LTU International Airlines October 21, 2007
Posted by josephkam in airline, ltu, review.add a comment
Pros
Low Cost, On Time, good service
Cons
Business Class not comparable to other airlines’ business class, flight attendants who don’t speak good english
Review
In the interest of saving my employer some money, I decided to take LTU International Airlines when traveling from New York to Düsseldorf, Germany. A round-trip business class ticket cost me a little under $3,000 as compared to $9,000 on Northwest, the only other carrier that flew direct to Düsseldorf.
Boarding was uneventful; Most of my fellow passengers were holidayers from Germany who were returning home. We had an on time departure, which was not abnormal for an international flight (unlike domestic flights in the U.S.), but we sat on the runway for ages because of air-traffic delays. Luckily, in Business Class, the flight attendants constantly pampered us with drinks and snacks. I must note here that of the 3 flight attendants in our section, only one spoke passable English. The others communicated only in German, much to my consternation.
For the meal, a tablecloth was placed on our trays (standard in Business Class in all airlines but the tray is usually sturdier. This was a regular airline tray) and the meal was brought out in three courses. However, the meal itself was something like what one can get in a Singapore Airlines flight in the economy section. I suppose that says a lot about Singapore Airlines. 
. But I will admit that the meal was served with great aplomb and our drinks were constantly refreshed.
The leather seats reclined more than an economy class seat and was certainly wider with a lot more legroom. However, they were certainly not comparable to the business class seats in airlines such as British, Lufthansa or Northwest for that matter. I suppose it’s too much to expect in a discount carrier, but I must make this point clear (since it’s a business class ticket I was flying on).
The entertainment system was reasonable…for a discount airlines. But not having an on-demand entertainment system for a trans-Atlantic business class flight was quite sad. But there was a choice of 10 movie channels or so and I have to admit that I was not un-entertained. But once again, not up to the standards of a regular airline.
Baggage at my destination was brought out promptly with priority service ending a decent experience but not one that could be seriously called Business Class.
Summary
LTU’s business class experience is at best comparable to an economy plus at a Singapore Airlines or a British Airways. I guess you get what you pay for. I recommend it for the casual traveler but not for the serious business traveler.
Schaper Apartments, Dusseldorf – Review October 21, 2007
Posted by josephkam in altstadt, corporate housing, dusseldorf, hotel, review, schaper.add a comment
Pros
Well-maintained set of studio and one-bedroom apartments in Düsseldorf.
Cons
No lift/elevator and less-than-adequate kitchens, allowing for the most rudimentary of cooking, and no in-apartment laundry.
Review
The Schaper Apartments are where my employer has housed me for my temporary 6 month assignment to Düsseldorf, Germany. Schaper is located in the Atlstadt part of Dusseldorf, a wonderfully quaint shopping district that is filled with numerous eateries and shops. It is also a 10 minute walk from the main shopping thoroughfare in Düsseldorf, Koenig Sallee. In addition, the Rheinbahn Underground Subway station is a 8 minute walk and the Rheinbahn tram station is a 5 minute walk away from the apartment complex. Furthermore, the Altstadt area is about 15 minutes by taxi from the Dusseldorf Airport and a 5 minute drive from the Dusseldorf Main Railway Station. Needless to say that from a location-perspective, one cannot really ask for more.
I have had the opportunity to live in both the one-bedroom and the studio apartments and will comment on both as a whole.
Upon arrival, the staff provide a welcome packet with candies and a bottle of carbonated water. Please note that the office is closed on weekends, but weekend arrivals can be accommodated through arrangements with the office.
The apartments themselves are well furnished with sofa(s), chairs and dining tables. Two twin sized beds make for a full-queen sized double bed and other amenities in the living/bedroom area include a television, stereo and DVD player. An ironing board and iron are also provided. The bathroom in the studio is rather small with a tiny showerstall, but is neat and tidy. In the one-bedrooms, the bathrooms are larger and have a bathtub, thus giving the guest a little more wiggle-room while taking a shower or bath. The kitchen is also extremely small, but is furnished with a dual burner electric stove, plates, bowls, silverware(cutlery), a few cooking vessels, knives and a cutting board. There is also a microwave, coffee maker and hot water flask. All in all, the kitchen is the big disappointment for me, especially given my strong propensity to cook my own food. I cannot realistically expect to cook my normal repertoire here.
The apartments are very clean and well maintained, with a cleaning services provided once a week. The lighting in the apartments may or may not be good based on the location of your apartment. But the service provided by the rental office staff is stellar and they do what they can to make your stay comfortable. Other services provided are free wireless internet, a tiny library and a multi-media room. The internet signal is rather intermittent in certain parts of the building, so you may or may not be lucky to get a strong internet connection. The office will also take clothes out to a local laundry and provide a 10% discount on the prices, which are reasonable for the area. There is a rudimentary gym in the basement along with a washer and dryer that guests can use for a small free. For people like me who are here for a longer period of time, it would have been nice to have washers and dryers in the apartments themselves, but this is not the case.
As for prices, I have not inquired into that since my employer is picking up the tab, but I understand that it is not a cheap place to stay.
Summary
This is a nice home away from home in the central touristy area of Düsseldorf. I cannot highly recommend it for stays of periods greater than a month because of the lack of laundry facilities in the apartments and the less-than-adequate kitchen. However, the cleanliness,the can-do attitude of the rental staff, it’s fantastic location close to my office and the shopping district have caused me to decide to stay here until my assignment ends in March, ‘08.
