Greetings fellow aviation enthusiast! This is my first ever trip report published on Flyertalk. I've been a lurker for nearly ten years and thought it was high time to post. After reading, if you have any suggestions or tips feel free.
Background
Although the duration of the trip was only five days it was a trip of many firsts. My first time flying a foreign carrier (Lufthansa), my first trip alone, my first time in Germany and my first time flying the A330. Though the thought of traveling to Germany this time of year (early February) might seem strange it was technically a business trip for my startup as I was attending a trade show called ISPO Munich (a trade show for outdoor clothing and athletic brands). I will be honest however, during the days and hours before the travel date I was riddled with anxiety and stress with concerns ranging from if the trade show would be a success to basic worries such as finding my way in a foreign city making me short tempered, sweaty and a little irrational. In any case I bet you're ready for some pics!
Route: DEN - MUC
Flight Number: LH 481
Aircraft: A330-300
Registration: D-AIKE
Seat: A33
Class: Economy
Flight Time: 9hrs and 45mins
Date: February 3rd, 2017
The Beginning
Taking into consideration my worries, my mom drove me to the airport and decided to stick around until it was time to proceed to TSA to ensure I checked-in ok and possessed the necessary information. We reached Lufthansa check-in desk and there was virtually no line as we were among the first passengers to arrive. The agent invites me over to proceed and I hand him my passport upon request. Interestingly enough for some reason his polished appearance and calm/professional demeanor instantly cleared my anxiety and assured me that I was in good hands (or it could be that the reality of finally being a paying passenger on one of Europe's most well know and respected airlines was beginning to set in!). As a small celebration of victory I grab a small handful of LH bag-tags, raise one to my mother and proclaim that i've finally earned the highly coveted Lufthansa tag!
The ship being prepared for her long journey home
Boarding
At around 3:20 the boarding call was announced and great anticipation was building. I almost still couldn't believe I was boarding Lufthansa! I get in the queue and eventually hand over my passport and ticket to the gate agent who quickly glanced at the photo, scanned my boarding pass and with a friendly "Thank You, Bye!" I was merrily trotting down the jetway like a giddy 7 year old smiling like a psychiatric patient. Reaching the A330 boarding door I was greeted by a pleasant FA who guided me to the correct aisle. Holy cow! Im in! Once onboard, its easy to forget how much time it can take to reach your seat onboard a widebody. The seat itself although on the firm side was comfortable enough for a long haul and pitch was surprisingly decent with no entertainment box in the way. I will admit once settling down and looking out the window I felt high and mighty looking down at the domestic jets. After getting settled I was joined by my seat mate, a gentleman from Fayetteville on his way to Prague.
A humble little AA maddog preparing to hop over to ORD. Their days are numbered indeed
An FA holding a tray filled with what appears to be plush toys for the younger passengers. I didn't know LH (or any airline for that matter) still distributed toys.
Push Back & Taxi
Not surprising for a German airline our flight pushed back right on the dot. During push back the safety video commenced which was a smart and efficient presentation with soothing electra background music. Once Frau Lufty regained consciousness and slowly sailed away from the gate we stroll past other wide bodies: A BA747, Mama Lufty 747 and a sleek looking Icelandair 757.
Take-off and first few hours of flight
The aircraft reaches the active runway and we sit for a few moments waiting for the go-ahead from tower. Finally, the RR's come to life and in typical DIA fashion Lufty takes her sweet time getting airborne. I will note however, the take-off was a little strange. Minimal power was applied initially and little by little increased until we lifted off. The airbus confidently soars into the sky and we quickly disappear into the dense clouds not to be seen again for another 9 + hours. The first few minutes were quite bumpy as we flew through dense clouds and clear air turbulence from the nearby mountains but over time dissipated. Later, the purser comes through the intercom to inform us on the inflight service and then roughly 45 mins inflight the FA's offer drinks and a light snack. Feeling festive I order a glass of white wine.
Inflight Service
Once the snack was finished I took the time to familiarize myself with LH's inflight entertainment OS. A good selection of movies both domestic and foreign along with a travel guide that gave insightful tips on what to see and do in Munich as well as advice on German culture. The overhead lights and the FA call button were also operated via the touch screen PTV. First these buttons were above, then they migrated to the armrest controller and now you access them through the screen. The music selection was a little disappointing as the OS did not come with a radio stream but instead a pre-programed limited selection of music that I've never heard of as the artists were predominately German and Scandinavian. The biggest let down was the dysfunctional inflight map. It constantly froze and flickered thus rendering it impossible to watch. Everything else worked fine.
I decide to stretch my legs for a few moments to review the lav. Everything appeared to be in order. Plus, the faucet is motion censored. Once returning to my seat the FA's begin a hot towel service in preparation for dinner. A welcome relief for my dry skin
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IMG_2565 by
Jesse Hester, on Flickr[/IMG]
No menu was offered as the FA stated the options to the passengers. The predictable usuals of chicken or pasta were offered or aka "flesh or flour". I chose the chicken but the pasta option with garlic pesto was quite tempting. Despite reading numerous trip reports i've forgotten how tiny the portions were. The food was actually quite good as the rice was tender and sticky, the chicken was moist and flavorful and the salad cool and crisp but the brownie (although decent enough) was unremarkable. The only downside was the ciabatta bread which was cold and hard and as mentioned already the small portion but it did the job and kept hunger at bay.
Bone App The Teeth
Post dinner drink offering
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IMG_2574 by
Jesse Hester, on Flickr[/IMG]
Cabin walk around
After the dinner service had concluded why not take a quick lap around economy!
Galley shot. The FA in the middle was pissed when I took the photo. lol!
Finally entering the pond
Lights Out
[IMG]
IMG_2580 by
Jesse Hester, on Flickr[/IMG]
At this point I've already consumed two servings of two-buck chuck quality wine along with an after dinner hot tea which was making it extremely difficult to stay awake and since i've already watched the films I was interested in I might as well catch some zzzz's while I still can. On the PTVs, there is a function on the screen that enables passengers to set a message that states "Please wake me for meal service" to the FA's. Despite welcoming this feature I was highly doubtful the busy FA's would bother to look and notice so I set my phone buzzer to the estimated time they would commence the breakfast service. All in all, I've managed to achieve about 2 1/2 hours of poor quality sleep (I don't sleep well on planes)
Wake-up, breakfast and arrival
By the time I woke up we were well within EU aerospace with the breakfast service commencing somewhere over southern England with about 90 mins before landing. Again with a hot towel service then shortly followed by the actual meal.
No options were given for breakfast (usually there isn't an option for economy) but offered on this flight was an egg omelette served with potato cakes and a side of spinach (nice and hot) along with a fruit cup (frozen solid, tasteless and had seen fresher days) and a roll that was again cold and hard (why don't airlines ever warm up the bread) along with an assortment of jams and butter. It was a little greasy but overall a surprisingly good meal and definitely hit the spot although the spinach was inedible.
After the final meal/beverage service ended the captain (or was it the purser?) comes through the intercom notifying passengers that we would be arriving in MUC shortly and to take care of any last minute tasks before the seatbelt sign switched back on.
Last minute packing and preparation for descent and arrival
One of my favorite aspects about this flight was the landing. An absolute visual treat to view the quilt like patchwork of farms and rural villages. Willkommen in Bayern! A magical land with fine beer, luxury cars and all the bratwursts to your heart's desire. The song "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka came to mind during the process. Fun Fact, the 1970s film Willy Wonka was actually filmed in Munich!
"If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it"
Arrived at last! During touch-down we made what was arguably one of the smoothest landings i've ever felt. My only indication that the wheels hit the ground were the deployment of the spoilers
This Shark Fin A330 next to us ended up being the aircraft I take on the return trip
It was a pleasure flying with you Frau Lufty!
Our flight was parked in terminal 2, which means you'll have to take an underground tram to get to the main concourse for customs, baggage, external transport etc. Once disembarking, it took me a bit of minute to figure out where exactly I needed to go as I had to inquire an agent as to where customs were located. Eventually I make it to baggage but it took ages for the luggage to be delivered I began to think that maybe I missed the window. Customs was across the hall where I joined a long queue for non-EU citizens. I hand over my passport to the customs officer where he asked the usual questions such as my purpose in Munich and for the duration. For whatever reason he takes a longer time to analyze my passport and it begins to make me somewhat anxious and I almost replied "Ist da etwas falsch mein herr?" but by then he stamps my passport and says "thank you" and from there I was exposed to the crisp Munich air.
Thanks guys for viewing part one. Part two will contain pics from the trip and return flight. Stay tuned!