BRU-MIA with City Bird

Share your experiences about your latest flights: details and pictures are highly appreciated by our community. How do you rate airlines, in-flight meals, frequent flyer programs, etc... join this forum now!
Post Reply
User avatar
MD-11
Posts: 1516
Joined: 22 Dec 2002, 00:00
Location: Halfway between EBAW and EBBR
Contact:

BRU-MIA with City Bird

Post by MD-11 »

In June 1998 I made my first long haul flight.
And it was an ETOPS one! :wink:
On June 13th I left BRU with City Bird's B767-300ER reg OO-CTQ named Falcon.
Boarding was at 10 AM at gate B36.
Only 72 pax, so the FA's had a lot of time to care about their pax and even take some rest themselves.
Image
I was sitting in seat 45A.
My first trip to the States and all by myself.
It was still a long way to go
Image
After two inflight movies and some rest we were almost there
Image
Flying over Miami Beach
Image
On finals over the less beatiful side of Miami.
I returned on my Birthday with the same plane as I came with.
Here the "Falcon" arrives at gate A-4 at MIA.
Image
Shortly after take-off I asked the FA if I could visit the flightdeck, since I am an aviation freak and it was my Birthday. :wink:
Image
Climbing out over Miami Beach I could never have thought on that moment I would return in 1999 ( with CTB's MD-11 :) ) and in 2000.
The FA told me that I could witness the landing in the jumpseat, for my Birthday. :D
So I tried to get some nightrest and hoped it would be day soon... 8)
I was sitting at an emergency exit ( seat 25A ) so I managed to sleep a bit.
Image
In the morning when the FA walked me to the flightdeck I wanted to take my photo camera but she told me that photographing in the cockpit wasn't allowed :(
At the gate the captain told me that it wasn't a problem if I took any pics. :cry:
A once in a lifetime experience and I don't have one pic from the landing. :twisted:
Anyway we landed on RWY25L at BRU and taxied all the way to terminal B at the side of the Wingtips restaurant to join other City Birds at the gate, amongst them my favourite, the MD-11 "Albatros".
Too bad all those nice "birds" are gone forever. :cry:
I flew three years in a row with CTB to the Sunshine State.
When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

User avatar
sn26567
Posts: 40827
Joined: 13 Feb 2003, 00:00
Location: Rosières/Rozieren, Belgium
Contact:

Post by sn26567 »

Nice memories, MD-11!
André
ex Sabena #26567

Jense

Post by Jense »

Very nice report, MD-11 :!:
Also very nice pictures :!:
A pitty that I haven't flew CTB once :( :cry:

greettzzz

User avatar
Avro
Posts: 8856
Joined: 28 Apr 2003, 00:00
Location: Belgium

Post by Avro »

Nice to have a CTB report :P

User avatar
AN124
Posts: 1500
Joined: 16 Dec 2003, 00:00
Location: Maastricht (The Netherlands)

Post by AN124 »

Again a very nice report Bart.

Keep sharing them with us.

Best Regards,
Yvo

vflies
Posts: 375
Joined: 02 Oct 2003, 00:00

Post by vflies »

Nice report!

Boy, BRU really needs non stop service to MIA again! If only AA (and partner Snba) could understand that...

VFlies

User avatar
Avro
Posts: 8856
Joined: 28 Apr 2003, 00:00
Location: Belgium

Post by Avro »

vflies wrote:Nice report!

Boy, BRU really needs non stop service to MIA again! If only AA (and partner Snba) could understand that...

VFlies
VFlies,

Why don't you tell SNBA that you would like such a flight !!! just send your request here. It's the help us to help you section. Personally I think we should use that tool more often. If SN would get a lot of demand for specific flights e.g. MIA they might start to investigate the market !!!

Greetz
Chris
8)

User avatar
sn26567
Posts: 40827
Joined: 13 Feb 2003, 00:00
Location: Rosières/Rozieren, Belgium
Contact:

Post by sn26567 »

Avro wrote:Why don't you tell SNBA that you would like such a flight !!! just send your request here. It's the help us to help you section. Personally I think we should use that tool more often. If SN would get a lot of demand for specific flights e.g. MIA they might start to investigate the market !!!
I just think it does not help. I already made several requests for SN flights to FRA and STR. LH needs competition because of their outrageous prices on these routes! But SNBA only answered they had no intention to open such routes. (Nice to see however that they reply. LH does not.)
André
ex Sabena #26567

User avatar
Avro
Posts: 8856
Joined: 28 Apr 2003, 00:00
Location: Belgium

Post by Avro »

I also made those request - lol, but I still hope that SN will open the HAJ and FRA route soon. Anyway, They can't always accept all your reuests ;)

Chris

vflies
Posts: 375
Joined: 02 Oct 2003, 00:00

Post by vflies »

LOL

It would be SO easy...

Let's request... hum... FRA, HAJ, STR...
and... MIA and CPT...
and... TYO and SYD...

and low prices with easy upgrades and lots of bonus miles...

Hé, that would work for me,
but I'm not sure that's how airlines are run...

As for MIA, I'm sure they would answer they already sell it via ORD (AA codeshare).
What I want is NON STOP service!
But I wouldn't hold my breath...

VFlies

User avatar
sn26567
Posts: 40827
Joined: 13 Feb 2003, 00:00
Location: Rosières/Rozieren, Belgium
Contact:

Post by sn26567 »

vflies wrote:Let's request... hum... FRA, HAJ, STR...
and... MIA and CPT...
and... TYO and SYD...
... and JNB, RIO, HNL, etc...

Let's remain serious, VFlies. The natural hinterland of SN is Europe, and some, parts of Africa. The neighbouring countries are certainly among the most travelled destinations. LH has a scandalous and very profitable monopoly on FRA, and to a lesser extent, STR and HAJ.

Yet, SN (Brussels) does not want to open routes to these destinations (SN Sabena had no such scruples). I suspect a secret agreement: "you leave me alone here, and I won't bother you there".

And what if DG Competition of the European Commission opened an enquiry?
André
ex Sabena #26567

vflies
Posts: 375
Joined: 02 Oct 2003, 00:00

Post by vflies »

While I always stand in favor of competition,
I would assume that SNba's powers that be have looked into it and considered those destinations,
but maybe those flights were mostly feeders for Sabena and have no network to feed anymore with tiny SNba...

André, as a frequent traveller on those flights, do you think most passengers are stopping in FRA like you or are they continuing on LH (or a star partner) beyond FRA?

If there's really enough point to point traffic, I would imagine we should soon see a Ryanair flight coming from Hahn to Brussels South?
Some carriers wouldn't let any opportunity pass them by...

What sadly enough can't be said about SNba...

VFlies

Post Reply