Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Suhl, Germany: Arriving in Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) from Amsterdam Schipol (AMS)

27AUG08 Frankfurt Main International Frankfurt, Germany (FRA)

We touched down at 2:12p and taxied into our gate. Like Schipol, Frankfurt has cool planes as well. This is Lufthansa’s home. Here are some planes I saw on my way to the gate where we arrived at 2:15p.

















I disembarked and made a beeline for the Exit. Once I was clear I followed the signs to the train station, got my ticket and boarded the 3:02p ICE train and headed out.

Suhl, Germany: Amsterdam Schipol (AMS) to Frankfurt, Germany (FRA)

LH4675 26AUG08 Amsterdam Schipol International, Amsterdam Netherlands (AMS) to Frankfurt Main, Frankfurt Germany (FRA) 12:55p 2:05p 735 D-ABJH

Flight Time: 0:45
Seat Map [PDF]

I was greeted by the flight when I boarded and I could also pick newspapers, German and Dutch. They have a small two row Business Class cabin in a 3-3 configuration of leather seats, then the Economy class cabin also in a 3-3 configured leather seats.

I settled in as soon as the traffic cleared as although this flight was very empty, there were people who could not find their seat. The lady in front of me yelled at them to move ahead or into their rows so that she could get by and it seemed to have worked.

The Captain came on the PA at 12:50p and announced first in German and then in English that we had an Air Traffic Control hold until 1:20p, which mean we cannot take off until that time. He also added that we would stay at the gate for another 15-20 minutes. He also welcomed us onboard.

The main door was closed at 12:58p and the manual safety demo German and English started a minute later. It was 1:09p when we pushed back and the engines were started. Flying in and out of Schipol is always fun as you get to see quite a bit of different airlines and today was no exception.

We made our way to runway 18L as a KLM MD-11 took off. Next was a KLM Boeing 737-800 with winglets and just before us a ANA Cargo Airlines Boeing

It was about 1:25p when we took to the skies behind the ANA Cargo Airlines Boeing 747-400F.
We were given a snack of a cheese sandwich and a yogurt bar at 1:34p.

Beverages followed at 1:40p and you could ask for seconds of everything when a flight attendant passed by again on her way back to the galley.

The Captain came on the PA at 1:50p and advised that we would be landing in twenty minutes; it is 23C and a nice afternoon in Frankfurt.

The flight attendants came by and cleared the thrash just after this announcement. We commenced our descent into FRA.

I noticed that we passed the airport on our right and was making a very long approach.


As we turned right on the base leg of the runway, I could see a Boeing 747-400 ahead of us. As it turns out, it was the ANA Cargo Freighter that has just left Amsterdam. It was a beautiful sight to see from the air.


I got some good views of the city of Frankfurt as the descent followed:


and then our landing.

Suhl, Germany: Arriving in Amsterdam Schipol (AMS) from Houston Intercontinental. Houston, TX (IAH)

27AUG08 Amsterdam Schipol International, Amsterdam Netherlands

We landed on the far runway, 8L I think, at 11:40a.

It was 11:52a when we blocked into our gate at G3 next to a United Airlines (UA) Boeing 767-300. In a few minutes I was off the plane and when I checked the time it was 12:00 noon. I walked over to T9 and the flight information displays listed the flight to Frankfurt at B9! Holy cow, I thought, this would be a long walk.

The KLM flight was at 1:55p. there was also a flight to Nuremburg, Germany (NUE), but with that one I would have to take a train into the city and that added more time to the journey. I would have to have everything in sync to catch the same train that would depart Frankfurt.

I quickened my steps and got to the Immigration area for the B and C concourses at 12:07p. I cleared there and security by 12:18p arriving at the gate at 12:24p.

The agent checked me in and asked if I preferred window or aisle; I said window and was given a window seat about mid cabin on the Boeing 737-500. I took the opportunity to take a picture of my plane today as well a Lufthansa CRJ-100 that was on the tarmac as it had a cool paint scheme.

A TAP A319 also arrived as well as a Singapore Airlines (SQ) Boeing 777-200 taking off.


Boarding commenced at 12:44p as the load was really light.