Back to Hamburg Airport and the Lounge
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By the time I had cleared the last hall of the Hamburg Messe for Aircraft Interiors Expo, it was closing in at 16:45. Exhibitors had long since begun the process of dismantling their stands and my step count was only going upward at this point.
To the Ausgang
Free… to do what I want… any old time.
I headed to the South Exit to reclaim my luggage I had left for €5.50 and pondered how to get back to the airport. FreeNow were quoting between €33 to €35 to get me there.
However, I was right outside Messenhallen U-Bahn station. This year, I decided to risk the fight that normally is the train back to the airport – but with an important difference.
Rather than fighting with the crowds at Hamburg Hauptbahnhof to change trains, I would change at Jungfernstieg – the idea that I would board the train to the airport a stop early to avoid some of the crowds.
Whilst I wasn’t checked for tickets at all this trip (unlike the last trip, where I lost count of how many times I was stopped), it’s always best to buy a ticket before you travel – either from the app or from a ticket machine. They love issuing fines for those who try to play dumb.
The U2 to Jungfernstieg was its usual self – I stood for the journey, whilst holding on for dear life (as the acceleration on these trains has been known to throw me back and onto other poor people).
Getting off at Jungfernstieg, it was a matter of following the signs to the S1 platforms… and hoping it wouldn’t be wall-to-wall people on the train.
Interestingly, services at the peak time have changed on the S1 route – with alternative six-car trains heading either to Hamburg Airport or Poppenbüttel, without the need to split trains at Ohlsdorf.
The net result is a 3-minute peak service on the core line and six-minute services to extremities. That is what I’d like to call a Rapid Transit System.
It also helped that the train carriage I was in was only three-quarters filled when I got on, meaning that no one had to stand that didn’t want to stand.
Again, this was near enough to 5 pm in the evening – peak travel time. I could not argue with that as a traveller. Although I suspect HVV would prefer these trains all packed to the maximum to get the most revenue.
Arriving at the airport I chose the wrong exit for British Airways … and I’m fine with that. I needed to go and do a little repacking and do some last-minute gift shopping.
And there’s always Edka for that.
There was some football-related thing going on. I forget if it was anything interesting
With everything in hand, I repacked my baggage (and realised I needed to travel with a slightly larger suitcase for these German trips – those bottles of currywurst sauce don’t fly in the cabin sadly… until they add 3D Scanners at Hamburg Airport).
I followed the signs to “Terminal 2” and headed upstairs to the departure zone.
It was easy to guess which area was the British Airways check-in – it had the longest queues.
I do not jest sadly.
Arriving at the queue on the three-hour marker, check-in was not opening quickly. I just chose the time to park up, spotting vendors, fellow reporters and visitors to the airshow.
Although at this point, I was more than happy to be in my own world, rather than interacting with people. There comes a point where I get peopled out – quickly, and earbuds firmly in ears is a thing.
Agents finally showed up one by one, opening Club Check-in first, then Economy around two and half hours before departure.
The club queue moved quickly one it opened, so I was quickly up to the podium.
My bag was accepted for the flight without much delay.
With a boarding pass in hand, I cleared the queues and headed to security, ready to do dalliance with my favourite security checkpoints in Europe.
Thankfully, my bags weren’t pulled over, so I was through in a matter of minutes. Which for Hamburg Airport, is reasonably good going. I was frisked – but I put that under “that’s life” these days.
I idly hit the duty-free shop – as this one has the lovely Finnish Fazer chocolates (yes. I pine for Finland still) and then headed to the lounge.
I needed a drink or two.
Hamburg Airport Common Lounge
Included in BA Club Europe Ticket
Walkup Price €45,00, Priority Pass Network member.
I headed up to the 3rd floor where a group were trying and failing to get into the lounge. With those passengers cleared, I showed my boarding pass and was granted access.
This lounge can be heavily populated with passengers – as it is yes, a common-use lounge, but also, it’s the end of a trade show – people want to head home. Thus, seating for me has been a matter of finding the first seat I can, plonking my crap down and getting a drink.
I found a seat and did the said plonking. But I was still dressed for business – not for me. That meant a quick trip to the small room to be a little more human.
One relief and one change later, I was in a much more comfortable state. Whilst I do the professional thing, it’s nice to slap a polo shirt and tracksuit bottoms on. Especially after a long week pounding the trade show halls.
With comfort assured it was time to investigate the food options. This lounge doesn’t change much, with Chickenwurst being the main protein, along with salad items, cold cuts, cold salads… the usuals.
What had changed however was the magical soup machine Where the instant soup machine once stood, was a cocktail-making guide machine.
I’m… still not sure how to feel about this. Cocktails are lovely – but having a warm bowl of soup is a wonderful thing. I guess they finally ran out of supplies to make the soup machine work and thought people would like a bartending option instead.
I’ve got no problem with that – I’m known for the odd tipple or five myself (and let’s say the first vodka and cola after a long trade show is always welcome… I had kept myself tea-total during the event this year).
I sat back and munched on chickenwurst, whilst I played the game of “Has the return BA flight left London yet”.
Amazingly, it had. We were looking at a delay – but not the usual multiple-hour delay, which can happen towards the end of a day with BA on its European network.
I was taking it easy – the hard part of the week was over. Well, almost. I had been in constant contact with the office whilst I was away and knew there was a stinker of an OpenReach problem to help sort when I got back. Whilst the office build had gone reasonably, the connection to the building… hadn’t gone well.
That stunk of trouble.
And OpenReach… if you have to work with the on-home connections, it’s a pain. On commercial connections, don’t get me started.
I tracked the flight coming into Hamburg. The lounge attendant also announced the flight too, and that people should start making their way to the gate.
That was good enough of a hint for me to go.
I headed back down back into the main terminal area and meandered down the left-hand side of the piers at Hamburg Airport. Passing Gate A19 (Where the Lufthansa lounge was) I turned to my left… and spotted a Lufthansa WorldShop.
This – could be very costly.
It’s a smaller world shop compared to some I’ve seen in the past – but it had the usual hard luggage, gifts and models of aircraft.
Must.. not… buy… model… aircraft…
Some rather “classic” business class seats.
It also had soft luggage. This is pretty important – as the rucksack I brought a few years ago is starting to show its age – to put it mildly (although it’s a lot better state than the messenger bag).
I was hunting for a messenger bag too – but they had long stopped doing these. But I did find a Version 4.0 Lufthansa Branded Rucksack in the current Lufthansa Blue and Silver colours.
€49, and I had a new rucksack. I just had to work out how to get it home. Minor Details at this stage of the game, if I’m honest.
With this in hand, I headed to the Non-Schengen Zone, where the queue for passport control was a good 10-minute queue. It didn’t help that an Emirates flight was also accepting passengers at the same time – so the queues were rammed.
Eventually, I made it to the head of the queue and was stamped out of the Schengen Zone.
Reaching the BA Gate, boarding was commencing, but it was a typical “everyone is elite” flight, with queues all around.
I found a queue that I felt happy in until Group 1 was called. With that, I slid my way through.
With a beep, I was accepted for boarding. It was time to start trekking back to London.
Next:
BA967 Hamburg to London Heathrow. Here comes the sun…
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