LH in Europe - short haul...

Whilst 'country hopping' in Eastern Europe on a combination of rail, river cruises and flights, we had the pleasure of flying Lufthansa in Europe. I am really impressed by the level of service we received from LH - it was great every flight. The flight attendants were so lovely and the food (well, it was minimal on these flights) was nice.

Our first flight was from Budapest to Krakow. We arrived at Ferihegy early so we could secure a good seat, but the queue was SO long due to some passengers booking mistake... At this stage I must admit, after waiting for 1/2 hour on one customer check-in, I was getting frustrated! Which is very out of character... Aaargh! Anyway, we checked-in and our seats were fine in Y class... Eeek! Please see our snack below, it was actually really good - the banana bars were delicious! Really delish!

Our next little hop was from Praha to Frankfurt - again a great flight, thanks LH... Just be warned, if you want to eat in Praha Airport, it is REALLY expensive, and I am not a tight arse... We paid USD30 for toast, 1 pastry, juice and tea... A breakfast 'combo' (rip-off) deal. Hhhmmmmnn. I had to have a wine on the plane to compensate, of course. A nice little French bottle of blanc...

Austrian Airlines in Europe... A quick hop!

After our amazing flight from Tokyo on LH, we connected to Austrian Airlines from Frankfurt to Vienna... Not bad, I have to say, whilst it was only a small plane (there was no upper deck!) we were comfortable in our business class seats for the short flight across Europe.

A late lunch/early dinner was promptly served and we enjoyed some lovely Austrian wines - not that we needed any after our long flight in LH F!



The cabin crew were very friendly and could not believe that we had been flying for almost a day from the other side of the world! But we had, and the toll was beginning to take hold... We were almost in Vienna our first stop on our Eastern European trip! Cool!

I will be posting much more over the coming days on our internal flights within Europe on Lufthansa and then our flights back to Australia with LH and Thai... Stay tuned! And sorry again for the delay!

AG :)

The BEST flight ever...! LH711

Fellow Airgroovers!


Can I first of all apologise for the delay... I have been very busy, flying, of course!


I want to take you back to my recent holiday to Europe, and indeed the best flight ever... LH711 Tokyo-Frankfurt in First.


Given my regular flying schedule, if they were all like this, I'd live in the sky!



The whole wonderful experience began with check-in, on the red carpet... Upon being given 2 seats on the top deck (LH's F is in the bubble) we promptly proceeded to the F lounge for a shower as we had just arrived in Tokyo from a long flight. The United F Lounge in Narita Airport is great, not what one would ever expect, actually. Very glam with amazing food, huge selection of wine and shower suites fit for a king, or queen. Great sushi and delicious soup was enjoyed by all in the lounge - but we kept lots of room for the big on board feast! Given the flight was a day flight we had 2 'lunches' coming up!





A fantastic flight was already in the making! The Vintage Champagne corks popping on the top deck could be heard in the lounge! We almost ran to the boarding gate, in anticipation!



The warm greeting as we boarded the 747 was exceptional. Jackets were collected, and within seconds we were sipping a glass of Vintage Piper-Heidsieck "Rare' and there were many more to follow! Many! The feeling on the upper deck was somewhat a more exclusive to the normal business class cabin normally found in the bubble as there are only 16 seats in 2 sets of 4 either side of the emergency exit. Glam.


The cabin crew were by far the most professional I have ever experienced, and I fly a lot. There were German and Japanese speaking crew members and they were most friendly, without being intrusive - if you know what I mean. Throughout the flight, they did not fault once, in fact they got better with the hours!

The service was amazing as was the menu! WOW! We were salivating as we read over the extensive choices... The choice was Western or Japanese, we opted for both and shared in the delights! Highlights included: Caviar with the traditional Garnishes, Ratatouille Filled smoked Salmon with Avocado Sauce and Sour Cream, the Cheese selection, Herring Roe Sushi, Omelette with Crab Claw and Soy Sauce, Steamed Chicken with Yuzu Sauce, Deep fried Tilefish and Shrimp and Japanese Sweets! OOOiiishi!



The extensive wine selection complimented the wonderful, fresh food... Of course, we tried most wines on the list! The wines featured hailed from: France, Romania, Austria, Germany and the USA. The reds, whites and stickies were all sublime! And of course the Piper 'Rare' just kept flowing!



After a restful sleep on the flat bed and watching the odd movie, it was time for round 2! Dinner was served! More Champagne and then the highlights began, all over again... This time, our favourites included: Snow Crab Meat and Avocado Timbale with Pan fried Seabass fillet, Raw Ham and Tomato Mozzarella Salad, Seabream pressed sushi, broad Bean Tofu, Steamed Tilefish with Ginger Sauce, Shiitake Mushroom and Okra.



More champagne followed as we began our descent into Frankfurt Airport - the flight was so great, we thought about flying back to Tokyo and doing another round trip!

Well done LH! Thanks for the amazing crew, service and cuisine!

More posts coming! Fasten your set belts!

A New Trolley Dolly has been born!

Airgroove has a news flash!

One of my nearest and dearest friends has just qualified as a cabin attendant for Qantas! All I can say is the big blue sky has instantly become a happier place to be... Who could ask for a better girl to be caring for all your inflight requirements!

I am going to keep the identity of my friend anonymous, but I have no doubt that if you encounter this fab friend of mine on a flight, you'll know exactly who I am talking about - she is going to rule the clouds, stars, sun and moon for many years.

Ah, I can feel less turbulence already... Welcome onboard, enjoy your flight - please fly with us again! You know you want too...

Welcome Home...

Airgroove and partner have touched down safely back home - after the most most amazing, enchanting trip to Eastern Europe. Such wonderful, rich and historic culture drives this part of the globe, we feel extremely fortunate to have soaked ourselves in the wonders of the old 'Eastern Block'...

Give my jetlag, after flying in First Class, I thought I would just say 'Hi' and begin my detailed postings over the next few days :-)

To come: detailed inflight experiences from the service levels, meals served, the bubbles poured in the sky to how comfortable the seats were on all legs of our trip.

Stay tuned, Airgroove will be busy writing over the next few days...

Cabin crew, prepare the cabin for landing.

Europa, here we come!!!

We are finally departing for our Eastern European adventure today!

Our destinations include:

• Vienna
• Bratislava
• Budapest
• Krakow
• Prague

Upon my return, Airgoove will post updates on all flights and full trip reports and highlights from our holiday... We are going to be flying on Qantas, Lufthansa, CZA Czech Airlines and Thai Airways.

Oh, get us to the airport, immediately! I can already here the Champagne corks popping!

Cabin crew, arm the doors for take-off!

H-O-L-I-D-A-Y!

Ah, just the very thought of a holiday conjures many a nice moment in one's mind...

You could be sipping a glass of bubbling bubbly in Phuket or Tahiti or indeed roaming a fab museum in Rome, Paris or NYC. Perhaps climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is your thing? Whatever floats your boat, time off from the office is bound to be worthwhile! And vital...!

Holiday's rule the working year. Many of us jump on the merry-go-round called corporate life and long for a great break away from targets and Blackberries! Saviour every moment... You've earned this next big break...

We are off to Eastern Europe in 6 days (and counting) expect full trip reports and pics that will motivate you all to just fly and go... Ah, holiday's. Who can live without them, not me!

Regional Delights!

Are you going to the country in Oz soon...?

QantasLink: is Australia's largest regional airline - and undoubtedly the most superior carrier to fly you to country Australia.

With significant investment over the coming year, QantasLink will ensure comfortable, fabulous flights onboard brand new Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 aircraft to destinations throughout the eastern states of Australia.

Enjoy all the rewards of Qantas Frequent Flyer Points, access to Qantas Club lounges, Online checkin via qantas.com and if appropriate, the affiliation with the oneworld alliance.

Sit back, relax and enjoy QantasLink, the flight attendants are amazing. Trust me, I know...

Have you flown QF Link...? If you are going bush, I'd certainly suggest you call them, now!

Eeek-con-omy...!

Tomorrow, I am flying home (thank goodness) after a week of busy business travel... Whilst it has been a productive, great trip - let's face it, there is no place like home!

However, I will have to endure a flight in the back of the bus... Quite frankly, this is not my style, but given the flight is only an hour, I will cope! :-) Ah, domestic travel...

After being so spoilt by turning left as one boards the plane, it is hard to go back. Or at least go right. As I take my seat, I like a hot towel followed by fizzy alcohol and the offering of a local newspaper. But most most of all, I love stretching my legs and staking my personal space that is more than 34 inches long! Who wants to be cramped for 5,10 or 14 hours? Not moi!

OK! Call me dramatic! I can handle 1 cramped hour... I just love my personal space and place in the sky.

Upgrades do happen!

Who said upgrades are hard to come by!?

I have successfully upgraded another flight, and rightly so! You have got to love a good upgrade Champers all the way! I am going to eat and drink until my hearts content, oh and watch the odd flick along the way...

The pointy end of the plane has never felt so good!

Nice!

STAR! Alliance!

As a very happy, rewarded and content member of St* Alliance... Airgroove has some news to share...

Some of you may already be aware that St* Alliance have a fantastic Circle Asia Fare offering great value! You can fly around the region on St* A carriers but must cover South West Pacific, South East Asia and North Asia on your travels... Travel must commence from and return to the same country and there is a minimum 2 stops along the way...

C'mon, get airborne! Accrue some miles!

Passports, Boarding Passes and Champagne!

Ah, the joys of international travel!

I am happy to report that I have so many more trips to complete this year! I have already accumulated a mountain of miles and still have many more hours of fun in the sky!

Trips to complete in 2008:

• Auckland/Wellington/Melbourne
• Eastern Europe Holiday Extravaganza!
• New York/Munich
• Singapore/Hong Kong/Tokyo/Auckland

As an airline addicted groover, one would only understand the sheer excitement about all my forthcoming travel...!

Some of the airlines I will travel on in both C & F Class include:

• Lufthansa
• Singapore Airline
• United Airlines
• Thai Airways
• Air New Zealand
• Qantas
• All Nippon Airways (ANA)

Expect full trip reports on the C Class Connection - details around the food and beverage service, seating, general FA service/attitude and of course my humble opinion about the airline lounges that I spend time in prior to boarding!

Ah, the stars seem so near...

Oil, the real cost...

Airlines are always adding 'surcharges'... One for this, that and then the other...

The ever increasing price of the 'barrel', also known as black gold, is continually hiking up ticket prices. Not so much that it is unaffordable to travel, but 20 bucks here, 10 bucks there etc... I understand, don't get me wrong - airlines are not making as much money as they have done in bygone era's. Profits rule, but what about the human element?

Airlines are cutting jobs like a walk in the park. The impact of rising fuel costs really does hit home when jobs are cut - this is the sad reality of surging fuels costs for airlines. Reading the airline news can be somewhat depressing, particularly when you glean 1000 jobs are going at X Airline.

But what can airlines do when they are losing $$$? Remove the olives from a salad, cut the hot towel service, purchase cheaper wine (I hope not), or indeed serve no wine at all (I hope NOT!)?

Seriously, airlines need to cut costs and economise when faced with increasing fuel costs - it is just a real bitch that people are losing their jobs and all for 'black gold'.

The 787 - where are you!

Boeing Co. has announced yet another delay to the 787 Dreamliner - one of the most anticipated launches of metal in the modern aviation era.

It makes me wonder how airlines manage to strategise profits and routes around the acquisition of new airliners, if they are constantly delayed! Boeing is not the only manufacturer with this issue, we all know how overdue the A380 has been with only one major carrier to take delivery of this new bird thus far.

Current projections of delivery to Japan's ANA are scheduled for mid to late 2009! The carbon fibre structure is by far the most advanced construction of any airliner, to date. I am extremely excited the launch of the 787 as I cannot wait to jump on board, sit back and sip Champagne in one of the most advanced airliners in the world...

C'mon Boeing - hurry up!

Holiday planning... Oh the joy!

Holiday time will always remain one of the most precious moments during the busy working year...

I also believe that all the planning and research around a big trip are equally as pleasant (OK, well almost, being there is the real deal...) However, when we are actually 'there' time seems to go SO fast, so my point is ensure that you savour the anticipation and build up before boarding that jumbo jet (on the upper deck) of course!

Devising itineraries and fact-finding the chosen destination is such an exciting task... Deciding on the location and then exploring the delights during planning phase drives me forward to being and living in the holiday moment...

Ah, holidays... We are in planning mode now - where are you going?

Dining at 35,000 feet...

As an avid airline lover, I love eating on planes - but only in the pointy end, of course! The dining experience is such a big part of flying, all washed down with Champagne and a fine Chablis, is there any other way?

I am very excited that one of my favourite websites based on airline meals and after such a long lull is beginning to update from April! How fabulous, I love looking at all the pictures and comments from fellow Airgroovers...

One of the most amazing meals I had in the sky was in Business Class with Asiana flying from Sydney - Seoul and I decided that the Korean options looked great, and I was not far wrong! I opted for the Babimbap, and it was divine! A lovely Korean delight!

What has been your favourite dining experience at 35K feet?

I had better go, the flight attendant has just topped up my glass of Champagne, ah... very crisp and fresh indeed!

Please Upgrade me! Thanks, appreciated...

Qantas are great for upgrades? Right?

Well. according to many friends of mine, NOT!

But breathe, I have always had much luck - I am certain that will never leave me. I always check the best times, schedules and options to ensure I have a big fat seat, with canapes and bubbles...

Good luck, I wish you all well in upgrading from one level to another...

Cause, clearly, you deserve it.

Airgroove.

V Australia!

Hot off the press!

Richard Branson has announced the launch of V Australia which will begin operations in December 2008. Forming a part of Virgin Blue with the HQ based in Sydney, V Australia will take on the lucrative trans-Pacific route, flying daily from Oz to LA.

Virgin Blue will operate 777-300 aircraft in a 3 class configuration, offering International Business, International Premium Economy and International Economy. It appears as if the Business Class cabin is the same lay out as Virgin Atlantic. Very nice, I have had the pleasure of flying in 'Upper Class' to Hong Kong and it was a very comfy ride, indeed.

Qantas and United, some competition has been announced - are you ready? As far as I am concerned this is long overdue. This route needs a good shake up and we all know Richard Branson does that very well...

I can hear the Champagne corks already!

A380 Envy...

All the A380 hype has not really taken me to the runway... And for an aviation lover like me, that is scary. Although it has been the biggest thing since the 747 launch (my uber fave) all seems quite on the Airbus front. Since Singapore Airlines flew the first A380 to Sydney with much anticipation, all the excitement has also somewhat passed, and quickly!

I find the newest bird in the sky somewhat short, chunky and fat. Agree, or not, the A380 does not grab me like the long, slender 747 with the bubble!

OK, back to my envy... A colleague is flying to Singapore today on the A380 and I am jealous he flew this newest bird first! I am certain there will be many opportunities to fly the A380 in the future, this metal is here to stay. Perhaps I will warm to the A380 like the 747... Time will tell, nostalgia is a fine thing.

Do see below though the newest 747 - the 800 series, nice! Long live the bubble...

And Another Thing...!

Although old news... I have to get this off my chest.

Thai, you are one of my favourtie all time airlines and I cannot believe that you are stopping First Class to Australia!

Shame, as we have enjoyed the amazing service to our fine shores at an amazing price for so long... Now it is either Qantas or Singapore Airlines as Cathay stopped F sometime ago. Higher prices come with QF and SQ :(

I still love you though TG!