at 4h30 the Taxi arrives and we are at the airport in no time. We arrive a bit before 05h00 and the Iberia check-in rows in row 9 aren't opened yet. Taking the spanish Manana speed in mind the Check-in staff arrive at 05h20. after set the entire Iberia check-in area up, they started check-in.
since we where first in line we got to check -in as first people, good enough for me to have good seats (since internet-check-in on Iberia.com isn't possible for Brussels anymore) and we received yellow tags to put on our hand luggage (anyone knows for what it's for?). It surprised me they didn't ask a fuel surcharge, oh well, it's cheaper...
We proceeded to the security check-point of Pier A (the EU-terminal of Brussels) so we had to go down the stairs walk under the tarmac in the catacombs of Brussels airport and queue for security screening (note to myself, I always seam to choose the line in which crew and elite members have to pass through too...)
Well my sis goes before me, she makes sure she had nothing metal on her and when she went through the beeping machine (what's it called actually) it peebed, so she was taken separate for screening. after she was cleared by the security we went back up again in to the topaas (which looks more like a shopping center than an airport terminal imho...)
We sat down and starting eating our breakfast while hearing all the boarding calls for the TCAB and TUB charter flights. After a while we even started betting how much late -comers the next TUB flight would have. they always seamed to have some people that kept sticking in the shops on their way to the gate (while TCAB had none), weird...
Flight IB4217
Scheduled departure 07h00
delayed 15 mins
From Brussels (BRU/EBBR)
To Barcelona el Prat (BCN/LEBL)
EC-IEF Iberia Airbus A320-214
Construction Number : 1655
Test Registration : F-WWDY
First Flight : 14.11.2001
Status : Active
Delivery Date: 26.04.2002
Name: Castillo de Loarre
Fed and watered we continued to gate A53. We barely sat down and they already started boarding, first announcement in spanish (well at least there some belgian ground staff that can speak spanish, there's no IB staff that can speak Dutch). So the entire crowd in the boarding area rushed forward and almost squashed the gate agents, spanish efficiency... (no priority boarding)
After I managed to get through I strolled down the jetway and was immediately greeted by (for this time of the morning) very cheerful Cabin Crew, all smiles and buenos dias. I walked to my seat 19F and sat down. Iberia seam to have retrofitted all their A320's with the new larger type of overhead bins, well they are nicer to see at least...
After usual safety Briefing we taxied to Runway 25R for take off after a TCAB A320 and a VEX B733 (I believe it was VBR, the white one).
Take-off was nothing special, just the usual "noordrand" departure. We climbed quietly (with some light chops) to our cruising altitude while they showed the usual silly plane programming on the overhead screens (the flat LCD ones here)
The flight was very full, I think every seat was filled and thus the crew sold a lot of their Tu Menu (I didn't take anything, the prices are scandalous expensive).after a smooth 1h45 mins flight we descended into Barcelona.
The route over the pyrenees was very scenic and the reason why I specifically asked seats at the F -side was that we would have a nice view of Barcelona (the city) on final. We made an unusual "hard" landing on 25r (usually they land on 25L, but since there wasn't much traffic we got 25R which means a significatly shorter taxi to the gate) and docked at gate 31 in boarding modula M3 at terminal B.
Flight IB 1708
From Barcelona (BCN/LEBL)
to Palma de Mallorca (PMI/LEPA)
EC-GRI Iberia Airbus A320-211
Construction Number : 177
Line Number :
Built As : Airbus A320-211
Test Registration : F-WWIP
First Flight : 12.02.1991
Status : Active
Operator History :
Reg Aircraft Type Airline Delivery Date Remarks
EC-582 Airbus A320-211 Iberia 14.06.1991
EC-FEO Airbus A320-211 Iberia 26.07.1991 rr
EC-GRI Airbus A320-211 Iberia 31.01.1998 rr
After a quick bite in one of the nice resto's in the generally nice but a little but to small Barcelona terminal we continued to our gate for our connecting flight to Mallorca. It was bus gate 18B situated on the Ground floor of boarding module M1. In comparison to the rest of the BCn terminal this was a really poor area. The main airco down there broke down so they installed a temporary airco. they just pulled out a window, replaced it by a wooden piece and they hung some plastic air arms on the ceiling, just pathetic...
The area also didn't have sufficient seats for all the PAx down there and we had to stay there a bit longer since our flight was delayed. when finally they started boarding they did it slowly and had to count the boarding passes every 10 PAX.
When I finally managed to get passed the boarding desk I hopped on the bus that waited there on the tarmac for another 20 mins or so before we where finally brought to our aircraft.
When the bus opened it's doors al people rushed to the stairs while i took the time to shoot some pics and enter the aircraft via the back stairs.
the seats
again a very nice crew. I sat at 20F a row more to the back than on my flight to BCN, I also noted this was one of IB's older Busses since it still had the old thick-back drop down screens.
After the usual safety demo (on the old screens which all had different colors and inclinations grades) we had a short taxi to 25HR. By this time there was much more traffic, before us there here some IB Airbusses and Maddogs and an air France airbus, while behind us was a Delta B763 in new colors.
When it was finally our turn it didn't take long before we where airborne. the pilot spooled up the engines and off we went like a rocket. Now the bus climbed steeply, the steepest climb I've had in my live (probably something to with only needing fuel for a 40 minute hop and thus being very light). being a 211 instead of a 214 the engines where far more nosier too. This time we had the luck of having a very informative captain which was apologatic for the delay which was caused because both crew and plane where late inbound Madrid, he also told us we would be landing on 24L in PMI.
The short flight was over fast and before you knew it we where landing in Mallorca. Well the descend was the way I liked it, it was full with bumps and air pockets and rather heavy turbulence followed ed by a hard touch down, bounced up again and touched - down a second time. Braking was very severe and we where fast at our gate D62. after a short walk to baggage claim the baggage took a bit before it arrived but after a while we where away to enjoy our 2 weeks in the sun.
The day of the return, always a bad day, but I didn't really know when I got up it would be so bad by the end of it (after we finally arrived home we got the news our grandma had died while we where away :'( )
It already started bad when the taxi arrived late at our hotel (my dad had ordered a taxi of Palma for the return, while we where staying in alcudia, so it had to come the whole way across the island and that with the road works under way made that it took a while...)
anyway we got at the airport about 2 hours before departure, went straight to the check -in desk with the shortest queue, and the hardest PAx before us... (the lady had to call the super visor etc.) oh well after a while we got checked-in, got a bite and went through security (I don't see what all the fuss is about PMI being a small airport, it wasn't that big and the amount of shops was rather small...)
We passed security smoothly continued to our boarding gate D63 to discover we had a small problem, namely the plane wasn't there...
Once again the plane was late inbound, but some interesting traffic made up for it.
IB1723
From Palma de Mallorca (PMI/LEPA)
to Barcelona (BCN/LEBL)
EC-FOF Iberia McDonnell Douglas MD-88
Construction Number : 53307
Line Number : 2015
Built As : McDonnell Douglas MD-88
Test Registration :
First Flight : 07.1992
Status : Active
Operator History :
Reg Aircraft Type Airline Delivery Date Remarks
EC-966 McDonnell Douglas MD-88 Aviaco 11.08.1992
EC-FOF McDonnell Douglas MD-88 Aviaco 07.09.1992 rr
EC-FOF McDonnell Douglas MD-88 Iberia 01.09.1999 mgd
Name: Puerto de Alcala
When i saw the maddog arriving at the gate i immediately started taking pics of it, it just looked so smart...
It had a quick turnaround and before you know we could strom to the gate and fight who had the chance to go on first (just gotta love the IB style rush boardings...)
anyway, when waling down the jetway you could feel it stood low on it's legs since it went down quite a bit, we went through the small door to be greated by very friendly cabin crew one again (why do people always say IB's crews are grumpy?)
I just love the 2-3 seating configuration, in my opinion it definitely beats 3-3. inside the plane already started showing it's age, it was a dark and small cabin with the ceiling panels being stained and scratched and still using the old style call buttons etc. although I have to say the old type of seats actually sat better than the new type.
Since the MD88 is an ex-Aviaco aircraft, it doesn't have screens and the safety demo was perfomed manually.
After a fast taxi ti Runway 24R for take off the pilot already gave full power wen still turning to line-up and we where gone in no time, it climbed even steeper than the A320 flight to PMI while barely hearing the engines. It's so unreal the only noise you hear with tail-mounted engines is the wind...
the flight ended way to soon with an unusual landing on 07R in Barcelona and after a very quick stop with heavy braking we started our long taxi to the gate. On the way to the gate I saw the Crashed KLM 737, a AMC A313 and the leased Eirjet Air Jamaica A320.
We parked at a remote gate where everyone had to deboard using the aft stairs in between the engines. Now that is a once in a lifetime experience, it's such a nice and unusual thing to do, it sure is a pity to see the maddogs go...
We where bussed to the arrivals hall and we had to take a quick walk to gate 34 in modulo M3 to catch our flgight to Brussels.
IB4210
From Barcelona (BCN/LEBL)
to Brussels (BRU/EBBR)
EC-IEI Iberia Airbus A320-214
Construction Number : 1694
Line Number :
Built As : Airbus A320-214
Test Registration : F-WWBT
First Flight : 15.12.2001
Status : Active
Name: Monasterio de Valldigna
Well we where one of the last to board but still it took a while before we left because a no-show's luggage had to be off-loaded. after the usual safety demo we taxied to rwy 07L for take-off, had to wait a bit for some company and GA traffic before we could enter the runway to fly away.
We had a very nice climb-out over the Barcelona area and the nice talkative captain told that our route would be Barcelona-andorra-Toulouse-Paris-Brussels.
Above the pyrenees we had some turbulence but the rest of the flight was as smooth as silk.
During the descend into Brussels we had to pass a thick layer of clouds before breaking through them above "Mechelen" we flew further to the north to make a turn and return above the Leuven area. The flight ended with a hard bump on 25L in Brussels and a taxi past the old terminal (of which the old c-pier is demolished now) and the B-pier to gate A61.
We quickly made our way to baggage claim in the hope to quickly catch our bags and the taxi home. but since flightcare decided to strike we had to wait for an hour and a half before we had all our bags (I would like to thank the still working flightcare staff for helping us in a nice and friendly way, which isn't easy considered how people treath them).
After we had all our bags, our taxi had gone and we had to come home by Train. Oh well we got home in one piece, that's the most important thing...
