Lufthansa and Avianca: Sarajevo - Medellin via Frankfurt

Trip Report

Written by Amar Hamzić

It was time for my second trip to Medellin recently, and this time I decided to fly with Lufthansa, after travelling with Turkish Airlines on my previous trip.

My journey started very early in Sarajevo, with the Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt scheduled to depart at 06:25. One of the advantages of Sarajevo Airport is definitely its location and easy access from the city, so despite such an early departure I was able to wake up at around 04:30 and already be at the airport at 05:00. There were already a few passengers waiting at the check-in counters, since Lufthansa and Austrian usually share the same area in the morning for their Frankfurt and Vienna flights. As a Lufthansa frequent flyer, I was able to use the Business Class check-in counters, which are normally quite empty on these flights, so the whole process was very fast. My frequent flyer status also allowed me an additional checked baggage allowance of two pieces of 23 kilograms, in addition to the regular cabin baggage and personal item.

Everything went quickly and by around 05:15, I was already inside the Premium Lounge at Sarajevo Airport. The lounge was still quite empty at that time of the morning. The food selection was similar to what is usually available, with sandwiches, eggs, salami and different types of cheese. There were also some sweeter options, including croissants, tiramisu, panna cotta and similar desserts. I went for a small breakfast and then took my coffee outside to the open terrace. For me, this is by far the best part of the lounge. It offers an excellent view of the apron and the active runway, and especially during busier times of the day I really enjoy arriving earlier and spending some time spotting aircraft from here. Soon enough, it was time for boarding.

Breakfast in Sarajevo Premium Longue

Amazing view from Longue terrace

Sarajevo - Frankfurt

Lufthansa LH1547

Aircraft: Airbus A321-231, D-AISO

Scheduled departure: 06:25

Actual departure: 07:09

Flight time: 1 hour 55 minutes

Boarding was done through the jet bridge and the flight was almost completely full. I counted only a few empty seats, so I would estimate the load factor at around 95%. From conversations around me, it seemed that quite a few passengers were members of the American diaspora connecting in Frankfurt towards both the east and west coasts of the United States. There was also a large group of Medjugorje pilgrims continuing onwards to Spain.

Once boarding was completed, the captain informed us that due to foggy conditions at Frankfurt Airport our departure slot had been delayed and we would need to wait at least another 30 minutes before starting the engines. The clearance from ATC eventually came around 45 minutes later and shortly after 07:00 we started taxiing. We finally took off at 07:09.

The flight itself was very smooth and uneventful.

Lufthansa FlyNet was working well, including the free messaging option available to Miles & More members. As usual on Lufthansa short-haul flights, every passenger received a small bottle of water and the Lufthansa chocolate. The crew also passed through the cabin with the paid service trolley, offering the usual selection of snacks, sweets and drinks. Lufthansa is also marking its 100-year anniversary, and there was an interesting brochure in every seat pocket presenting some of the most important events from the airline's history. I started noticing these brochures on flights sometime around June or July and I assume they will probably remain onboard until the end of the year. In any case, it was a nice way to pass some of the time during the flight.

Sarajevo - Frankfurt flight

We landed in Frankfurt with a slight delay, but fortunately on runway 07C. This meant a significantly shorter taxi compared to arrivals on the more distant runway 07L/25R, which can sometimes add quite a bit of time before reaching the terminal. We arrived at a B gate, while my connecting flight to Bogota was leaving from the Z concourse, used for non-Schengen long-haul departures. After around ten minutes I reached security, where I found an extremely long line.

As a Lufthansa frequent flyer, I normally receive access to the Fast Lane at Frankfurt Airport regardless of the length of the connection. However, even with the Fast Lane this time it took almost 50 minutes to clear security. The checkpoint appeared quite understaffed and this was also exactly the time when many European flights were arriving and passengers were connecting to the first major wave of long-haul flights towards North America and Asia. Luckily, I was in no hurry as I had almost five hours between the flights.

Train towards Z and A gates

Approximately one hour after landing, I finally reached the Lufthansa Lounge at the Z gates. This is one of my favourite Lufthansa lounges, together with the Panorama Lounge at the A gates in the Schengen area. One of the main reasons is the excellent view over the airport and the active runways. During my stay I managed to have both breakfast and lunch. The breakfast selection included eggs, sausages and spinach, while later there were dishes such as mac and cheese, meatballs and chicken wings, together with a nice selection of desserts. There was also a special Oktoberfest section in the middle of the lounge, where they occasionally brought out festival-related finger food, including pretzels, meatballs and potato salad, which can also be seen in the photos. I also used the opportunity to take a shower. There was around a 30-minute waiting time, but I always appreciate having the possibility to freshen up before or after a long-haul flight.

Lunch in Frankfurt Lufthansa Longue

Special Oktoberfest meals in Lufthansa Longue

Always amazing to be able to take a shower on such long trips

The time passed surprisingly fast and by around 14:00 I was already at the departure gate, which was only about a three-minute walk from the lounge. There was also a gaming area next to the gate, so I managed to play two matches of FIFA while waiting for my boarding group.

D-ABPS

Frankfurt - Bogota

Lufthansa LH542

Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, D-ABPS

Scheduled departure: 14:45

Actual departure: 14:55

Flight time: 11 hours 10 minutes

Soon it was finally time to board what was probably the part of the trip I was looking forward to the most: Lufthansa's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The aircraft, D-ABPS, was almost brand new, having been delivered to Lufthansa in September 2025, and the condition of the cabin definitely reflected that. I was seated in 18J, a window seat in the first Economy Class row directly behind Premium Economy. The seat provided additional legroom and I had paid approximately 70 euros extra to reserve it. It proved to be completely worth it. The seats directly in front of me were empty and could not recline into my space, which made the seat even more comfortable.

The aircraft itself felt extremely fresh and modern, and the new Allegris cabin made a very noticeable difference compared to some of my recent Turkish Airlines flights on the A330, Boeing 787 and A350. During boarding, Premium Economy passengers were served a glass of orange juice. Since there were some glasses left over after several passengers refused them, the crew simply offered the remaining drinks to passengers sitting in the first rows of Economy Class, which was a nice touch.

Shortly afterwards we pushed back and departed almost exactly on schedule.

Each seat was equipped with both USB-A and USB-C charging ports, while there was also a shared power socket located between the seats. A printed menu for the flight was provided, although the same menu had already been available through the Lufthansa app around one week before departure.

Service started with a small package of pretzels and a drink. I went for a glass of sparkling wine, while my travel companion chose Lufthansa's Avionic Aperitif, a drink Lufthansa often serves both onboard and in its lounges. To me, it tastes a little like Campari Spritz and Jägermeister had a child.

Allegris seats, first row behind Premium Economy

Blanket and pillow provided on each seat prior to boarding

Menu including drinks and food selection

Lufthansa Avionic Aperitivo: sparkling water; sparkling wine

Very useful addition for devices on the new seats

Soon afterwards the first main meal was served. I selected the teriyaki chicken, which was actually very good and tasty. Following the meal, the crew passed through the cabin once again offering coffee, tea and water. After that, it was time to relax and explore the entertainment system.

Lufthansa FlyNet worked throughout the flight and the free messaging option for Miles & More members was noticeably faster than on the earlier Sarajevo - Frankfurt sector. Messaging worked without any problems and it was even possible to scroll through social media and watch Instagram stories reasonably smoothly. The entertainment system itself was probably one of the weaker points of the flight. The selection of movies and series was considerably smaller than what Turkish Airlines offers on its long-haul fleet.

Quite delicious teriyaki chicken

At one point during the middle of the flight, the crew came through the cabin again offering another drink together with a choice of a sweet or salty snack. The sweet option was a chocolate bar, while the salty option was mixed nuts. The cabin crew were excellent throughout the flight. They were friendly and approachable and, compared with some of my recent Turkish Airlines flights, the service felt somewhat more personal. The toilets were also kept very clean throughout the entire flight.

Before landing, another drink service was carried out followed by a second meal. I chose the meatballs, after which coffee and tea were offered once again. Soon afterwards we started our descent towards Bogota.

Meatballs, potatoes and veggies

We landed almost exactly on time, into a very rainy and already dark Bogota. After leaving the aircraft, we spent around 30 minutes passing immigration. Since our final destination was Medellin, we then had to leave the international part of the terminal and enter the domestic departures area for our connecting flight. Security was very fast and I was also able to access one of the lounges in the domestic terminal.

The lounge was not particularly large and the food selection was quite limited. At this point, however, I was already too tired to eat anything, so a bottle of water and some time simply sitting down and relaxing was more than enough. Not long before boarding I made my way towards the gate.

At least nice fruit selection in Bogota Longue

It is quite annoying that flights on all screens on Bogota Airport are listed in alphabetical order, and not in departure time order

Bogota - Medellin

Avianca AV9242

Aircraft: Airbus A320-214, N688TA

Scheduled departure: 21:25

Actual departure: 21:42

Flight time: 1 hour

Boarding was organised strictly by groups, with passengers called according to their seating zones. Despite the flight being completely full, passengers cooperated very well and boarding the A320 was completed surprisingly quickly.

The flight itself was incredibly short. Although the scheduled flight time was around one hour, the actual time in the air was only around 28 minutes, making it probably one of the shortest flights I have ever taken. The closest comparisons that come to mind are Croatia Airlines flights between Zagreb and Sarajevo when operated by the A319 or A320, or Air Serbia's Belgrade - Sarajevo service when it is not operated by an ATR. Another interesting part of the flight was the approach into Medellin. The aircraft appeared to be fully lined up with the runway already at approximately 15,000 feet and from there we essentially continued straight towards the airport. This is something I do not see very often when flying in Europe.

The landing itself was quite hard, although this was understandable considering the heavy rain in Medellin. It is currently the rainy season in this part of Colombia and the weather conditions were far from ideal. There was no service in Economy Class during such a short flight. Passengers in the three Business Class rows received a bottle of water, but nothing was served in Economy. Considering that the flight spent very little time above FL210 and there was also some turbulence, I found this completely understandable. After landing, everything went extremely quickly. Within around ten minutes I had already collected my baggage and was able to get a taxi towards the city centre.

Finally arrived to Medellin

Overall, this was a very positive travel experience. The highlight was definitely Lufthansa's almost brand-new Boeing 787-9 and the Allegris cabin, which I found very comfortable, especially with the extra-legroom seat. The service on the Lufthansa long-haul flight was also excellent, with a very friendly crew, good meals and reliable onboard Wi-Fi. The weaker entertainment selection was probably the most noticeable disadvantage compared with Turkish Airlines. Another small negative point is that Lufthansa does not provide an amenity kit to Economy Class passengers on a flight of this length. Considering that Frankfurt - Bogota is more than eleven hours, even a basic kit with an eye mask, toothbrush and socks would have been a welcome addition. Apart from that, everything worked very well. The only significant delay was caused by the morning fog in Frankfurt, while the long-haul flight operated almost exactly on schedule.

Overall, Lufthansa left a very positive impression, and travelling on the new 787-9 made the journey significantly more comfortable than I expected.

Some Medellin views at the end

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