Ann Arbor to Dusseldorf

So I was suppossed to get to Germany by driving to Toledo, flying American TOL-ORD-MAN then Lufthansa MAN-DUS. Since I wanted to have my bag checked all the way to DUS, I showed up 1.5 hours before the flight and after a flury of key clicking, the AA guy got me all sorted out. I then got to wait in a basically deserted airport (Flights now to six cities!) for a boring hour. Plane (RJ EM4) arrives on time from Chicago. Boarding starts. Right as I'm handing my boarding pass over, the radio cracks "We're going to have a slight delay" and I feel a nightmare starting. Sure enough, two hours later after some furious AAgent key clicking and "We don't have a seat on any plane to Europe from any airport. What the Hell is going on?" I'm on my way. To Detroit. In a town car.

 

Fast forward an hour. I've got a paper ticket from AA to fly Lufthansa DTW-FRA-DUS which is the ticket I would have bought in the first place if it wasn't $1000 more than the AA ticket. It says FIRST next to the DTW-FRA portion so maybe that will be a good thing. Arrive at DTW at 5:45 ( 6.5 hours after leaving Ann Arbor) for a 6:15 departure to find two German women with stern looks on their faces at the Lufthansa counter.

 

"Are you Klink?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, we have a problem."

"Crap."

"We can't put you in first because AA won't pay for it"

"OK. Can I get on the flight anyway?"

"Oh sure, you're just in coach and we can't get you a boarding pass to DUS"

 

So thanks for freaking me out. After all this crap, I ended up in an exit row next to a guy heading to Beruit and had a nice flight. "Chicken or Pasta" for dinner. Free booze and wine (definite win over AA), hot towels a few times, and a turkey and cheese sandwich for breakfast (?). FRA-DUS was in business which meant pork medallions, saurkraut, brie, bread, mustard, and carrots. Was good. For a 30 min flight. Hello US airlines! Sort rail ride to my hotel and the drinking (I mean fun!) could begin.

 

I'm behind on this. It's too nice to sit inside though so it'll have to wait. Coming soon: Dusseldorf, US v Czech, getting to Slovenia, and hiking around Lake Bohinj.