Hola, dear reader,
are three weeks passed since my return from Switzerland.
Only some business flights in that time.
time enough, at least for me to feel a little English sun.
A new map shows all of my departure airports:
Departure airports on a larger map
And here is the current route map:
reporter's trip flights on a larger map
Thursday, 07/10/2010
FRA (Airport Frankfurt am Main)
MAD (Aeropuerto de Madrid Barajas)
performed Planned Service Lufthansa LH 4410 of
: 09.30 / / 12.00
It is 03.00 clock, as is calling me my phone.
a moment, is it really true?.
03.00 clock and it all just for fun?.
Well, it looks like, this is the return flight from a Madrid-Frankfurt Booking in May. I must have the ability to fit to come to Frankfurt are not truly tested in detail.
The price is 40.00 Euro's, booked through Exp.de.
The last flight of the day to land in Stuttgart, that means the train to Frankfurt.
The first train from Stuttgart airport leaves at 05.08 clock, the only way the ICE to clock 05.51 to reach the train station.
The price is very good for this, only 14.00 euro's.
On the street clock at 04.00 to 04.45 clock at the airport.
What is this for a long queue at Lufthansa service counter?
Once again a proof of Contact Air's reliability and that number of waiting passengers, not a bad flight is booked today, was as deleted.
The train is on time, half asleep, I drive the 20 minutes for my ICE connection. Only a few passengers in late
ICE, comfortable, a few minutes, no comment from the staff that is well standard in those days.
I am in Frankfurt at 07.30 clock, online check-in on Lufthansa's site will quickly and easily.
The planned Airbus A320 on the place card 28A, the last row window for me, whenever possible.
output A1 today
An extra security check for the Gates A1-A5 is open, virtually no Wait here.
I go to the end of the A-gates, always my goal when there is sufficient time for it.
The apron with D-AIRX is parked in retro colors
The A gates
Boarding start at 09.00 clock, we want to see if the machine from the system even at the gate waiting
Yes, that is, D-AIZC "Büdingen", after the registration of a new machine
One of 46 currently in the fleet, delivered on 15/01/2010.
Flight No. 66 on this type and a new registration for me
The typical gate behind some walls, for Frankfurt, each Space is used
Boarding begins on time,
looks like a good load.
I am with the last passengers who are employees at the gate is not exactly friendly to the so to speak, no comment, no contact.
The cabin equipped with dark gray leather seats, perfectly clean and good Patzgefühl in the last row.
The middle seat is free, occupied the aisle seat of a Canadian pensioner, a member of a large tour group.
The seat backs can be adjusted, the safety demo is manual.
The cockpit crew is from Germany. The pilot with a nice welcome during boarding in German, English and English. The
Security card
start of the 4000 meter track 18, it is 09.30 clock, in time, a few clouds at 12 degrees.
Two hours, ten minutes after Madrid.
the cabin, the load is at 90%
An interesting cloud border with Switzerland
Three women in the booth, an older, one younger with an Asian touch in the front cabin.
And a very nice middle-age with light brown hair in the service in the rear cabin.
to remember someone, if I say nothing special?.
She is particularly good looking and nice. Very accommodating, talkative and funny.
For example, I take Coffee with milk, they have a milk bag, not the small cup.
you: "Is milk from the bag ok, half coffee, half milk?". "No, they say stop, if there is enough milk, ok?".
I do not stop and them: "We are close to the limit".
She later again on the road with free drinks. "More coffee?". "No, thank you." "You sure?. What should I do with all that coffee?".
Well, in this case. Very nice
and smile as we watch the pensioner with their red wine bottle that does not want to leave open the help. The service
Close to Lake
Geneva with the Jet d'Eau
The pilot logs on again, with detailed information in all three languages.
The track is Basel-Geneva-Lyon-Toulouse-Pamplona to a maximum of 35000 feet.
Lyon
HRS advertising everywhere
Near Toulouse
follows a very interesting approach to Madrid.
We come from the north, it seems that we fly at the airport along a curve and then
land from the south.
Only three or four minutes before landing, very low, the engines again and we will not go down.
The pilot reported a short time later with the information that the friendly staff at short notice for the approach Madrid has decided to change the direction of landing.
We can now fly back to the north and are classified between the machine and then approaching to land from the north. All
takes 30 minutes to landing on the 3620 meter track 18L.
It is now 12.05 clock, a change from well before the time delay, after five minutes.
The temperature is 18 degrees and it is partly cloudy.
We are slowly move on the taxiway, the pilot was right behind us probably can not find suitable
then Parked at Terminal 1 My seat
the terminal quickly and to the public sector.
fast Why?.
Well, the online check-in for the next Flight responds with a double error.
Interestingly, it is possible to reserve a seat, but not the check-in to end.
Thursday, 10/07/2010
MAD (Aeropuerto de Madrid Barajas)
VLC (Aeropuerto de Valencia)
Service Air Europa UX flown 3812 Planned as Spanair JK 6342 and carried out by Swiftair
: 14.15 / / 15:15
This flight is booked on an Air Europa flight number on Airways, the price is 40.00 Euro's, but carried out with Spanair aircraft, at least on paper.
Interestingly, this way is cheaper than in Spanair to book themselves.
The online check-in date on Air Europa not available in my attempt Spanair reports the Error.
Well, a few corners in the terminal to the Spanair switches.
we try it again at the slots, my name appears twice with my reservation number, the machine sends me to the switches.
five minutes waiting time to a somewhat disorganized employees asking their colleagues what they should now do with my reservation.
me have probably deleted it once and I get a boarding pass with my reserved seat 22A.
"Is it still the MD87 for this flight?".
"No, it is the larger MD80.
"Ok, I'll stick with this seat."
No waiting at the security check and back in the gate area.
early enough to D-AIZC to follow on the way to Frankfurt
D61 output for me, no delay on the screen. We see the 8 hours from Ryanair to Nador
Terminal 2, which for an old-fashioned and not very well-kept part of the airport is here
my gate for Valencia
a Spanair MD87 with an open engine cover on the other side on the apron
The employee at the gate 25-30 passengers to switch calls for a seat change, probably to better distribute the weight.
No machine at the gate, with the Bus today.
Thai in retro colors
A beauty Aerosur B747
The bus runs and drives, that is a free tour of the apron. Two 747
Pullmantur's ok for the Haji,
behind Aerosur
LAMIA, an ATR Swiftair back from Venezuela, the Company received no authorization.
And what is parked in the background?
Spanair hits the spot, this beautiful MD83 has been hired at short notice for this flight
Welcome to Swiftair, the company does not operate its own flights.
rentals at other airlines, many missions for the UN in Europe, Africa and the Middle East and some cargo-machine that is the business of this company
Admitted in Spain, EC-LEY, in action at Reno Air from the 01/09/1993 to Meridiana Italy on 26.04.1999 and since 03.03.2010 in Swiftair.
The latest of 6 in the MD83 fleet.
route No. 9 for me on this type, the last flight is already very long ago, aboard more than 400
pity, no to the rear staircase
Very old-fashioned cloth seats allowed in various shades of blue, I Take 26A, the aisle seat is free, the seat backs can not be adjusted.
The leg room is ok, the capacity utilization at 70%
The security card
A look into the cabin
A nice business jet parked next to us
seats and the cabin ceiling
The cockpit crew is from Spain, the pilot responds with the information that we must wait due to heavy traffic here, at least 30 minutes before starting the engines. It is then
15.00 clock, 45 minutes late, partly cloudy at 24 degrees, as we drive to the station.
Jumbos on the tarmac
That's a long Machine
the same colors but different airlines, Orbest from Portugal on a mission for Iberworld
information in Italian
We are number 11 on the start of the 3620 meter track 15L, a strong day for Madrid .
has just started, 35 minutes to Valencia
Two women, two men in the service, all young and ok in a English style. About
Torrejon
How I like that moment when we leave the clouds
The cab, no free service on this flight
clouds close to Valencia, no information on the route or altitude
A sharp curve in the approach
over some hills
landing with strong brakes on the 3200 meters of track 12, it is 16.15 clock, an hour late.
The weather is very nice, 26 degrees and a few clouds
The modern terminal annex
A look at the emergency exit and seats
Parked on the apron
And again no rear stairs
This is the way to exit a plane
My favorite picture
The wing and the Registration
The clean hull
Looks like newly painted
A last look at the surprise of the day
Only an hour now to boarding the next flight, visit to the city is done with it, but the Swiftair flight was worth it.
Thursday, 07/10/2010
VLC (Aeropuerto de Valencia)
PMI (Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca)
AB performed 7655 Designed by Emirates
: 17.50 / / 18:35
Online check-in that flight operates via airberlin's website quickly and easily, 31F, the last row of windows and three places for me at the end. I've booked via
Airways made the best offer, 30.00 Euro's.
time to leave enough the terminal and to consider the environment
The terminal annex for regional flights, looks good from
The right of way with the older Terminal part
The terminal provides fashioned from
through security without delay.
Well, that is again growing and this really looks very modern from
A new gate, C9 look for my flight to Palma
Where we have several MD's side by side?
My machine is already before I arrived at the gate
Swiftair on the apron
medallion in use for Blue Air to Bucharest
My machine and Swift in the background
Back on the road to Madrid
Railways in view
Just before boarding
How it's like starting smoking
we follow with an Irish boarding, so-called low cost airline to Pisa on gate next to it. A long queue
provides for a very good Congestion.
Almost all the passengers with hand luggage and two employees at the gate to check whether all the baggage with the size requirement of the airline.
Two young women, probably from Italy in the queue, the first pressed and pressed their suits until they travel bag, the bag does not fit the second, even after several attempts.
The employee at the gate:
"It is not possible that einzuchcken luggage, they fly, if it fits or without luggage.
The young woman begins to cry, but no quarter. Then they
opens the bag and she and her companion attract more and more clothes on, all other passengers are already gone.
The woman at the gate: "I give you only a minute, then I take the flight."
It raises three pairs of shoes and a jacket in the garbage, scratched the new looking bag until it fits and joins.
I hope they learned their lesson and will not fly this airline again.
on PMI
No OK for Bucharest by now
through the finger to the machine
It is D-ABKD, a new registration and change of aircraft, planned during the booking is an Airbus A319, But this, as well as the seating card, 737-800. Route 51 for me on this type. The machine is in use for airberlin since 17.02.2009. One of 37 in the current fleet
medallion looks great at the gate next to us
Dark blue leather seats, seat-back can only be adjusted slightly worn, but the place feeling is ok in the back row.
average, which is good, 90%
The security card
again a delay, the cockpit crew is out of Germany, and the pilot and a co-pilot.
He responds with a brief welcome during boarding and the information that is very much traffic to Palma. We are therefore allowed to wait several minutes until the start of the engines.
The cabin, the safety demo is on the screens
We leave Valencia
And we see the back stairs at medallion is back below
a technical problem?
just started from the track 12, it is 18.25 clock, 35 minutes late, the temperature is 24 degrees and the sky is overcast, 35 minutes from Palma
We leave mainland Spain, four women in the service, two middle-aged from Spain and two boys from Germany, all ok so far
Just below the cloud above the sea.
no data to track, the flying height is at most 23 000 feet
A Snackbox with Crackers and water is available.
This looks not to the usual approach to Palma today
No, we come across the sea
landing on the 3270 meter track 06L, strong brakes and we leave the car very quickly.
I am surprised when I an Embraer 195 from Air Europa see that passed us on the web, that looks like as if this plane was flying very close behind us.
It is 19.05 clock, 30 minutes late, no clouds and 24 degrees here.
Germania's Spirit of Hinrich Bischoff on the apron
A last look at D-ABKD
Thursday, 10/07/2010
PMI (Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca)
STR (Stuttgart Airport)
AB 9389 made plans to airberlin
: 20.30 / / 22.30
soon as I am in the terminal, the gate appears to next flight on the screen, C38
busy I have with section 3, the price is 30.00 Euro's.
Online check-in is quick, seat 29F, well, the last row of windows, the utilization is at 90%, three places for me, the rule is working perfectly again. Some
Mallorca stereotypes?.
better than any theater.
Of the three strong young women who occupy five seats and eat junk food, during the full qualifying period, the two retired couples next to me on the big screen with AB boarding passes for Bremen in the hands.
information in English and English,
last visit on the screen.
"Where should we go, perhaps to C48, where is that, this side or the other way?".
Up to the young men, drinking beer with highly intelligent T-shirts, to the end and sometimes beyond.
all here during my short stay.
A view from the terminal on my machine
My flight does from time
It is D-ABFH, the proposed Airbus A320, a new registration and also a very new machine.
In use with airberlin only since 04.05.2010, Flight No. 67 on this type for me.
Airberlin currently operates 22 A320's
The cockpit crew is from Germany, the pilot, a warm welcome during boarding.
the cabin, the security information is presented on the screens
start of the 3000 meter track 06R, it is 20.30 clock, in time, the sky is clear and the temperature is 22 degrees.
1 hour, 45 minutes to Stuttgart.
The security card
Four women in the service, a blonde and three with dark hair, all from Germany and nothing special.
The cabin with nice lighting, with dark blue leather seats, clean, good space feeling and the seat backrest can be adjusted to
coffee and a sandwich, just fine for me
The Co-Pilot reports briefly with information in a nice way before approaching Stuttgart.
no data to route or altitude, advertising and short films on the screen.
landing on runway 07, so gentle, it's almost not to notice that we are on the ground.
It is 22.10 clock, 20 minutes ahead of schedule, 13 degrees and the sky is cloudy.
A final image in Stuttgart on the apron
Without luggage I'm in a record 50 minutes after the landing at home.
Swiftair and the MD is definitely the winner of the day, but also the nice flight attendant for Lufthansa, very good.
Airberlin does a good job at a good price and two comfortable flights.
And now?.
A country that I might like, stands on the plan:
"The Saab 2000 Darwin by Foggia.
soon, the trip
Reporter
