FLY TO GERMANY WITH US! (This trip had a surprise in store... 😱)

▸Mailing address:
PO Box 19521
Cincinnati, OH 45219
USA
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ABOUT ME: Hallo, Servus, and welcome to my channel! My name is Felicia (Feli), I'm 30 years old, and I'm a German living in the USA! I was born and raised in Munich, Germany but have been living in Cincinnati, Ohio off and on since 2016. I first came here for an exchange semester during my undergrad at LMU Munich, then I returned for an internship, and then I got my master's degree in Cincinnati. I was lucky enough to win the Green Card lottery and have been a permanent resident since 2019! In my videos, I talk about cultural differences between America and Germany, things I like and dislike about living here, and other topics I come across in my everyday life in the States. Let me know what YOU would like to hear about in the comments below. DANKE :)
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[FelifromGermany]

Have you ever traveled across the Atlantic? ?What are your favorite travel hacks? 😍✈

[CTBauer]

As a dual US/German citizen living in the US, I travel back home (Germany) about once a year. I always book the flights well in advance, but the train tickets (from Frankfurt to Wurzburg - near home) are bought once I land in Frankfurt. I order a special meal for my flights and try to get on the upgrade list as soon as possible. When checking in, it is good to check on the cost of an upgrade as many times, if there are empty seats, the upgrade cost is much lower than when purchasing in advance. At 6'5" tall, getting Premium Economy or Business Class is very important to me; economy seats simply don't offer enough leg room for someone my height. After 10 hours in an economy seat, I can barely walk and if the person in front of me reclines their seat, forget about it. Depending on how long I'll be in Germany, I may buy the 49 EUR train pass to make public transport a bit more convenient. I use my US passport when leaving the US and my German passport when arriving in Germany and the reverse when returning to the US. Seems to be much faster through customs on both ends.

My basic rule is to sleep on the flight to Germany (if possible) and stay awake on the flight home. That seems to work best for me in terms of jet lag. Also, don't take a nap when arriving in Germany, stay awake until local bed time; that seems to get the circadian rhythms in sync with the local time fastest.

[pendragon]

She's alive!! I was hoping there'd be a new video soon. Hope you and Ben are having a blast!

[CurtisCT]

I've been living here in Austria for 20 years and usually travel 3 to 4 times a year back home to NY, 5 to 6 times during my first few years. So suffice it to say, I've flown across the Atlantic well over 80 times. Travel hack #1: Book with Lufthansa but fly on their partner Singapore Airlines - trust me, the difference in service is out of this world! Travel hack #2: Order a special meal in advance - most airlines offer a variety of special meals which are usually of higher quality than regular meals. Travel hack #3: If possible, always fly on Mid-East or Asian airlines - the service is far superior to American or European airlines. Travel hack #4: if upgrading using miles, stay clear of Lufthansa - their business class never fails to disappoint and is a total waste of 30+ thousand miles. Travel hack #5: Always ask when checking in to have the seat next to you blocked if it's not a full flight. Most check-in agents will happily oblige. Travel hack #6: When asking for a free upgrade, be sure to dress the part. Check-in agents will not give you a free upgrade if you're dressed in shorts and wearing flip-flops. It also helps a lot if you're a frequent traveler and member of their frequent flyer program. If I think of any other travel hacks, I'll write them below.

[gaetanomaximus]

One thing to mention (and you may have mentioned it yourself, but I skipped around the video) is that the planes are effing COLD nowadays. To avoid shivering for the several hours it takes to get from here to there, or vice versa, you need to dress warmer than you'd expect - a few layers at least. Plus an in-flight blanket.

[robwestbrook]

So glad you had a good flight and trip back home. My wife and I recently returned from a two-week trip to Munich and Berlin in early June. It was her first trip to Europe and a return for me. We had a great time. Hopefully, we can make another trip sometime in the future.

[DCYote]

I love Ben's energy in these videos. You two are such a great couple!

I used to fly back and forth from Frankfurt to the US quite frequently. I was able to bank the miles personally even though my company paid for the airfare and would usually upgrade to premium economy like you guys did, but once, was able to score a seat in Lufthansa's first class. That was AMAZING. I don't think I've ever slept that well on an airplane.

[RedBaaron]

Answer to your lounge question: Unfortunately you wouldn’t have been able to get into the Polaris lounge since you only got upgraded to domestic first class on the first flight. By the way I am a pilot and I fly the same type of plane you were on for CVG-EWR. I’m also a U.S./German dual citizen and this video reminded me of the many trips I used to make to Frankfurt to visit my grandparents. Great video!

[r.j.p.]

Feli and Ben, thanks for a marvelous video about flying to Germany. Have a safe trip; I envy you :)

I have a great Munich airport story. In Dec 2017 we were flying back on Lufthansa from Cologne to Dallas, which required transfers in Munich and Chicago. We arrived at the gate in Munich and my wife insisted I check at the desk that our boarding passes were in order. I explained to the Lufthansa agent what I needed (ja, ich spreche Deutsch). He was so pleasant, I think impressed that an American could speak fluent German with (I hope) a decent accent. He smiled, asked to see my boarding passes, and reprinted them. To my surprise, he had upgraded us from premium economy to business class! I did a few double takes, gave him my sweetest smile, and said, "Herzlichen Dank! Ich wuensche Ihnen und ihrer Familie alles Gute zu Weihnachten." I don't remember his response but he smiled back. My wife was truly impressed, reminding me of the goofy smile I always have when a German (or Austrian or Swiss) complements me on my German language skills.

[billysug]

I watch almost every aviation YouTuber but this was more enjoyable that most. Your experiences are more like my own, coach hoping for an upgrade etc.

Please do more!

[johndoyle]

Hi Feli
You both have the biggest smiles and look relaxed. It helps to be chill traveling as you never know who is going to be a karen.people or the airline. Hope you relax and enjoy your time there
Safe travels always. Love your
Channel.

[ldpryor]

I've made many trips to Europe and Asia. Love to see I'm not the only one that carries separate home & travel wallets. Just makes things a lot easier. 😂
Sticking to one airline when you travel a lot generally pays off in getting more frequent or at least less expensive upgrades (using points instead of cash). My wife joined me on a business trip to Seoul once and we were upgraded to first class. I had to inform her that, no, that was not something that happened every trip. 😂
Hope y'all have a great trip.

[j]

Twice to Frankfurt in the 70's courtesy of the US Army. Went back in 85 for our 10th anniversary. Planes look a lot more comfortable now, but still daunting at my age. Enjoy your trip. We loved Germany, especially Munich and Berchtesgaden. Always loved taking he trains everywhere.

[jamesklutho]

As always, another uplifting video. Always feel better about life after watching your videos. Thanks you again for your hard work.

[sylviagibson]

My first time I went to Germany, 1973 was on Lufthansa. Food was served on glass plates and tasted so good. Before landing, they gave us a steaming hot washcloth to wash our face. Loved the trip and time in Germany.

[xarzu]

It makes me happy to see a happy young couple

[DanielLopez-upos]

A lot of airplane plugs are limited to maybe 65w and a lot of laptop charges are around 80-90w so you can try to get a lower wattage charger, so that it pulls less from the wall but still charges.

Other option is to get a power bank that's 100whr or lower (max on plane) many of them have USB PD, which allows you to charge a device like a laptop over USB c from them.


Other option is a power bank that has a Wall socket on it, where you can plug your chargers plug into it, to get "wall" power from it.

[kcdesignconcepts]

This video came at the perfect time.
I already have my tickets for October 21st going to Germany for the first time. Leaving from philly, direct to Frankfurt.
I have friends and family that I have never met there.

[TamraTLC]

I hope we'll get to meet your parents!❤ Thanks for taking us with you as you travel to Germany.

[AmandaAllen-cq]

I went from the USA to Germany and Italy in 2006. Loved it!