TRIP REPORT VENICE ITALY LUFTHANSA FIRST CLASS


Part 1: JFK-FRA
Part 2: Lufthansa First Class Terminal
Part 3: FRA-VCE
Part 4: NH Palazzo Borroca Venice
Part 5: Venice, Italy
Part 6: VCE-FRA
Part 7: FRA-JFK

LUFTHANSA
LH 325
Aircraft: A321
Actual seat: 10F BUSINESS CLASS
Depart: VCE (Marco Polo Airport)
Arrive:FRA (Frankfurt Airport)
Sched.Departure: 10:25am Actual Departure : 10:44am
Sched.Arrival: 11:55am Actual arrival: 11:39am

At around 6:45am I got up and took one last semi-long shower under the amazing rainshower, which I dread leaving! I don't want to go home back to my New York City apartment that is a drought haven, well unless I stand outside during a frequent Northeast thunderstorm.

Of course I took all precautions not to flood my bathroom floor again, but well it happened AGAIN! seriously they need to fix that!

I checked out at 7:20am and had to pay a Venice tax of 12€ but check out was efficient and very friendly. I actually could have waited longer but nevertheless I sat enjoyed the last remnants of Venice with the cool breeze. I saw the water taxi heading toward the dock and I leisurely strolled a whole 10 steps to board, and this time the boat had only 2 people on board. The driver was friendly and in good spirits! We left exactly at 7:30am! I was impressed, I worked in Genoa, Italy (working for a cruise line) for a year many years ago and punctuality was not common in Italy!

A relaxing ride through the canals we only picked up a family of 4 and headed straight to the airport. My flight was not till 10:25am but thought I would take the earlier boat so that I could enjoy and relax in the lounge, so I thought!

There's something so beautiful about the morning sun over the water, just spectacular! I need to buy a boat, ha!

less than an hour, I got off the boat and walked the 7mins to the terminal which was a buzz with people, everywhere, and as I found the check-in line, well its was absolute chaos! The First class/Business Class lane was long and at a standstill and it was not moving, in fact they were not checking people in. They were calling out Munich flights which was about to depart in 20mins, understandable but wow it was still a mess. 15mins went by before we finally started to move, and lots of people were trying to cut in, just crazy and since I was technically flying Business class to connect to First class, I did some yoga breathing and thought about Devil Wears Prada (I love travel, I love travel, I love travel, haha)



Finally we started to move and I was excited to experience the Lounge in Venice, what delights do I have in-store for me to day! Weeee

First Class/Business class check-in


Finally it was my turn, and the super friendly agent called me over, she was smiling from ear to ear and it put me at easy. I handed over my passport and within a moment she said, "Mr nycflyer75 you are connecting to JFK in first class, please forgive me for not having you check in right away. We have very large business class today but you are all set and please enjoy your last moments in Venice, you may use the priority lane to your left and lounge pass to the Marco polo lounge, thank you for flying Lufthansa, and Arrivedeci and buon viaggio!" Wow the New Yorker in me felt like I was from Iowa and grateful for all, indeed I was and I headed to the security lane, and in seconds I was through.

VCE airport


Versas (Showgirls)


Burberry


I was impressed with so many designers at the airport! I get a sense that Venice is quite wealthy, and the airport looked quite nice! I headed up the escalators to the lounge walking past Alitalia lounge which I would like to try one day. I was in high spirits and a good mood!

Immigration point


Marco Polo lounge sign



Once entering the lounge, the dragon either had too much botox or was not in the mood this morning and did not utter a word or look at me. ha I don't care honey, I am flying in First Class soon and nothing is gonna rain on my parade!

Once I turned my head, I was shocked how busy this lounge was, it was packed and then it got worse, to the point people were just standing everywhere.
The lounge was very basic and not much on offer but one thing that I loved was the terrace, I love airport terrace's, I was a little kid again standing outside smelling the oil, the noise of the planes, I was in heaven.
I stood out there for a good 10 mins just enjoying my surroundings, absolutely alone. A peaceful moment in the sounds of the airport! This is why I love flying, for this moment! I always thought I would work for an airline as a pilot, or crew when I was 7-12, in fact I was lucky as a kid growing up with a frequent business traveling single father who took me everywhere with him, my first passport was when I was 2months old. Now as an adult who travel frequently for business and frequent pleasure, it was a great moment and brought a smile to my face.

I had to go back to the dreaded NYC subway lounge with two planes ready to head back to the states that also use the lounge.

Crazy busy lounge


Food area


yoghurt


Open Terrace


View Apron


Delta 767


Us Airways (American Airlines) A330


As more people started to come in, I decided to leave and head to the gate area and hang out there, and since the airport has free wifi that all I really wanted to use anyways. Well as I headed to the gate, it was an absolute zoo, crazy! I thought gate lice at ATL was bad, this was nothing! Infact the priority lane was about 20 people deep, so I too joined the lane since I knew this was going to be a busy Business class flight! There were 13 rows of Business class today, 13 rows thats crazy!


people everywhere


peopl everywhere 2


Priority line


As I was waiting there was an Asian gentlemen who was trying to just slip so slightly into the line and each time he tried, it was an American who said back buddy, he would say he was priority and he would be told so is everyone else in this lane. He would walk away then come back again a little further up and try again, shady b%^%h and each time he would be told "No"

Again he would try and this time right in front of me and all I said was oh hell no (channeling Oprah in the color purple, ha) and he just looked and me and moved. Further down I saw him but this time he was let in and the person who let him was not American, which says something!

As I waited I heard that the flight was full of cruiseship passengers, well that makes sense. Boarding commenced and it was a free for all, in fact they actually made some of the priority wait so they could board a few coach passengers, then start again and repeat, which angered some of the priority passengers.

As I walked down the glass airbridge I entered the A321 and was extremely warmly welcomed, on my lufthansa flight, immediately I was relaxing again.

I decided on seat 10F because it was only 2 seats (other seat blocked for Business class) and also an emergency exit seat. I was greeted in German and remained speaking in German for the remainder of the flight and spoke of my journey through Venice. The flight attendants were charming, young and excellent in their service. I was offered sparkling wine many times, but I just could not bring myself to drink yet, especially since I would be traveling in First Class in a few hours, oh the excitement of the First Class Terminal a 2nd time and then driven again to my flight! I was screaming again inside like I was Ben aka Lucky (onemileatatime) winning tickets to One Direction concert on a Lufthansa First Class flight! haha just kidding Lucky, but I was so excited!

seat 10F


Seat area 10F emergency exit




After watching a tv show on my iPhone it was already time for landing! A quick note Lufthansa also allows iphones,ipads and tablets from gate to gate (in airplane mode) just like in the US which I love.

Landing at FRA was smooth but thinking we would be heading to the gate I noticed we were traveling far, far away from the Gate, crap that means buses.

Oh well, we landed earlier which still gives me time in the lounge. Once the seatbelt sign was turned off everyone jumped out of their seats like they won the Oscar. It took a few minutes before the doors were opened and everyone was let off with everyone scrambling to get a seat on the bus. As I was walking down the stairs I saw they had buses for Business Class and buses for Economy, ok normally that would great but with 13 rows of Business class with every seat taken, It was going to be packed.

As I walked off the stairs I saw standing to the direct right a man with a sign that said, First Class and Hon Circle. I stopped and said to the man, I am connecting to First Class, he asked my name, I said "nycflyer75" and he said with a big smile, I have been waiting for you Mr. nycflyer, I turned my head and there was a Mercedes Benz parked right next to the plane!!! OMFG I could have screamed, I forgot that they said they pick you up from a flight if he is not at at gate.

This was awesome! I was ready to get my Camera out and take a million pics like I was a bikini model modelling for a car magazine, ha but then the driver told me there was 2 others in the Van. oh, so I got into the Van and shared the Van with two Italian passengers, I had to hold my composure, especially since I was facing them.
I had to be very discreet in taking pics, I almost peed my pants I was so excited to be picked up from the plane in a car, ok it was a van and with other people but still, I was just picked up in a van from the front of the plane!

I asked the driver about the First Class Terminal and since I would have a 4 hour layover he would drop the other First Class passengers at the A terminal and he would drop me off somewhere that I could walk straight out and walk to the terminal, I was ok with that. He dropped off the the passengers and once they got out of the car I did a little dance in the car before the driver got back in! Just Awesome!

He drove to a door that would take me straight out. A bus pulled right behind us and the driver of the bus kept all the people on the bus until my driver got my carry-on out of the back. In fact I just stood there staring at the bus, he was actually not letting people off the bus for me, for me!haha wow this is amazing! The driver handed me my bags, and thanked him and then I stood there to see if the bus doors would open, they didn't and all the people were staring at me. I just started giggling and slowly walked towards the door, I was being a kid I know but it was not as long as you would actually think, normally I walk fast like I need to pee! Soon as I walked through the 2nd set of door the bus opened its doors, crap I better go before it turns into World War Z and they chase me!

Off to the First Class Terminal I go...