What to do at MUC for 9 hours?
 

I am flying through IAD to DEL with stopover in MUC. I have a pretty long layover, 9 hours 20 min. I am not a flying business or a *gold to get access to the lounge for me and my wife.

Is there anyway to get one day paid access to the lounge for me + 1 guest?

9 hours and 20 minutes? I'd take the train into Munich and walk around.

And no, I don't believe LH sells "day passes" like UA.

You may want to see about getting a day room at the Kempinski hotel, which is connected to MUC.

The hotel is a good idea. If I get a room, do I have to leave the airport and come back through customs and immigration again?

You will need to clear security and I *think* customs/immigration - as I am a German citizen I really don't pay attention as it takes me seconds to clear.

MUC is a wonderful airport, and a fitting tribute to a great Bavarian hero. I would definitely leave the gate/lounge area for that amount of time; either to sleep/shower at a hotel, or at least to walk in the sunshine and shop in the mall. The shower waits can be over an hour and up to two hours in the lounge, and there is much better to do with your time there.

That is actually enough time to even get to a local hotel in Freising if you like. My family uses the Kempinski when flying out of MUC, but I stay offsite and it doesn't take long. (I agree with going downtown, but having done the India flights I also agree with the need to rest/shower in between)

Also, note that LH lounge access is NOT available to non-members, even spouses, I believe (you may want to confirm on the LH Miles and More board of this website) I often seen angry UA members' companions being turned away in FRA and MUC

Yes.

As could be said only by another Bavarian! ;)

As nice as the airport and lounges are, it's not worth 9 hours. If you can tolerate another day without sleep, go have fun in MUC....easy connections into town. Else, get a day room, take a nap, and enjoy a refreshing shower before you continue your journey.

Wirelessly posted (xx: BlackBerry8100/4.2.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100 UP.Browser/5.0.3.3)

While the Kempinski is certainly quite nice and a great alternative to the terminal, it is not cheap. I don't know what day rates are, only been there overnight. If you don't need the sleep I'd vote for leaving the airport.

If I had this itinerary I would also vote for leaving the airport and would suggest going downtown. The train trip should take less than 45 minutes and the Marienplatz area is a nice site to see with some good restaurants and tons of amazing beer all within a block or 2 of the train.

Kempinski rates online start around 235 Euros for an overnight stay but I can assure you that my family would never pay that! :eek: (My parents won't stay offsite at MUC, and stay at the Kempinski, and are a little cheap....)

I do recall that last year during World Cup I considered a stay there and the price was only around 150 Euros; don't know if they have much lower weekend and/or last minute rates, but I thought that was a good price.

The ultimate factor for me would be if DEL is your final destination in India. If so, a nap might not be as vital. But then again, flying in LH Economy is torture, and even with a C seat I would take a rest in the middle of the trip before stocking up at the Edeka at MUC before the onward journey.

What to do at MUC for 9 hours?
 

I have a flight from IAD to DEL on Dec. 16th connecting via MUC on LH. I really don't want to leave the airport and go into the city. This flight has a 9 hr 20 min layover. Any suggestion from the seasoned travellers out there on how to pass the time or get into the lounge? Can't get into the lounge, lost my *A Gold last year for the first time in almost 10 years, only a premier this year.

Also, is there anyway to upgrade a ticket from V class to C (I think I know the answer already, but thought I would confirm)? Any thoughts :)

You could upgrade to C with a Systemwide Upgrade (SWU), or hope for a buy-up at the airport, but that's about it.

Not sure about what to do, but might consider looking into the Germany forum.

Try making a good friend with a *G who doesn't already have a companion on the IAD-MUC flight...

Thanks, but I don't have any SWU's this year either. I will pray for paid upgrades at the airport, but usually these flights are quite full. Anyway, thanks. I will look into the Germany forum for some ideas of things to do at the airport.

You don't have to go into the city. Try the BMW museum near the airport, for which the train has a stop.

I once had a 9 hour layover in MUC (flying ORD-MUC-PEK) and was planning on heading into the city, but the weather was lousy and I had work to do so I stayed in the Senator Lounge. Given the lounge isn't an option, perhaps look into a day room at the Kempinski Airport hotel. It's connected to the airport terminal and I know they have a EUR 99 rate on the weekends/holidays. You may be able to get a special rate for day use and then you can use the facilities (a nice indoor pool and gym) and rest during your layover.

But MUC is a great walking city and will be all dressed up for Christmas, so I'd encourage you to consider checking it out!