Back in October I did what most people don’t want to do in the current situation. Boarding a Lufthansa plane to fly from Chicago to Munich. 9 hours in a small metal tube. I am here to tell the tale and share my experience. Let’s start by: It was not very crowded and pleasant overall.

Business as usual for Lufthansa

As you can imagine options to fly to Germany were more limited. Usually there are multiple options for direct flights from Chicago to Munich. Currently only Lufthansa is operating a single flight per day. I hadn’t been to the airport in month and had only read and heard how empty it was. However I didn’t realize how empty. Most stores and restaurants aren’t open and just a few people roaming the terminal. Noted this was in the evening, but still a far cry from pre-COVID airport madness.

Weddings to make you want to travel

Reason for me flying to Germany was a wedding, where I happened to be the co-best man at. The original wedding had been postponed in April, so this was the second try. COVID numbers in Germany were low and lots of things had moved towards a more normal again. Still based on this and as this would be a short trip, we decided that I would go without the rest of the family. You want to make sure to check any local guidelines before flying. The good thing about this pandemic is that award flights have been easy to find.

Business there and Economy on the way back

Since I needed/wanted to hit the ground running on arrival I splurged and booked Business class on the way to Germany. One the way back I was in Economy. In total I spend 110,000 United miles. Most of them transferred from my Chase Sapphire Reserve card. The cost was 77,000 miles for Business and 33,000 for Economy. Since both United and Lufthansa are part of Star Alliance airline partnership this is possible. United has recently raised partner award flights by 10%, so early this year this would have been only 100,000 miles. Taxes came out to about $125, mostly due to German airport fees. Cash prices at the time I booked were around $1,700 roundtrip in economy. Therefore I would say this was an excellent use of miles. The use of miles also allowed me to not feel pressured to book flights earlier, but closer to the date of me leaving.

Empty is an understatement

So how was it. I would say it was not that bad. The airport was empty. Everyone was wearing a mask, with some better than others. In the gate area everyone split out and wasn’t close to each other. That when it also became clear the flight would be near full. Only about 30-40 people i would estimate boarded the plane. In the A350 Lufthansa business class cabin that fits 48 people only 6 seats were taken. Social distancing was certainly not an issue. The row in front, besides and behind me were all empty.

Only difference was the mask wearing

On both flights announcements were made that a mask should be worn at all time, unless you are eating or drinking. Based on what I saw it looked people followed that rule, even though I tried to limit my need to get up from my seat.

On my way over I had a late dinner and then focused on getting as much sleep as possible. Happy to report you can sleep just fine with a mask on and I got about 4.5hours of sleep.

On the way back I focused on catching up on movies. Full service along with two meals were served and it didn’t seem Lufthansa has adjusted anything, beyond the mask and sanitizing wipes that are omnipresent.

COVID test on arrival in Germany

Upon landing in Germany I cleared border control and came down an escalator to be greeted by a slew of Corona test agents. It is a requirement to provide a negative test on arrival or take a mandatory free test. I had already signed up online and was through the test within 5 minutes. My first COVID test and they did a throat swap vs the more common nose swap one. Until you get results you are required to quarantine at home or a hotel. They say it can take up to three days to get results. My results showed up within 24 hours. To my delight: negative. I had laid low and was now able to partake in any festivities feeling more comfortable.

In contrast on the way back, arriving in Chicago I only received a pamphlet stating that wearing a mask is advisable and to wash hands often. Clearly different approaches.

Summary

I was impressed how seamless everything went and how strict testing was enforced. Overall it was an easy trip under the circumstances. Everyone certainly needs to weigh the risk and necessities themselves, but in cases like this I would certainly do it again. Using miles was also an easy decision based on cash prices. Stay safe!