It’s been a while since I finished writing this trip report, but I forgot to write a conclusion until now. With this conclusion I wanted to go through each step of the trip and explain how I felt throughout it. Usually international weekend mileage runs take their toll on my body, but this was the hardest one yet.
To recap, I left Chicago just after 10PM on Friday evening. From there I flew to Frankfurt in Lufthansa First Class. I landed in Frankfurt and had about a two-hour layover. Next, I flew Lufthansa business class to Stockholm. When I landed in Stockholm I walked around for a few hours before heading to my hotel for the night.
The next morning I woke up and again walked around for a few hours before heading back to the airport. From there I flew from Stockholm to Helsinki in Finnair economy class. I then spent a few hours in Helsinki airport while I waited to catch my Finnair flight from Helsinki to New York. Once in New York it was a quick hop down to Charlotte before finally heading back to Chicago. I arrived in Chicago at around 10PM after being on the move for about 48 straight hours.
United Polaris Lounge In Chicago
Before boarding my flight to Frankfurt I was able to spend some time at the United Polaris Lounge in Chicago. The lounge was truly great. As a Chicago based flyer it almost made me consider switching to United; almost, but not quite.
While at the Polaris lounge with each minute I became more and more excited about my flight to Frankfurt. I flew Lufthansa First Class in early 2017 and had been wanting to do it again ever since. I was especially excited to fly Lufthansa First to Europe as I remember the seat/bed being among the most comfortable I’ve ever experienced.
Lufthansa First Class To Frankfurt
I was actually giddy as I ran down the jet bridge to the L1 boarding door on the Lufthansa 747-8i. That feeling remained well into the insanely delicious on board dinner.
After stuffing myself with food and alcohol I asked for the turn down service and went to bed for a few hours.
When I woke up we had about two hours left in the flight and I instantly felt sad that I would have to get off the flight. Once again, Lufthansa First Class did not disappoint.
Lufthansa First Class Terminal
I felt fairly rested when I landed in Frankfurt I made a beeline for the Lufthansa First Class Terminal. It’s kind of a pain to get to as you have to leave the airport and walk a few minutes outside, but it’s well worth it.
The terminal is beautiful on the inside. There is a fully stocked bar, a restaurant, a cigar lounge, and most importantly a bathtub!
I didn’t quite have time for a bath, but I did opt for a quick shower before I was directed into the Porsche Panamera that drove me to my connecting flight.
After exiting the car I boarded my second Lufthansa flight to Stockholm.
Lufthansa Business Class To Stockholm
It was on this flight that the lack of sleep and jet lag finally caught up with me. I started to get the typical spacey feeling that I get when taking one of these trips. I napped for a minute or two, but I really did not feel great on this flight.
Walking Around Stockholm
Stockholm was an amazing city. Granted I don’t spend much time in many of the cities I visit, but Stockholm quickly became my favorite.
The weather was absolutely perfect and the views of the city as the sun set were absolutely breathtaking.
Everyone I met commented on the weather as it was apparently one of the first nice weekend days of the year. I’ve never seen so many people enjoying ice cream on a 60 degree day.
I’m guessing my love for the city was aided by the stunning colors cast on the city by the sunset. But the sunrise was equally perfect.
I love walking around a new city. I think walking around a city is the best way to explore a new place. Walking and running also helps tremendously with jet lag. I have to admit, I felt pretty great waking up and walking around. However, that feeling ended shortly after I boarded my first of 5 flights of the day.
Finnair Economy To New York
I flew Finnair economy from Stockholm to Helsinki and then from Helsinki to New York. Let me tell you, that was a long day. Finnair is great, but sitting in an economy seat for 9+ hours is just brutal. Plus, since it’s a daytime flight, I find it hard to sleep. Ultimately I only slept for about 2 hours between both of my Finnair flights.
When I landed in New York I was utterly lost. My mind was mush and even the simplest tasks became challenging. I remember I opened my laptop to write, but ended up staring at a blank page for 10 minutes trying to draft an opening sentence. It was not a pretty sight.
Additionally, the showers at the American Airlines Flagship Lounge in JFK were all booked up so I couldn’t shower to try to wake me up. It was all around just a rough day.
New York To Charlotte To Chicago
Why? Why do I do this to myself! To fly nonstop from New York to Chicago was something like $160. Instead, I paid $130 to fly through Charlotte. Let me tell you, it was not a decision I appreciated the day of.
The flights all went smooth and I was upgraded on 1 leg which was nice. However, I still can’t believe I didn’t get the upgrade on the Charlotte to Chicago leg as an Executive Platinum elite. That was one of a handful of upgrades I’ve missed since reaching EP.
Final Thoughts
This mileage run was one of extreme highs and lows. On the front end I had an amazing time flying Lufthansa First Class. I also loved Stockholm and it quickly became a city I want to re-visit soon. On the tail end however, I had a terrible time. This was one of those trips were I sat there in the Finnair lounge in Helsinki and thought to myself “I just wanna go home!”
Mileage Running is a ton of fun. I love this hobby for now and can’t imagine a more fun way to spend the weekend. However, I don’t think most people realize how challenging it can be psychologically. The mind does some crazy things when it’s running on 8 hours of sleep in two days and you’re 1,000s of miles from home. In recent years I can’t remember a time where I was as defeated as I was during this trip. Even so, when I got off the plane in Chicago all I could think about was my next one!
