Author Archives: meanie

Lufthansa Surprise is reintroduced

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Lufthansa has reintroduced Surprise concept for spontaneous  getaways from Munich and Frankfurt airports.

If you are flexible with your destination, you can choose among nine different travel topics and enjoy a direct Lufthansa flight starting from 69 EUR return including taxes and fees.

Lufthansa Surprise

  • You get better prices when you are flexible
  • Flight is in Lufthansa Economy Light class
  • The price of your ticket is calculated according to number of deselected cities and time parameters
  • All LH Surprise flights are nonstop flights
  • You can book 1 to 42 days before departure (minimum stay of 18 hours for one overnight and 36 hours for 2 overnights)
  • Your Destination will be revealed at the end of the booking process, so you have time to prepare for your trip
  • Passengers are responsible for valid documents and issued visa to their destinations

Destinations from Frankfurt Airport

[tabs]
[tab title=”Go East”] From 69.00 €

Bydgoszcz
Katowice
Poznan
Riga
Tallinn
Vilnius
Wroclaw

.[/tab]
[tab title=”Sightseeing and Culture”] From 79.00 €

Basel
Bilbao
Billund
Gothenburg
Helsinki
Luxembourg
Sofia
Valencia
Warsaw

[/tab]

[tab title=”Nature”] From 89.00 €

Belgrade
Copenhagen
Faro
Gdansk
Geneva
Oslo
Stockholm
Toulouse

[/tab]

[tab title=”Sun and Sand”] From 89.00 €

Alicante
Faro
Gdansk
Ibiza
Lisbon
Malaga
Malta
Marseille
Naples
Nice
Palma de Mallorca
Porto
Stockholm – what the hell is it doing in this category?

[/tab]

[tab title=”Bromance”] From 99.00 €

Amsterdam
Berlin
Budapest
Dublin
Hamburg
Krakow
Manchester
Prague
Warsaw

[/tab]

[tab title=”Cities”] From 99.00 €

Amsterdam
Athens
Berlin
Brussels
Bucharest
Budapest
Dublin
Istanbul
Madrid
Paris
Prague
Rome
Zagreb

[/tab]

[tab title=”Partying”] From 99.00 €

Amsterdam
Barcelona
Berlin
Birmingham
Dublin
Krakow
Lyon
Prague
Warsaw

[/tab]

[tab title=”Romance”] From 99.00 €

Athens
Bologna
Budapest
Florence
Paris
Prague
Rome
Venice
Vienna
Zurich

[/tab]

[tab title=”Shopping”] From 99.00 €

Amsterdam
Barcelona
Bologna
Dublin
Florence
Hamburg
Istanbul
Madrid
Milan
Paris
Rome
Turin
Vienna

[/tab]

[/tabs]

 

And the same travel categories, but with slightly different cities are available from Munich Airport

[tabs]
[tab title=”Go East”] From 69.00 €

Bucharest
Dubrovnik
Krakow
Poznan
Sibiu
Sofia
Split
Timisoara
Wroclaw

.[/tab]
[tab title=”Sightseeing and Culture”] From 79.00 €

Basel
Belgrade
Brussels
Helsinki
Lviv
Madrid
Milan
Toulouse
Wroclaw

[/tab]

[tab title=”Nature”] From 89.00 €

Copenhagen
Gdansk
Gothenburg
Larnaca
Luxembourg
Oslo
Stockholm

[/tab]

[tab title=”Sun and Sand”] From 89.00 €

Ancona
Bilbao
Gdansk
Genoa
Izmir
Marseille
Naples
Nice
Stockholm
Triest

[/tab]

[tab title=”Bromance”] From 99.00 €

Amsterdam
Dublin
Hamburg
Manchester
Prague
Sarajevo
Warsaw

[/tab]

[tab title=”Cities”] From 99.00 €

Athens
Berlin
Bucharest
Budapest
Dublin
Lisbon
Rome
Warsaw
Zagreb

[/tab]

[tab title=”Partying”] From 99.00 €

Amsterdam
Barcelona
Berlin
Birmingham
Dublin
Lisbon
Lyon
Prague
Turin

[/tab]

[tab title=”Romance”] From 99.00 €

Barcelona
Budapest
Lisbon
Paris
Pisa
Prague
Rome
Vienna

[/tab]

[tab title=”Shopping”] From 99.00 €

Amsterdam
Barcelona
Berlin
Hamburg
Manchester
Paris
Rome
Turin
Vienna

[/tab]

[/tabs]

How does Lufthansa Surprise work?

It is quite simple. Select departing airport, travel theme and dates. In case you completely do not want to visit one of the possible destinations, like Stockholm under Sea and Sand theme, you can exclude it, but it will increase the price of the flight. Minimum 3 cities should be selected, but in some cases it almost doubles the price.

Lufthansa Surprise Booking – Lufthansa - Germany

Lufthansa Surprise Booking

And after you complete the booking, the destination city will be revealed by Lufthansa so you can prepare and plan your visit.

Regular prices for some of the destinations on direct flights are at very least twice higher, so it is a really great saving offer, if the end destination is not that important.

It is a cool concept, which I wish was introduced by more airlines, especially SAS. During most public holidays, flights anywhere from Copenhagen airport are ridiculously expensive. I would be more than willing to pay 100 euros to escape Scandinavia for some sun in most of the European destinations operated by SAS.

Would you use Lufthansa Surprise for a random getaway or vacation?

Skytrax world’s top 10 airlines airlines in 2017

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Skytrax just released updated for 2017 list of the best airlines in the world, to a big surprise, Qatar airways is on the top of the list, given the current shaky situation around the country.

All other airlines did not come as a surprise, given they are leading the industry for many and many years.

Skytrax top 10 airlines in  2017

  1. Qatar Airways
  2. Singapore Airlines
  3. ANA All Nippon Airways
  4. Emirates
  5. Cathay Pacific
  6. EVA Air
  7. Lufthansa
  8. Etihad Airways
  9. Hainan Airlines
  10. Garuda Indonesia

Big congratulations to my beloved Lufthansa, their first class cabin is still one of my most favorite ones. It is also remarkable that 4 members of Star Alliance are in the list.

Hilton summer sale

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Hilton is running summer sale promotion with up to 25% off in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

You can access the sale here and book directly with Hilton is order to benefit from discount. There are many interesting offers, especially for high priced Hilton resorts. Promotion is targeting Europe, Middle East and Africa properties and starting price as low as 70 EUR a night!

I have personally booked brand new Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa for a bit more than 90 EUR a night in July, which is an amazing deal!

Full terms and conditions:

Offer is subject to availability at participating hotels within the Hilton portfolio of brands in Europe, Middle East & Africa. For participating hotels in the Middle East & Africa, stays must be booked between May 16, 2017 and September 4, 2017 and completed on weekends between May 19, 2017 and October 8, 2017, except as otherwise indicated. For participating hotels in Europe, stays must be booked between June 20, 2017 and September 4, 2017 and completed on weekends between June 23, 2017 and October 8, 2017, except as otherwise indicated. Full prepayment required at the time of booking. Rates are not refundable; in case your contract with Hilton is governed by German law a refund of 10%, of the paid rates applies upon cancellation. In such case you may however prove that no or a significantly lower damage has been incurred for Hilton. Discounts are up to 20% off the Best Available Rate and Best Available Bed & Breakfast Rate and vary by property. The Sale Hilton Honors member rates are an additional 5% off of the Best Available Rate and the Best Available Bed and Breakfast Rate (indicated above) i.e. up to 25% off for participating hotels, as outlined above. Best Available (Flexible) Rate (“BAR”) is a specific rate type that varies depending on time of purchase, is unrestricted, non-qualified and excludes discount rates. Other blackout dates may apply. Additional restrictions apply. Any currency conversions provided are as a guide only. Before booking, and for further details on the additional discounts for Hilton Honors members,

Lufthansa will start flying Airbus A380 from Munich

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Lufthansa will transfer five Airbus A380 from Frankfurt to Munich airport in 2018.

Destinations that are moved to Munich are Los Angeles, Beijing and Hong Kong. Lufthansa will also reintroduce Munich to Singapore route 5 times a week. At the same time, Lufthansa will offer more additional flights from Munich to Chicago, USA, increasing number of flights from seven times a week to ten times per week.

It is great opportunity to experience Lufthansa’s A380, especially in First and Business classes. Increased number of flights to Chicago shall make award booking a bit easier, especially during the peak seasons. Also, Munich airport has very nice and cozy Lufthansa First Class lounge, which is my favorite.

New SAS EuroBonus Mastercard Premium card

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SAS (Scandinavian Airlines Systems) introduced a new credit card offer in addition to current SAS Mastercard World card. Is it worth getting it?

SAS EuroBonus World Mastercard Premium

New SAS EuroBonus World Mastercard Premium could be a great choice as the main credit card, or a very nice backup option for everyone, who is maximizing SAS EuroBonus American Express card. Continue reading →

Thai Airways First Class Seoul to Bangkok on TG659

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Thai Airways has been an underdog of Star Alliance for quite some time. Despite providing quite a good service and delivering food and drinks during flights, Thai Airways still has issues of being quite unreliable, which affects the reputation of the company.

Thai First Class flight from Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN) to Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) was a nice and pleasant surprise.

While flying first class with any airline from Star Alliance via Seoul ICN airport, you will have access to Asiana first class lounge, which is ok, but definitely not the best lounge out there. Check the review of Asiana first class lounge here.

Thai flight to BKK was boarding on time and had no delay, it was operated by Airbus 747 with the updated cabin, which is a drastic improvement to old 747 cabins, but yet nothing compared to Lufthansa first class cabin. The most interesting part is definitely a middle seat, which is quite a unique seating combination, compared to other airlines. It is an interesting concept to keep one more row as just one seat, but also looks weird.

Booze:


Thai Airways does not have much of variety in first class service when it comes to champagne. It is Dom Perignon Vintage 2006, but it is a very good choice! Definitely, no complaints on the bubbly choice. Wines are less interesting and presented by some generic Australian, New Zealand and European varieties.
Food:


This particular flight it was bad… It was just really bad. When flying to BKK you cannot “order a Chef” service, so you are limited to the menu options. Beef with rice was just disgusting, it looked like baby vomit and the taste was corresponding, One messy place of some overcooked beef mixed with some over boiled rice, nothing to complement there.

And here is vegetarian option offered in Thai Royal First cabin


It was definitely tasting much better than meat. Some tofu with curry, good tomato soup, and different veggies.

Service:


Definitely, a strong side of most Asian airlines and especially Thai Airways is exceptional service onboard. Flight attendants in Thai Royal First class are putting extra effort into making it a very pleasant and relaxing experience. They are always there for you and trying to go an extra mile no matter what request you have.

Cabin:


Depending if you like those personal “cubicles” or not, you will love or hate Thai new cabin. For me, I like more open spaced cabins and those cubicles looked wrong. Especially, if you are flying with 2 friends and want to talk to them, rather than being isolated. By no means, it provides any sort of additional privacy in comparison to popular private suites. Yet, the seat is nice, it transforms into the full flatbed, allows to have a dining table enough for 2 persons (to dine with a friend), has all the extra space needed to store your belongings.

Amenity Kit:


On the bright side, I managed to get PINK Rimowa amenity kit. It is the cutest looking amenity kit out there made by Rimowa and Lufthansa does not carry that color. On the other hand, Thai Royal First does not provide any decent products in those kits. It is really the cheapest possible products, nothing compared to Lufthansa La Prairie skin care.

Overall:

Thai Royal First is a good alternative within South Asia. It is the only direct flight with first class from Seoul (ICN) to Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) available with Star Alliance. The cabin is nice, service is good and champagne selection is delicious. Food wise, it’s a complete gamble. You can get something delicious, or gross as I did.

In Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) if you transfer to a domestic flight, do not rush to domestic lounge. It does not have a single drop of alcohol and no smoking area. Try staying in the International part of the airport, otherwise, you might need to pay 25 Euros for a bottle of Prosecco and drink it on the rocks!

Delta Air Lines starts flying from Stockholm to New York

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Delta Air Lines (member of SkyTeam alliance) is starting new regular non-stop service from Stockholm Arlanda airport (ARN) to USA New York JFK airport.

The first flight will take off on May 28th offering three cabin choices: Delta One, Delta Comfort+ and Main cabin.

Flight DL 203 is operated on Boeing 757-200 and takes about 9 hours to reach destination. Economy fare includes dinner service and 1 piece of free checked in baggage. It also promises Wi-Fi on board.

The cheapest return ticket with Delta Air Lines is currently available for approx. 410 euros, which is a very competitive offer, especially considering that SAS flight from Stockholm to Newark Liberty International Airport starts at 700 euros.

Business class tickets with Delta Air Lines are currently more expensive than SAS, reaching almost 4800 euros compared to SAS 3600 euros. And SAS renovated business class cabin is arguably one of the best ones.

Norwegian announces London to Singapore route

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Norwegian Air just announced a launch of a nonstop flight service between London Gatwick (LGW) and Singapore Changi (SIN) airports.

The first flight will take of from London on September 28, will take almost 13 hours and cost about 210 Euro one way, or about 460 Euro for return trip in Norwegian’s cheapest class Lowfare.


Norwegian will operate Boeing 787 Dreamliner and will fly 4-5 times a week (as of current schedule calendar).

But is it really a ” low cost” offer?

So far, it does not seem like it. The cheapest Lowfare from Norwegian only includes a seat and 10kg carry on, while LowFare+, which includes luggage  and meal, is priced at 570 Euros.

Here is Norwegian price for a direct flight London to Singapore with LowFare+ October 3rd to 20th.


While Turkish Airlines, with a short stopover in Istanbul airport, can be bought for about 430 Euros. And this is including a seat selection, decent meal and luggage . Surely, it is also a great opportunity to visit Istanbul’s great Star Alliance lounge, if you have Star Alliance Gold status. And it takes only 3-5 bours longer compared to Norwegian’s direct flight.

But what about other newrby airports, especially in Scandinavia?

Nope, still not cheaper… Both Copenhagen or Stockholm to Singapore via London with Norwegian Air is at cheapest 480 Euros in the lowest fare.


While there are several options, including Qatar Airways – well known for it’s great service and catering in economy class, available for 420 Euros. 

It is clear that Norwegian Air is really not pressuring the market with real “low cost” prices on their new route from London to Singapore, perhaps the price will drop even further in future, when they realize low demand with current pricing.