Check-in
Location: Departures on the first floor.
Facilities: Self-service machines and dedicated counters.
Counters: There are three counters (64 – 66) available for Star Alliance flights in check-in hall 1 on the Swiss side of the terminal, although only one of the two Economy Class counters and the Business Class counter are staffed when I arrive.
The check-in agent seems a bit upset. I am not really sure if it because I am only going on such a far away trip for the weekend of if she just does not approve of my somewhat limited luggage. ‘Do you have check-in luggage?’ ‘Uhm, no.’ She wrinkles her nose. ‘May I see your hand luggage…? Is that all your luggage?’ ‘Uhm, yeah’. She wrinkles her nose again. She issues my boarding passes. No bye, no thank you, nothing. Yes, well it was nice talking to you to, Ma’am.
I head for the stairs to take me one floor up to security and the departure gates. Just as I am about to climb the stairs some dude comes rushing up from the Easyjet check-in area and body-checks just about everyone, including me, in his way as he elbows his way forward. Apparently, his Easyjet flight is leaving in ten minutes. So apparently, his on time performance is totally crap too.
Once I am through security I go and take a look, just out of curiosity. I do not think he is going to make it. There is only one Easyjet aircraft standing around, heading for Thessaloniki, and that is just pushing back…Shame the queue for security is so long today.
In any case, I shall refrain from giving you another full-on review of the flight to Frankfurt. First of all, because it is hardly long enough. Secondly, because I have already covered things like the lounge in Basel in some of my previous reports.
The flight to Frankfurt is operated by an Embraer 190 with a configuration of 2 + 2. In Business Class, one of the two seats is kept empty and a small tray table is fixed to the spare seat to provide some extra storage area. There are five passengers in Business Class on today’s flight.
The Cabin
The Meal
Despite the relatively short flight time of only 50 minutes, Lufthansa serves a meal on a tray on this sector. In this particular case, the meal consists of a double-decker sandwich with a layer of smoked salmon and cream cheese and another with boiled egg and watercress. The meal is fine, but perhaps a tad heavy on the sweet stuff. There is a Danish pastry on the plate, as well as two filled Easter eggs and a small box of chocolates.
Transfer in Frankfurt
Transport: Mercedes Benz
Departs from: Right outside the aircraft
Journey time: About ten minutes
We land on the northern most runway, which is not really that big a deal if you are travelling in First Class because at least this runway is closer to some of the remote stands for Lufthansa’s regional fleet, right behind the threshold of runway 18.
I emerge from the aircraft to find the First Class and Hon transfer service already waiting. There are two other gentlemen making the journey to the terminal complex with me. The car drops me off at arrivals near the B gates.
From here I take the stairs one floor up and then do a u turn which eventually brings me to immigration. From there I keep on walking until I reach gate B 22, where there are stairs and a lift to go up one floor to the First Class lounge on the B concourse.
knightofmalta 