BER Finally Opens

Well it finally happened.  The new Berlin Brandenburg Airport opened on 31 October 2020.  It was supposed to open back in 2011.  Six later opening dates were also missed.  So much for German engineering.

BER was supposed to be a hub for Airberlin, Germania, Germanwings, Easyjet, and Lufthansa.  Well Airberlin closed in 2017, Germania closed in 2019, and Germanwings closed in April 2020. 

There were two airports in Berlin.  Tegel (TXL) in the north and Schönefeld (SXF) in the south-east part of the city.

BER has three terminals.  Terminal 1 is the brand new terminal.  Terminal 2 was supposed to be for the low cost airlines but it's currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Terminal 5 is actually the former Schönefeld Airport which is primarily for Ryanair and some charter flights but it too is currently closed due to decreased demand due to COVID-19.

I remember that the first European protest I saw was about the airport.  The original cost was supposed to be €2,83 billion ($3.47 billion) but in the end it was around €7 billion ($8.59 billion).

Here's a short video I found out on YouTube that gives a bit of the history of Berlin's airports.

©Al Jazeera

Here's a really good 7 minute video that goes in to all of the problems and what all exactly went wrong.

©DW News

New Brno Flights

In October, Wizz Air cancelled its Brno-Eindhoven route.  Well now they are leaving Brno completely.  In January they will end the Brno-London Luton route.

In June 2018 they will close the Prague base and only offer flights from Prague to London Luton, Bari, Italy, and Kutaisi, Georgia.

Wizz Air will still fly from Bratislava with flights to Skopje, Kyiv, Warsaw, Sofia, Tuzla, and London Luton.

With Air Berlin gone, Wizz Air is establishing a base, in 2018, in Vienna with 17 new routes.  From April they will have flights to Gdańsk, Tuzla, and Varna.  In June, they will have flights to Bari, Malta, Rome, Valencia, and Tel Aviv.  From November there will be routes to Billund, Bergen, Dortmund, Kutaisi, Larnaca, Nis, Ohrid, Tenerife, and Thessaloniki.  These are some great destinations and several of them are still on my bucket list.

The good news is that we're getting a new airline in Brno.  The Romanian airline Blue Air is establishing a base here.  The Blue Air Moravian Transport will be 35% owned by the the city and 65% owned by Blue Air.

At the end of March 2018, they will offer flights to Milan, Rome, Barcelona, Brussels, and Lviv.  Over the summer there will operate flights to Split and Dubrovnik.

I'm surprised that being a Romanian airline, and given the number of Romanians here in Brno, that there's no flight to Romania.  Perhaps it will come in the future.  I've never flown with Blue Air before but I'll have to give them a try.  So nice that there will be more discount airline flights direct from Brno.  Plus lots of new Wizz Air destinations out of Vienna.  Looks like there will be more travel opportunities in 2018.

Update:  What a complete disappointment!!  Flights were supposed to launch at the end of March but service was delayed due to legal processes.  Now the South Moravian governor announced the end of cooperation with Blue Air so it looks like I'll have to keep flying from Vienna, Bratislava, or Prague.  Too bad because it would be so convenient to be able to fly in and out of Brno.

Oneworld Alliance

There are three major airline alliances that allow members to earn frequent flier status and perks when flying with other airlines in their respective group.  Since Atlanta is home to Delta I was always a SkyTeam member.  Since living in Europe I've earned Miles & More points with the Star Alliance.  But my favourite is Oneworld.

Oneworld is the third-largest alliance and is made up of American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LATAM Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and SriLankan Airlines plus 30 affiliated airlines.

Air Berlin was a member until they filed for bankruptcy and will cease operations this month.  It's a pity because they were really good.  Plus whenever I flew with them from Vienna my Oneworld status always qualified me for the priority lane at security.

I wish Aer Lingus would join.  Since 2015 they have been owned by International Airlines Group (IAG) which also owns British Airways and Iberia but it doesn't look like Aer Lingus will join anytime soon.

British Airways is my preferred airline even after May's IT crash.  Every time I fly on one of the Oneworld airlines I get BA Executive Club points.

BA's Bronze, Silver, and Gold status levels equate to the Oneworld Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald premium status levels.  So when you have priority status with one airline it carries over to the other airlines as well.

SkyTeam is the is the second-largest airline alliance and it includes Czech Airlines.  Anytime I fly with one of the Skyteam members I get points on Delta.

Star Alliance is the largest of the three groups.

I earn Miles & More points any time I fly with one of the 28 airline members.

Update:  As of 5 December 2018, Fiji Airways has become the first Oneworld Connect partner.  Hmmm...I've never been to Fiji before.

Update:  As of 1 April 2021, Alaska Airlines has joined Oneworld.  Alaska serves +120 destinations across the USA, Mexico, Canada, and Costa Rica.  Its hubs are Anchorage, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Portland.

Alaska Airlines Route Map

A Week in Arizona

This was a very busy week.  It started off with a seven hour road trip from California to Arizona.  Thank goodness for air conditioning because the desert drive was 43,3 ℃ (110 ℉).  Way hot, but that's Arizona in July.

On one of the days we went on a historic walking tour of the centre.  It was interesting to see the "historic" sights.  Of course here, historic means anything over 100 years.  In Europe, that's nothing.

Shopping was something that left me gobsmacked at times.  There are so many choices when it comes to shopping.  I couldn't believe how many choices there were for something as simple as sandwich bread.

On one of the shopping trips to Costco I noticed that they had Moravian cookies.  It's funny that I actually live in Moravia and have never seen biscuits like these.

"No chip yet"

I noticed that my debit card worked but not quite the same way it works in Europe.  Over here, debit and credit cards are chip-and-PIN cards.  You enter your card and PIN.  My bank card is contactless so in Europe I just waive my card over the terminal.  I only need to use my PIN if the amount is over 500 Kč (~$22).

In the USA, chips have been added to cards only over the last couple of years.  Cards here tend to be chip-and-signature cards.  Even with the chip, the card is processed via the magnetic strip and then you provide a signature instead of using a PIN.

One day we went to the movies.  I was shocked to see a sign on the front door that said "No Firearms Allowed".  Incredible.  In Arizona, unless a person has been convicted of a felony, anyone over 21 can legally carry a concealed gun.  





It was great hanging out with my parents all week.  One of my favourite days was our trip to the Grand Canyon.

This was also my most stressful day.  On the way I got a message from my boss letting me know that I needed to be in Connecticut for a Monday morning workshop.  Fortunately, British Airways made it easy to change my ticket to fly home a day early.

I ended up flying from Phoenix to London Heathrow to Vienna.  I made it home at 11 PM Saturday.  I had enough time for a long, hot shower, pack my suitcase, and grab my work laptop before catching my 2:30 AM bus back to Vienna Airport.  Then an Air Berlin flight to Düsseldorf and on to JFK.  I haven't been to the USA in five years, now twice in a month, but I could have done without a 15 timezone trip to get to Connecticut.

Berlin Airport Protest

Yesterday was my first German protest. After a little sightseeing we went by the Brandenburg Gate to see what was going on. About 10,000 people came to protest against the night time flight plans that will go in to effect once the new Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BER) starts operating in 2012.

The current international airport is Berlin Tegel (TXL), located about 8 km (5 miles) northwest of the central Berlin. Last year, Tegel served over 15 million passengers making it the 4th busiest airport in Germany (and Europe's 13th busiest).

Tegel is scheduled to close on June 3, 2012 which is when Brandenburg will open. Brandenburg is located in Schönfeld, about 18 km (11 miles) from central Berlin, and will incorporate some of the infrastructure at the existing Schönfeld airport. The new airport will be able to handle 27 million passengers per year and will become Germany's 3rd busiest airport. Construction costs for BER are €2.5 billion (+$3.2 billion).

Brandenburg International will receive the secondary name "Willy Brandt airport" named after the former West German chancellor, mayor of West Berlin and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The airport will be a hub for Airberlin, Germania, Easyjet, Germanwings and Lufthansa.

Due to noise abatement regulations, flights are banned between midnight and 5 AM. Everyone at the demonstration was protesting the increased noise and pollution. No one wants planes flying over their houses at night. The demonstrators want a complete ban on flights from 10 PM to 6 AM.

Update:  The BER opening is still delayed.  Current estimates are for 2020 - 2021.

Update:  BER finally opened in December 2020.

The Balkans

At the end of the week, I'm headed back to the Balkans for a week-long holiday. The region gets its name from the Balkan Mountains. The Balkans is a cultural and geopolitical region of Southeast Europe with over 50 million people. When most people think of the Balkans they think of Yugoslavia and ethnic fighting.

There tends to be some debate as to which countries actually make up the Balkans. Everyone pretty much agrees that this includes Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Most people also agree that Romania makes the list too. There is some debate as to whether Moldova, Greece and Turkey (the European part) should be included. Sometimes Slovenia gets included only because it used to be part of Yugoslavia but Slovenia is actually more Central Europe.

Every Summer, about 10% of the Czech population heads to the Balkans, mostly to Croatia, for sunny vacations at the sea. The funny thing is that I've heard Czechs say "To je hotový Balkán" which is the Balkan way of doing things. But it is always said when something is either messed up, corrupt, or chaotic.

Here's my upcoming Balkan adventure...
On Friday morning I have a 3:20 AM bus from Brno to the Vienna Airport. Then an Airberlin flight to Sofia, Bulgaria. I'll spend one night in Sofia and then head to Skopje, Macedonia.

From there I'm off to Prishtina, Kosovo. If I have time I may try to squeeze in a visit to Prizren before heading on to Tirana, Albania. In Albania, I'll try to fit in a day trip to Shkodër, Berat or Durrës.

Then it is off to visit Lake Ohrid in southeast Macedonia. Then I'll make my way back to Sofia for a final day in Bulgaria before flying back to Vienna.

Western and Central Europe are known for the efficient train service. That's not really the case in the Balkans. Bus service is more frequent and cheaper. As soon as I hit Bulgaria I'm going to try to do all of my traveling by bus. Considering that I can't speak any of the local languages and they each have their own currencies, this should be a right proper little adventure. Wish me luck!

Serbia

I found a ticket on Airberlin for €125 ($180) from Vienna to Belgrade. So in a couple of weeks I'm off to Serbia. I won't spend the entire time in Belgrade. I plan to take the train to Sarajevo so I'll be in Bosnia and Herzegovina for half of my trip.

Following the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia. Austro-Hungary was allied with Germany, Serbia was allied with Russia. Everyone else got pulled in due to military alliances and we ended up with WWI.

During the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s, Serbia received international sanctions which led to economic hardship, hyperinflation and political isolation. Yugoslavia (then made up of just Serbia and Montenegro) even got thrown out of the United Nations. Then in 1999, NATO bombed Serbia due to what was going on in Kosovo.

Fortunately, things have more or less stabilized in Serbia. The fighting in the Balkans is over, the economy is better, Serbia is back in the UN and the country has applied to join the EU. However, Kosovo remains an issue. Serbia still considers Kosovo to be part of Serbia even though many countries have recognized Kosovo's independence.

I wanted to squeeze in a visit to Prishtina, Kosovo's capital. But it is just way too complicated. You may not enter Serbia from Kosovo unless you originally entered Kosovo from Serbia. If you enter Kosovo from Montenegro, Macedonia or Albania, or fly to Kosovo directly, then you are not allowed to enter Serbia. You have to go back to another country and enter Serbia directly. Good grief! I had thought about going from Belgrade to Sarajevo then to Prishtina (by way of Montenegro) and then back up to Belgrade. But this rule would have stopped me at the border so I'll just do Kosovo some other time.

Portsmouth, England

I spent all last week at a workshop in Portsmouth, England. There is now only one flight per day between Brno and Prague so it was easier to fly out of Austria. However, the travel was a bit goofy this time. A colleague and I took a train from Brno to Vienna. Then an Airberlin flight to Hannover, Germany. Then a Flybe flight to Southhampton and a 20 minute ride to Portsmouth. We got checked in to the hotel by 4 PM so we had a couple of hours to walk around. It felt good just to stretch my legs after the train and two flights.

With only a couple of hours of daylight there wasn't a whole lot of time to explore but at least I saw more than I did last time. That's the thing about these work trips. We spend so much time working that we never get the chance to check out the sights. Normally it's just enough time to grab dinner, check e-mail and get to bed before the next day starts.

Portchester Castle is at the north end of Portsmouth Harbor. Originally named Portus Adurni, it was built in the late 3rd century and it is the best preserved Roman Saxon "shore fort". Henry I turned it in to a royal castle in the 12th century. It was enlarged in the 14th century under Richard II and this is where Henry V assembled his troops for the battles against France.


Portsmouth is also home to Spinnaker Tower. I'm sure the view of the South Coast is great at the top of the 170 meter (~558 feet) tower. Maybe next time.

Off to Poland

I used to work for T.G.I. Friday's and they sent me to Gdańsk, in northern Poland, for a month to open a restaurant in 1998. That was the last, and only, time I was in Poland. And I loved it!! It was just awesome. But I just haven't had the chance to get back to Poland until now. Only this time I'm off to Kraków.

You can get to Kraków by train but from Brno it takes 7 to 12 hours and requires you to change trains 4 or 5 times. Too much hassle.

You can drive there in about 3 or 4 hours but I don't have a car. Plus, since I'm on a long-term visa, my American license isn't valid here. I need to get a Czech license if I want to rent a car. But that also means I need to learn how to drive in ice and snow. No time for that now.

I found a deal on AirBerlin that will work. Tonight I'm going to take the train from Brno to Vienna. Then I have a 7 AM flight from Vienna to Berlin and then a connecting flight from Berlin to Kraków. Apparently, no one here flies to Kraków so my friends think I'm nuts. But I'm sure going to do it. I bet I will feel like a DHL package being routed all over Europe but oh well.

I have tours planned to go see Auschwitz and the Wieliczka Salt Mine. I plan to check out Old Town and I'm sure there will be a Christmas market going on.

I also plan to have some Żubrówka - the best vodka ever. Żubrówka, Buffalo Grass vodka, is an herb-flavored vodka that is distilled from rye. The best way to drink it is with apple juice. It is so dang good!!

There is a single blade of buffalo grass in every bottle. Back in '98 you could not bring Żubrówka back to the USA because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had a problem with the blade of grass. You can be sure I will bring a few bottles back to Brno.