatsoever to the people who arrived earlier....as that is precisely what many other arriving passengers did. Fortunately we weren't in a hurry, but that arrival scene was not to be believed. Most of Germany works very well, but this was an absolute sh!tshow.

If your connecting flight is on Air Berlin, then I wouldn't worry too much about a two hour connection (they must have many misconnects each day that they have to reeaccommodate on later flights). However, if your connection is on another carrier, I would definitely opt for a longer connection time (i.e. 3 hours).

Thank you. Yes, I am connecting through Air Berlin.

I take it that you either didn't check baggage, or had no issues with baggage getting lost then?

I take it that you either didn't check baggage, or had no issues with baggage getting lost then?

We did check luggage, both ways, and had no problems....and hadn't before heard of the lost baggage issue that you refer to. [There are daily nonstops on DL and CO from NYC to TXL, so perhaps it's less of a problem from here?]

We did check luggage, both ways, and had no problems....and hadn't before heard of the lost baggage issue that you refer to. [There are daily nonstops on DL and CO from NYC to TXL, so perhaps it's less of a problem from here?]

That's reassuring then.

Thanks again! ^

2h should be just fine as TXL is tiny. 8kg carry-on is not enforced on domestic flights. Occasionally during the colder months when pax bring loads of bulky coats and such the FAs will get cranky and make you check trolleys an larger bags, but as you're travelling in the summer you'll be fine.

What kind of summer school btw- at LMU?

2h should be just fine as TXL is tiny. 8kg carry-on is not enforced on domestic flights. Occasionally during the colder months when pax bring loads of bulky coats and such the FAs will get cranky and make you check trolleys an larger bags, but as you're travelling in the summer you'll be fine.

What kind of summer school btw- at LMU?
Yep, all was well and it took more like 2 minutes than 2 hours. I was mainly worried about the border control situation, since usually connecting to come into the US is fun and a half. But since my luggage was checked through all the way, I had nothing to worry about.

And genau, I am at LMU.

Yep, all was well and it took more like 2 minutes than 2 hours. I was mainly worried about the border control situation, since usually connecting to come into the US is fun and a half. But since my luggage was checked through all the way, I had nothing to worry about.

And genau, I am at LMU.

Whoops, should have looked at the date :o
Have fun, and if you need any advice on where to go in Munich, drop me a PM.