So, in conclusion, flying from DUS looks good on paper (especially if I could finesse the connection to Utrecht a bit and save 30 more minutes on the train, and double especially if the ICE stopped at the airport), but in practice, the lack of reliability of DB these days makes it a super stressful experience instead. Perhaps, if the timing worked better. A 3 hour gap between the arrival of the ICE and the departure… but then that means the whole journey is an hour longer, and if the train is on time, I have to have access to a decent lounge. This could have worked if Eurowings still flew the direct DUS-KSC link, but at first I was wary of flying on it as it started out flown by a Dash-8 (and anything over an hour in a turboprop is a questionable decision) and later its legendary unreliability made it a no-go. I am still unsure what to do with the dangling PSA-FRA-QDU return, but if bI do decide to go to Tuscany, I will be driving to DUS, so I will make that comparison, too. This time, I could not drive, both because I am, after all, returning to AMS, but also because the parking cost for almost two weeks is a bit too much for my wallet to stomach.



A rare bird these days, honestly I would have quite liked to be one of those queuing up on the stairs there.


But at the end of the day, after all the stress of the morning I’ve had, I made it to the Austrian Embraer, and I was super happy to have a seat in the front today. There was a decent amount of op-ups too, and with my record since getting a SEN status, I have to wonder, if I went for Y, would I be among them? (Question rendered moot, of course, by the fact, that J was cheaper to book when I was booking than Y with baggage).



Some beer and a generous pour of the cheap swill is exactly what I needed at this point

There’s been a decent amount said of soft product of OS in J, and the conclusion is that it’s rather good. And I have to agree with that, nice and engaging crew, decent drinks and great food, hell, this flight is barely over an hour long and they serve hot food. Especially great today as I have not been able to stop by in the lounge on my way in.



The chocolate of the season is Lindt Lindor balls, I have been informed of this earlier this week and it is indeed as described.


I can get used to this. I have not sampled OS J on the short flights such as VIE-KSC (I’ve tried, more than once… and ended up with IRROPS instead), but even if the sandwich is just a fun filler, at least the service is on a level. Our colleague @the810 is a recent convert from LH Group to AFKL, and he argues repeatedly that the biggest downside of BoB is not having to pay 10 extra euros to buy a drink and a snack, but that it makes the whole service feel so transactional. It is indeed one reason I prefer to be in front that this is just not the case when the crew does not have to deal with the payments. Point for paying up for J. If it’s only 50% more? It’s time to invoke my erstwhile new year’s resolution, and buy “less, but better”.

Now, we are on descent to Vienna and the seatbelt light has just gone on. Next step, grab my bag (and maybe check on the newly furnished SEN lounge on the way) and figure out the next closest bus to Bratislava. If I’m lucky, I may be not late to my own dinner reservation.