Today was the day I was supposed to fly back from Tirana to Spain. However, after my wife’s wallet and passport were stolen in Belgrade, the rest of our trip was completely derailed. We never made it to Albania; instead, I had flown back to Belgrade a few days ago to be with her as we sorted out the paperwork required for her to fly back home to India.
I got up early and got ready for my journey back to Spain. My return flight to India was from Barcelona the next day. I walked to the bus stop for Bus 72 at Zeleni Venac and caught the first bus of the day to the airport at around 4:00 AM.
Many people on the bus seemed to be returning home after partying on Saturday night. There was little traffic so early in the morning, and we reached the airport fairly quickly compared to my previous rides on the same route.
Contrary to the information on the Priority Pass website, the Business Club lounge at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport was open even before 6:00 AM. This was very convenient for passengers on the first bank of departures.
I had a quick breakfast and then headed to the gate for boarding. As we taxied for takeoff, it was clear that Air Serbia was the dominant carrier here.
The flight was smooth and comfortable, and we landed in Munich slightly ahead of schedule. We arrived at Terminal 2, and I had a few hours before my connecting flight to Barcelona.
My Priority Pass gave me access to Airport Lounge Europe at Munich Airport, but it was located in Terminal 1. I followed the signs to the inter-terminal airside shuttle near the G gates in Terminal 2. The shuttle ran every 10 minutes, so I didn’t have to wait long. The driver didn’t check my boarding pass to see whether I was departing on a flight from Terminal 1.
A short ride later, we arrived at Terminal 1, and I walked to the D gates to reach Airport Lounge Europe. The attendant who processed my entry advised me to keep track of time and leave about an hour before departure, since I would need to take the inter-terminal airside shuttle back to Terminal 2 and clear security or reach the gate. Clearly, they were accustomed to passengers crossing over from Terminal 2 just to access the lounge.
The lounge was pleasant, with a solid selection of food and drinks. After some time, the lounge attendants put up a sign at the entrance stating that the lounge was at capacity and that entry for passengers would be granted only as space became available.
I had plenty of time to relax and enjoy a leisurely brunch.
I left the lounge about an hour before my flight and followed the signs back to the inter-terminal airside shuttle to Terminal 2.
A short bus ride later, I was back at Terminal 2 and walked to the far end of the concourse to board my flight to Barcelona. The flight went smoothly, and I arrived back in Spain after an unanticipated second visit to Serbia.
🍽️ Business Club
✈️ Lufthansa 1739
🍽️ Airport Lounge Europe
✈️ Lufthansa 1814