Round The World and other travels

Flight Log 1: LH965

Edinburgh (EDI) - Frankfurt (FRA)

Despite the most unusual procedure of using Gate 15 (at the eastern end of the airport) for a Lufthansa flight, buses brought passengers all the way back to the western end, to one of the remote stands normally used for overnight parking of bmi Embraers. The first thing I noticed on boarding the aircraft was that it was fitted with the Neue Europakabine (NEK - New European Cabin); this would be the first time that I had seen it 'in the flesh'. As usual on the 737-300s, there were three rows of Business Class on the port side and two on the starboard side. The new seats were even thinner than they had looked in photographs, but my initial impression was that they felt OK from a comfort point of view and the legroom was excellent. Overall, I felt that the cabin had a sharp, modern and clean-cut appearance. Compared to the previous short-haul product, loss of the expanded seats and fold-down middle table was regrettable. In place of the latter, the middle seats carried the designation Ihr Freiraum / Your Space, indicating that they should not be occupied.

Despite an early start to boarding, the second bus had still not appeared by 1808. It was clearly going to be a late departure. At around 1825, the captain finally made an announcement explaining that there were Air Traffic Control restrictions in Germany due to thunderstorms, but he did say that the delay should be over within the next five minutes or so. After the doors were closed, the passenger in 2A (who was one of several operational upgrades) tried to persuade the cabin attendant that his companion should also be upgraded into 2B. This was correctly ruled out absolutely by the crew member, who had to explain the concept of the guaranteed extra space for the passenger in 2C.

We finally pushed back at 1832, taxied to Runway 06 and took off at 1851 after a lengthy and unexplained delay at the holding point. We climbed out over the Firth of Forth and turned inland over Musselburgh, just like so many approaches in reverse. We had reached our cruising altitude of 35,000ft by the time we were over Humberside and the captain advised that we were flying at maximum speed in an attempt to recover some of the lost time. Our route was to be the usual one via Amsterdam and Cologne, before passing Frankfurt airport and turning back to land towards the west.

I was then given a beautifully presented meal consisting of three delicious cold savoury snacks and one dessert, with bread rolls freely offered. (Further details of the food are given below, beside the picture.) The tray contained an explanatory leaflet, indicating that the food offering had been re-launched in conjunction with introduction of the NEK. I drank white wine and water initially and was given top-ups of both before switching to coffee.  

At 2125 the captain made a further unwelcome announcement: Frankfurt airport was closed, due to thunderstorms. It reminded me of my visit to Stuttgart at the same time the previous year - a trip bedevilled by remarkably similar problems. The captain had been advised to stay in the holding pattern for 15 minutes and await further instructions. At 2150 came the news that we were, at last, on final approach. And quite a bumpy approach it was too - a little disconcerting at times. Information was available for at least some of the connecting passengers, most of whom had been rebooked onto flights leaving the next day. I was very glad that I had designed my own journey with an intentionally loose connection.

Touchdown came at 2207 and was delightfully smooth in spite of everything. We taxied to the terminal in the pouring rain and arrived over an hour behind the published schedule.

Discover the fragrances and flavors of high-quality oils with Heiko Antoniewicz. Welcome aboard Lufthansa Business Class - and our new cabin, which is being introduced step-by-step on European routes. In sync with new, still more comfortable seats and a new cabin design, we have created an enticing new bill of fare in close cooperation with renowned star chef Heiko Antoniewicz. He combines classic culinary arts and traditional recipes with 21st century techniques. The focus of our latest dishes is on high-quality oils. Each menu as been refined by Heiko Antoniewicz with a different type of oil harmonising perfectly with the ingredients. We invite you to savor their flavor world and get to know their fascinating versatility. Just let yourself be surprised by the pleasures of the regularly changing menus, with all their tempting fragrances and flavors. Heiko Antoniewicz joins us in wishing you bon appétit and a pleasant time on board.

These are the creations awaiting you on board today. King Prawn Confit with bell pepper salad and sesame seeds Poultry Rissole with sesame oil dressing and fresh chives Asian Vegetable Salad with water chestnuts and fresh coriander Sesame Mousse Gugelhupf with mango sauce and strawberry puree

Date: Fri 26 Aug 2011

Aircraft: Boeing 737-300

Scheduled dep: 1810

Actual departure: 1832

Scheduled arrival: 2105

Actual arrival: 2213

Cabin: Business Class

Seat: 3F

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