Hello FlightReporters
Apart from flying I also like music and I'm a big of Ariana Grande
Unfortunately her Sweetener World Tour didn't have any date in Italy
Last January I start to search for tickets in other parts of Europe
According to my university exams' plan, I found the best option: 3rd October in Oslo, Norway
Around June I started to search for an accomodation and for the flight
Apparently the best price was a direct flight with Norwegian, but the return was too early in the morning the day after the concert
Since I didn't want to rush for the flight and I wished to visit the city I chose a solution with Lufthansa, stopping over in Frankfurt
LH costed around 200€ (Norwegian was 180€)
I've already flew with LH in 2013, on FCO-DUS-LHR-MUC-FCO route
Moreover in the same year I made a stopover in Frankfurt Airport Terminal 2 going to NYC
This time will be my first inside Lufthansa's reign, Terminal 1
Lufthansa gives his passenger the possibility to check-in online 23hrs before the flight
The day before the flight I logged-in on LH's website to check-in
Even if the system assigned me automatically 18A and 20D I was able to change my seats and get better ones
I'd like to take a moment to rate LH Mobile App
I found it really useful and easy to use
The night before the flight it already reported the arrival gate at FRA and the departing one to OSL
Moreover it was equipped with a map showing the path between the two gates
Despite having BPs printed and flying only with cabin baggage I decided to be at the airport two hours before the flight, scheduled at 13:20
My dad brought me by car
The journey took around 30 minutes
Around 11 I arrived at Roma-Fiumicino "Leonardo Da Vinci" International Airport
My father left me in front of Terminal 1
Originally it was used as Alitalia base, but now it also hosts other European carriers as LH
The bright departure hall, branded with Alitalia's colours
Old-style FIDS
Check-in 115-119 for my flight and gate D7 for boarding
Even if I already printed my boarding passes I decided to get new ones at the desk
I was able to use "Economy Class with boarding pass" line, which was empty
In no time I get my new boarding passes
Online check-in is very useful, but I always like to have "traditional" BPs
Having nothing to do landside I proceeded straight to the security checkpoint
Despite the crowd I get airside in 5 minutes
Going upstairs to the shopping area
The departure lounge is located on the same level of the checkpoint, but the passage through the shopping area is obliged
Aeroporti di Roma banners showing the new pier-A project
It will maybe open in late 2020 and will handle domestic and Schenghen flights
Going back downstairs to the departure lounge
What makes an airport called "hub": Victoria's Secret shop
Having around 1 hour and half before boarding I decide to stroll around the airport
Pier B, which hosts domestic and Schenghen flights
Pier A, under construction
Mistral Air ATR72-500, operated by Italian mail service
Walking towards Pier D, from which my flight would depart
Boarding area C and its shopping area
I've departed from FCO two weeks earlier and from that time a new passage was open between gate C and gate D areas
Gate D area is quite nice, equipped with many shops and food
My gate, D7, was still boarding the previous flight
Unfortunately this pier lacks of good spotting points
However there are some windows on the upper level
Ryanair Boeing 737 taxiing
Many birds waiting for take off on RWY25
Emirates Boeing 777, Vueling A320, China Airlines A350, Finnair A320
Getting downstairs I noticed that my gate was changed from D7 to D9
Fortunately they were next to each other
Boarding was scheduled at 12:50
Actually it started around 15 minutes later
Going down towards the plane
A bit of spotting from the jetway
Aeroflot A320 and American Airlines A330
My plane for today:
Lufthansa Airbus A321neo, D-AIEB, delivered in June '19 (0.4 years old)
The plane is equipped with 215 seats (the first rows can be used as business class)
This would be the first time for me on a A321neo
Corporate door shot
Willkommen an Bord
Fuselage shot
I like new LH livery, simple but bery effective
I gave the Flight report form to the Purser and made my wayto my seat, 7A
Rows 1-4 were dedicated to Business Class
Changing my seats from 20A to 7A had been a very good idea
My new seat was in an extra legroom row
No need to say that legroom was very good
Moreover the middle seat was empty. I put my bag there and spent a very comfortable fly
The view from my seat with Hainan Airlines A330 taxiing in the background and SmartWings Boeing 737
Ryanair Boeing 737 parked next to us
SmartWings Boeing 737
Around 13:20 doors were closed…
…and the loading bridge was retired immediately after
Pushback started five minutes later
Delta Airlines A330 and Alitalia Boeing 777 parked at Pier E
Air Transat A330 taxiing to the runway
I really like their livery
Former AirBerlin A320 and British Airways A319
This A320, D-ABZI, used to belong to Air Berlin
Now it's owned by Eurowings
So sad to see this livery
British Airways A319
KLM Boeing 737 taking off
Alitalia CityLiner Embraer E175 departing
Alitalia A319
Air Transat A330 lining up for takeoff
Reaching our holding position
We would depart from RWY25, usually used for T/Os at FCO
Qatar Airways A330 landing on RWY16R
Alitalia A321 taking off before us
Entering RWY25 for departure
Air China A330 queueing behind us
HOP Bombardier CRJ700
At 13:40 we start our takeoff run
V1…rotate
Terminal 3 and Pier E
Pier E and Satellite Terminal
They both hosts international departures
Satellite Terminal and Runway 16R/34L, genereally used for heavies' landings
Fiumicino town and Tiber River's mouth
Banking and climbing over Roman coastline
The first thing that impressed me about A321neo was its incredibily silent engines
Maybe because I was in the first rows, but the general impression was like being on a high speed train instead of a plane
Clouds while flying over Italian land
Monte Argentario and Giannutri Island
Hidden by the clouds is Giglio Island, where Costa Concordia cruise ship sunk in 2012
20 minutes into the flight lunch was served
There were two choices of sandwiches: chicken or cheese
I went for chicken along with a glass of coke
The sandwich was quite tasty
Food service was overall good
The cabin crew passed with the drink cart asking for a second glass
Mainland Italy scrolling below us
Alitalia's plane going somewhere…
Flying over Po Valley (Pianura Padana in Italian)
Modena city…
…and Verona
Lake Garda, the largest in Italy, visible in the distance
Crossing the Alps, completely covered by clouds
After the lunch I made a little nap
I woke up while the plane was starting its descent
While descending the cabin crew comunicated all the connecting passengers' gate
My flight to Oslo would have departed from gate A15, as reported on the BP printed at FCO
German countryside while starting approach at FRA
A windfarm was visible in the distance
Last banking before lining up with the runway
We would approach FRA from East
Kraftwerk Staudinger Power Plant
Last minutes on air
Autobahn 3 and 661 intersection
Frankfurt suburbs
Autobahn 5 passing close to airport boundaries
We would land on RWY25C
Terminal 3 building site
At 15:09 we touched down at Flughafen Frankfurt am Main
Despite the landing was smooth, the brake was on the the shortesT (and roughest) I've ever experienced
Korean Air Cargo in the distance
Vacating RWY25C
Time to spot many German and international birds
Condor Boeing 757s in both old and new livery
Lufthansa A321 in new livery
LH Technik hangars and ATC
Really like both designs
Pier A-Plus, opened in 2012, capable of handling A380s
No doubts about the place
Lufthansa Regional Embraer E190 and Lufthansa Boeing 747s
Her Majesty the Queen of Skies…Boeing 747-8i
Lufthansa A320 (?) landing on RWY25R
In most of the airports it's usual for planes to approach from very far
While here it's quite strange to see them coming from over the Terminal's area
Our arrival gate would have been A28, in the oldest part of Terminal 1A
United Airlines Boeing 777 and Lufthansa A321 parked at Pier A
Our "neighbor" was a Lufthansa A320
At 15:16, 15 minutes after touchdown, we docked at gate A28
Desembarking I asked the Flight Report form to the Purser
She gave me and let me say "thank you" to the Captain and F/O
Last view of my plane from the jetway
Bye Bye D-AIEB
Definitely the best welcome in Frankfurt: Thai Airways A380 taxiing next to the pier
It's really impressive to see it so close from the terminal's windows
The online printed boarding pass reported A69 as departure gate for FRA-OSL flight (located at the fair end of Pier A-Plus, 1.3 km from my arrival gate)
On the plane the connecting passengers' gates were announced and mine had become A15
When I exit the plane I discovered it was changed in A20, located just 300m from here
Stay tuned for the next leg to Oslo!
I found the entire LH experience very pleasant
The cabin was really comfortable, the cabin crew very meticolous and the meal good for an European flight
I'm very impressed by the A321neo, especially by the almost noise-less engines
4 Comments
I only flew on the A320Neo, behing the wings and found it quiet but not as quiet as you mention, like on a high speed train.
I guess being on front of the aircraft helps a lot.
Nice cabin, better than the NEK seats and decent catering.
When legacies are 20EUR more expensive than LCC it's much better to fly them.
Yeah maybe you're right, being in the front rows may be quite different
I found LH a quite good airline to fly in Europe, it totally deserved the 20€ difference in price
what are those?
I made it based on other reports I saw in the past years
They should fill it with the details of the flight (speed, altitude etc.)
You can see it by the end of the report
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