FlyerTalk Forums - Hannover & Hameln then BA979 to Heathrow, Club Europe

Another return home flight! This time my last trip from Hannover to London.

I’ll start with some pictures and my thoughts on Hannover and some of the places I visited, before describing the flight.

Who would have thought that just over an hour on BA 979 from Hannover would represent the very best service I have experienced on BA… ever!

So, the weather was great!

Hannover was much busier than I expected and while quite interesting it didn’t feel terribly ‘touristy’. I was also a bit under the weather so that probably influenced my enjoyment.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1675/2...0b235c1b54.jpg

I had arrived at the Suite Novotel at midnight, and check-in was efficient, with no credit card requested (this hotel was booked/paid via BA Holidays).

I headed up to the room on the 6th floor.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1695/2...8d0b976c1a.jpg

The room was huge (for the price paid) but quite functional.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1712/2...11da99350d.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1575/2...d2d65632ca.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1570/2...e07a310e0c.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1463/2...739cf50ce0.jpg

The next morning I faffed about until about noon before heading down to the lobby and out into town.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1682/2...50a9433b0c.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1538/2...58076e99a2.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1602/2...5547bef41a.jpg

The hotel from the outside.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1660/2...cc0180ca02.jpg

Hannover looked a bit bleak at first…

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1451/2...85be6480d9.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1515/2...fd482a9869.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1610/2...be2f73ea9f.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1489/2...338a5e335e.jpg

It always nice to see how our European neighbours shop…

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1456/2...37518446ec.jpg

But a wander down some streets presented some surprises.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1623/2...61f33e3955.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1637/2...0b4867f28d.jpg

There was a big demonstration taking place in the city, or a football match. I didn’t feel like hanging around, and had already discovered that the town of Hamlyn was very close… I would head there to learn about the Pied Piper.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1459/2...f8608ba03f.jpg

Hannover station was bustling, trains to Hameln were every 30 minutes, and I noted, most running ‘a few minutes late’ – c’mon Deutsche Bahn!!

Believe it or not, I didn’t quite understand the local ticketing system, with the DB machines offering tickets for different local areas and anyway, I ended up with the wrong ticket. I didn’t want to fall foul of a penalty fare, so jumped off at a little place called Springe, and bought a ticket for the next train to Hameln.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1451/2...c99bd732fe.jpg

By the way, this was one of the local trains (S-Bahn).
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1467/2...9783ce6bd6.jpg

Hameln station was lovely.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1541/2...f1a39c2b52.jpg

As was the town… the German town from fairytales…

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1603/2...0a2c2b9772.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1689/2...65075c5bfe.jpg

There were beautiful buildings around every corner…

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1652/2...f768c2fe0c.jpg

And evil looking statues…
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1614/2...835f73d1e0.jpg

But back to the buildings…
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1602/2...a8d34960d5.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1456/2...6c6e65727c.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1488/2...35bcf3eae6.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1470/2...96726fff9b.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1661/2...84fd32d72e.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1488/2...f274997e23.jpg

Anyway, you get the idea, Hameln was lovely.
And apparently there are, in their history books, accounts of a time when all the children in the locality disappeared…

AND THEN THIS HAPPENED

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1525/2...5df1348c42.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1517/2...fcd8cdfee1.jpg

I WILL NOT FORGET THIS, GERMANY.

I headed back to Hannover on a pretty empty train.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1470/2...408022b10e.jpg

Next day, I didn’t do much. I was still fighting a cold so spent the morning watching Modern Family on Netflix, (not available on Netflix UK).

I checked out and had a few drinks in the hotel bar,

Headed to the train station and waited for my train back to the airport.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1608/2...d229c8d1ab.jpg

It had a nice retro feel, and I was slightly amazed at the number of flights going to Turkey.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1517/2...57867c1fbc.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1686/2...1d1acd3977.jpg

The lounge used by BA is before security, and is pretty non-descript.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1554/2...afed6aea84.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1455/2...4f9a87836a.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1444/2...3230ea96a9.jpg

There was one member of staff who was very pleasant.

There was nothing else to do but a bit of plane spotting….

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1623/2...b2a64f1eb9.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1716/2...64c0fdde25.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1548/2...4197fb3b17.jpg

A Turkish Airlines jet arrived and looked stunning.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1646/2...e0f040cc48.jpg

You can just make it out behind the Freebird one…

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1633/2...6cb7e35d14.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1441/2...6e0678ed95.jpg

No, me either.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1532/2...a6e88b4a8e.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1516/2...4788a8342b.jpg

I headed to the gate where some semblance of priority boarding was made.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1562/2...08a1de5c54.jpg

The aircraft had the ‘Dove’ scheme, you can just see the scheme from this pic of our FlyBe neighbour…

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1444/2...8e05ce17e2.jpg

Usual Club Europe / Economy seat.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1459/2...216c91d03b.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1442/2...ae8ac75ca6.jpg

A shame that the mini-table was stained. I have noticed this a few times before on BA.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1601/2...6e5d4e6220.jpg

My slight OCD kicked in…

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1495/2...df542d6ef3.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1555/2...a3cc16ca23.jpg

However, the cabin services manager was superb.

He addressed all CE passengers by name – that hasn’t happened on any of my BA flights, ever.

The currency collection charity announcement was much more heartfelt than I have ever heard- adding how much would be raised if everyone donated just 50p.

Pre-dinner champagne was presented like this: (notice that I used the hot towel to clean the table. You’re welcome BA!!!)

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1530/2...6670b8eda3.jpg

Dinner was a hearty Turkey Caesar salad. (With more Champagne).
Again, when he took my order, he addressed me by name.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1646/2...b813eb6b74.jpg

Quite a nice dessert.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1480/2...fd4bc524f0.jpg

We flew through a storm cloud and seatbelt signs were switched on. I noticed a few flashes of lightning, before seeing London below.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1528/2...3412be5c75.jpg

We arrived at Pier B in T5 (Grrrr.) but thankfully T5 Border Control was on form and fast. Although AGAIN, passengers don’t understand how it works and numerous people got stuck in the automatic e-readers.

This was the last of my numerous weekend breaks – I still hope to post my other journeys home from Bilbao, Iceland and Gothenburg.

But D, the BA cabin services manager provided the best service I have ever had on BA, and naturally an email to BA to say that was sent.

But next up is a trip to Scotland that co-incides with the Edinburgh meet up. My journey will include the sleeper to Scotland, FlyBe to Kirkwall, a ferry to the mainland, Eastern Airways to Aberdeen, a train to Edinburgh and Ryanair Business First to Stansted.