Publisearre: 29.06.2022
This morning everything went according to schedule. Shortly before 9 we left for Hannover - just dropped off a package at Hermes, smooth traffic on the A2, Leon and us arrived at the meeting point at the same time. Somehow squeezed the luggage into Leon's almost full seat and arrived at the airport at exactly 9:50. To our delight, the security check in Terminal A was almost empty and the line at the baggage handling was quite short. The nice lady at the counter then told us that our flight to Munich doesn't depart until 15:10, but the connecting flight in Munich leaves on time - oh no, now what? Now it's time to keep a cool head and first clarify the options. First option: Flight from Hannover-Munich-London-Vancouver (with British Airways, but only one seat is available, the other is on the waiting list - so it's out. Next option: Tomorrow from Hannover-Frankfurt-Amsterdam-Vancouver. (also on the waiting list) Next option: Tomorrow morning by train at 6:30 from Hannover to Munich and by plane at 15:35 to Vancouver or last option today by plane at 15:10 to Munich, a night in a hotel (if one is still available, as there are currently many stranded travelers and the G7 meeting, which does not necessarily simplify the hotel situation) and continue to Vancouver tomorrow. And now?
During a decision-making coffee, the words of Edmund Stoiber came to our mind: "...then the vacation begins at the airport in Munich." At 14:50 we are seating in the airplane, on our seats.
Since the airplane is not full, we can free ourselves from our sardine-canning position and make ourselves comfortable in our row of seats. After the initial explanation of why we are departing so late (yesterday the crew arrived late in Hannover due to the general chaos at all airports and had to comply with their rest periods), the captain also informed us that we missed our slot and can only take off in 20 minutes. I have a deja vu, we had the slot problem on the way to Australia too.
What do you do on a 1-hour flight?
Departed from Hannover in the best cap weather, landed in Munich with gray thunderstorm potential weather, we make our way to the Lufthansa Service counter so that we don't have to sleep at the airport. On the way, we receive the news that the connecting flight was also delayed. But damn, we still have to pick up the suitcases that we unloaded in Munich as a precaution so that they don't get lost. Maybe we would have caught the flight - or maybe not. If we hadn't rebooked. But that wouldn't have been certain either. If we hadn't caught the flight in Munich, would the flight on the 30th also have been fully booked and we would have flown on the 01.07.? No, no, no. No matter what you do, you're doing it wrong. Could have, would have, should have.
So first to the service counter. The first counter is unoccupied. The second one was crowded. The friendly Lufthansa employee, of Indian descent, tells us to find a hotel, pay for it ourselves, and submit the expenses to LH later. A very suspicious statement that we didn't fully trust. Okay, now let's first pick up the suitcases so that they don't get dizzy alone on the luggage carousel or even get lost.
In the departure hall, we finally find another service point that truly deserves its name. The kind lady clarified the confusion of the flights (because in the meantime Lufthansa rebooked us for the flight on 01.07.), reserved a hotel for us, organized taxi vouchers and dinner. After a few Bavarian delicacies, a liter of beer
and a short shopping trip at Edeka, we are now tipsy in our hotel bed. Tomorrow will be a good day.