Secret Trip Transit – Los Angeles, California to Vienna, Austria

Our trip from Los Angeles, California to Vienna, Austria involved two short layovers in Houston, Texas and Frankfurt, Germany.

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Destination Answer to Clues from Envelope

The first segment was American Airlines first class from Los Angeles, California to Houston, Texas. Chris was confused and thought it was business class (since domestic first on two cabin planes is similar to business class). The wait for business class check in took longer than usual, but security was a breeze since we had TSA pre-check. We took the shuttle bus to the American Eagle terminal and stopped briefly at the Admirals Club before boarding our flight. The breakfast options on the plane were mediocre and I had a bit of the granola with yogurt, and some fruit before landing.

Chris’s Breakfast of Granola Wrap with Apple Juice

My Breakfast of Granola with Yogurt and Orange Juice

The second segment was first class on Lufthansa from Houston, Texas to Frankfurt, Germany. The inter-terminal subway train transferred us from the domestic baggage claim in terminal A to the international ticketing in terminal D. We were quickly checked in and J.Jordan (from Lufthansa) escorted us to the Executive Club, where we ordered a couple glasses of Champagne and helped ourselves to a light snack of minestrone soup, pita with hummus, egg roll, and cheese rangoon before boarding our long haul flight.

Chris and I Enjoying Champagne in Executive Club at IAH

Lufthansa’s first class cabin is located on the upper level of the Airbus A380, and as a result, there were no overhead bins. Each seat is provided with a designated cabinet for luggage and coat storage as well as a trunk (disguised as an ottoman) to store smaller items within reach. The cabin was nicely decorated with fresh red roses, and we received pajamas, slippers, and an amenity kit upon arrival. The first class lavatory was spacious, and the long bench along one side of the room was nice to have when changing in and out of pajamas. Dinner, which consisted of amuse bouche, caviar, appetizer, entrée, and dessert courses, was served shortly after takeoff. After dinner, Chris and I watched Wreck It Ralph on the in-flight entertainment system before asking the flight attendant to set up our beds. The seats adjusted to be fully flat and the arms of the chairs lowered to create a wider bed. The wall extending halfway around the seat was raised and provided semi-privacy for sleeping. About an hour and half before landing, the flight attendant woke me and Chris up for breakfast, which consisted of a first course of fresh fruits, smoked salmon, and cheeses, and a second course of scrambled eggs. Before landing, the flight attendant presented us with half a box of Lauenstein Confiserie chocolate truffles. She mentioned that these typically go to married couples on the flight.

Pajamas, Slippers, and Braun Buffel Amenity Kit on Storage Trunk

Large Bathroom with Separate Urinal (According to Chris)

2013 Hattenheimer Wiselbrunnen Riesling and Comtes de Champagne Rose Brut

Chipotle Shrimp with Jicama Salad and Grilled Corn; Achiote Beef Teres Major with Pico de Gallo and Cactus Vinaigrette; Spicy Sofrito with Rice and Nori and Wakame Seaweed; Seasonal Salad with Pickled Red Onion, Fresh Raspberries and Blue Cheese Crumble

Chris with Bose Headphones and 2007 Chateau Larmande, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe

Pecan and Molasses Crusted Beef Filet with Broccolini, Sunbrust Squash, and Green Pea Rosiotto

Seared Red Snapper with Black Bean Refrito, Lump Crab with Butter and Chives, Sugar Snap Peas, Mango Salsa, and Creamed Corn Sauce

Port Dessert Wine with Chocolate Truffle

The last segment was business class on Lufthansa from Frankfurt, Germany to Vienna, Austria. Our flight from Houston, Texas arrived in terminal Z and we walked to terminal A, where we exited and found the Lufthansa First Class Terminal building within the Frankfurt Airport. We checked in and were ushered through security. The First Class Terminal contained a lounge with showers and a restaurant. Since we had enough food and wine from the flight in, Chris and I passed on the restaurant and hydrated with sparkling and still waters with limes in the lounge area. We also freshened up with showers, where we received the world famous rubber duckies (current edition is silver). Around boarding time, our host escorted us to the awaiting car service, which brought us to board our plane directly from the airport tarmac. European business class, unlike domestic business class, is configured similar to economy. The difference is that a tray table is fitted into the middle seat, and the passengers sit on the window and aisle seats around the tray table. The flight to Vienna, Austria was only one hour. A light lunch was served soon after takeoff and the trays were cleared shortly before landing.