CDG-MUC-VRN 3/12/2005
CDG-MUC LH 4245
STD : 110pm STA: 255pm
Actual departure: after 3:10pm pushback
Gate 66 CDG1
CRJ700 D-ACPD
Looking around for a round trip ticket to Verona from Paris was not easy because they tend to be expensive and the choices are not many. The choice was AZ or AF which were the same thing, or LH via MUC. Because of the price, I decided on LH. I could have taken flights with a 35 minutes connecting time in MUC but decided to take a pair with a 2 hour break in MUC. I rather like MUC airport and planned to pass the time window shopping and to check out the Herpa collections in the shops there.

Day of departure, I was at CDG nice and early for my flight. Checking in was easy, with a friendly agent and I went to the satellite 6 of CDG1 a half an hour before the supposed boarding time. Well, the boarding time and the take off time came and went without any announcement. Finally, they changed the display to a departure time of 2pm. I was a bit surprised by this lack of announcement by LH! The display was again changed to 230pm. And if you wanted information you actually had to go the counter and they would give you detailed infos, but still I think they should have announced it and kept us informed. Not many choices of newspaper, the satellite really was a dump to be spending any time in.

Finally the CRJ700 arrived. Apparently the plane arrived late in MUC, took off late for CDG and hence the late arrival in CDG due to the bad weather in MUC. We boarded at 3pm and the agent said that I would still have time to make my flight to Verone, scheduled to depart at 5:10pm from MUC. I was the first to board the plane. We exited the gate, got down the stairway, walked on the tarmac and up the stairs of the plane. The stewardess was still seated on the first row of the cabin reading a magazine and took her a minute to realize that I was a pax and she jumped out in surprise to greet all the other pax.
I settled down on the plane which felt small (2X2 arrangement) compared to planes that I usually take even for this routing. Seats are in grey leather. I found the seat a bit too small and had a feeling that I would slide down unless I sit very straight. I first had 15C but moved to 14C, an exit row seat.

There were only 11 pax. But earlier I saw people who had to change their itinerary because of the late departure. The ground personnels did take care of them. We took off and were served a sandwich, very small but was quite tasty. Got orange juice and coffee with the sandwich. The coffee was the worst coffee I ever tasted. More like water watered down with something that changes slightly the color. Arrived in MUC in bad weather, we were in the clouds for so long and was in the clear just before landing. We touched down at 4:39.

MUC-VRN LH2696 (operated by Air Dolomiti)
ATR 72 ? I-ADLJ
STD 510pm STA 620pm
ACTUAL: 517 takeoff 615 landed
As I exited the plane there were two buses waiting. The big bus for pax going to the terminal and another small bus with a man holding a card on which was written VERONA. I approached him, he checked my ticket and said that he would take me directly to the plane to VRN. The flight was operated by Air Dolomiti. We arrived at the plane in the rain and the plane was not ready yet. The driver came back after checking with the people and said that there were only 4 of us travelling tonight on the ATR (72 I think). My bag was loaded to the plane and I boarded soon after, after thanking the LH driver.

The stewardess greeted us at the door and we had a huge choice of newspapers. Got the Herald Tribune and sat down. Leather seats again, but much more comfortable than the LH ones…in green this time. The take off was a bit scary as the weather was pretty bad. But boy, that thing really took off like a bullet and with all the noise and the speed and the shaking it felt like you just rocketed out of MUC into the cloudy sky and finally reaching the clear sky above. Service started with (paper) towels, followed by two pieces of cakes served with (for me) orange juice and coffee. The coffee was really good and nothing like the one served by their partner, LH. Landed in Verone at 615 pm. As in take off, a very fast and hard landing with all the noise etc. AT 621 I was seated in the bus with other pax for the short ride to the terminal. I like Air Dolomiti, great and friendly service even if I got a bit scared flying a propeller plane…Bags were on the conveyer in no time at all, considering the size of VRN.

Return was the same routing in reverse. 6/12/2005
VRN –MUC
LH 2693 ATR 72 I-ADLS
STD : 120pm STA: 235pm
Actual: departed landed 240pm
Checked in with the friendly Air Dolomiti agent. Went to the boarding area. We were called to board on time and got on the bus. Then the agent boarded the bus and told us to get off and go to the terminal again as they had to do additional checks on the airplane. Hm. Not long though, as we reboarded the bus maybe 8 minutes later. Boarded the plane with only 12 other pax. Again, newspapers were given out as we entered the plane via back stairway (something that LH does not do), once seated they gave us refreshing paper towels. Pushback at 124pm.The flight to MUC was to take 1 hour and 10 minutes. We were served a meal box containing meat, cheese and biscuits. Very good actually. The crew were always present and very friendly and efficient. Landing in MUC at 240 pm again was a bit scary as it was very cloudy and grey. The ATR really felt fast at take off and landing and of course the noise from the propellers was loud! We got on the bus for T2.

LH4248
B737-500 Reg. D-B??? (the one with the soccer ball nose)
STD 335pm STA 510pm
Actual: 411pm take off and 520 landed

Ran along the terminal to my gate G19 as my boarding time approached. Got there and saw the sign DELAYED! The agent told me that there was no crew and no plane so we were not going to take off on time. Finally the 737 arrived. No boarding announcement was made and everyone just sort of followed everyone else. Boarded the aircraft and found that I had an emergency row (10D). Greeted by a very good looking steward that was very friendly. I think I remember now why I like or liked LH. Again, served the tasty but too small sandwich. I asked for a coke and decided to try the coffee again. Again, AWFUL! The 737 was clean and comfortable. Landed in CDG at 520pm and was happy to be back in the dumpy T1. The bags for once arrived pretty fast. Went out to get the Roissy bus to Opera and it took a long time to get to the city because of traffic.

All in all, LH on the ground was a bit disappointing with their lack of announcement etc. and the onboard service minimal though OK by today standards. But the private transfer on the ground in MUC was very much appreciated. The crew from MUC to CDG were nice (the two guys). Air Dolomiti on the other hand was a very pleasant surprise in term of service. I don’t like too much flying small propeller planes but maybe someone could tell me why I should.
On a side note, a very convenient bus connects VRN to the railway station and only costs 4.50 euros…much cheaper than taking a taxi ! No smoking anywhere in VRN, and not many shops. Shopping galore in MUC and smoking huts where you can smoke. Also free coffees given out by LH in this terminal. And newspapers !

5 days and no reply!

Thanks for this informative trip report. EN is renowned for a having better service than LH mainline - glad it still is that way! I agree CDG T1 is a dump, I wish they would refurbish the terminal sometime - it would look very stylish and bring back the atmosphere of the olden days!

Cheers

Star

Nice report !

Quoting Parisien (Thread starter): I like Air Dolomiti, great and friendly service

&

Quoting Parisien (Thread starter): We were served a meal box containing meat, cheese and biscuits. Very good actually.

That seconds my (limited) experience with EN.
And: Get some more flights in prop airliners ! They usually are much more fun to fly in than those mainline jets 

Quoting StarFlyer (Reply 1): I agree CDG T1 is a dump, I wish they would refurbish the terminal sometime

"refurbishment" is on its way, but will take some time ...

Have fun,
HT

Nice report, thanks.

Quoting Parisien (Thread starter): the satellite really was a dump

- Yep, as is pretty much all of CDG!

As you have discovered, pretty much all of LH's partners inc LH Cityline provide better service than mainline LH.

I myself like flying on props, though perhaps it's because I don't get to fly many, usually it's the odd Air Nostrum D83 on the MAH-PMI route.

Good stuff, look forward to more reports.

Rgds

Mark

Hi, thanks guys for your responses. Yes, I noticed, took a long time to get comments...guess readers are getting choosy ! no pics no dice !
Indeed Air Dolomiti was a revelation for me and will now check more of these 'small' regional airlines...the flight crew were just great.
CDG1 if refurbished should indeed bring back memories from the olden days (or what I believed things to be like in the olden days)..the architecture sort of evokes those feelings..but it needs to be cleaned, it needs more shops in the satelites too. I sort of like the fact that the planes were connected in everywhich way unlike in modern terminals where they are in a neat row.
Forgot to say that there was an Olympic A340 to Athens !
The last times I flew out of CDG2 and this time I took the bus from the RER station to CDG1 and noticed the Air France concorde at the entrance to the airport...has it always been there or is this new ?
As for propeller planes I dont fly them often at all. The last time (before this time with Air Dolomiti) I think was a US domestic in the middle of snowstorms. I tell you, white knuckles all around !

Quoting Parisien (Reply 4): guess readers are getting choosy ! no pics no dice !

not true for me !
I usually neglet any TR´s that advertise as "Many pics" ...
Especially nondescriptive pic´s like "here´s my family waiving goodbye" are the ones I prefer not to see in TRs.

Have fun
HT