HunterSFO

11 Parts including this one POSTS #1-11 of this thread

• Click any Photo, then the magnifying glass on the page that comes up to see larger/smaller
• a "MORE PICS" link will be at the bottom of each section to see others that would have made the report too long

Table of Contents

1. Background
2. SFO-SAN UA F, Hyatt Regency Mission Bay (suite)
3. Andaz San Diego (suite), Quarter Kitchen Restaurant, Gaslap Quarter
4. SAN-SFO, Hyatt Regency SFO
5. United International First Class Louge SFO, Lufthansa 455 SFO-FRA First Class
6. Lufthansa First Class Lounge FRA A Gates, FRA-GOT in Lufthansa Business Class
7. Hotel Gothia Towers, Swedish Airforce Museum, Volvo Museum, GOT Maritime Museum, Volvo Cars Factory, SAS ARN-GOT
8. Hilton Stockholm Sluessen, Vasa, Stockholm, SAS Lounge GOT, GOT-FRA in Lufthansa Business Class
9. Hyatt Regency Mainz, Town of Mainz Germany
10. Lufthansa First Class Terminal FRA
11. LH 454 FRA-SFO Lufthansa First

BACKGROUND

I only started mileage running in May of 2009. Before that I only flew about 4 times in 10 years. Including about 7 years of not flying at all, and only using 1 day of vacation time from work in those 10 years. After taking a week before starting a new job to go to Hawaii, I began to do a little research online to see how I could use my frequent flyer miles from 2007 right before they were about to expire. That got me in to the hobby – which wasn’t a jump since I had really been an airline geek since I was a small child. Not flying United between 1997-2007 I had a big shock when I finally did get on a United plane in 2007. I had always wanted to try the new 777 since United launched it in 1999. When I first got on board the aircraft, all I could think of was “what happened to my favorite airline???” As a side note, I actually paid for E+. Boy how far I’ve come since last May!

So between 5/2009 and 12/2009, I earned almost 600,000 RDMs through Mileage Plus. At the beginning I wasted a whole bunch of them on things I wouldn’t dream of doing now, but since I learned my lessons the hard way, I learned them very well. By 11/2009 I knew more how to maximize the value of my redemption and I was able to book Luftahsa First Class (Business on the short hops) SFO-FRA-GOT with a stopover in FRA, then the trip home FRA-SFO departing from the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in FRA. I decided to take my father along as a Christmas and birthday gift. I called at about midnight, Chicago time on 10/31 and was able to book the award quite easily. I did not run in to any starnet blocking or any erroneous information from the agent. It was the call center in the Phillipines (called the 1K number.)

I booked a revenue round-trip ticket on SAS for GOT-ARN for about $119. The aircraft on that route are all economy-class configuration. More on that later.

I began the trip by going to SAN to celebrate my dad’s and my birthday with the family in SAN. His is 4/2 mine is 4/3.

On with the report!

HunterSFO

April 2, 2010

SFO-SAN United F, Hyatt Regency Mission Bay

I booked a one-way ticket for about $59 on a T fare to get from SFO-SAN. I had to book a fairly late flight to get that price and figured I’d do a same-day confirmed change to get on the flight I really wanted. Since there is no fee for a 1K to do this, I do it quite often when travelling between SFO and SAN or SFO and LAX. I forgot to take in to account that it was the Friday of Easter weekend. Oops. When I called to try to confirm the seat, they said the flight was oversold already. GRRR.

I got to the airport just in time to go to the gate to get on the standby list, but found out the flight was about 2 hours delayed. Almost everything out of SFO was delayed that day due to weather. This was great for me because so many people went standby on earlier flights that there were now 13 seats available on the one I wanted to go on! I went to the RCC at gate 80 and had them add me to the standby list. I was number 1 on the list. Perfect. I went over to Express Spa and used my “birthday coupon” for $25 worth of massage. Nice! I then had a little lunch of vegetables, light ranch, cheese, and crackers at the RCC. I was disappointed that there is now a sign indicating that domestic PAX are not allowed in the Int’l RCC anymore. Since the Int’l RCC has sprite zero and the gate 80 RCC doesn’t, this is kind of annoying. No big deal though.

About 35 minutes before departure, I arrived at the gate for my flight to SAN. I noticed my name wasn’t on the upgrade list so I asked the unusually friendly gate agent how that works now since this was my first flight with UDU in place. She said I would have to clear the standby list first and get a seat before I could get on the upgrade list. I asked whether she would clear standbys first or upgrades first. She said she clears upgrades first and that I probably wouldn’t get the upgradeThere were 2 F seats available on the A319 and there were already 7 people on the list. I smiled and politely replied “no problem”, that I understood and thanked her politely for her time and explaining how the new process works with UDU. When boarding time came around, the aircraft still had not arrived at the gate yet. Suddenly the GA paged me so I went up to the desk. The GA handed me an F boarding pass for 2C. I thanked her and smiled. GREAT start to my trip!

For once I wasn’t wearing my “Glenn’s Gotta Go” shirt because I was dressed up a bit for my dad’s birthday dinner with the family. The FAs were still unusually friendly. It was almost like flying CO. Pre-departure juice and water was offered then we had an uneventful flight to SAN.

After landing in SAN, I took the Hertz shuttle bus and picked up my car with no hassle – skipping the counter with my 5-star gold membership. I got a Mazda 5 for some really cheap rate – I ended up paying $19.44 all-in for 2 days. Don’t remember how I got that rate though… I proceeded to the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay to check-in.


The staff at HRMB are really friendly and professional. I was addressed by name, given a list of amenities, coupons for breakfast in the restaurant, and my diamond benefits were explained to me. They have closed their regency club due to the slow economy so I was given 2500 extra GP points. Note that for this stay I got 1000 1W points, 2500 DN points, 5000 GP500 promo points, 2500 “big welcome back” points, about 650 base points, and about 210 diamond bonus points. This added up to a total of about 12,000 points for a $159 stay!!! For comparison, you can get two nights in a category 1 property for that, or confirm suite upgrades on two stays. As a diamond member, they upgraded me to a corner suite on the 9th floor. It was about 600sq feet, had a fantastic view, and a very comfortable bed. That said, the furniture looked very worn and tired which was surprising due to the $20 million renovation they just finished. My room had two large flat screen TVs and I enjoyed those for most of the evening after getting back from dinner with the family.


I woke up on 4/3 (my birthday) and walked down to the Red Marlin restaurant for breakfast. The people there are always friendly and the food is excellent. You can choose any entrée and juice or coffee from the menu or you can have buffet. I had the buffet and got some delicious scrambled egg whites with spinach, tomato and salmon with a side of fresh fruit. The coupon says that gratuity and tax aren’t included, but my experience is that they don’t even give you a bill and nothing gets charged to you. YMMV.


I checked out of HRMB and spent the morning and early afternoon with the family.

More Pics Here

HunterSFO

April 2, 2010

I arrived at the Andaz San Diego at about 2pm and gave my rental car to the Valet. I think it was about $20/day but it allows unlimited in/out privileges whereas I believe the self-parking does not. There were several agents in the lobby area with laptops who were handling check-in. I didn’t have to wait at all. One of them introduced herself and began the check-in. My room wasn’t quite ready so she suggested I go to the rooftop bar for a few minutes while they finished preparing my room.

It was a beautiful day and the rooftop bar/pool area was a wonderful setting to get some sun and fresh air. After a few minutes the check-in agent appeared with my room key and escorted me to my room. Everything had very hip lighting including mood lighting in the hallways. Card keys were proximity cards, not magnetic strip cards. . I used a diamond confirmed suite upgrade.

The room was about 550 sq ft and had two very large flat screens. There was a nice sitting area with a sofa, coffee table, and an easy chair. The bathroom was dark stone and very classy looking. Amenities were much better than the typical Hyatt Portico stuff. Unlike the HRMB, everything in the room was in immaculate condition. They left a small light on for me, and soft ambient music was playing. I dumped my bag and then left to spend the rest of the day with my family.


At about 5pm I brought my parents back to my room and we watched “Up in the Air” on the large flat screen in my sitting area. During the movie we enjoyed the snacks and (non-alcoholic) drinks from the mini-bar - which are free to ALL guests at Andaz properties and refilled daily. Internet is also free for all guests. If you haven't tried Andaz I highly recommend it. I hear the best one is the one on 5th ave in New York.

We then walked downstairs to the quarter kitchen restaurant for my birthday dinner. I booked the “ANDAZ5” rate so I got 5000 extra GP points and a $50 credit for the restaurant. The restaurant has a very modern, hip atmosphere. The kitchen is open so you can see them preparing all the food – which I like. The popcorn shrimp appetizer was delicious, although I’d say size-wise they were more like jumbo shrimp. I had a very good salmon entrée. They brought me a complimentary pumpkin cheesecake dessert for my birthday and wrote “Happy Birthday Hunter” in chocolate on the plate. Nice touch. After the $50 credit was applied, we got out of there for about $50 including tax and tip. Not bad.

My parents went home and I decided to walk around the gas lamp quarter. It is full of bars and clubs. The 20-30 year old crowd dominates the scene and it looked like a great place if you are in to that. Andaz has two night clubs that are open to the public. Hotel guests get VIP wristbands and free entry in to both. One is in the basement and one is on the roof. It would be a fun place to go with friends for dancing and a drink. Note that you can hear the night club till 2am from all the rooms. You will not find a quiet place in the hotel till 2am. I stay up late anyways so it wasn’t a problem. When I got back I found that turn-down service had been done. Soft music was again playing in my room, and a chocolate and complimentary bottled water were on the nightstand next to the bed. Unlike most Hyatt properties I did not have to call to request turn down service.


In the morning, diamond free breakfast is via the menu in the restaurant, or room service. I chose room service. They were out of smoked salmon. Grrr. These things happen I guess. I ordered smoked turkey instead and a fruit plate. It was quite good. Checkout was a breeze and my car was waiting out front. I returned it to Hertz and proceeded to the commuter terminal at SAN to meet up with my father.

MORE PICS here

HunterSFO

4/4/10 SAN-SFO and Hyatt Regency SFO Airport

(PICS of this hotel from another trip - I've been here so many times I didn't bother to take photos of this property.)

I stay at Hyatt Regency SFO whenever I’m going on a trip that will get me home too late to catch a BART train back to my apartment from the airport. They offer a “park and fly” package that includes up to 12 days of valet parking right in the room rate. I’ve noticed that the more I stay here, the better the diamond upgrade I get. This time they gave me a bay view executive room which is basically a suite, except there is no door between the bedroom and the living area. It is not, however as spacious or well appointed as the suite I got using a diamond confirmed suite upgrade.


When we got to the room, neither my dad, nor I wanted to sleep on the pull out sofa, and there was only one bed. We forfeited this upgrade to got a room with two beds on the Regency Club floor. It was perfectly acceptable. We then left the hotel and went to spend the evening with my sister in Berkeley.

In the morning, we woke up at a leisurely pace and went to the regency club for breakfast. The spread was decent, though not fantastic. My main problem with it is that this is one of the few Hyatt’s that doesn’t have smoked salmon. Would there be any smoked salmon on this trip?

I ran in to lucky9876coins in the regency club. He was mileage running and had attended a flyertalk dinner in San Francisco. Of course both of us were happy to be getting credit for our Hyatt stay in the “Big Welcome Back” promotion – 1 free night for every 2 stays with Hyatt.

After breakfast, my dad and I packed up and hopped on the shuttle to SFO. We arrived a little bit early and Lufthansa check-in was not yet open. I took my dad over to the free “SFO Airport Museum” over in the international terminal. It had a JAL display featured and was very interesting to look at. It’s a great way to kill some time if you are waiting to check-in for a flight.

HunterSFO

4/5/10 SFO United IFL and LH F SFO-FRA

By the time my dad and I were done at the airport museum, Lufthansa check-in had sprung fully to life. Plenty of agents were available to handle everyone checking in to the flight on the 747. We went to the First Class check in line and the friendly agent tagged our bags priority and took them from us. She reprinted our boarding passes since ours were the online type. We then proceeded to the premium security line. After not too long, we were through security and headed for the United IFL.

Despite what many people have told me, I found the agent at the IFL to be very friendly. We proceeded downstairs and I discovered why most people consider this the nicest lounge in United’s system. I would say it’s about 15% nicer than what I think the RCC should be. There was plenty of seating, food, drink, WiFi, and power outlets to keep me and everyone else in there happy. It is much nicer than the IFL at LAX or JFK.


Before too long we were on our way to the gate to board our flight to FRA. One huge difference I noticed at the gate is that unlike United who woefully under-staffs the gate area, there were 4 agents working this flight. The line to talk to an agent was short and the customers didn’t look annoyed.


Boarding was much less orderly than United though. All elites, *golds, first class, and business class were grouped together for “priority” boarding and it was a huge free-for-all. It took us about 15 minutes to get on the plane. There were more LH agents in the jet bridge directing traffic.
Once on-board, we were directed up the stairs where we were warmly greeted by the first class flight attendants.


They took our coats (I had to convince my dad that he didn’t need to stuff it in the overhead bin) and immediately offered us drinks and macadamia nuts.


We had the exit row so there was plenty of room.


After a few minutes the passengers in F were all seated and a flight attendant came by with slippers, socks, pajamas, and amenity kits and said “please accept this gifts from Lufthansa.” My dad was a bit overwhelmed because he was not prepared for anyone to offer him anything. Watching him was fun curiously explore his “gifts” was fun.


Pretty soon we heard the announcement “boarding complete” come over the PA and everything was stowed for takeoff. As soon as the seatbelt sign was off, the FAs sprang in to action. The drink station was setup and hot towels were distributed. Drink orders were taken and a small potato salad on radish appetizer was served. Dinner menus and wine lists were distributed and the purser came by to each passenger to introduce herself, chat a little, welcome us, and assure us that if we needed anything to let any of the FAs know.

Lufthansa provides separate printed menus for each meal and wine. Contents as follows:


(welcome note from "star chef")

A warm welcome!

The path that led me from a pure passion for good dining to an actual profession took me through diverse stations: from my native country of Costa Rica to France, Switzerland, the Caribbean and finally to the United States. Everywhere I met gifted mentors, inspiring colleagues, and a challenging audience. And everywhere I was able to learn, combine and experiment - with exciting flavors and nuances in taste, and with the widest variety of textures, colors and decorative elements. And just when I allowed myself to be enriched by many influences, I was ultimately surprised by the discovery of my very own style. My multicultural heritage compels me to be curious, open-minded and creative. My Latin American roots ensure the necessary passion. And because, as Executive Chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Denver, I also have the privilege of living in an incredibly multifacedted metropolis, it is easy for me to find the highest quality products when I do my daily shopping. The local markets offer everything needed for preparing the very best food.

It is a great pleasure for me to treat you with a menu today which reflects my highly nuanced approach to cooking. I wish you great pleasure and a pleasant flight with Lufthansa.

Andres Jimenez

MENU
Choice of Hors d'oevres

Caviar with the traditional Garnishes
Smoked Trout Mousse, poached Leeks, Mustard Dressing
Duck Confit, Sherry Vinaigrette
Seared Watermelon, Goat Cheese Mousse, Banyuls Glaze, crushed Pistachio

Salad

Seasonal Salad
presented with delicious Dressing

Choice of Main Courses

Mustard rubbed Breast of Chicken, Tomato-green Olive Salsa, Cafe de Paris
Parmasan crusted Halibut, Basil Risotto, White Wine Buerre Blanc
Pork Tenderloin Medallion, Rice Cake, Spinach, Baby Carrots, Porcini Sauce
Spinach stuffed Gnocchi, sauteed Cremini Mushrooms, Pine Nuts and Parmesan

Selection of Cheese and Dessert

Brie, herbed Goat, Morbier, Gruyere and Roquefort Cheese garnished with grapes
Cherry Clafoutis, Vanilla Ice Cream
Rum Baba, Strawberry with Tarragon, Ice Cream
Specialty Dessert Wines

Wine/Spirits
Champagne

2000 Champagne Laurent-Perrier, Mellesime, France

Aperritif

Campari
Sherry "La Guita"

Monthly Proposal

2006 Mendoza Malbec, Catena Alta, Argentina

White Wine

2007 Schloss Vollrads Riesling Spatlese trocken, Gutsverwaltung Schloss Vineyards, Germany

2008 Pomino Bianco DOC "Benefizio", Marchesi de Frescobaldi, Italy

2008 Ihringer Winklerberg Beiburgunder Spatlese trocken, Winzergenossenschaft Ihringen, Germany

Red Wine

2006 Dao Rserva, Casa de Santar, Portugal

2002 Chateau Belgrave, Cru Classe, Haut-Medoc, France

Desert Wine

Kiedrich Grafenberg Riesling Auslese, Weingut Robert Weil, Germany

Monthly Proposal

Vieille Pomme Royale - Alter Apfel, Etter, Switzerland

Spirits

Jack Daniels's Tennessee Whisky Old #7
Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Bushmills Malt 10 Years old
Smirnoff Red Vodka
Bombay sapphire Distilled London Dry Gin
Cognac Lheraud Cuvee 30
Calvados Pays d'Auge AC, Daron
Fernet Branca
walcher Williams Exclusiv
Etter Zuger Kirch, 42 Vol. %, Jahrgang 1998
Baileys Irish cream
Niepoort Portwein
Warsteiner Beer
Erdinger Beer

-----

After we got our drinks, dinner orders were taken. Of course, we were not asked what our “second choice” would be because Lufthansa doesn’t seem to run out of anything in First Class. Place settings consisting of table cloth, flatware, cloth napkin, ceramic (not plastic) salt and pepper shakers, bread plate, and butter dishes were then brought around.


Lufthansa also includes a rose with each place setting – nice touch.

The appetizer cart then came down the aisle offering a very nice presentation of the 3 appetizers and caviar for those who wanted it. I took all three appetizers, but since I don’t like caviar I passed on that.

[CENTER]

Appetizers by upfeij01, on Flickr


Duck Confit, Sherry Vinaigrette by upfeij01, on Flickr

Another FA followed shortly after with an impressive bread basket and let us choose any (and as many) selection we liked. Unique to Lufthansa - fresh baked pretzel bread was among the choices. Our glasses never got close to empty during the meal, and the bread basket must have come around 4 more times.

As soon as I was finished with my appetizer, the dirty dishes were whisked away and my drink refreshed. The salad cart came next. The salad was fresh, crisp, and beautifully presented. No plastic tubs of pre-packaged dressing here – the salad was dressed by the FA before being served. Though I had my own salt and pepper shakers, I was offered fresh ground pepper which I gladly accepted.


My main course followed soon after my salad plate was cleared away. It was delicious like everything else so far. The pace was perfect, and after I finished my main course, the plate was cleared away.


By this point I was starting to get full, but then I saw the fruit, cheese and dessert cart coming my way. I tried all the soft cheeses but passed on the others since I was getting full. No individually wrapped plastic packets of crackers here. I pointed to the kinds I wanted and the FA put them on my plate with my cheese and fruit. I also got a delicious ice cream, fresh strawberry, and pastry dessert. The strawberries were floating in some kind of light syrup that was really good with the ice cream.


At this point I was totally full but then another cart came around offering coffee, tea, liquers and chocolates. I had just a couple chocolates and they were really good! My place setting was soon cleared away. I watched a movie on the AVOD system. The AVOD was the only gripe I had about the flight. It was slow to respond on the touch screen, and lacked many features like a track list in the music player. The screen was tiny as well. Still it was better than an old tape based system or nothing.


After my movie, I laid my seat flat and slept for a few hours. Lufthansa’s blankets are quire comfortable. The pillows are okay but having a second one would have helped a lot. The lie flat seat was good enough for me to get some real sleep. The purser did make a point to tell us that all Lufthansa F seats were beginning to get replaced. The new seats, he promised, would be much better. I guess I’ll have to try them when they come out. Maybe they will be like the new Swiss F.

When we boarded, the FAs had asked each of us if we wanted to be woken up for breakfast. I did and I was not disappointed. We all got breakfast drinks and breakfast menus. I had orange juice with tasted fresh-squeezed. I’ve gotten so used to what United calls orange juice that I forgot how good the real stuff tastes.


Breakfast Menu:

Cold and hot Specialty

Freshly squeezed Orange Juice
Fresh Fruit
Yogurt with dried Fruits, Granola Mix, Cornflakes and Milk

Smoked Salmon, Turkey Pastrami, Roast Beef Deli Style and grilled Chicken Breast emmental, Cheddar and Brie Cheeses

------

The breakfast appetizer cart came through next and I tried a little of everything. The croissants were so good I ate it before taking the picture. Sorry!


After that, hot entrees, breadbasket again, and it was all delicious. After breakfast, coffee and tea were offered. The purser came around once again to thank us for flying Lufthansa, wish us a fun “holiday” in Europe, and ask us if we enjoyed our flight. Before I knew it we were landing in FRA.


MORE PICS of the SFO UA International First Lounge

and

MORE PICS of LH 455 SFO-FRA

HunterSFO

4-6-10 LH F Lounge FRA A gates, FRA-GOT in C

After deplaning in the B gates, we had to go through passport control to enter Germany. On the way to the A gates, we had to re-clear security which was a very slow and thorough process, but without “shoe security theater”. The “priority” line did not seem to be any shorter or faster than the regular lines. I did feel that the agents were competent and actually doing things that had a prayer of keeping us safe, so I didn’t mind the wait. My agent saw my US passport, handed me a penny and said I could have the “US Coin” since I was from there. Wow, now I can afford another trip – or not.

In the A gates, there is a senator lounge on the ground floor with a First Class Lounge above it. They have totally separate entrances and are not connected. The F lounge blows anything UA has out of the water.


Amenities included a huge full-service bar, and drink orders were taken at your seat and brought to you. There was a spectacular buffet, plenty of a-la-carte choices, a beautiful dining room, nap rooms, showers, and the fanciest airport restroom I’ve ever seen.


I believe there were a couple of PCs available but I didn’t use them. Internet access was free via WiFi – you just had to get one of the little slips of paper with the username and password on it in order to log in. I was still a bit full from the TATL flight so I ate lightly.


Before long, it was time to head for our flight to GOT. We left the lounge and easily found our gate. The flight was running late, but we eventually got on it about 30 minutes behind schedule. LH flights inside Europe are two-cabin aircraft with economy and business. Business class seats are basically about as roomy as UA E+ but with the middle seat blocked off. Even though the flight was only about an hour, we were served a meal that was about as good as big as what UA serves on midcons. The quality, taste, and creativeness, however were much better. I couldn’t make myself eat the octopus tentacles though… They are currently featuring native dishes from various countries in Europe.


We got to GOT which is a tiny little airport and deplaned. Our bags were tagged HON and were the first two off the plane. EXCELLENT! Customs consisted of some people standing near the door with a dog as we walked out of the baggage claim. We then hopped on the “flygbuss” in to GOT.

MORE PICS of LH First Lounge at FRA A Gates

HunterSFO

4-6-10 thru 4-8-10 Hotel Gothia Towers, Swedish Air Force Museum, Volvo Museum, GOT Maritime Museum, Volvo Cars Factory

Hotel Gothia Towers was conveniently located right by a major tram stop, bus stop, and airport shuttle stop. It was about a 2 minute walk to the hotel from where we got off the airport shuttle. There was no line to check in, and the agent was very nice. She welcomed us, and explained the benefits of the “Sky Executive” room I booked to us. Basically it was free breakfast, a discount in the restaurant, and a nicer room on a high floor. Our room was nicely prepared for us with free sparkling water and Toblerone bars, a note from the GM offering us a free mini bottle of wine from the mini-bar, robes and slippers.


Our room overlooked an amusement park that was supposed to be the best one in Sweden, but it was not yet open season. The architecture in this city was just beautiful, and they really did a good job making new ultra-modern buildings not look out of place amongst other buildings that were centuries old. Almost everyone we encountered spoke English except for some people who were immigrants to Sweden and did not grow up in a country that taught English classes in school.


Once we got settled in to our room, we took a taxi over to a Swedish air museum located near Gothenburg. It was getting kind of close to closing time but our cab driver somehow negotiated a discounted rate for us. The museum was made out of a retired cold-war era underground air force base. Dating back to World War II, Sweden has a history of hiding its air force and using the national highway system as airstrips. This makes it much harder for an enemy to destroy aircraft on the ground or to put air bases out of service via bombing. They had a very good collection of the aircraft used during the entire history of the Swedish Royal Air Force. The only aircraft that I did not see represented was the Saab “Grippen” which is still the main fighter in active service for many air forces around the world. Note that the Saab military aircraft are typically powered by Volvo engines. The aircraft, bus, heavy truck, and construction equipment parts of Saab and/or Volvo are still Swedish owned and completely separate from the car companies that bear the same names. Also on display are the Swedish designed and made components used in the United States’ space program.


The next day we took public transportation over to the waterfront and visited the maritime museum. There was a good variety of Swedish ships including a destroyer and a submarine. Since I like to visit both air and ship museums, this was a great place of interest for me. The waterfront in Gothenburg is absolutely beautiful and the opera house is an outstanding piece of architecture. I think it is more beautiful than the Sydney opera hosue.


At lunch we were finally able to find some real Swedish food. We went to a small restaurant at the Gotaplatsen – a city square area that had a couple of concert halls or theaters. The restaurant featured local organic ingredients. We ordered the special which was venison meatballs, steamed potatoes, and lingonberries. It was absolutely fantastic! I regret not going back a second time. I will be sure to go there the next time I am in Gothenburg.


After lunch we headed over to the Volvo museum. This museum is jointly run by Volvo Car Corporation and AB Volvo which makes trucks, busses, construction equipment, and aircraft engines for SAAB aircraft. I was very impressed with the museum. It was much bigger than I expected.


They offer one guided tour per week which we decided to take. It was given by the director of the museum. He had been an executive at Volvo for many years and I gathered this position was a semi-retirement position. I could tell that he was as much an enthusiast as any one I’ve ever met at Volvo Club of America events. At closing time when we inquired about the bus schedule he insisted on driving us to the subway station. Instead he drove us all the way back to our hotel. It was a shining example of the warm hospitality we experienced all over Sweden.

The next morning the “Heaven 23” was re-opened after being closed for renovation. They had a fantastic breakfast buffet.


My dad and I ate much more than we planned to and then were ready to head out to our tour of the Volvo factory in Gothenburg. Roughly half of the world’s Volvos are made at this factory – basically all of the larger models. XC90, XC60 and S80. The rest are made in Ghent, Belgium. A small number are assembled from kits in Canada, Malaysia, and the Netherlands.


No cameras are allowed on the Volvo factory tour. It was fascinating to see the cars being made. Most if it was done by robotics. Its also interesting how they can build several different models on the same production line without retooling. Each car has a transponder that tells the robots whether it is an SUV, a station wagon, or a Sedan. The robots then adjust accordingly.

After the factory tour we headed back to the GOT airport to grab our SAS flight to Stockholm. Upon arrival at GOT, I realized that the Star Alliance Lounge was NOT accessible to passengers on domestic flights. We had to wait for our flight in the terminal. One interesting note is that both GOT and ARN had huge children’s play areas in the terminal. The Swedes really take care of their kids!

Our flight on SAS was on a 737-300. It was immaculately clean, but other than that I can’t say much good about it. It was kind of like Southwest – no first class, no audio, no video, no food. Even worse they charge for sodas or water. I did not have anything on this flight. Thank goodness it was only about 45 minutes. Boarding was also a “free for all” and I don’t recall any special boarding for star golds or even SAS “Eurobonus” elites for that matter. We also only earned 125 miles for this flight (the minimum) because it was an “L” fare. Note the tacky ads on the seat backs...


MoORE PICS of Hotel Gothia Towers

and

MORE PICS of Swedish Airforce Museum

and

MORE PICS of Gothenburg, Sweden

and

MORE PICS of Volvo Museum

and

MORE PICS of GOT-ARN on SK

HunterSFO

April 8, 2010

Once we landed at ARN, we boarded the “Flygbuss” which took us in to downtown Stockholm. Instead of taking the subway to the hotel, we took a taxi and were there very shortly. I burned the last 70,000 Hilton points I had for this stay. The hotel was much nicer than any Hilton I’ve been to in the United States. We were upgraded to a “Crown Suite” which had a dining room, living room, bedroom, huge bathroom with spa tub, and a bottle of wine and Swedish chewy candies as a welcome gift.


The service was good and the breakfast buffet was huge.


The executive club had a gigantic spread during cocktail hour including hot food. This was probably the best club lounge I’ve ever gone to as far as the food selection goes, although Hyatt Regency San Francisco I think is a better lounge over all.


April 9, 2010

We had basically one day in Stockholm, so we took a boat over to the Vasa museum. The vasa is a huge warship that sunk on its maiden voyage in the 1600’s. Due to the conditions in the harbor, it was remarkably well preserved and has been brought up recently and made in to a museum. The museum was very well put together. The exhibits were interesting , informative, attractive, and very well maintained. I highly recommend this museum to anyone who visits Stockholm. The ship is so huge that it really makes you just stand in awe for the first few minutes you see it. There is a lot to look at here and we easily spent over 3 hours and did not see everything. You could very well spend an entire day here.


After leaving the Vasa museum we went to the Stockholm Aquarium. It was small but very nicely designed and maintained. I especially liked the indoor rainforest you can walk through. It has birds, plants, and a river full of fish including Discus (my favorite.) We got a Stockholm card which covered our admission to the aquarium, the vasa, the buses, and the subway. It was a great deal.


There was so much to eat in the hotel lounge that we ended up not going out for dinner. We got to bed early because we had an early flight back to GOT the next morning. When we woke up, we decided to take the 20-minute “Arlanda Express” to get to the airport. It got there in half the time the “Flygbuss” would have taken. I did get a little motion sick though which has never happened to me on a train before – only boats.

Our flight from ARN to GOT was about like the flight in. Not much to say.


Once we got to GOT we had to collect our bags and then re-check them for our flight to FRA. The flight to FRA was considered international so we were able to use the SAS lounge which is located in the international terminal at GOT. It was a perfectly nice lounge that was slightly less extravagant than the Lufthansa Senator Lounges in the United States. We had several hours there so we ate, drank, and slept until our flight.


The short flight in Lufthansa business class was phenominal! I wish shorthaul on US owned carriers was this good! Before took off we were offered pre-departure beverage of choice, and a wide array of magazines and newspapers. Once airborne, we got another beverage and a full meal. All this was on a 1 hour flight!


After landing in FRA we gathered our bags and hopped on the S8 train to Mainz. We ended up getting off one station past our hotel and so we needed a cab to get there. We found a cab easily enough and within a few minutes we arrived at Hyatt Regency, Mainz.

MORE PICS of Hilton Stockholm Sluessen

MORE PICS of Stockholm

MORE PICS of ARN-GOT-FRA and SAS Lounge

HunterSFO

This property was excellent! It made the Hilton from the night before seem shabby. The check in agent was friendly and gave us some local tips and answered all the questions we had about the area. She escorted us to the elevator. When we got out of the elevator on the regency club floor, another representative escorted us to our suite.


I used a diamond suite upgrade and we were given a Regency Suite. It had floor to ceiling windows all along the length of the suite that overlooked the Rhine river.


There was a comfortable seating area, two bathrooms (one with a huge soaking tub) a dining room, and a bedroom with walk in closet. The TVs were a little dated – they were hi def CRTs.


There was also a DVD player and a bose sound system. As is typical of Hyatt suites, there were a bunch of CDs and DVDs as well as magazines on the coffee table. They left us a full bottle of wine and a bowl of apples as a welcome amenity.


The regency club had a much smaller buffet than the Hilton but it was laid out in a much classier way, and the service was impeccable (as opposed to almost non-existent in the Hilton club.) We enjoyed watching the sunset over the Rhine while we drank and ate some light appetizers.


After that we headed downstairs and inquired with the Concierge about a good place for dinner. She recommended a local tavern that was just wonderful. It was a tiny hole in the wall (didn’t even accept credit cards) and could hold maybe 30 people. When we walked in everyone seemed to be having so much fun. The food was authentic German food cooked “homestyle” and it was delicious. I think I loved the atmosphere most.


Again I will definitely go back here the next time I am in Mainz!

MORE PICS of Hyatt Regency Mainz

MORE PICS of Mainz, Germany

HunterSFO

When we arrived at FRA, we headed for the First Class Terminal. I rang the little “doorbell” thingy and someone immediately came down to greet us. She greeted us warmly and collected our boarding passes and passports. At the top of the elevator we got out and our LH representative told us to just leave our bags and from here out everything would be handled for us until we were onboard the aircraft.

The representative then led us to the security checkpoint – the First Class Terminal has its own checkpoint. When we got there, there were no passengers in line. There were however, 5 agents waiting to process us through security. They did the usual metal detector/carry-on x-ray and we were both done within about 3 minutes.

Next our representative (from here on – personal assistant) gave us a tour of the entire range of amenities available to us – all at no charge. These are mostly pictured below including full bar with top shelf liquor (service at your seat or walk up) full buffet and a-la-carte made to order items, private offices with computer and fax, WiFi, private nap rooms, shower/bath complete with toiletries, robe, and a rubber ducky. Also available was a smoking lounge complete with its own bar and Bang & Oluffsen stereo. Plenty of comfortable seating was available throughout. Before leaving us, our personal assistant assured us that she would find us in plenty of time to make our flight and if we needed anything at all to let her or any staff member know.


Once I stepped out of the elevator I immediately felt like I had everything taken care of by someone else and that I could spend the time before my flight relaxing and spending quality time with my father. We wandered around a bit and then decided to have a meal. The dining room felt like an upscale bistro and all of the tables were beautifully set. Each place setting had a menu and we were also invited to visit the buffet. This was as good as or better than any place we would have been able to find on our own in Frankfurt within our budget.


I had heard rumors that photography was not allowed, because it bothers the guests. I very discretely took my photos paying special attention not to bother anyone, and nobody seemed to have an issue with it. That however, is the reason I did not get a photo of the main bar or close ups of many things I normally would have. The (very friendly) waiter even took a picture of us in the dining room.


When it was time to leave, our personal assistant found us and escorted us downstairs where we re-collected our boarding passes and passports. A chauffer was waiting to drive us and two other passengers to our plane. We got to see a lot of planes while driving on the tarmac. They stopped just below our jetbridge and escorted us up some stairs that led directly to the door of the aircraft. The flight attendants took over from there. We did not have to walk through the airport at all, and we didn't even know our gate number. In fact I never once thought to look up anything about how to get on board our flight once we arrived at the airport!

Overall this was an absolutely flawless delivery of service that the entire travel industry should use as a bar to measure themselves against. If you fly first class and need to connect in Europe, fly Lufthansa and stopover in FRA!

MORE PICS of Lufthansa First Class Terminal FRA

HunterSFO

Much like our outbound flight, the first flight had friendly FAs, greeting and "goodbye" conversations with the purser, excellent food, outdated AVOD, comfortable flat-bed seats, and an array of amenities. Some of thi highlights below:

Menu


Choice of Hors d'oeuvres

Caviar with the traditional Garnishes
Crabmeat and Avacado Timbale with green Apple and roasted Sesame
Goat Cheese and Tomato Terrine, Pesto with Pine Nuts
Rsoulade of Quail on Spinach with marinated Swedes

Salad or Soup

Frisee, Rucola, Radicchio and Romaine Lettuce with Carrots, Tomatoes and Bell Pepper with your Choice of Wild Garlic or Orange and Mustard Dressing

or

Curry Bisque
Cream Soup of Seafood with Curry

Choice of Main Courses

Stiller's Sauerbraten, slow braised Beef Cheek, Cauliflower Puree and fried Bread Dumpling Slices

Grilled Scallops with Nutmeg and Vanilla auce, Sugar Peas, Beans, Muchrooms and green Pea Mash

Vegetable Strudel with Asian Soy Jus, Baby Bok Choy and Shitake Mushrooms

Fried Breast of Guinea Fowl with Tomato Trilogy and Parisienne Potatoes

Selection of Cheese and Dessert

Blue de Gex, Fougerus, Beaufort, Livarot and ashed Goat Cheese garnished with Grapes and Pecan Nuts

White Coffee Mousse and Chocolate Sorbet with Red Wine and Espresso Sauce

Warm Banana Cake, Caramel Sauce and Macadamia Nut Ice-Cream

Specialty Dessert Wines

We are pleased to serve you a selection of canapes, biscuits and fresh fruits during the flight.

Star Chef: Stefan Stiller, Executive Chef Stiller's Restaurant in Shanghai, China


Lunch

Cold and hot Specialties

Sliced Tenderloin of Beef Mediterranean Style, Tete de Moine, Carrots and Pine Seed Vinaigrette

Halibut Roll filled with Brandade accompanied by green Asparagus and Lime Dip

Orechiette Pasta with green Peas, Sun dried Tomatoes, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Spinach and Italian Herbs

Cherry Peppers filled with Cream Cheese

Marinated Artichoke Hearts

Herb Creme Fraiche

Trout Meuniere with Potatoes and browned Butter

Schlutzkrapfen, Tyrolean Dumpling filled with Ricotta and Spinach accompanied by Rocola-Tomatoes

Dessert

Strawberry and Herb Tart
Fresh Fruit

Beverage Selection same as outbound flight...

The flight was excellent and over all too soon. The purser told us before landing that Lufthansa was replacing all of their first class seats with a newer better version, as well as new blanket and pillow designs. There will be half as many F seats on each aircraft though. She also said that the A340 aircraft would be done first, followed by A330 and 747s.

I can only hope my next vacation goes this well.

MORE PICS of Lufthansa 454 FRA-SFO


*Look for my next trip SFO-PVG (via ICN OZ F or SIN SQ F - not sure yet)
Park Hyatt Shanghai (suite)
PVG-BKK-NRT (incl BKK TG First Lounge/spa)
Park Hyatt Tokyo (suite)
NRT-ICN-LAX OZ F
LAX-SFO UA F

FriendlySkies

Excellent report, Hunter! The food options really made me wish I could catch a LH flight tonight! Really looking forward to the trip after seeing these photos!

chubbuni13

Nice pics, HunterSFO. Your father's quite a warrior being able to handle all of that flying. My dad (more typical Asian dad) would fall apart being in the air that much.

UaCoCo

Wonderful trip report. I can't wait to experience LH F.

SFflyer123

Great TR! Thanks for sharing this.

I was wondering, however. How do you get photos on flickr to post on Flyertalk? It used to work, but they've somehow disabled the feature. I cannot get flickr photos to worker on FT, but somehow you have. What is the trick to getting flickr photos to work on FT?

Thanks!