SWISS Airbus A320-200 Economy Class, Berlin to Nice

After having the frequent flyer status “Star Alliance Gold” for over a year now, but unfortunately not having had time for more flights due to finishing my Master’s studies and moving house, we were able to fly with SWISS today (here book) to Nice to finally take advantage of the benefits.

Early in the morning, we drove from Halle (Saale) to Berlin-Tegel Airport. After parking our car about 5 km away, we took a minibus to the airport. I had already completed online check-in for our SWISS flight via Zurich to Nice the evening before. However, since I collect boarding passes for my flights, we also printed them out at the kiosk. We then dropped off our suitcases at the Lufthansa First Class counter. This didn't save us any time today, as the regular counter was almost deserted, but as the saying goes, "If you've got it, you can do it!" :)

Lufthansa Senator Lounge (Berlin-Tegel)

After everything was done, we went up one floor to the Lufthansa Senator Lounge. The first thing we noticed was the quiet and the atmosphere that came with it. No more clattering of suitcases or the voices of crowds chattering away.

There's a sufficiently sized seating area. It consists of comfortable leather seats arranged in small groups. Power outlets are available in each group. Free Wi-Fi is provided by T-Mobile.

A buffet with a small bar was available for refreshments. We found the selection to be adequate. There were all kinds of spirits, wine/sparkling wine, coffee, and non-alcoholic beverages. Hot dishes included a delicious Thai green curry soup and Nuremberg specialties. There was also a selection of potato salad, Spreewald pickles, mixed salad, sandwiches, and pretzels.

Twenty minutes before boarding, our flight to Zurich (LX 967) was announced over the loudspeaker that there would be a delay of at least 20 minutes. Our initial concerns were about our connecting flight to Nice. However, the competent staff at the entrance were able to reassure us, as this was also already delayed. At our scheduled departure time of 2:50 p.m., LX 966 from Zurich landed in Berlin. According to the departure board, our flight was scheduled to depart at 3:15 p.m. So we left the lounge and went to Gate A10.

Flight to Zurich and SWISS Senator Lounge

The flight to Zurich went smoothly. We sat in row 5, directly behind the Business Class curtain. We had a rather sweet Linzer cake for dinner. After a somewhat turbulent approach to Zurich, we arrived there at 4:50 p.m. The flight to Nice (LX 560) was listed on the flight board with a departure time of 5:30 p.m. This gave us a little time to check out the SWISS Senator Lounge. It is much more modern and comfortable than the one in Berlin. There was a great selection of food and drinks. The highlight of our visit was a delicious Mövenpick ice cream.

The plane, like the previous one, was almost fully booked. This time, we were served a butter pretzel, still partially frozen, for dinner. After a wonderful approach along the Côte d'Azur, we landed in Nice. Our luggage arrived on the belt quite quickly thanks to the "Priority" tag.

Arrival in Nice

We had to take the free shuttle bus from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2, as this is where the rental car station is located. I had already booked a Citroen C4 with Avis in advance via the website billiger-mietwagen.de. Due to availability, we were ultimately assigned an Opel Astra. It had a pleasingly good range of features, including leather upholstery, automatic climate control, and cruise control.

After a quick stop at the supermarket, we drove to our accommodation for the coming week. The apartment we had booked was a bit small (20 square meters), but sufficient for the two of us. The best part was the fantastic view of the Bay of Nice from our terrace.