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[MEL_Traveller]

Ah MEL_Traveller your words have reassured me - The friends wedding has thrown somewhat of a spanner in our travel plans as I wanted to go the night before and stay in a club room at the IC but we'll leave that experience for another time When are you off?

Regarding the lounge I got my info from here: Munich Airport - Lufthansa (Non-EU) Just to clarify I'll be arriving from CDG on LH J and then connecting on TG F to BKK. From what you're saying there is a difference between the LH F lounge and the Senator lounge? From the website it seems to be one in the same but I will admit the wine has hit me so there is a strong chance I've misunderstood.

indeed. there is a dedicated Lufthansa first class lounge (access only for lh, lx f etc). then there is the Lufthansa senator lounge, available for star alliance gold, and first class passengers on all star alliance flights, then the Lufthansa business class lounge, available to all star alliance business class passengers (and star gold, but you'd probably go to the senator lounge if you could).

business class lounges are very average (think qantas club domestic Melbourne - paid member section, not J lounge). senator lounges are more like what you'd expect of an international business class lounge. the Lufthansa f lounge is similar to the qantas first lounges in Sydney and Melbourne (minus the architecture)

 

[anat0l]

Ah MEL_Traveller your words have reassured me - The friends wedding has thrown somewhat of a spanner in our travel plans as I wanted to go the night before and stay in a club room at the IC but we'll leave that experience for another time When are you off?

Regarding the lounge I got my info from here: Munich Airport - Lufthansa (Non-EU) Just to clarify I'll be arriving from CDG on LH J and then connecting on TG F to BKK. From what you're saying there is a difference between the LH F lounge and the Senator lounge? From the website it seems to be one in the same but I will admit the wine has hit me so there is a strong chance I've misunderstood.

The Lufthansa F Lounge and Senator lounges are certainly not the same!

The Lufthansa First Class Lounge is only available to same-day departing LH F or LX F passengers, or Miles and More HON Circle Members travelling with the Lufthansa Group. Assuming you do not have HON Circle status, you will not be entitled to access the Lufthansa First Class lounge with your TG F ticket.

The First Class Lounge at MUC is a bit like the one at FRA (both the First Class Terminal and First Class Lounge at Pier A).

Lufthansa operate Senator lounges and Business Class lounges. There isn't much difference between both of these kinds of lounges, though that said IIRC at MUC the Senator Lounge is slightly better than the Business Class Lounge. As a Star Alliance First Class passenger, you will have access to the Senator Lounge.

 

[ferni]

As part of my award ticket coming home I have:

BRU-CDG SN Y (SN3633 departing BRU at 10:15am)
CDG-BKK TG J (TG931)

Now I'm looking at buying a MAN-BRU ticket for the same morning SN2184 I leave Brussels which would arrive BRU at 8:55AM. Now that gives me 80minutes to connect to my USDM ticketed BRU-CDG flight... which I think meets the MCT? But will they check my bags all the way through from MAN-BRU-CDG-BKK even though the first MAN-BRU leg will be on a different PNR? Or will they make me collect in BRU and check them in again in which case 80minutes is no where near long enough... I'm pretty sure the answer is they will check them all the way through even on different tickets but I'm just looking for confirmation?

Does anyone think that MAN-BRU leg is too risky? I could catch a MAN-BRU flight the night before and stay overnight in BRU which is what I'm leaning towards.

Alternatively I could catch BRU-FRA-CDG the day before my CDG-BKK flight which would get me in <24 hours before CDG-BKK and get a night in paris, but that would mean 3 flights just to get from MAN-CDG! Talk about the long way around... wish they'd let us openjaw with a stopover....

 

[MEL_Traveller]

ferni - while they will check your bags right the way through (just present both itineraries at check-in) - I wouldn't feel comfortable with an 80 minute connection time on separate tickets. Same ticket fine, but not separate.

 

[NDiddy]

Cheers MEL and anat0l - Senator Lounge it is then. Pity though as last night I saw a youtube clip of the F lounge in MUC and it reminded me of the QF F lounge in Sydney which would have been nice.

Its about 5 weeks till we leave for our trip and Mrs Diddy just had her work schedule confirmed for next year as well. All of which means that it's time to start preparing for a mid year getaway in late July/early August

 

[ferni]

ferni - while they will check your bags right the way through (just present both itineraries at check-in) - I wouldn't feel comfortable with an 80 minute connection time on separate tickets. Same ticket fine, but not separate.

Thanks, I think I'll book something to get us into BRU the night before then.

 

[lmere12]

If you could take a TG F 340-600 into FCO , MXP or ZRH with a 2 hr transit to ATH or a 6 hr transit on TG F 380 into CDG with a 6 hr transit ! Would the appeal of the new 380 outweigh the shorter transit time on the 340 ??

 

[travelislife]

if you could take a tg f 340-600 into fco , mxp or zrh with a 2 hr transit to ath or a 6 hr transit on tg f 380 into cdg with a 6 hr transit ! Would the appeal of the new 380 outweigh the shorter transit time on the 340 ??

a380!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Alanslegal]

a380!!!!!!!!!!

As much as I thoroughly enjoy A380's and is my first plane type where there are routes serving them, incidents likes yesterday's EeeeeeeeeeeeK 380 engine failure starts to rattle my nerves as little.

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....k-a380-loses-engine-out-44865.html#post711081

 

[anat0l]

If you could take a TG F 340-600 into FCO , MXP or ZRH with a 2 hr transit to ATH or a 6 hr transit on TG F 380 into CDG with a 6 hr transit ! Would the appeal of the new 380 outweigh the shorter transit time on the 340 ??

For novelty and new product, I'd take the A380.

At least with a 6 hour transit at CDG, you have enough time up your sleeve to get through CDG back to departures area. That also gives you some time to wind down after the longer flight from BKK, plan your arrival at ATH, have a shower (if there are showers at the *A lounge in CDG) etc.

Apart from that, depends on your arrival time in ATH and how comfortable you'd be with it all.

If I took the 346 services you mentioned, my preference would probably be ZRH only because it's a nice terminal to transit. I haven't the experience at MXP; FCO doesn't look very nice from my limited experience. That said, with only 2 hour transit you won't be mucking about at all, and might just have time to have an espresso then go.

 

[bcworld]

As much as I thoroughly enjoy A380's and is my first plane type where there are routes serving them, incidents likes yesterday's EeeeeeeeeeeeK 380 engine failure starts to rattle my nerves as little.

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....k-a380-loses-engine-out-44865.html#post711081

EK actually had 3 engine shutdown incidents recently...2 A380s and one 777. Wouldn't influence my choices of aircraft though.

The Aviation Herald

 

[NDiddy]

I feel like I should know this but can't for the life of me recall the info. Is IST classified as Central Asia or Europe? I feel it's Europe only because of the lack of reference in the us star alliance redemption chart.

 

[ferni]

Has anyone used TAP for any USDM redemptions? I've got a couple of TAP flights but US didn't have a PNR for them so i can't look up my booking on their website... Can try calling TAP and see if they can see the booking with my name and flight numbers but just thought i'd check here first...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Has anyone used TAP for any USDM redemptions? I've got a couple of TAP flights but US didn't have a PNR for them so i can't look up my booking on their website... Can try calling TAP and see if they can see the booking with my name and flight numbers but just thought i'd check here first...

In this case you need to call the airline. They will give you the PNR and you can then use that (I'm guessing) to retrieve your itinerary on the TAP website through some sort of manage booking function. It is helpful to call anyway - and when you select seats just confirm they have the ticket numbers.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I feel like I should know this but can't for the life of me recall the info. Is IST classified as Central Asia or Europe? I feel it's Europe only because of the lack of reference in the us star alliance redemption chart.

I think Turkey is classified as Europe.

 

[casanovawa]

Yeah Europe, Turkey is definitely not listed in the South and Central Asia region...

 

[casanovawa]

Hmmm, just looking at the Thai A380 seat map to figure out what seat to try for, no seat maps with reviews for Thai's A380 aircraft on seatguru yet, and know this will be classed in the 1st world problem category, but pity their J class starts over the wing and goes back... I like to look, and take some photos, out the window if i see anything interesting so over the wing is probably my least favourite area, so its either sit up there to get quick meal service and get off quicker etc, or sit further towards the back to get a bit of a better view down but wait longer in both cases... I guess if i order something from their menu before boarding etc it shouldn't be a case of they would run out of my preferred meal anyway... And it departs at midnight and gets in at 7am to CDG so may not be a huge amount to look at anyway...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I guess if i order something from their menu before boarding etc it shouldn't be a case of they would run out of my preferred meal anyway...

don't get too excited... 3 out of 4 pre-ordered meals on a recent trip didn't show on TG!

 

[Alanslegal]

don't get too excited... 3 out of 4 pre-ordered meals on a recent trip didn't show on TG!

And on one of my TG flights my ordered meal - Lobster Thermidor - was on board ..... its just they served it to the lady in 1A rather than to me. And I had her pre-ordered meal .... guess what it was? it was fried rice!!!! Unbelievable!

 

[Aussie_flyer]

And on one of my TG flights my ordered meal - Lobster Thermidor - was on board ..... its just they served it to the lady in 1A rather than to me. And I had her pre-ordered meal .... guess what it was? it was fried rice!!!! Unbelievable!

lol I had a chuckle at that