Prologue

My first flight to Frankfurt should depart at 06:50 in the morning. As I do not want to ask one my friends to bring me to the airport at this awful early time (in their eyes), I choose a taxi. It worked out it was a good idea, as it was really cold and icy on this morning. After I woke up at 04:20, showered and do some last minute packing, I was listening to the radio while waiting for the taxi they played “Airport” by the Motors, one of my favourite songs …
The taxi ride to the airport was fast, I chatted with the driver about the many road works on this motorway. Fortunately there was not traffic jam and he drove really fast with nearly 180 km/h as traffic was low. Temperature was low too, but road was dry. We arrived at Düsseldorf Airport twenty minutes later, I have not driven it faster myself. And it was convenient, sitting in the back of the car, relax, dreaming, …. The taxi driver dropped me off at Terminal A, the Lufthansa and Star Alliance Terminal at Düsseldorf International.

Düsseldorf International

Already at this time of the day, there were still some passengers queuing at the Economy Check-In, but at Business Check-In desks was only one person in front of me. After less than a minute it was my turn. I was informed that my originally booked flight was cancelled and as I arrived early they were able to rebook me on the earlier flight. I got all boarding passed for the next three flights, no luggage to check; I travelled only with hand luggage.
Security was fast and efficient. No need to put of my shows or my belt. I headed to the Business Lounge, to find it closed. The lounge opens at 05:30 in the morning and I realised that I have needed less than five minutes from check-in to the lounge. This was a new personal record, 25 minutes from leaving my flat to the lounge. There are days I need more time from check-in to the lounge…. So I waited with three other passengers till the lounge was opened some minutes later.
I had a coffee, some cookies and read the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, before it was time to head to the gate. The flight was delayed a little bit, as some of the passengers of the cancelled flight had to be rebooked on this flight. I was informed about this delay by lounge staff and therefore spend some minutes longer in the lounge until the boarding was announced at Gate A 80. I grabbed my favourite paper for flights, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (its format is easier to read in a full plane)

12 January 2006
DUS – FRA
[Düsseldorf – Frankfurt]
LH 801, Boeing 737 – 200
06:00 – 06:55 [06:23 – 07:26]
Economy Class
Seat 20 C

Boarding was delayed as written. A fellow female passenger probably in the mid 60ies asked, if there was a lavatory on this plane. I smiled myself about such a question, but I soon realised this lady was flying for the first time in her life and she was – well – very nervous. Boarding the plane she walked in front of me and we had to wail a little bit. She asked me some questions, if I flew very often (Yes) and if the cold weather could be problematic (No) and some other question about flights in general. I hope I could stop her nervousness a little bit.

I think, in Economy 80% of all seats were booked. The middle seat remains empty and I read during the flight my newspaper.

We waited for some other passengers and after an announcement of the captain about the delay we pushed back at 6.23 and were airborne 15 minutes later at 6.37. It was one of these typical domestic flights with no beverage service in Economy, only service in Business. It was a routine flight, nothing to report about. The light in the cabin was dimmed the whole flight, so you needed the reading lamp if you wanted to read. Many passengers got a some additional sleep on this short hop to Frankfurt.

We touched down at 07:10 and had a long taxiway to our gate A 30, where we arrived at 07:26. I was one of the last passengers to left the plane, as I had plenty of time for my next flight.

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