LXfan From France, joined Feb 2009, 78 posts, RR: 0 Posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 6891 times:
Hi everyone !
A short trip report from my last European trip, a short weekend to Porto.
Thanks to a promotional offer, the Betterfly fares of Lufthansa were available at the last minute...
It reminds me of the old ready to fly offers, last minute fare in europe. I have my work schedule only a few days before each month and have usually had difficulties to plan a trip a long time in advance. That's why I was really a fan of these last minute offers and hope that they will make their definite return.
After a short ride on the Roissybus, only 30 minutes from Paris Opéra to CDG T1, I proceeded to the check-in at the Lufthansa aera in the hall 4.
Due to the snow in FRA, all the flights were delayed. The friendly LH agent proposed to rebook me on the previous flight which was delayed. After check-in was done, I proceeded to the LH lounge, located after the security check at the satellite 6.
At boarding, I received a "new seat"... located in the business class area !
After take off, the breakfast service begins !
Arrival at FRA on the gate. I proceed to the lounge until my next flight to OPO.
Tasty German specialities were offered !!
Nice view from the lounge located at the terminal A, gates Schengen !
It's now time to begin the FRA marathon, from the gates A to the gates B via the tunnel !!
Long bus ride to the aircraft, very far from the terminal, near the entry of runway 7R/18, after the Fedex area. Widebodies waiting for departure !
Aboard of the A320 named after the city of Starlsund
Thanks to this parking area, the taxi time was very short. A few minutes after take off, the service begins. Here is the German "melange sucré salé" !!
Quiet flight via Paris, Nantes, Bay of Biscay. Nice view over the "ile de Ré", near La Rochelle
Arrival at OPO and disembarking via airbridge
Welcome to Portugal, the country of TAP !
Porto by night
Porto by day, but with a very cloudy weather
After a short but pleasant stay in Porto, it's now time to go back to the airport. The metro system is very nice, a direct line run every 20 minutes to the Airport for just 1.45€ !!!
The terminal of Porto is very nice !!
Lufthansa is the only major flies from Porto. IB has also some flights to MAD by commuters, but no BA, KL or AF flight !
After check in, I proceed to the security check. No waiting time and friendly staff ! Ok, it's perhaps a detail, but it's not usual !!
Live music inside the boarding area !! A nice touch !!
The TAP lounge in Porto is nice and the catering good !
The A321 named after the beautiful city of Konstanz is ready for boarding !
Sunny weather... over the clouds !!
The meal is ready (sorry, only this pic...) : vegetarian pasta
Germany is "weinland" ?? Really, there are wines elsewhere other than France ?? oh... I'm surprised
Sunset over France. We were flying more towards the south than the inbound flight: via Asturias, Pyreneans mountains, Lyon, Geneva, Zurich, Stuttgart.
Arrival in FRA on time, but no airbridge parking. The parking was on the future "A plus' terminal. PAXBUS to the PAXBUS Schengen arrival in terminal B. A new marathon to the terminal A via the tunnel !
The connection was planned for just 55 minutes. No time to visit the lounge, but at the gate I had a good surprise :
My name and the name of a friend who was flying with me, were on the screen indicating as "accepted guests" on the flight... even if we had boarding cards for the flight. We proceeded to the desk where we received our new boarding cards... again in business class !! The flight was overbooked and it seems that the LH C class is minimum 3 rows!
Our bird to Paris this evening was the A321 named after the city of Würzburg
The FRA CDG flight time was very short, only 45 minutes. A cold meal was served. Cold, but with nice colors and very tasty !!
Safety card of this A321
Paris by night !!
Thank you Lufthansa for this very pleasant weekend to a nice city, where I would like to visit again, probably during a better season.
The betterfly offers are very interesting : less than 200€ and 3750 miles for a return ticket. I hope that they will be more available aslast minute offers, like the old Ready to fly !
Even if I'm still a Swiss fan, and was very happy with my last LX flight in January to YUL, I regret that their European offers are not attractive anymore : the business upgrade fares are now very expensive, and the Economy fares give only 625 miles for a return ticket, really not attractive
But the LH quality is also good. Although FRA is not of the same quality as MUC or ZRH, it is still more pleasant, easier to get around and more user-friendly than CDG !!
To OPO, there is really no better way to fly... with miles and much more !
lychemsa From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 906 posts, RR: 3 Reply 1, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 6646 times:
I find the food on LH even in Y always good. Porto seems to be a very interesting city. I only know the airport which is nice and large with not too much traffic. Very relaxing.
What I find nice about LH is that the product is very consistent - you always know what you are going to get and there are very few exceptions. Sure, it might lack some warmth and personality, but that's just the German way I guess.
Funny that my only experience with LH ex-CDG was similar - being offered to put to an earlier flight as the later one was delayed (and probably overbooked as well). That trip ended up well, the FRA-HEL segment we were connecting to was overbooked so we ended up staying overnight at the very nice Steigenberged FRA Airport hotel and got 500€ LH vouchers each, which I used to fly to Toronto later on...
767747 From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 1761 posts, RR: 25 Reply 3, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 5655 times:
Great report! I'm always impressed by the little dishes that Lufthansa serves on their European flights in Business Class. Looking forward to the next report !
iainbhx From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2008, 234 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (3 years 3 months 1 week 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 4996 times:
I did BHX-FRA-MAD-FRA-BHX the other week on a betterfly and I admit, it's not a bad way to get 3750 miles now the LX fares are a little too high. I must book a couple more soon.
We had the same hot meals in Y as your flight on FRA-MAD-FRA and I must admit, I did enjoy the chicken dish on the FRA-MAD, there again I'd been in the Business lounge at A26 and it was a zoo, so I hadn't had a snack.
OPO looks very nice, I'll have to add that to the list for a visit at some point.
LXfan From France, joined Feb 2009, 78 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (3 years 3 months 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 4430 times:
Thank you for your comments !
Quoting lychemsa (Reply 1): I find the food on LH even in Y always good.
Yes, for a 2h/3h flight, having a hot meal is very correct !
Quoting lychemsa (Reply 1): I only know the airport which is nice and large with not too much traffic.
The terminal is very great !!
Quoting FlyingFinn76 (Reply 2): Reminds me of my own trip to Porto in January:
I have read your trip report when you published it. Air Berlin look a very nice airline, but I find very expensive ! And the destinations ex-Paris are not very important. The other problem with AB for me : with a statut on the Frequent Flyer program, you don't have lounge access !!
Quoting 767747 (Reply 3): I'm always impressed by the little dishes that Lufthansa serves on their European flights in Business Class.
Yes, me too ! It's a small meal, but a good looking and tasty snack !
Quoting 767747 (Reply 3): Looking forward to the next report !
thanks. I have a few trip report online. I will try to do another on my next travel in a few days, with low cost & star alliance airlines.
Quoting iainbhx (Reply 4): it's not a bad way to get 3750 miles now the LX fares are a little too high
betterfly is a good fare for a FTL statut level... but not enough for the SEN level !! And the LX Y fare give only 625 miles, very cheap...
Quoting iainbhx (Reply 4): the Business lounge at A26 and it was a zoo,
FRA lounge are very busy !! MUC are very nice biz and SEN lounge, an other good point for this beautiful LH hub !
Quoting iainbhx (Reply 4): OPO looks very nice, I'll have to add that to the list for a visit at some point.
for your next betterfly ?? I have to much city on my list to visit... or to visit again ! One travel per month is my tempo, but for some destinations LH does not provide a good offer.
AustrianZRH From Austria, joined Aug 2007, 1265 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (3 years 3 months 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 3526 times:
Quoting LXfan (Thread starter): Even if I'm still a Swiss fan, and was very happy with my last LX flight in January to YUL, I regret that their European offers are not attractive anymore : the business upgrade fares are now very expensive, and the Economy fares give only 625 miles for a return ticket, really not attractive
625? That would be 5 segments, right? Mostly, you just get 125 mi per segment on the cheapo fares I unfortunately always have to book... But that's IIRC the same on all miles and more airlines.
WARNING! The post above should be taken with a grain of salt! Furthermore, it may be slightly biased towards A.
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