Return flight - Beijing-Frankfurt-Berlin

To all readers:

This blog also runs from the last to the first day of the trip.

So the beginning of the tour is way down at the bottom :-)

Saturday 27.01.18

The plane lands on time at 4:30am local time in Beijing. It's -13°C.

I had reserved and cancelled day rooms in hotels several times, and given that I always have to take a shuttle bus to a hotel whose schedules not a single hotel or booking platform could provide anything definitive about, I'm glad that I don't have to wander around outside in these arctic temperatures looking for a shuttle that probably won't come, or will come too late, or only after 5 phone calls.

When we come off the plane into the airport, it's pitch black. The only light comes from outside from the high floodlights next to the passenger bridges. Further back are the immigration counters. There's ceiling light there. To the left, hidden away, is a narrow counter for 'Transit to international flights'. So I join the queue there and wait for about 25 minutes before about 10 people in front of me go through passport control. Behind that is a staircase (the escalator is out of service) leading down, and you have to queue up directly again for passport control.

Behind that is a security check for liquids, laptops out of backpacks. As there are only a few tubs for the scanning machines, there's a backlog here as well. By the time I'm finally in the departure hall, almost 1.5 hours have passed. The airport is practically empty and dark. The shops are now closed, of course - it's almost 6am. I take the escalator up to the Business Lounge and push two chairs together there to wait for another 10 hours.

The lounge is practically a gallery above the hall, so the air is good, it's quiet, there are drinks, and later on there will be snacks as well.

At some point, those 10 hours are over, and we continue with a 777-300ER, which is different from the one I came to Beijing on. There's no longer a wide shelf for the feet, but a small niche instead. That's enough for me. The plane has nearly 50 business seats, which are practically full.

We land in Frankfurt on time.

I pick up my luggage, check it in with LH for Berlin, after putting a few things back in the bag to get under 23kg. Normally, carry-on luggage isn't weighed, so I'm probably now carrying around 11-12kg on my shoulder.

Just under 3 hours after the landing from Beijing, I'm on the plane to Berlin, where I land shortly before 9pm - it's now 7am in Tasmania. 48 hours have passed.