"Almost" Live from Explorer

[Zqueeze1]

19 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

Now I’m confused.  I just know that we stayed in the hotel that is accessible from inside the airport. No clue what the name is.  There is a 50/50 chance that we’ll be there again.

 

Z - do you think that I can’t drive at 3:00 a.m.?  I am the one who did the 8 hour drive from Seattle home. In the really heavy snow.  On the other hand, maybe staying at the hotel would be easier (except for the horrible traffic in the afternoon going north to the airport).  

Hey Jackie:

Just want to make sure you guys make it ok. My concern is driving in bad conditions, at o dark thirty, and with all the stress you are already carrying. I’m a Murphy’s Law poster boy and like to play it safe so I would leave the day before, get into a nice hotel, and,  hey it’s Valentine’s Day so enjoy it in a cozy environment with Dennis!

Z and TB

[Zqueeze1]

All this talk about FRA reminds me when we flew in from Istanbul about four years ago after a Regent cruise. FRA closed down due to weather and we spent three hours in line to get rebooked then slept in cots along with about a few thousand of our new friends. The airport handed out crackers and water since all the restaurants were closed. We went through security seven times between landing until the next day when we finally left that awful place enorute to beautiful Florence. 

Z and TB

[Travelcat2]

20 minutes ago, Zqueeze1 said:

Hey Jackie:

Just want to make sure you guys make it ok. My concern is driving in bad conditions, at o dark thirty, and with all the stress you are already carrying. I’m a Murphy’s Law poster boy and like to play it safe so I would leave the day before, get into a nice hotel, and,  hey it’s Valentine’s Day so enjoy it in a cozy environment with Dennis!

Z and TB

 

As you likely read, we did book a hotel and I've put a bottle of wine in our car so we can have something in our room.

 

Your experience at FRA sounds horrible.  While I could live on crackers and water, it would not be my choice.

 

The big news from Bellingham is that we went out to Happy Hour.  I decided that I would not know what the roads were like until we actually tried them.  It was quite easy.  Just a tiny slip going from the driveway to the road.  This give me confidence to have my nails done and get money tomorrow.  Still happy that we have a hotel as the temperatures will be in the 20's at night.  While I certainly do not mind the cold weather (actually love it), I am not a fan of long lasting snow!

 

Hoping to be in Vancouver about 23 hours from now!

 

 

 

 

[Eager2Travel]

We are thinking about you and Dennis and your struggles.  Am so sorry you are going through this.  I was upset when I learned Regent wasn’t going to handle our air and we needed to fly in 2 days early in order to get a decent flight but I guess the extra day has an upside.

 

Please take care of yourself getting to the airport.  And anyone in a lovely suite deserves to have their mani/pedi on the ship.  

[captjohn]

Our best wishes for you guys will be thinking of you. I do have some advice, don't get married on Feb.14 like we did!!  Thinking you will have to start a new thread since this one has  has gone  far afield .

[Travelcat2]

2 hours ago, captjohn said:

Our best wishes for you guys will be thinking of you. I do have some advice, don't get married on Feb.14 like we did!!  Thinking you will have to start a new thread since this one has  has gone  far afield .

 

I can only imagine how difficult it could be to have a special day/night on Valentine's Day.  Our 40th anniversary is October 11th which I think is some random holiday (Columbus Day?  Celebrating the person who did not discover America?????)

 

Yes - I fully intend to start a new thread when we board the ship.  I am very surprised at how much interest this thread has.  It was a good way for me to vent and to warn others about connection time.  The responses have been very thoughtful which is appreciated.

[captjohn]

Sorry to keep responding but just to say that this is our 39th but we celebrate the date of our meeting - Oct. 10. So this year in Oct. it will be 40.❤️

[jeb_bud]

20 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

Where are you connecting from Jeb_bud?  If extra Schengen - no problem.  But if intra-Schengen - BIG problem...

 

We’re starting in Venice. Departing at 6:30am. Both flights are on Lufthansa. I have been tracking the flights on flightaware.com for a couple of weeks and they both have been on time almost every day. There was one stormy day where the FRA departure was delayed, but the VCE to FRA flight was on time. 

 

How nervouse use should I be?

[jeb_bud]

14 hours ago, captjohn said:

Our best wishes for you guys will be thinking of you. I do have some advice, don't get married on Feb.14 like we did!!  Thinking you will have to start a new thread since this one has  has gone  far afield .

 

There are pros and cons to a special day on Valentines Day. On the one hand it can be hard to get reservations. On the other hand it makes the occasion easier to remember. I’m sometimes hazy on when our anniversary is but I never forget my wife’s February 14th birthday. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

11 hours ago, captjohn said:

Sorry to keep responding but just to say that this is our 39th but we celebrate the date of our meeting - Oct. 10. So this year in Oct. it will be 40.❤️

 

We celebrate the day of our meeting too (well actually, the day we went out for the first time.)  It will be 40 this October 21st!

[ronrick1943]

22 minutes ago, jeb_bud said:

 

We’re starting in Venice. Departing at 6:30am. Both flights are on Lufthansa. I have been tracking the flights on flightaware.com for a couple of weeks and they both have been on time almost every day. There was one stormy day where the FRA departure was delayed, but the VCE to FRA flight was on time. 

 

How nervouse use should I be?

 

Why would you be nervous?  It doesn't matter what time the flights take off excepts the day you are flying.  Don't worry and take each day at a time---what happens, happens and you have to deal with it.  What matters is how you deal with it.  Live is too short to worry about everything.  Plus a little planning ahead of time makes it a little easier.

[Hambagahle]

31 minutes ago, jeb_bud said:

 

We’re starting in Venice. Departing at 6:30am. Both flights are on Lufthansa. I have been tracking the flights on flightaware.com for a couple of weeks and they both have been on time almost every day. There was one stormy day where the FRA departure was delayed, but the VCE to FRA flight was on time. 

 

How nervouse use should I be?

Starting in Venice and then flying to SFO?    You DO change terminals and have to go through passport control as you are leaving Schengen at FRA.   The terminals are not that close together and the signage is terrible.   Ken and I both speak German and had to keep asking people where to go.   At least your luggage will go to the new flight since both flights are LH (probably faster than you will).  And at the end of the day if you mis-connect you are LH's problem.  They have to get you onto the next flight to your destination AND put you into a hotel if need be.

 

I refuse to fly via FRA anymore...   but hopefully all will work well for you.  Don't envy you having to get to the Venice airport for a 0630 flight though...

Edited February 14, 2019 by Hambagahle

[jeb_bud]

2 minutes ago, Hambagahle said:

Starting in Venice and then flying where from FRA?  If to another Schengen destination you do not change terminals nor go through passport control.   If to the US for example you DO change terminals and have to go through passport control.  The terminals are not that close together and the signage is terrible.   Ken and I both speak German and had to keep asking people where to go.   At least your luggage will go to the new flight since both flights are LH (probably faster than you will).  And at the end of the day if you mis-connect you are LH's problem.  They have to get you onto the next flight to your destination AND put you into a hotel if need be.

 

I refuse to fly via FRA anymore...   but hopefully all will work well for you.  Don't envy you having to get to the Venice airport for a 0630 flight though...

 

We don’t envy ourselves either. When I requested our air deviation I worked to avoid FRA and early morning departures. We booked an afternoon departure to CDG with Plenty of time before our connecting flight to SFO. Then Air France apparently discontinued the afternoon nonstop to SFO. This close to departure the best we could do without paying extra was the 6:30am VCE-FRA-SFO routing with the 2:25 connection time. 

 

I will I’ll admit that I was also influenced by the opportunity to fly in an A380. 

[flossie009]

Just a note in support of @Hambagahle's comments about Frankfurt airport.

 

We missed a connection at Frankfurt last April on Lufthansa flights organised by Regent. There was a 1 hour connection time scheduled, which under normal circumstances would have been tight but do-able.

We could not believe the distance we had to walk between where the Miami flight arrived and where our flight to London was due to leave. Then there was a security shutdown which brought the security checking area to a standstill for about 40 minutes.

We therefore missed our 9am flight. The next flight to London was full so we had to hang around at Frankfurt airport until the midday flight. Fortunately the Lounge at Frankfurt was comfortable and well serviced with food & drink.

Lufthansa were unable to seat us together on the short flight from Frankfurt to London, but we were just glad to be on our way again.

Arriving in London 3 hours later than planned we had also disrupted our son’s day as he was picking us up from Heathrow.

 

We gave Regent(UK) constructive feedback on booking indirect flights with short connection times.

 

[jeb_bud]

We had the option of a later flight from VCE and a one hour connection in FRA and chose the earlier flight to avoid an experience like Flossie009’s. 

 

A couple of of years ago DW broke her leg and we requested mobility help on our next trip. Now it’s in her record that she needs assistance to get through the airport. She’s much better now and we usually decline the help but maybe we’ll accept it in FRA to travel the long distances maybe a little faster. 

Edited February 14, 2019 by jeb_bud
Correction

[Mjflowers]

I'm confused. Is the cat lady still at home, or on her way? Posted she was driving to Vancouver for flight out. Interesting.

Trying to follow her trip on the Explorer but a few distractions.

Said new TS later. Looking forward to that from her.

 

[1982CruzStart]

I believe TC is still at home but drives to Vancouver today to overnight there then catch her early morning flight on Friday. 

[jeb_bud]

5 minutes ago, Mjflowers said:

I'm confused. Is the cat lady still at home, or on her way? Posted she was driving to Vancouver for flight out. Interesting.

Trying to follow her trip on the Explorer but a few distractions.

Said new TS later. Looking forward to that from her.

 

Slightly sorry for the digression. Once TC2 said she would start a new thread once her trip commenced I lost all inhibition. 

 

I got the impression she’ll be heading out this afternoon after her mani-pedi. 

[Snore42]

23 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

Do not fly TAP if you can avoid it.  It is dreadful...even in Business.

I was always told TAP stood for Take Another Plane...

[Hambagahle]

32 minutes ago, Snore42 said:

I was always told TAP stood for Take Another Plane...

Exactly.  Cheap but nasty.

[Hambagahle]

2 hours ago, flossie009 said:

Just a note in support of @Hambagahle's comments about Frankfurt airport.

 

We missed a connection at Frankfurt last April on Lufthansa flights organised by Regent. There was a 1 hour connection time scheduled, which under normal circumstances would have been tight but do-able.

We could not believe the distance we had to walk between where the Miami flight arrived and where our flight to London was due to leave. Then there was a security shutdown which brought the security checking area to a standstill for about 40 minutes.

We therefore missed our 9am flight. The next flight to London was full so we had to hang around at Frankfurt airport until the midday flight. Fortunately the Lounge at Frankfurt was comfortable and well serviced with food & drink.

Lufthansa were unable to seat us together on the short flight from Frankfurt to London, but we were just glad to be on our way again.

Arriving in London 3 hours later than planned we had also disrupted our son’s day as he was picking us up from Heathrow.

 

We gave Regent(UK) constructive feedback on booking indirect flights with short connection times.

 

And you were also going from inside Schengen to outside Schengen   Same as though you were taking a flight from Venice/Frankfurt/San Francisco in fact.

[Hambagahle]

Do whatever it takes. If you ask for a wheelchair and your inbound flight is a bit late they will most likely send a car... to take you airside from the intra to extra Schengen gates.  I would not hesitate in this case.  (Normally I would not ask for that...)  At the least tell the FAs on the VCE/FRA flight about your tight connection.

[Travelcat2]

Got out of the house to go to the bank, get my nails done, etc.  Leaving in about 45 minutes to the airport hotel.  Flight 6:00 a.m. tomorrow!

 

Just a bit stressed - nothing that a glass or two or three of champagne won't cure.

[briar14]

1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

Got out of the house to go to the bank, get my nails done, etc.  Leaving in about 45 minutes to the airport hotel.  Flight 6:00 a.m. tomorrow!

 

Just a bit stressed - nothing that a glass or two or three of champagne won't cure.

Sending good wishes for a safe trip all the way to Explorer and a wonderful trip once onboard. This thread has provided really good information on so many different air travel issues.

[rcandkc]

1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

Got out of the house to go to the bank, get my nails done, etc.  Leaving in about 45 minutes to the airport hotel.  Flight 6:00 a.m. tomorrow!

 

Just a bit stressed - nothing that a glass or two or three of champagne won't cure.

All clear in Dallas area for your flight here tomorrow.  I’m sitting by pool enjoying fresh air without even a sweater.  Safe travels.