Beginning with a flight with Qatar Airlines that is rated 5 star and one of the few major airlines that goes to Berlin even though it is the major tourist city in Germany. Berlin air travel still suffers from the legacy of a divided city with 2 airports neither of which is very good and the new airport is still under construction years after it was due to be completed.
Qatar flies via Doha with its large brand new terminal, built to host the demands of the World Cup in 2022 so during my transit it was largely vacant with the finishing touches still being applied.
For some reason that the average passenger does not get to understand, this airline boasts a 5 star rating - my experience was that it is very much like most other airlines in economy, ok as far as it goes but nothing distinctive. So I find that annoying - loudly telling us they welcome their various categories of VIPs and also telling us up the back that those up the front are being given the world's best service whilst we get none of it, not a skerrick. Discretion would be better although I sense the class divide in Qatar runs deep.
Then the arrival at Berlin Tegel airport and a shuttle bus from the plane to one of many low key boutique arrival rooms each catering for a single flight at a time with passport control and luggage collection. This is where you get to see the luggage being offloaded onto the conveyor belt at close quarters. As I was waiting for my bicycle in its cardboard box to appear I observed the burly German luggage handlers giving full force, to the point of violent aggression, to all the suitcases and other sundry luggage - only the most sturdy survived intact, those guys were fit and strong. As it turned out, my bike box (an optimum size specially cut and taped to the minimum practical dimensions - put this down to experience) was sufficiently big and heavy to be difficult to throw like the others, and it also fitted on the normal luggage conveyor belt, and survived completely intact and able to be reused for the return journey. And to top it off it fitted in the back seat of a regular sedan taxi avoiding a wait for a rare maxi taxi. For those interested 108cm x 30cm x 74cm - both wheels and rear dérailleur removed, with one wheel each side of the frame.
