More Pleasure, More Business – Back to Hamburg Airport, Hamburg Airport Lounge

Back to Hamburg Airport, Hamburg Airport Lounge
More Pleasure, More Business

In this divided trip report

Part Two Onto Business

• Part One – The Pleasure
• Part Two – The Business
  
• British Airways Galleries South Lounge
• BA962 London Heathrow to Hamburg – Club Europe
• IBIS Budget St Pauli
• Crystal Cabin Awards Roundup
• Aircraft Interiors Expo – What you might have missed
• Back to Hamburg Airport, Hamburg Airport Lounge
• BA967 Hamburg Airport to London Heathrow – Club Europe
• Not going home in a hurry
• Compensation Fun, Games and Paperwork
• Life is in many parts

Back to Hamburg Airport

To the Ausgang!

With the show over, I grabbed my luggage from safe storage and instead of taking the S-Bahn back to the airport I cheated with a taxi.

Whilst most of the visitors to the show were lining up and waiting patiently for a hail-a-cab, I used MyTaxi to hail a mine…. As well as utilise a 50% voucher I had.

The other thing I had was all my luggage with me… and as much as I would like to have to face the U-Bahn/S-Bahn with heavy luggage and stairs, I chose not to engage in that battle.

If I was just travelling with the rucksacks – no problem. With the big suitcase – forget about it.

The taxi ride took some time getting out of the city and to the airport. And it was a music-fest in the taxi, which offered such musical classics as:

• Cotton Eye Joe
• Gangsters Paradise
• The Macarena
• Children

It was like being at university all over again… but with me being in a taxi.

Eventually, the taxi made to Hamburg Airport, with the driver dropping me off at Terminal 2. The price for that privilege – €28.40. With the 50% voucher – reducing it under €15.

That would do nicely.

What hot mess is this…

Entering the airport there was a mighty omnishambles in progress, with the security queues going back to row 9 – where the British Airways check-in was.

To check in, to wait.

Although the check-in process was crawling along.

It was at this point when I check the flight status, that it was indicated that it was running at least an hour late.

You can’t make this up.

Eventually, I was seen to, and my two bags were accepted for travel to London Heathrow without any complaints. With that… it was time to join the mess of the queue.

It seems that Hamburg Airport cannot handle a trade show.

There were two queues if you looked hard enough – one for normal passengers (which extended to the back of the terminal) and one past the Lufthansa check-ins – which was for the premium passengers.

There are TWO QUEUES.

“Fast” lane you say.

And one open lane.

And let’s say the queues moved incredibly slowly. It looked like the security teams were taking their time going through people’s belongings, and shutting down lanes at the first case of something not looking right

It might be time for the airport to buy better scanners – indeed, new security areas are being assembled at the airport

That and they enjoyed shutting down the lane when I went in for my scan as one of my bags were packed too densely.

So if you don’t want to extend your security visits at Hamburg airport – pack your bags lightly as well packed bags scare them it seems

With nothing wanted from the duty free shop, I headed straight for the lounge. I needed some soup and chicken sausages.

Hamburg Airport Lounge

I was welcomed to the lounge, and after a boarding pass scan – allowed in.

The lounge hasn’t changed in the previous years I have been there – in terms of seating, food and amenities.

Including the magical soup machine, as well as a mixture of snacks, beverages and chicken sausages.

Coffee

Bier

Pretzels and other food items

Yes. It’s still here. Let’s look at it. Press a button – and soup comes out.

Souper.

I found a place to park, that thankfully it was near a window. For me – at least I could keep an eye on the plane. which had only just left London. With an hour plus in the lounge, I sat back and watched planes.

Royal Airwing of Oman Special Flight Boeing 747

AirBaltic Dash8-Q400

Turkish Airlines Airbus A321

Aeroflot A320 and Lufthansa A321.

Lufthasna A320neo in the foreground, Swiss A320 in the background taking off

Iberia Airbus A319

Lufthansa A320neo heading into the Matrix

Enter Air Boeing 737

Well. Not a lot else you can do when it comes to delays. And I swear I’ve been here more than once this trip.

But hey. More time to enjoy German chicken sausages.

And rather poor Cava.

Eventually, I spied our Airbus A319 landing at the airport. That was my cue to leave the lounge, and head through to Non-Schengen zone.

Off we go again

Heading through Non-Schengen border control, my passport was scanned and I was allowed through. And to my right was the BA Boarding area getting rather busy.

People had begun lining up, and with the plane looking full back to Heathrow (it always is on AIX Thursday, I joined them – but not before grabbing a picture of the Emirates Airbus A380

Because, whilst the 747 maybe the Queen of the Sky, the A380 has its own majesty around it.

§

With 1 hour on the dot past the scheduled departure time, boarding commenced. .

My boarding pass was zapped, and I was allowed on the jebridge. It was time to head home.

Next: British Airways BA967 Hamburg to London Heathrow

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