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Well, hello everyone !
This is it. Our final flight of our Chinese series from 2018. When it was still "simple" to travel around the world until the day our world met one of most threats humanity has known: the Coronavirus's crisis.
If you need or want to see the previous episodes…
Previously on my Chinese travel, I let you there by Her Majesty the Kaiserin's side, after a great flight from Hong Kong. The aircraft's next destination back then was Mexico City (MEX), Mexico.
Before we go any further, when "preferred" seats were still with an extra charge, I chose the 10A seat, which was the first row window seat behind the preffered ones.
Then, a few days before departure (but still before the Online Check-In), I succeeded to get the 5A seat, located just behind the Business cabin without any extra fee. But when OLCI is officially open, I discovered that my seat has been changed to 15A. The only window seat remaining was the 7F. On top of being the most in the aircraft's front, I had the advantage of having no neighbour next to me. Whether at 7D seat or 7E seat… Until I arrived at FRA where someone was sitting to seat 7D. 7E remained vacant… for now.
To go to our next aircraft, we need to take an aisle leading to the connection's desk and the border control.
Bad point for FRA: The border control was a mess: I had to wait 20 minutes before I was forced to pass via the automatic border control. If it accelerates the process, you don't get the famous stamp on your passport when you're allowed to pass. :(
Once you passed the border, you must pass another security control before you can reach your boarding gate. I understand that safety must be airport's number 1 priority, but what I don't get is why do I have to pass another security control from a long-haul flight to a medium/short-haul flight while you didn't do it from the start?
Let's go to our boarding gate. From the arrival gate to our next flight's one, it was very long. Fortunately I had a rather generous connection time (3 hours), so I can reach my destination without any stress. But it wasn't the case for other passengers who had to run, even on the people-mover.
I admit the gallery (or the tunnel) is very impressive, with some photos about all destinations and their respectives airport's IATA codes.
A330 LH scheduled to go to New York JFK. (Sorry for reflects)
Bayerische Motoren Werke 8er for an unknown destination…
A340-600 parked without jetbridges connected. We can realize how long this aircraft was (75,4m / 247,37ft )…
We're passing by a kid's area very avgeek. There's also a video game area and a smoking lounge nearby.
When I arrived at my next boarding gate, there was still some time before boarding. And so to wait, I thought about a little Rätsel (enigma) related to this FR. If some of you are interested to solve my little riddle, please click on the link down below. You can find the answer at chapter: "The riddle's answer".
When I finally arrived at the gate, I saw this A380 getting ready for its flight. Is it this aircraft that's gonna bring me back home ?!
That would have been too good to be true… As I experimented on NCE-FRA's flight, boarding is via a paxbus.
For those who read the previous flight's review, the flight attendant's brought me a nice surprise. And that surprise was that plush representating Lu. Lu is, alongside Cosmo, one of Lufthansa's mascots. (To make the difference between them, it's the one dressed as the captain on the next picture).
This plush was included with a little booklet.
This booklet gives some anecdotes for children on how an airport is working and a few games. There's also an app for children you can download on your smartphone.
Boarding started. Priorities shall be given to Business and Frequent Travellers and families travelling with infants. Unlike the flight going to FRA, I noticed there aren't any ID controls at the boarding.
Spotting several Lufthansa's aircrafts… (In the order, A380-800, B747-8i, A330-300, A340-600 and A321.)
… but also foreigners airlines.
Our aircraft is D-AIUO. A German "Joon" type aircraft.
Our neighbor is D-AIQU also known as "Backnang" (city in the northeast of Stuttgart). It just arrived from Saint-Petersbourg (LED), Russian Federation and its next stop is London Heathrow (LHR), England.
By seeing this luxurious Porsche coming, something is telling me that there are First Class passengers in this flight.
Und Natürlich, DAS Minute Tor. With Lufthansa's Emblem.
Here is my seat, the 7F.
The legroom is correct.
While we're still boarding, I see a 747-400's arrival. Back then, when I saw it, I just couldn't help but remember Jean-Jacques Goldman's song for the first Astérix's movie:
"Quand elle passe, elle efface comme un éclat. Devant un ciel, c'est elle qu'on voit. Elle est si reine qu'elle ne mérite… qu'un roi.".
777-200 AA.
767-300ER DL.
A320 LX
A321 LH.
CR7 Adria Airways (JP). Back then, the Slovenian carrier was still operating before it went bankrupt the 30th of September 2019.
LH's fleet in details.
Boarding completed and seat 7E shall remain vacant. However, a family traveling with a a baby sat just behind me. The baby cried a few times but not for very long. Still, I'm very careful and I put my noise-canceller plugs to reduce the noise nuisances. Whether for the infant's cries or for the engine's roar.
Spotting while we're reaching the runway. We can also find a Thomas Cook A330, that now belongs to history.
Rotate.
Snacks are given quickly after take-off. This time, we have the choice between a sandwich or a cookie. I opted for the cookie with an apple juice.
Cheers !
The cookie was good but it was solid as a rock I almost broke a tooth !
My neighbor's took the opposite selection, the sandwich.
The Business curtail remained open for the entire flight.
After this quick refuelling, let's make some order on the tray to maximize place.
Because there aren't that much entertainement compared on long-haul aircrafts, I tried to sleep for the rest of the flight. Usually, I'm not sleeping easily inside an airplane but I did manage to sleep until the start of decent's signal is on.
The flight come to its term quickly. Those are the only photos I took before landing.
Final approach and reverse thrust on.
Welcome home. And welcome back to reality. The weather can't provide a better explanation…
Taxiing to our parking was very fast. I'm not sure, but I had this strange feeling that our aircraft parked at the same place when we were about to leave to FRA.
Everyone is up to grab its stuff.
Disembarkation shall be quite fast. By the way, there weren't any other aircraft on the terminal than ours.
A last view of our aircraft.
While we're heading to the baggage claim, we found a border post but strangely, policemen let us pass without checking our passports unlike the departure to the German hub.
The baggage claim zone is just empty. There is a small duty-free shop in front of belts.
Bad point for NCE: my suitcase received the priority tag at HKG (because I travelled in Business), has been delivered in 73rd position. Besides, all other baggage that were delivered before mine didn't wear that famous "priority" tag.
And it's on that picture this Chinese series has come to an end. I hope you appreciated it. If that's the case, please leave a like and a comment. In my concerns, I wish you have safe flights. Even if nowadays we can't travel everywhere due to Covid-19's crisis.
So, have you found out the riddle's answer ? Do you think you are the Riddler's equal? Click down below to see if you're right… or wrong.
Tian’amen place at Beijing. We can clearly see Mao Zedong's portrait. Some of you may have noticed the Japanese flag because Shinzo Abe, " President of Japan" was doing a state visit in the capital city back then.
Funny thing : The guide didn't learn at school that Japan is actually a constitutional monarchy; in other words, Japan's number one (back then), was no other than fomer Emperor Akihito until its abdication on the 30th of April 2019. Its elder son, Prince Naruhito, ascended on the Chrysantemum Throne and took succession on the 1st of May 2019.
The transfer of power also marked the end Heisei's era, (平成時代) "peace everywhere", that started the 8th of January 1989 and the dawn of a new era: the Reiwa's era (令和時代), where "a culture being born and nurtured by people coming together beautifully".
Shinzo Abe, was no other than Prime Minister, was Japan's number two.
The "Bird's net". Nickname given to Beijing National Stadium where the 2008's Olympics Games's ceremonies held. It shall be in this very same stadium the 2022 Winter Olympic Games's ceremonies are going to take place.
The tower located next to it is used by TV channels in order to present the sacred games's news around the entire world.
Of course, a trip in China isn't one if you don't go stop by the Great Wall. We're at Juyongguan's strecth, located at north of Beijing. You need to be in a good condition though; some stairs are higher than others. On top of that, temperatures are quite low, due to altitude.
But it was worth the effort… For that !
Going to China to see the Great Wall, that's good. But you can't go in China without thinking about its cooking…
The ferry cruise on Li's river heading for Yangshuo offers countless opportunities to take wonderful pictures of Chinese nature.
This cruise's cherry on the top? This mountain chain at the end. It's the same as the one you can see behind the 20 yuans bill's.
A panel that remind us to have a good behaviour. Although I always respect those rules when I'm travelling, I couldn't help but laugh about it.
The Fubo hill in Guilin City gives you a splendid panorama. It's even more magic when it's sunset.
Repulse Bay at Hong Kong. That bay was famous about being pirates's prey… until the day when a Royal Navy's warship, known as "Repulse" repelled them. This same name has been then given to the bay.
The view since Victoria Peak, Hong Kong is just beautiful. We can see the funicular railway kept the British Empire's origins.
On this kind of flight, the most important is to go from one point to another, safely. What else to say?
FRA: If you are transiting in this airport, be sure you have a good connection-time (2 hours is a good start). Despite the fact the terminal is a bit of a labyrinth, you could walk very smoothly. That was especially because of the airport's curfew, so it just woke up at the same time as my previous flight landed.
NCE: Very easy to find yourself. If my suitcase has arrived, I'm not very satisfied that priorities haven't been respected.
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