- Today I'm going back to flying
take my first international flight in five months.
Walking through really quiet Tom Bradley today
and going to Lufthansa to check in.
(upbeat music)
Oh man this sucks.
LAX is like a ghost town, the lounge is closed.
In fact here the duty free shops everything is closed
in the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
(upbeat music)
- See you on board.
- See you later.
- Hello everybody.
My name is Joachim Gretzky Sabhinoff.
I'm the captain of this flight today back to frankfurt
with this lovely 747-8.
We all love to fly it.
We had in a nice lay over here in Los Angeles
and we're ready to go back.
My crew is Captain Polly Van del Esworld
and here we have our first officer Andreas Wikats.
And you just want to join some words maybe.
- Okay welcome everybody from the cockpit of the 747-8I.
We are proud to fly this beautiful well proven aircraft
back to Germany.
The flight time is going to be 10 hours and 20 minutes.
That's what is calculated,
but I'm sure the 747 is going to make it at 10:15,
deliver all the passengers safe and healthy and on time
to Frankfurt
and the maximum cruising altitude will be 39,000 feet today.
Thank you, Andreas you want to add anything?
- We've check the weather, all the charts,
it's going to be a beautiful flight, maybe a couple of bumps,
but the 747 is going to take care of it for you for us.
- So the upper deck of the 747
always feels like a small 737 they attached to the aeroplane
so that's why we think it's very cosy
and very comfortable up here.
- Yeah, always like a private jet here.
Do you have any advice for future aviators?
How they can progress further to become an airline pilots?
- I think you have to just stick to it.
It's a great industry.
It's the best industry you can be in.
And right now it's certainly going through a big dip.
Nevertheless, if you have if you're willing to invest,
and if you want to learn and you want to have a job
that gives you a certain satisfaction,
I think aviation has a bright future for you.
As they say the takeoffs are optionals,
the landings are mandatory.
And once you've brought the aeroplane into the sky,
especially on a solo,
it's such as a big amount of emotion involved
because you're the only one
who's capable of landing this aeroplane in one piece.
- I wasn't confident but later I realised the more fly I do,
the better I'm feeling more comfortable,
the more confident I get.
- Exactly and I think the right amount of confidence is key
because if you feel overconfident you may do the things that
are unsafe in aviation.
But if you build your confidence by practise by hours,
I think that's the right way to go.
- So this is your seat,
here your sitting, we prepared some.
- Oh my gosh, it's so beautiful.
This is so cute.
- It's some cushewnuts Lufthansa special
for children actually.
So which pyjama size would you like to have sir?
Would you like to have large or medium, extra large?
- I think she's been so kind, she think I can fit a medium.
I think extra large.
- Okay.
- You can't see me smiling.
I'm actually have my tongue out.
Cheers.
- Sam did you take a look at this?
- No what is this?
Like it was on my desk.
- It's like a little present.
Would you like to open it yourself?
- So this has a tag
there's a USB stick.
(upbeat music)
And what is this?
- It's like, I don't know the word actually.
- I know what it is.
- Yeah like a warming bag - This is a very German thing.
- Yeah. - This is a water bottle
water warmer,
water bottle warmer. - Yeah.
Like a warming bag that you take with you in your bed
and you don't feel cold anymore
because it's hot water in it.
- We have that in China a long time ago.
This is a tradition actually.
My mother knows this.
- And now you have it from Lufthansa.
Did you see some its modern to go cup like a paper cup.
It's a really handy cup
so you can take it all the time when you go to work.
- Yeah, this is it looks like a paper
but it's actually
- Yeah. - Actually
it's a permanent cup.
- Yeah, you can take it every day.
- Bye.
(upbeat music)
- You can hear the front wheel is actually turning
while we are taxiing here onto the runway.
(upbeat music)
I'm getting super excited
because we just flew over Palos Verdes Torrance
in Long Beach.
That's where my practise,
my pilot training practise ground is.
Super excited seeing the 747 flew over
just on top of my airspace.
Oh man, I got to tell you this slipper here
is probably one of the best in the air.
German product, how can you fail right?
This is actually has a little cushion
at the back on my sole.
Loving it so much.
Not bad, Porsche design,
extra large pyjama, Lufthansa
anything make me look slimmer, I appreciate.
Was thinking something was missing
usually they actually have roses here,
so the rose is not available today.
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What kind of champagne do we have today?
We have a Rosé, an Alexandra Rosé
and a Paul-Marie.
I know an, oh that's one a Henriot.
- Ambush for you today.
- Sure.
- Prawn with cream.
So sir, Mr. Chui did you already have a look at the menu?
- Yes I did.
- And what would you like to have today?
So we have the choice of appetisers,
you can have everything of that of course,
we have a plate where we put everything on.
Do you like to have the Beef Fillet,
the Pan-seared Salmon Fillet, the Turkey Roulade
or the Mushroom Agnolotti?
- I'll have the beef fillet today.
- Okay, the beef fillet today.
And what would you like to have for dessert,
like a sweet one or the cheese platter?
- I will have this one here the blueberry crumble
with ice cream. - With ice cream,
oh, very good choice.
Okay, I will do that.
The typical laugenbrötchen from Germany.
Would you like to have some oil and balsamic dressing?
(upbeat music)
- Sir, this is your Caviar how you liked it with onions
- Wow. - And with eggs.
Because of COVID we don't do so many things.
For example, this one is normally we open it in the galley
and put it on the plate. - Oh like this right?
- Yeah. - Now you keep it here.
- Yeah now - Yeah.
- You can do it yourself.
- But how comfortable are you wearing a mask
all the flight long like this?
- It's difficult actually,
because I don't hear so many things
that the people are talking to me, it's.
Yeah, and for me, of course,
it's after eight hours or 10 hours,
it's getting very exhausting.
(upbeat music)
- This is our business class dinner for today.
So we serve the dark esse sata and beef for the main course.
And at this time, we do it together on one tray.
So and this how it looks like.
- So I came to Economy and Premium Economy
to check out the food as well.
The reason I'm checking the food is
a lots of people are asking me,
they said that during COVID airline change,
airline downgrade the service.
- This is Premium Economy.
- Premium Economy meal. - Yes.
- And this is economy. - Yes.
The difference there's a glass in Premium Economy.
- Yes of course. - And this is a tin foil.
- This is Warsteiner German beer.
- Oh yeah this is the famous warsteiner.
- Yeah it's a quality from Germany.
- From Bavaria.
- Exactly, yeah.
- So Mr. Chui your beef is ready.
I hope it's tender enough for you.
- Thank you. - Just let me know
how you liked it out. - Thank you so much Kim.
- So normally, we drive in the alley with the carriage
but because of COVID because of Corona, we're not allowed
because everyone could talk over it.
And so just to keep it clean, we leave it in the galley.
(upbeat music)
- How's everything so far man?
- Wonderful, I mean, you expect the best
and it always exceeds what you expect.
It's just fabulous.
Everything has been wonderful.
The staff is great, the food top notch.
- My name is Xhudal.
- Xhudal? - Yeah.
- And you're going to China today right?
- Yeah. - It's really hard
to find a ticket from US to China.
- Yeah its very hard to find a ticket now.
And you can know, you may be at how much
you have to pay me to buy that ticket
- Seriously, I know I have so many Chinese friends,
they also have this problem.
So how's the service?
How's the food everything?
- I think-- - Is it still good
or is it something has changed?
- Actually it's my first time experiencing on a First Class
so, no, I don't have a right to say you know
is anything change, because it's the first time.
(foreign language)
Yeah it's better than my English
- It's very good,
it's better than all our Deutsche.
We speak zero German.
Here's one more thing I really like it.
This is probably the best curtain ever.
When it close it's completely closed.
No lights coming through the galley.
It's so awesome,
you still have the same bedding for everything.
Nothing has changed here.
- No.
- So awesome.
- You want two pillows?
- Okay, why not?
- Thank you so much, Kim. - You're welcome.
(upbeat music)
This is the way to travel Lufthansa First Class,
this duvet is super plush, very nice bedding.
I am glad that they didn't take away all this
they still have all the amenities
for first class passengers.
Okay guys, I going to see you on the other side of the Atlantic
Good night.
(soft music)
Good morning.
I didn't sleep well wearing a mask.
It's really hard to breathe.
Maybe I'm not used to it.
So I'll advise you to wear something loser
easier to breathe.
I only slept about one hour
because right now it's about midnight to LA
so it's literally a day flights
and now just coming to Europe now we're getting tired.
(soft music)
- Good morning Sam, I'm going to do your scrambled eggs,
by order here in the galley fresh for you?
- You're going to cook large scrambled egg, I see this.
- Yes
eggs are here, butter and chives.
- What a pleasure to seeing your own breakfast
being prepared in front of your eyes.
(soft music)
Another beautiful day ahead,
start the day with a glass of Mimosa.
- Mr. Chui here's your scrambled egg
with bacon and chives. - Wow.
Scrambled eggs freshly made tastes so much better.
Much better than all the frozen ones
makes a huge difference actually.
- Had a great flight today with Sam,
I'm one of your big fans,
you've helped me make a lot of great decisions
about which airline to choose over the years
so a double thumbs up to you.
- Sam I have a special surprise for you.
You have a lookbook from the captain.
- Oh, wow.
How cute. - He can write in
every flight you have,
we have more sites where you can
put down all your flight. - Yeah
This is lovely, thank you so much.
- You're welcome.
And this is like you can give it as a present
for any family member or keep it yourself.
This is Lou, this is the Lufthansa alike.
- Oh this is Lou.
- Animal, yeah.
- Oh, thank you so much, Kim.
(upbeat music)
- [Flight computer] Approaching two five max
Approaching minimums.
Minimums.
200
- Well you know what captain,
you told me at LAX we're landing at 10:45.
We're landing exactly 10:45 at German time.
This is amazing, great landings.
- It was our main goal to get you
to Frankfurt as smooth as possible.
We had to circumnavigate some thunderstorms
in the area of Denver
and even a very rare thunderstorms on the North Atlantic
we had to circumnavigate.
We never had to switch on the seatbelt signs
because it was smooth flight all the way as we like it.
And as hopefully you like it too.
- It was a pleasure for us to have you as guest
and we had to save into just for the 747 as you have
- Long live decree.
I always think about a question is air travel safe now?
I really don't have a definitive answer
because the virus are invisible,
you just never know, right?
What I knew is that the humanities, the friendships
still alive.
And the crew, the passenger are extremely excited, friendly
to fly and I made a lot of great friends on this flight.
Kim perfect Mandarin.
(foreign language)
Perfect Mandarin.
love that announcement. - No, no, not perfect.
No, no, you know (foreign language)
- (foreign language)
and thank you for flying me.
- Thank you.
- Love it so much.
- It was not only a pleasure it was really much fun.
You're really charming.
- But thank you so much
and see you. - Thank you.
- You know usually first class deplane first look at us
four of us in first class
are the last passenger that came out
because of the love of 747 right guys?
- Absolutely.
- Did you have a good flight at Lufthansa?
(mumbles)
(upbeat music)
It's actually better than my expectation
there's at least food.
Oh my God, my beer pouring skill is terrible.
This plane just came in a few minutes ago, Emirates
and it looks like Dubai is calling me going home
but today I'm going to fly Lufthansa continuing to Dubai.
(upbeat music)
Well, I don't know what this is.
Every seats there's a box.
- Point 80 today.
- Point 80, quite slow. - Yeah, meanwhile
we have to save some fuel
it's expensive enough so
- A bit clock on your bottom.
- Yeah
- What a weird habits in German.
We are already 30 minutes late and still at the gates.
Pretty average honestly get across your neighbour to get out.
And also it's pretty narrow.
Flying right now is not for fun
it's actually for people who needed to get their.
Self help declaration form.
Such a quite a bit of work. See you next time, thank you.
- All the best, take care.
(upbeat music)
So long the queue
so many people returning to Dubai is coming alive.
My first COVID PCR test.
(air whooshing)
(bell dings)