A weekend in Krakow (LH / BA)
Mar 6, 2022, 12:10 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Honors Diamond, Mucci de buveur de gin
Posts: 3,060
A weekend in Krakow (LH / BA)
After a somewhat subdued travel schedule in 2020, now that things are getting back to normal, I decided to book a weekend in Krakow. I found a steal of a fare on the BA website - £270 return in Business Class so booked it straight away. 6 weeks before departure, BA helpfully cancelled all their Krakow flights which were only to resume on the day I was returning. After getting a clueless BA agent, I hung up and called again to rebook. The only option they had was to book me onto Lufthansa to get into Krakow. So the final itinerary was ABZ - LHR (BA) - FRA - KRK (LH) - LHR - ABZ (BA).
The day of departure came and I grabbed a taxi to the airport. The BA lounge was dead when I arrived there but soon filled up for the second morning flight of the day.
Scotland still has some restrictions hanging around so while you could help yourself to drinks, one of the staff had to serve you food
Anyway, the ham and cheese croissant was tasty and was enjoyed with a nice sunrise over the airfield with our A321 Neo sitting waiting for departure.
BA1305, ABZ - LHR, G-NEOP, A321N
We boarded around 8.30am with an on time departure for the hour and 15 mins down to Heathrow. The hills surrounding Aberdeen were still covered with snow which made for some nice views as we climbed out.
Breakfast was another ham and cheese croissant. It was either that or a tomato omelette. Washed down with a few Buck's Fizz. It was the start of the weekend after all!
Before long, we were descending into Heathrow with some nice views over central London.
LH operate out of T2 at Heathrow so I hopped on the Heathrow Express for the free ride to T2, otherwise known as...
I went to a desk to get my boarding passes and was asked to show my vaccination certificate. Fast track security was quiet and I was through in a matter of minutes and off to the Lufthansa lounge which is located on the same level as you are once you leave security.
I was greeted by a lovely lady at the front desk and then found a seat and grabbed a drink. The lounge had a decent selection of food (both hot and cold) with small snacks, nuts and sweets too. The lounge itself looked good - I liked the colour scheme. There were average views out to the runway but they were lightly obstructed with metal work.
LH1521, LHR - FRA, D-AIND, A320N
This flight was completely full. Boarding took an age with numerous announcements about small laptop bags and jackets being placed under the seat in front to save space in the overhead lockers. The crew in Business Class were nice but the onboard announcements about wearing masks were patronising and unnecessary ("The crew don't like wearing them and we know you don't like wearing them but you don't know who around you has been vaccinated or not or perhaps someone hear to you is just scared of catching the virus. We need to look after everyone and their families" - YAWN!).
Crew offered passengers in J small bottles of water before we departed which was a nice touch.
Lufthnsa seemed to have upped their catering recently. I have read some reports on here about substandard meals in European J flights but what we were served on the way to Frankfurt was actually pretty decent - potato and bacon salad with an apple vinaigrette and a white chocolate mousse.
The sun started setting as we crossed the Channel and the approach into Frankfurt across the city was spectacular!
The taxi to the gate took an age and then the walk to the A gates was equally as long. LH require you to show proof of vaccination before you can enter the lounge so went through that rigmarole before getting entry. The lounge was packed but I managed to find a seat in a corner and got myself a beer and a pretzel. I didn't really have any of the food although they had a chicken soup which was pretty decent.
By the time I walked right round to A34, boarding was in full swing and this was another packed flight. I was lucky to bypass the queue sitting in J and was on board with luggage stored before long.
LH1370, FRA - KRK, D-AIZX, A320
The purser on this flight was great. She made sure that everyone's drinks were topped up at all times during the flight. Flight time was announced as an hour and a half across to Krakow. Another nice meal of a beef salad and a yoghurt and lime mousse was served. I stuck to the red wine and had some peppermint tea later in the flight. The crew also handed out apples later in the flight.
Overall, it was two great flights with Lufthansa. Landed in Krakow and showed the vaccination certificate and was into a taxi to the hotel pretty quickly. I was staying at the Doubletree by the Convention Centre. I arrived close to midnight and was checked in by a really friendly member of night staff. I was up to my Junior Suite and in bed after a long day travelling!
The day of departure came and I grabbed a taxi to the airport. The BA lounge was dead when I arrived there but soon filled up for the second morning flight of the day.
Scotland still has some restrictions hanging around so while you could help yourself to drinks, one of the staff had to serve you food
Anyway, the ham and cheese croissant was tasty and was enjoyed with a nice sunrise over the airfield with our A321 Neo sitting waiting for departure.BA1305, ABZ - LHR, G-NEOP, A321N
We boarded around 8.30am with an on time departure for the hour and 15 mins down to Heathrow. The hills surrounding Aberdeen were still covered with snow which made for some nice views as we climbed out.
Breakfast was another ham and cheese croissant. It was either that or a tomato omelette. Washed down with a few Buck's Fizz. It was the start of the weekend after all!
Before long, we were descending into Heathrow with some nice views over central London.
LH operate out of T2 at Heathrow so I hopped on the Heathrow Express for the free ride to T2, otherwise known as...
I went to a desk to get my boarding passes and was asked to show my vaccination certificate. Fast track security was quiet and I was through in a matter of minutes and off to the Lufthansa lounge which is located on the same level as you are once you leave security.
I was greeted by a lovely lady at the front desk and then found a seat and grabbed a drink. The lounge had a decent selection of food (both hot and cold) with small snacks, nuts and sweets too. The lounge itself looked good - I liked the colour scheme. There were average views out to the runway but they were lightly obstructed with metal work.
LH1521, LHR - FRA, D-AIND, A320N
This flight was completely full. Boarding took an age with numerous announcements about small laptop bags and jackets being placed under the seat in front to save space in the overhead lockers. The crew in Business Class were nice but the onboard announcements about wearing masks were patronising and unnecessary ("The crew don't like wearing them and we know you don't like wearing them but you don't know who around you has been vaccinated or not or perhaps someone hear to you is just scared of catching the virus. We need to look after everyone and their families" - YAWN!).
Crew offered passengers in J small bottles of water before we departed which was a nice touch.
Lufthnsa seemed to have upped their catering recently. I have read some reports on here about substandard meals in European J flights but what we were served on the way to Frankfurt was actually pretty decent - potato and bacon salad with an apple vinaigrette and a white chocolate mousse.
The sun started setting as we crossed the Channel and the approach into Frankfurt across the city was spectacular!
The taxi to the gate took an age and then the walk to the A gates was equally as long. LH require you to show proof of vaccination before you can enter the lounge so went through that rigmarole before getting entry. The lounge was packed but I managed to find a seat in a corner and got myself a beer and a pretzel. I didn't really have any of the food although they had a chicken soup which was pretty decent.
By the time I walked right round to A34, boarding was in full swing and this was another packed flight. I was lucky to bypass the queue sitting in J and was on board with luggage stored before long.
LH1370, FRA - KRK, D-AIZX, A320
The purser on this flight was great. She made sure that everyone's drinks were topped up at all times during the flight. Flight time was announced as an hour and a half across to Krakow. Another nice meal of a beef salad and a yoghurt and lime mousse was served. I stuck to the red wine and had some peppermint tea later in the flight. The crew also handed out apples later in the flight.
Overall, it was two great flights with Lufthansa. Landed in Krakow and showed the vaccination certificate and was into a taxi to the hotel pretty quickly. I was staying at the Doubletree by the Convention Centre. I arrived close to midnight and was checked in by a really friendly member of night staff. I was up to my Junior Suite and in bed after a long day travelling!
Mar 27, 2022, 3:32 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Honors Diamond, Mucci de buveur de gin
Posts: 3,060
Tell me about it......!
Mar 27, 2022, 5:01 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Honors Diamond, Mucci de buveur de gin
Posts: 3,060
The next morning, I had a bit of a lie in and just grabbed some coffee and fruit from the Executive Lounge. After that, I set out on a day of walking around the city. The DoubleTree is about a 45 min walk from the main square but I didn't mind the walk one bit. Once you navigate around the dodgy road beside the hotel you are out to the main road and its basically a straight line into the city. It was freezing outside but very crisp and sunny - a beautiful day!
The Old Town is a mix of cobbled and surfaced roads with narrow streets here and there. The buildings were beautiful. First stop was the Main Square and St Mary's Basilica which is in the corner overlooking the whole Square.
I didn't have a plan as such for the day. I just wanted to walk around and get a feel for the city. So after a wander around the streets beside the Main Square and a look at the indoor market, I headed down another street to see where that would take me.
At the end of the street was the Royal Castle so I headed up to take a look. The pictures don't do it justice. It was spectacular. The amount of detail in the brickwork was fascinating.
I did a little bit more walking around that area and stopped off for a cheeky refreshment in the sun.
This was a place back in the Main Square. Although it was freezing outside, the bars had outdoor heaters and it was nice sitting outside in the crisp air with the warmth of the heater at your back. I may have had another beer as I was enjoying playing my favourite sport of people watching! After that, I found a small pizza place so nipped in there for a spot of lunch before heading back to the hotel. 21,000 steps later and I was back at the hotel. I went to the bar to order a pint to take back to my room to put my feet up. As I ordered, the guy sitting at the other side of the bar asked where my accent was from. "Aberdeen, it's a city in the north east of Scotland" I said. "I ken [know] that", he said. "I'm fae [from] Turriff" (which is about 30 miles away). Small world! Turns out he worked in the supply chain of the industry I work in. We chatted for a while and then I got back to the room to chill for a while.
The Executive Lounge was open from 5 - 8pm each night offering a great selection of warm and cold snacks (so much so that it was clear folk just came to the lounge for dinner!) and a full bar with wines and spirits to choose from. It's a small lounge so best to get there early to make sure you get a seat. It's one of the benefits I like the most as a Diamond member. Something to be said for a quiet place to spend a few hours or so in the evening (and being an Aberdonian, not having to pay for a few glasses of wine is always a plus
).
I was kinda tired that night so decided just to eat in the hotel restaurant and I was actually pleasantly surprised. Who has ever heard of an amuse bouche in a DoubleTree hotel?! Well they do that here and the seared sesame tuna was delicious!
Traditional Polish soup - can't remember what it was called.
Duck parpadelle - obv not Polish but v tasty and washed down with a fantastic bottle of Malbec.
I also love the attention to detail with serving a small shot glass of water with a double espresso. 10/10 for this meal!
After a fantastic night's sleep, I was up in time for breakfast before another day of walking around the city to see the sights. I decided to go down to the restaurant this morning to see what the breakfast offering was like. It was extensive! And, because it was the weekend I think, there were bottles of Prosecco so that you could start your day off on the right foot
There was seriously everything you could possibly want at the buffet. Hams, cheeses, smoked salmon, salad, croissants, pastries, hot food, made to order eggs, fruits, yoghurts, smoothies, etc, etc, etc...
Different walk into the centre today as I walked down by the river and made by way into the Jewish Quarter. Again, another cold but beautiful day in Krakow. I wandered around for a while and came across a market in one of the squares which I had a look around. It was great just having a chilled morning enjoying the buzz of the city.
I crossed over to the other side of the river for a walk and came across the stunning St Jospeh's Church. Sunday morning mass was in full flow so I didn't venture inside.
I loved this bridge with sculptures on it which was made even better when it got windy as the sculptures started to move. A great idea!
I made my way back into the centre where it was absolutely mobbed with a marching support of Ukraine after the Russian invasion. It was great to see thousands of people marching in solidarity with Ukraine. Lots of TV cameras for local news coverage.
It was late afternoon by this time so I decided to head back to the hotel and enjoy the comfort of the lounge for a few hours of chill time!
The Old Town is a mix of cobbled and surfaced roads with narrow streets here and there. The buildings were beautiful. First stop was the Main Square and St Mary's Basilica which is in the corner overlooking the whole Square.
I didn't have a plan as such for the day. I just wanted to walk around and get a feel for the city. So after a wander around the streets beside the Main Square and a look at the indoor market, I headed down another street to see where that would take me.
At the end of the street was the Royal Castle so I headed up to take a look. The pictures don't do it justice. It was spectacular. The amount of detail in the brickwork was fascinating.
I did a little bit more walking around that area and stopped off for a cheeky refreshment in the sun.
This was a place back in the Main Square. Although it was freezing outside, the bars had outdoor heaters and it was nice sitting outside in the crisp air with the warmth of the heater at your back. I may have had another beer as I was enjoying playing my favourite sport of people watching! After that, I found a small pizza place so nipped in there for a spot of lunch before heading back to the hotel. 21,000 steps later and I was back at the hotel. I went to the bar to order a pint to take back to my room to put my feet up. As I ordered, the guy sitting at the other side of the bar asked where my accent was from. "Aberdeen, it's a city in the north east of Scotland" I said. "I ken [know] that", he said. "I'm fae [from] Turriff" (which is about 30 miles away). Small world! Turns out he worked in the supply chain of the industry I work in. We chatted for a while and then I got back to the room to chill for a while.
The Executive Lounge was open from 5 - 8pm each night offering a great selection of warm and cold snacks (so much so that it was clear folk just came to the lounge for dinner!) and a full bar with wines and spirits to choose from. It's a small lounge so best to get there early to make sure you get a seat. It's one of the benefits I like the most as a Diamond member. Something to be said for a quiet place to spend a few hours or so in the evening (and being an Aberdonian, not having to pay for a few glasses of wine is always a plus
).I was kinda tired that night so decided just to eat in the hotel restaurant and I was actually pleasantly surprised. Who has ever heard of an amuse bouche in a DoubleTree hotel?! Well they do that here and the seared sesame tuna was delicious!
Traditional Polish soup - can't remember what it was called.
Duck parpadelle - obv not Polish but v tasty and washed down with a fantastic bottle of Malbec.
I also love the attention to detail with serving a small shot glass of water with a double espresso. 10/10 for this meal!
After a fantastic night's sleep, I was up in time for breakfast before another day of walking around the city to see the sights. I decided to go down to the restaurant this morning to see what the breakfast offering was like. It was extensive! And, because it was the weekend I think, there were bottles of Prosecco so that you could start your day off on the right foot
There was seriously everything you could possibly want at the buffet. Hams, cheeses, smoked salmon, salad, croissants, pastries, hot food, made to order eggs, fruits, yoghurts, smoothies, etc, etc, etc...Different walk into the centre today as I walked down by the river and made by way into the Jewish Quarter. Again, another cold but beautiful day in Krakow. I wandered around for a while and came across a market in one of the squares which I had a look around. It was great just having a chilled morning enjoying the buzz of the city.
I crossed over to the other side of the river for a walk and came across the stunning St Jospeh's Church. Sunday morning mass was in full flow so I didn't venture inside.
I loved this bridge with sculptures on it which was made even better when it got windy as the sculptures started to move. A great idea!
I made my way back into the centre where it was absolutely mobbed with a marching support of Ukraine after the Russian invasion. It was great to see thousands of people marching in solidarity with Ukraine. Lots of TV cameras for local news coverage.
It was late afternoon by this time so I decided to head back to the hotel and enjoy the comfort of the lounge for a few hours of chill time!
Apr 10, 2022, 5:23 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Honors Diamond, Mucci de buveur de gin
Posts: 3,060
And the trip was at an end. I loved the few days I had in Krakow and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. I grabbed breakfast in the hotel and then jumped into an Uber to the airport which took about 25 minutes. A quick flash of the vaccine certificate and I was issued with my boarding passes to LHR and then onwards to ABZ. Security was a doddle and I was in the "Business Lounge" within a few minutes. The lounge was kept absolutely spotless the whole time I was there. There was a full selection of booze available and some salad looking snacks which were individually wrapped and kept in the chiller.
I grabbed a Tyskie and watched the comings and goings down below.
BA873, KRK - LHR, G-EUUF, A320
Before long, the flight was showing as boarding. I left the lounge and navigated passport control and got to the gate as boarding was starting. British Airways are cheap AF and therefore don't pay to park at a gate with a jet bridge so we were all hustled downstairs and crammed into a holding pen whilst we waited 25 mins for a bus to come and take us the 100m to the plane The flight ended up being packed which I guess is good to see. Flight time 2 hours 20 mins back to Heathrow and we were off.
I can't remember what the other selections for main course were but I went for the chicken and leek pie which was pretty decent.
Washed down a few Malbec which the crew were just too keen to keep filling up...
The time passed pretty quickly as I was engrossed in some Netflix series and before I knew it we were 20 mins away from landing.
Some other FT'ers were in T5 at the same time I was waiting for my flight back up to Aberdeen and I was kindly guested into the Concorde Room where I had some drinks with them before they headed off to get their flight. I grabbed a quick bite to eat.
BA1318, LHR - ABZ, G-EUYP, A320
An hour's hop up to Scotland with an unremarkable coronation chicken salad. Thank God BA's catering in Club Europe was to change back to pre-COVID standards the day after!
I grabbed a Tyskie and watched the comings and goings down below.
BA873, KRK - LHR, G-EUUF, A320
Before long, the flight was showing as boarding. I left the lounge and navigated passport control and got to the gate as boarding was starting. British Airways are cheap AF and therefore don't pay to park at a gate with a jet bridge so we were all hustled downstairs and crammed into a holding pen whilst we waited 25 mins for a bus to come and take us the 100m to the plane
The flight ended up being packed which I guess is good to see. Flight time 2 hours 20 mins back to Heathrow and we were off.I can't remember what the other selections for main course were but I went for the chicken and leek pie which was pretty decent.
Washed down a few Malbec which the crew were just too keen to keep filling up...
The time passed pretty quickly as I was engrossed in some Netflix series and before I knew it we were 20 mins away from landing.
Some other FT'ers were in T5 at the same time I was waiting for my flight back up to Aberdeen and I was kindly guested into the Concorde Room where I had some drinks with them before they headed off to get their flight. I grabbed a quick bite to eat.
BA1318, LHR - ABZ, G-EUYP, A320
An hour's hop up to Scotland with an unremarkable coronation chicken salad. Thank God BA's catering in Club Europe was to change back to pre-COVID standards the day after!