Berlin Tegel Terminal C (Air Berlin)

[docjames]

Thought I'd post a few dodgy photos. The temporary terminal soldiers on until BER is finally fixed (?solved??).

Screening was straightforward, multiple channels available and priority security screening for OW elite.

One trap - the AirBerlin lounge is for AB elites only. The only OW lounge is in the other terminal (BA).

Having said that, you can dial into free wifi (180mins gratis), there's a semi-decent "restaurant" - also sells fresh fruit, a separate bar, a newsagent - some English and other EU language publications, but the non-German ones seemed to be mostly "women's" titles (for want of a better description of the magazines and their "target market"). There is also a Berlin "gift" store.

Toilets clean and plentiful.

It's basically a shed so no air bridges and buses to most aircraft (some can pull up close enough to walk).

Hopefully the photos load, if not ill try and add later.

"Restaurant"



Bar


Gates (that's the pot plant from the bar in the middle of the "shed".)




I kind of see it as a more pleasant / upmarket version of AVV (with a ton more flights departing).

Brilliant public transport (but that's the whole of Berlin). Bus from Zoologisher took < 30mins. Cost one way was €2.60 (hello all Australian airports......)

 

[pangwen]

We're flying to LHR from TXL in a few days on a morning flight (7:30ish departure). Do the buses start early enough for that? I was considering just taking a taxi so I wouldn't have to find the bus stop etc (although I can speak enough German to ask where the airport bus is, I suspect that even locals may not know the location of the airport bus stop).

 

[docjames]

Where are you staying? The buses start pretty early generally around the city. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express (city centre west), so near to Zoologisher gardens. Didn't look at start time but I'd say there's a timetable online that will answer the question for you. My impression was it starts pretty early.

Mind you, tegel isn't that far from anywhere do taxi wont be horrifically expensive I'd have thought.


TXL-MXP
Air Berlin - 100% full 737-700, all Y.
Row 2 aisle seat. Heaps of families plus "lap children" so pretty chockers. There was also someone in the coughpit jump seat so literally not a seat spare.

They were lethal on boarding for "oversized" bags - think standard rolaboard - all had to be gate checked. Despite this, overheads still chockers so I know why they were stopping rolaboards. And if you snuck past the gate agent, the lead FA was waiting at the doorway with luggage tags to turn you back if you made it that far. Not that anyone did.

Drink of water or juice, plus either a sweet (Twix bar) or a savoury (packet of crisps) offered gratis. Was a €99 fare (incl checked bag) so decent value.

FAs very efficient, smiling and seemed happy enough. Flight ran about 25mins late, prob made up 10 in flight. Disappeared whilst eating dinner (I assume) up the back after mid flight until 20 mins before landing.

Front toilet blocked from use - I assume broken as even the pilot who came out for relief went to the rear of the aircraft.


Bags took forever to appear on arrival (30mins approx) but I suspect that's MXP rather than Air Berlin specific......

 

[docjames]

Thought of a couple of other things.

At the gate lounge there were papers / mags (mid afternoon-evening), and again on boarding (can pick one up as you enter the aircraft).

Also, on de-planing, a basket full of these to take one as you leave (held / offered by the lead FA):



For the smarties, the €1 was just for comparison. They weren't offering €1 to everyone!!

 

[Wannabee]

Was in Berlin last week for 3 days as part of a 6 week trip around Europe. Stayed at Crowne Plaza Berlin City and as a Platinum received 20% off voucher at lobby bar, 10% off voucher at the steak restaurant (slow cooked rib eye carved at the table) and free wifi vouchers for each device for everyday of stay.

The best thing we did whilst in Berlin was a Segway tour with Fat tyre bike tours! Departs from the TV tower

 

[OATEK]

I have an AB flight to Krakow in September, so I guess it will be from the same terminal. So useful to see your pics, thanks.

 

[Berlin]

although I can speak enough German to ask where the airport bus is, I suspect that even locals may not know the location of the airport bus stop

I think you are suspecting very correctly there! :shock:

As an ex-local, I would also agree that the cabs are extremely cheap and, more importantly, reliable in Berlin. Tegel is quite close to the city so I personally never bother with luggage on public transport even though admittedly, even that is in a very different league from coughpy Australian PT. Taxi drivers usually speak two or three languages (German, English and in 50% of cases Turkish, that is), know all the main sights and locations (they actually have to do a tough test to obtain their license, unlike in Australia where many cab drivers don't even the main roads and hotels) and most of the times are friendly and helpful. Shock horror: If you book a taxi ahead, you will find the taxi driver arrive 15 minutes early waiting for you :shock:

 

[Bugalugz]

The best thing we did whilst in Berlin was a Segway tour with Fat tyre bike tours! Departs from the TV tower

Yep same here! Highly reccomend this, though we had an afternoon session and mine and 2 others had flat segways but that just meant more time to expolore the Brandenburg Gate. Berlin is a nice city with plenty of interesting history, strange place at the same time though.


We had the unfortuante pleasure of flying out of the Main (older teminal) Wow what a coughhole!! Once Brandenburg opens it will be a massive boost for Berlin. The airport was defintely designed for the numbers travelling through it, pretty nostalgic terminal though!

 

[craven morehead]

We're flying to LHR from TXL in a few days on a morning flight (7:30ish departure). Do the buses start early enough for that? I was considering just taking a taxi so I wouldn't have to find the bus stop etc (although I can speak enough German to ask where the airport bus is, I suspect that even locals may not know the location of the airport bus stop).

Taxi's in Berlin will rarely cost more than $10 EUR0 so very convenient :mrgreen:

 

[Buzzard]

Was in Berlin for a few days during Feb 13. Stayed at the Hampton by Hilton which puts a lot of Aussie hotels to shame. And it only cost AUD65 per night. Bus X9 from Tegal then a very short walk to the hotel - about 5mins. Boarding my Air Berlin to Barcelona was a mess. The aircraft was boarding from front and rear with a lot of passengers (me included) not knowing or being told which entry to use. Interesting then when those boarding from the front are trying to get to the back and vice versa. Don't bother buying food on the aircraft - it is overprice cough.