Instead of starting a new trip report I think it would be appropriate to continue on from this one...
I once again found myself with a couple of spare days last week and decided I might as well make the most of it. My first mystery flight trip was so much fun that I decided to do it again!
With any Germanwings mystery flight trip costing a guaranteed fare of €66 round-trip, it's pretty hard to beat.
I did do one thing differently this time; I paid the extra €5 to eliminate Köln/Bonn from the list of possible destinations. I've already been there and done that, and when you consider the Germanwings flight schedules out of Berlin, it's more than likely they would have sent me back there otherwise.
So, with the €66 paid (alright, it was more like €80.90, or AUD115 once that extra €5 and the credit card surcharge were added), I discovered that I would be flying to... Vienna, Austria!
Out of interest, I had a look at how much the flights I would be taking were actually selling for and it was over €300 return, so I think I got a pretty good deal!
The afternoon after the tickets were booked I was back at Tegel Airport. The TXL bus was a lot slower than usual due to heavy traffic on Beusselstraße and I found myself with only 35 minutes until departure when I arrived at Terminal D. (Just as well I didn't miss the 30 minute cut-off or I would have lost my ticket and not been entitled to a refund!) By the time I checked in with the machine and went through security the flight was already boarding. I don't think I missed too much in Terminal D; as far as I could see there were just a few shops and more people than seats. I think I've said this before, but Berlin really needs to get a move on with opening that new airport!
TXL's tiny Terminal D
Outbound flight: 4U8750 Berlin Tegel - Vienna
Airbus A320 | D-AIQF
Departure time: 17:15 (17:20)
Arrival time: 18:25 (18:35)
Once again, the flight with Germanwings was relatively uneventful, although surprisingly (for an efficient German airline) it ran about 10 minutes late with no explanation, apology or even acknowledgement of the delay offered. The flight attendants on the A320 weren't as friendly as the ones I'd encountered previously, but I wouldn't say they were rude.
I was a little thirsty when the drinks cart came around and I asked if I could have some tap water for free. "Nein, Wasser ist mit ihrem Tarif nicht inklusive! Sie müssen €3 bezahlen!" (No, water is not included with your fare! You have to pay €3!) was the response. I know 4U is a LCC but is it too much to expect free tap water?
It seems I wasn't the only passenger bemused by the cost of the drinks and the snacks. The man in the row in front of me was most unimpressed that he would have to pay for his snack, when he "paid €200 for his ticket". But the flight attendant insisted that he still wasn't entitled to anything as he had bought a Basic fare.
On Germanwings, passengers on a Basic fare get nothing, while passengers on the Smart fare, which is usually €20-25 more expensive get a choice of complementary snack and a drink (and a checked bag). Passengers on ther most expensive Best fare get unlimited food and drinks (and other benefits such as a seat at the front). When the meal service starts, the flight attendants give all of the passengers on the more expensive fares their snack and drink, before offering the rest of the passengers food or drinks for sale.
The Airbus A320 seemed quite new, although as I discovered later, the "new" look was only artificial. The aircraft was actually older than me, but had recently been transferred across from Lufthansa and had obviously been refurbished and re-painted in the process. On the day of my flight, it had been in service with Germanwings for just two weeks.
We landed in the Austrian capital shortly before sunset. I am very impressed with Vienna International Airport which is large, modern, efficient and clean.
Arriving at VIE
To get from VIE to the city there are a few choices, including two train options. The City-Airport Train (CAT) is an express train to Wien-Mitte station that costs €12 one-way. The trip takes 16 minutes and trains run every half hour. You can also take the S-Bahn (suburban train) on the S7 line in the direction of Floridsdorf. This will cost just €4.40 but the train takes about 10 minutes longer and makes 8 stops on the way to Wien-Mitte. In my opinion, the saving is worth the extra 9 or 10 minutes of travel time. From Wien-Mitte you can connect to the U-Bahn.
I had been to Vienna once before, but this time it wasn't the middle of winter and it was actually a very nice evening. I went for a wander around the city, stopping by the Naschmarkt, Karlsplatz and St Stephens Cathedral. The city is really very beautiful and I think I like Vienna even more now after this trip.
The Nachsmarkt; in my opinion the best place to dine in Vienna
St Stephen's Cathedral
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