Welcome to my short-haul intra-EU flight series. In between my usual long haul travels, I needed to go to several European destinations to visit some family and friends. However, this created a unique problem: I needed to buy several one way tickets and these are often excessively overpriced. Thankfully, after spending the better half of a day hunting for the best prices, I managed to find some reasonable deals on three different airlines.
Introduction
Low Cost Carriers; whether you love them or hate them, it is undeniable that they have become a substantial force in the aviation industry. Some argue that these airlines are the best advancement in aviation over the last decade. For example, it could be said that Michael O’Leary, the CEO of Ryanair, has made a larger contribution to bringing people in Europe together than the European Union and its introduction of borderless travel in Europe. On the other hand, environmentalists blame Low Cost Carriers for excessive carbon emissions and unnecessary traveling. I mean, who needs to fly to Paris for dinner?
Personally, I am not a massive fan of Low Cost Carriers and I usually try to fly with legacies if I can. I hate being nickel and dimed to death for absolutely everything and I find that the difference in fares to full service carriers, with all things such as baggage charges considered, is often not as much as one would imagine. When I was looking around for tickets to travel from the United Kingdom to Germany and from Germany to Majorca, the very reasonable fares and simple connections of Lufthansa and Air Berlin won me over. However, when I was looking for flights from Majorca to Edinburgh, Flyglobespan had a deal I could not refuse.
So why am I comparing a low cost, a semi low cost and a full service carrier on different routes? Well, I think the PAD-PMI, PMI-EDI and BHX-FRA sectors are actually quite similar. They are all short-haul intra-European flights less than three hours long. Additionally, the ticket price per mile was 9.88 Euro cents on Air Berlin, 8.47 Euro cents on Flyglobespan and 10.78 Euro cents on Lufthansa, which is also not too dissimilar either. Just for comparison, an SQ ticket from SIN-FRA is about 30 Euro cents per mile! So, is Air Berlin really a semi low cost carrier? Or is it the same as Flyglobespan? And what can Lufthansa bring to the table in defense of the Legacy carriers? Read on and find out.
General Flight Overview
Airline: Deutsche Lufthansa (LH)
Flight number: LH 4907
Origin: Birmingham International Airport (BHX)
Destination: Frankfurt am Main International Airport (FRA)
Distance: 477 miles
Scheduled departure time: 07:00
Scheduled flight time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Class of Travel: Economy Class
Seat: 5F
Equipment: 737-530
Registration: D-ABIP (Oberhausen)
Departure Airport
Birmingham International Airport (BHX) is the sixth busiest airport in the United Kingdom. It handles almost ten million passengers a year and serves the cities of Birmingham and Coventry as well as the surrounding countryside. The length of the single runway at BHX is 2600 meters, which is comparatively small for an airport this size.
I arrived at Birmingham International Airport at 4:00am, because this was the only time I could be dropped off by my friend. At this early hour, the terminal building was completely deserted: there was no one in the departures hall and there were no flights departing for another two hours. The only signs of life could be found at Starbucks and Costa, but even here there were only one or two people to be seen.
Outside the departures hall at BHX.
The empty row of counters at four in the morning.
The lifeless main departure hall at BHX.
One of the main reasons why I chose to fly out of Birmingham instead of London was because of the Airport. Birmingham International Airport is well laid out, it is not overcrowded and it is not run by the BAA.
The overall airport experience was very relaxing and surprisingly comfortable. By 4:45am many of the check-in areas were slowly opening, including the Lufthansa counters in Terminal 1.
The upper floor of the departures hall.
The deserted Lufthansa check-in counters before the terminal came to life.
Instead of heading to the counter to check-in, I decided to use one of the quick check-in machines. The interface was very easy to use and I had my boarding pass in less than two minutes. It was then simply a matter of dropping my luggage off and I was good to go. The agent at the quick baggage drop was very cheerful and friendly for this early hour in the morning and she efficiently tagged my luggage through to Frankfurt. The entire process was very well thought out, and I was soon able to proceed for departure without further ado.
The four Lufthansa check-in counters at BHX.
The relatively quiet corridor leading to the Terminal 1 Departures.
The entrance to the airside section of the terminal building.
It was now 5:10am and the terminal building was still very quiet. There were no queues at the ticket check and the security screen, making for a very smooth passage into the waiting hall. Sadly, at the security check, the man operating the x-ray machine decided I was carrying a few too many electronics. Initially, I thought it was just a matter of showing him that they all worked – which they obviously did, but he decided this was not enough. All of my devises were then wiped down with a cloth and analyzed for traces of explosives! The whole experience was rather embarrassing and totally unnecessary in my opinion.
After my incident at the security checkpoint I was obviously annoyed, but the sight of the beautiful waiting hall made all the previous hassle become a distant memory.
The very modern and clean waiting hall at BHX.
The designers of LHR could learn a thing or two from this airport.
Notice the ample space and numerous seating opportunities.
One of the highlights of Birmingham International Airport has to be the waiting hall in Terminal 1. There are numerous shops, plenty of seats, very clean toilets and everything else the weary traveler could ever ask for. Compared to other British Airports, the cleanliness and design was a class above the rest. Furthermore, the layout was contemporary and the mood lights in the ceiling added to the great atmosphere; I was very impressed.
The very current ceiling design with the mood lighting.
Seats anyone? There were literally hundreds available.
After exploring the wonderful waiting hall, I still had a little more than an hour left until the scheduled time of departure of LH4907. At BHX, passengers are only allowed to proceed towards the gates when boarding for their respective flight has been announced. Apparently, this is for ‘security reasons’. After indulging in a little reading for half an hour, the flight information screens showed that my flight to Frankfurt was ready for boarding. Eager to get one or two cabin shots of by aircraft, I quickly proceeded to Gate 54.
The tunnel to some of the gates at Terminal 1.
The rather dire look of the tunnel to Gate 54.
The entrances to Gates 39-54 at BHX.
I was the first passenger to arrive at Gate 54 and the Lufthansa agent looked surprised to see me when I showed him my boarding pass. After he scrutinized my passport and boarding pass, he wished me a good morning and a pleasant flight. I then proceeded down the cold and empty jetway towards the Boeing 737-500, which was waiting for me on the tarmac. I was onboard LH4907 at 6:39am, 21 minutes before the scheduled time of departure.
The gloomy jetway leading to LH4907.
Aircraft
Lufthansa is Germany’s largest airline and it has quite a varied fleet of aircraft. As of today, the airline has 323 aircraft with 171 orders - 63 of these planes are Boeing 737s. These aircraft, 33 of which are 737-300s and 30 of which are the 737-500 variant, are used on routes throughout Europe and Northern Africa. The flights between BHX and FRA are usually operated by both 737 variants and this morning a 737-500 was dispatched. Lufthansa’s 737-500s seat 111 passengers in a variable two class configuration, making it smallest aircraft in Lufthansa’s mainline fleet at this point in time.
My aircraft today, D-ABIP, was definitely not one of the newest planes in the sky today. In fact, at a ripe age of 17, this aircraft was one of the older 737-500 in Lufthansa’s massive fleet. Nevertheless, the cabin was immaculately clean and amazingly well maintained. Lufthansa’s upkeep of this aging cabin was simply stunning and I have seen brand new aircraft in a worse condition than D-ABIP. The cabin was configured in the usual 3-3 layout with a seat pitch of 32 inches and width of 17.5 to 20 inches. Overall, the seat comfort was more than sufficient for a two hour flight, even for taller individuals such as myself.
D-ABIP:
 Photo © Alexander Karmazin |  Photo © Gerry Hill - WorldAirImages |
This 737-530 had its maiden flight in March 1991. The aircraft is owned by Lufthansa and the first flight in Lufthansa colors was in April 1991.
D-ABIP at the remote stand in Frankfurt.
Flight
My boarding pass for LH4907 from BHX to FRA.
I think that I managed to catch the crew a little off guard when I stepped onboard LH4907, because the captain was still in the galley chatting to two members of the crew. As they saw me approaching, they quickly straightened up their uniform and smiled at me. I was greeted by a very cheerful “good morning” by all three them and the captain then invited me for a quick picture in the cockpit after he saw me snapping several shots of the empty cabin.
Wow… what happened to the grumpy Lufthansa flight attendants of the past?!
The Economy Class cabin on this Lufthansa 737-500.
The typical grey and blue Lufthansa interior.
Sadly, when I reached my seat in row 5, I noticed that this was a windowless row. My only hope now was a light load on LH4907, because I cannot stand not having a view.
However, when I asked one of the flight attendants if there would be any seats left, she reassured me that there would be plenty available. All I could do was to wait patiently while the remaining passengers boarded.
My seat on LH4907: the windowless 5F.
The cabin during the slow boarding process.
The old school panels on this 17 year old aircraft.
The cabin filled very slowly and I was already preparing for a late departure when I suddenly heard the head stewardess announcing that boarding was completed. I looked around and counted about 15 passengers in Economy Class and one person in Business. This would definitely not be a profitable flight. On the bright side, I guess there was plenty of space to move around after all.
Without hesitation, I moved one row forward to seat 4F.
The impressive legroom on this 737-500.
The curtain separating Business and Economy Class between rows 3 and 4.
The abysmal load on LH4907.
As the passengers settled down for departure, the captain welcomed everyone onboard and outlined the important flight information. Today would be a quick flight at just over an hour and the cruising altitude was 30000 feet. The cabin crew then performed the manual safety presentation before pushback commenced at 7am sharp.
The gloomy weather in Birmingham on this cold winter’s morning.
The early morning Lufthansa flight to Munich.
When the captain began taxiing towards runway 33, he must have forgotten that he was no longer in his car, because he was taking the corners as if he was in a Lotus. I had never contemplated how well the 737 would perform on the race track, but from what I could see it seemed to handle the corners pretty well.
Is anybody willing to ditch that sports car for an upgrade?? 
The snow covered airport perimeter as D-ABIP raced along the taxiways.
The new international peer which is under construction at Terminal 1.
D-ABIP reached runway 33 within no time, only to have to wait for an Air France CityJet Avro RJ85 and a Ryanair 737-800 to takeoff. The little Avro was first in line and it made one massive roar as it began accelerating down the runway. In fact, the Ryanair 737 seemed rather quiet in comparison! At 7:10am, it was our turn and LH4907 taxied onto the runway. After a short wait and with the breaks still deployed, the little CFM 56 engines spooled up to full thrust. When the captain eventually released the breaks, the savage acceleration hurled my body into the back of my seat with brute force. I had never experienced anything like it, but it sure was a lot of fun.
The terminal complex as we raced down the runway.
The beautiful sunrise as LH4907 cleared the thick layer of clouds.
After a short steep climb, D-ABIP cleared the thick layer of clouds hanging over the Midlands. Up here, the sky was clear and the sunrise in the East was spectacular. The entire cabin was lit up with the warm orange light of the sun, creating an amazing effect that no mood lighting could even come close to.
The thick layer of clouds covering the Midlands.
With such a light load, the CFM 56 engines were having an easy ride today.
The astonishing sunrise on the horizon.
As D-ABIP started leveling off at 30000 feet, I decided to have a look at Lufthansa’s inflight magazine. My first impression was that this magazine was a lot thinner and more flimsy than those of other carriers. The content was not very impressive either, especially when one considers that the Lufthansa Group has one of the largest fleets in the world. However, this was the only form of ‘entertainment’ available as the aircraft Lufthansa’s short haul fleet do not have PTVs in any class.
On the other hand, the seats on the 737-500 were very comfortable. There was ample legroom even for someone my height and the leather covering was nice and soft. I could have easily sat in my seat for several hours without complaining: it even put some of the other airlines’ long haul products to shame.
Lufthansa’s rather poor inflight magazine.
The 737-300 & 737-500 safety card.
A glimpse of the snow covered United Kingdom through the clouds.
About 20 minutes into the flight the food and beverage service commenced. To begin with, one of the friendly stewardesses came around with the beverage cart. This being Lufthansa, I always spoke to the flight attendants in German, which seemed to make the conversations a lot more personal and casual. This was definitely a nice break from the standard formal English dialogue I am used to.
“Good morning young man. Can I offer you something to drink on this beautiful day?”
“Of course. Could I please have an apple juice with sparkling mineral water?”
“No problem! How about some coffee or tea as well?”
“No thanks. That’s all for now.”
“Sure. I’ll come back to you in a little while then.”
My apple juice with sparkling mineral water.
The snow covered town of Cambridge from above.
Soon after, the other stewardess came by with the food cart. She was equally as bright and cheerful as the other flight attendant who had just served me the drink. Overall, the Lufthansa crew on this flight was a breath of fresh air and I can only compliment them on the excellent level of service they provided.
“Could I please offer you some sandwiches?”
“Yes please”
“Here you go. Could I get you anything else for now?”
“No thanks. I’m all set.”
The small Lufthansa sandwich packet.
The two sandwiches tasted average and they were nothing special; the one with cheese as quite dry and tasteless, but the egg and onion piece was not too bad. This was after all only a one hour flight, so the food was sufficient for such a short journey.
To my surprise, there was another beverage run shortly after I had finished my sandwich. Two drink runs on a flight lasting just over an hour is amazing in any class, especially in these days of endless cost cutting. Without hesitation, I ordered another apple juice with sparkling mineral water.
The two sandwiches. One came with cheese and the other with egg and onion.
My second cup of apple juice and sparkling mineral water.
The beautiful scenery outside my window.
By now LH4907 had already crossed the channel and it was almost time to start the descent. Before the seatbelt sign was turned on, I had a little stroll around the cabin. If there is one aspect where the Lufthansa Group is a world leader, the way they maintain their aircraft would have to be it. This 737-500 was almost 18 years old and it was in an impeccable condition. From the seats to the hand luggage bins to the galley, everything looked as good as new. I am sure LH will have no problem selling these old birds when they start phasing them out later this year.
The light cloud cover over the English channel.
Crossing into German airspace.
At 8:10am the captain announced that LH4907 had just commenced its descent into Frankfurt. He also provided some additional information on the weather and expected time of arrival. The flight attendants then came around for a final check of the cabin as the seatbelt sign came back on. Below, the layer of clouds had become thicker once again and soon D-ABIP left the clear blue skies behind.
The grim weather over central Germany.
The starboard 737-500 wing as LH4907 was about to be enveloped by the clouds.
Just as the captain had announced before the descent, Frankfurt was completely covered in fog this morning. By 8:25am (GMT), D-ABIP was completely surrounded by the thick mist and I could sometimes barely make out the end of the wing a few meters away. As the aircraft lined up with runway 25L, the flaps were extended and the landing gear was deployed.
The white expanse with less than a minute remaining until touchdown.
The ground finally came into sight just before the airport perimeter.
I was very surprised that there were no delays at Frankfurt with the thick fog covering the airfield. I guess they are prepared for this sort of thing. After a smooth descent, LH4907 touched down on runway 25L at 9:32am (Central European time), eight minutes before the scheduled time of arrival. The atmosphere at FRA this morning was very gloomy to say the least.
Seconds before touchdown on runway 25L.
Touchdown, with the speedbrakes and thrust reversers deployed.
The Lufthansa Technik building hidden in the fog.
As soon as we left the runway, it became clear that the captain was going to try to break the world taxiing speed record once again. The only thing stopping him was a landing 737-500 on runway 25R, but after a short wait he was cleared to continue his race to the remote stand.
Another Lufthansa 737-500 landing on runway 25R.
The wet and icy runway 25R as LH4907 continued to speed to the remote stand.
Some of the numerous Lufthansa planes of all variations at FRA.
By 9:37am, three minutes before the scheduled time of arrival, D-ABIP came to a screeching halt at the remote stand. With such a light load, there was no pushing and shoving in the cabin and everyone took their time to gather their belongings; it was a very comfortable experience. As I was leaving, I thanked the crew for a truly wonderful flight and stepped into the freezing cold outside.
A beautiful A340-600 standing in the morning fog.
My neighbor at the remote stand: a brand new Adria Airways Canadair Regional Jet CRJ900.
Arrival Airport
Frankfurt am Main International Airport (FRA) is one of the busiest airports in the world. It handles in excess of 50 million passengers every year, making it the eighth busiest airport on earth. Sadly, there are just not enough jetways to handle the hundreds of aircraft arriving at this hub on a daily basis, so LH4907 had to use a remote stand today. This did not really concern me, because I am always up for a little airport sightseeing, but my fellow passengers rarely share my optimism.
D-ABIP in the gloomy Frankfurt weather.
The interior of the bus taking the passengers to the arrivals hall.
D-ABVW taxiing to the terminal building as our bus started its journey.
Thankfully, the bus to the terminal was very warm, because the temperature outside was barely above freezing. Frankfurt Airport is a great place to drive around by bus; there are so many things going on and there is always so much to see. Today was no different and the variety of aircraft dotted around the airport was impressive.
Up close and personal with a LH 747-400.
A Lufthansa A330-300 waiting for clearance to continue taxiing.
A Delta Airlines 767-400ER taxiing in the distance.
The bus ride did not last very long and by 9:50am, we had arrived at the terminal building. The entire bussing operation was incredibly well organized, from the bus waiting for the aircraft at the remote stand to the plentiful arrival bays at the terminal building. This was German efficiency at its best.
The immigration check in Terminal 1 was also a breeze as usual and I was landside in less than five minutes.
The bus arrivals hall on the ground floor of Terminal 1.
What would FRA be without the obligatory construction works?
The short and fast moving queues at the immigration checkpoint.
I now headed downstairs into the massive baggage claim hall. The belt for LH4907 was number 11 today, which was located at the very end of the building. To my surprise, all bags had already been delivered by the time I arrived to collect my luggage. For an airport the size of Frankfurt, this was an impressive feat. At 10:00am, I was already leaving the airport and my short flight to Frankfurt had come to an end.
The departures hall at FRA as I headed towards the baggage claim.
The baggage claim information screens at the entrance of the arrivals hall.
The belt for LH4907 today: Belt 11.
Overall Impression
I must say, I was very impressed by Lufthansa on this short-haul flight. In the past, I have had old, tired and frustrated LH crews, but the flight attendants on LH4907 were none of these things. Instead, they were cheerful, welcoming and very friendly. They may not have been as perfect as your average Singapore Airlines crew, but they were much more forthcoming and casual. In addition, I was also surprised by the double beverage run and the very comfortable seats. Obviously, the usual Lufthansa strengths such as reliability and punctuality were also present on this short hop. My only complaints are Lufthansa’s poor online reservation system, which does not allow one to reserve one’s seat, and the lack of any sort of entertainment on the flight. I am not asking for PTVs, but the least LH could do is give inflight magazine a serious overhaul. Overall, Lufthansa gets two thumbs up and I would unconditionally recommend flying with them between Birmingham and Frankfurt.
(2.0) Booking & Reservation: 6.0
(1.0) Check-in: 9.0
(1.0) Airline Airport Facilities: N/A
(0.5) Boarding: 9.0
(2.0) Seat: 9.5
(1.0) Entertainment System: 2.0
(2.0) Crew: 9.5
(2.0) Food and Beverages: 8.0
(0.5) Amenity kits and other freebies: N/A
(0.5) Arrival: 8.5
(1.0) On-time performance: 10.0
Overall weighted score: 7.98
Thank you for taking the time to read the first part of this series of trip reports. As always, any comments and opinions are welcome and much appreciated.
Upcoming trip reports will feature a flight with BMI from EDI to MAN as well as flights with SQ in Business Class between MAN and SIN. Then, in Easter, I will attempt one of the craziest trips yet to be featured on Airliners.net: Four long haul and ultra long haul flights, including some on the A380, one after the other. Total distance? 36388 miles. Ever wondered how to add a little adventure to the hop across the Atlantic? Find out in March!
If you liked this report, you may also be interested in my six part trip report from Penang to Muscat.
PEN to MCT via KUL and DXB with EK and MH:
1. Penang - Kuala Lumpur, 2. Kuala Lumpur - Dubai, 3. Dubai - Muscat.
MCT to PEN via DXB, SIN and KUL with EK and MH:
1. Muscat - Dubai, 2. Dubai - Singapore - Kuala Lumpur, 3. Kuala Lumpur - Penang
Additionally, you may also enjoy reading about my journey from Penang to Frankfurt with Singapore Airlines.
PEN to FRA via SIN with SQ:
1. Penang - Singapore, 2. Singapore - Frankfurt.
FRA to PEN via SIN with SQ:
1. Frankfurt - Singapore, 2. Singapore - Penang.
Finally, there is also my trip report with Qatar Airways from Kuala Lumpur to Frankfurt via Doha.
KUL to FRA via DOH with QR:
1. Kuala Lumpur - Doha, 2. Doha - Frankfurt.
As always, safe flying.
Globetraveller
Good for you though, this made your flight more personal and that's most probably why they offered you a second drink service. I never received that on LH so far, but when you ask for a refill, they always do so.
