With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
I had booked a tour of Jordan followed by a rest period in Egypt through Sunjets, a subsidiary of Jetair. Of course, the flights would be operated by Jetairfly. Two weeks before departure I could book my seats for 5 euros by trip; it was not possible to get a seat in the front of the plane: they were reserved for those who had ordered a meal (which I did not). I thus got window seat 19F on both flights.
Flight: JetairFly JAF/TB 7007 BRU-AQJ (Brussels-Aqaba, Jordan)
Date: 22 JAN 2012
Aircraft: Boeing 737-700/winglets reg. OO-JAR
Seat: 19F (window, just behind the wing)
Scheduled/Effective Time of Departure: 09:00/09:18 (GMT + 1)
Scheduled/Effective Time of Arrival: 15:20/14:49 (GMT + 2)
Scheduled/Effective Duration of the flight: 5 hrs 20 min / 4 hrs 31 min
I arrived at the airport two hours and a quarter before departure. I went first to the Jetair desk, where I got a free newspaper, than to the only check-in desk (12.6) devoted to regular passengers, where I arrived in the middle of the crowd (there was one other desk for the few VIP passengers). The FlightCare check-in lady arrived exactly at 07:00, when the queue was huge. It took until 07:30 before it was my turn. I got my boarding pass and proceeded to the DeliFrance of the departure hall to have a nice breakfast (two Viennese pastries, an orange juice and a cappuccino) for just 8.50 euros (the Jetair breakfast for 9 euros was not better!).
After that, a short queue at the passport control, followed by another huge queue at the baggage control and metal detector. After the usual ring due to my metal prosthesis, I was examined by a friendly controller who understood my situation (unlike the guy in Vienna on 4 December last!). With all these queues I understand better why passengers must be at the airport 2 hours in advance for a charter flight.
The plane was to leave from Terminal B, but at that time of the day there are no gates available: they are all occupied by the long-haul aircraft. My gate was B93, good for a bus ride. I was in the plane (parked in front of the DHL building) at 08:45, but we had to wait until 09:18 before all passengers were on board and the baggage loaded.
The plane looked quite new and fresh. The three stewardesses were very friendly and helped whoever needed assistance. Seating was dense (148 seats), but acceptable thanks to nice Recaro seats, not the same as the new SN ones. The plane was pushed back before the last passengers were seated….
The load factor was 100%. Most passengers were tourists for one of the two destinations of the triangular flight (Aqaba in Jordan and Hurghada in Egypt), but there were also Jordan nationals returning home.
One of the two co-pilots (yes, the cockpit was as numerous as the cabin crew) immediately gave some information over the flight, which would last 4 hours and 10 minutes (but then why put 5 hrs and 20 minutes in the timetable?). Take-off from short runway 20, as usual on Sundays, thus full power with brakes blocked and then released.
Once at cruising altitude (37,000 ft), meal service started in the front of the plane, but it had to be interrupted for half an hour because of heavy turbulences over Austria.
Once all the passengers who had ordered a breakfast had been served, the crew started selling food and drinks to those passengers in the back. It was not until 10:45 that I could order chocolate bread and a coffee for a reasonable 2.50 euros.
The route took us over Liege, Frankfurt, Munich, Klagenfurt, Zagreb, Sofia, Bodrum, Rhodes, the Sinai Peninsula and finally the Red Sea south of Aqaba and returning back towards the north for landing.
Aqaba is a very small airport. Our plane was the only one present (except for a B727 and a Tristar of LuzAir parked since apparently a long time). No jet bridges: the plane stops in front of the terminal and the passengers walk to the arrivals hall.
There it took a long time to get the entry visa in the passport.
A Jetair representative was waiting with the documents, and my vacation (a circuit through Jordan) could start.
As a conclusion, I enjoyed a generally satisfactory flight.
Flight: JetairFly JAF/TB 7007 BRU-AQJ (Brussels-Aqaba, Jordan)
Date: 22 JAN 2012
Aircraft: Boeing 737-700/winglets reg. OO-JAR
Seat: 19F (window, just behind the wing)
Scheduled/Effective Time of Departure: 09:00/09:18 (GMT + 1)
Scheduled/Effective Time of Arrival: 15:20/14:49 (GMT + 2)
Scheduled/Effective Duration of the flight: 5 hrs 20 min / 4 hrs 31 min
I arrived at the airport two hours and a quarter before departure. I went first to the Jetair desk, where I got a free newspaper, than to the only check-in desk (12.6) devoted to regular passengers, where I arrived in the middle of the crowd (there was one other desk for the few VIP passengers). The FlightCare check-in lady arrived exactly at 07:00, when the queue was huge. It took until 07:30 before it was my turn. I got my boarding pass and proceeded to the DeliFrance of the departure hall to have a nice breakfast (two Viennese pastries, an orange juice and a cappuccino) for just 8.50 euros (the Jetair breakfast for 9 euros was not better!).
After that, a short queue at the passport control, followed by another huge queue at the baggage control and metal detector. After the usual ring due to my metal prosthesis, I was examined by a friendly controller who understood my situation (unlike the guy in Vienna on 4 December last!). With all these queues I understand better why passengers must be at the airport 2 hours in advance for a charter flight.
The plane was to leave from Terminal B, but at that time of the day there are no gates available: they are all occupied by the long-haul aircraft. My gate was B93, good for a bus ride. I was in the plane (parked in front of the DHL building) at 08:45, but we had to wait until 09:18 before all passengers were on board and the baggage loaded.
The plane looked quite new and fresh. The three stewardesses were very friendly and helped whoever needed assistance. Seating was dense (148 seats), but acceptable thanks to nice Recaro seats, not the same as the new SN ones. The plane was pushed back before the last passengers were seated….
The load factor was 100%. Most passengers were tourists for one of the two destinations of the triangular flight (Aqaba in Jordan and Hurghada in Egypt), but there were also Jordan nationals returning home.
One of the two co-pilots (yes, the cockpit was as numerous as the cabin crew) immediately gave some information over the flight, which would last 4 hours and 10 minutes (but then why put 5 hrs and 20 minutes in the timetable?). Take-off from short runway 20, as usual on Sundays, thus full power with brakes blocked and then released.
Once at cruising altitude (37,000 ft), meal service started in the front of the plane, but it had to be interrupted for half an hour because of heavy turbulences over Austria.
Once all the passengers who had ordered a breakfast had been served, the crew started selling food and drinks to those passengers in the back. It was not until 10:45 that I could order chocolate bread and a coffee for a reasonable 2.50 euros.
The route took us over Liege, Frankfurt, Munich, Klagenfurt, Zagreb, Sofia, Bodrum, Rhodes, the Sinai Peninsula and finally the Red Sea south of Aqaba and returning back towards the north for landing.
Aqaba is a very small airport. Our plane was the only one present (except for a B727 and a Tristar of LuzAir parked since apparently a long time). No jet bridges: the plane stops in front of the terminal and the passengers walk to the arrivals hall.
There it took a long time to get the entry visa in the passport.
A Jetair representative was waiting with the documents, and my vacation (a circuit through Jordan) could start.
As a conclusion, I enjoyed a generally satisfactory flight.
André
ex Sabena #26567
ex Sabena #26567
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Re: With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
Nice report André! Thanks
Didn't know they fly to Jordan, interesting.
Have a nice trip through Jordan! (What places are you visiting?)
Didn't know they fly to Jordan, interesting.
Have a nice trip through Jordan! (What places are you visiting?)
Re: With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
I am currently at the Radisson Blu in Aqaba (hence the free Internet ). I'll be visiting the desert in a 4x4 in Wadi Rum, then Petra (World heritage of UNESCO), Madaba, Mount Nebo, Amman, Jerash, Ajlun, Bethany, the Dead Sea and back to Aqaba. A nice trip indeed!airtrotter wrote:Have a nice trip through Jordan! (What places are you visiting?)
André
ex Sabena #26567
ex Sabena #26567
- cathay belgium
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Re: With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
Andre,
THX for the quick report ! Quite an amazing trip you'll gonna do this week !
A nice report, do you took pics of the 727 and tristar.. dead parked or awaiting domestic flights ?
TIP : don't shave yourself two days before the dead sea
Enjoy your trip !
CX-B
THX for the quick report ! Quite an amazing trip you'll gonna do this week !
A nice report, do you took pics of the 727 and tristar.. dead parked or awaiting domestic flights ?
TIP : don't shave yourself two days before the dead sea
Enjoy your trip !
CX-B
New types flown 2022.. A339
Re: With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
Hellocathay belgium wrote:Andre,
727 and tristar.. dead parked or awaiting domestic flights ?
I can already answer a part of your question.
The tristar is Luzair CS-TMP and stored at Aqaba.
Greetings,
All my posted timings are local !
Re: With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
Only 3 flight attendants on such long flight? I thought on these long flights (return too Brussels too),
they have one extra cabin crew member...
they have one extra cabin crew member...
Re: With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
Because it is a long flight, they have the time to serve everybody. Don't expect to get a meal immediately after take-off! I got it 2 hours after take-off.Shanti wrote:Only 3 flight attendants on such long flight? I thought on these long flights (return too Brussels too), they have one extra cabin crew member...
André
ex Sabena #26567
ex Sabena #26567
Re: With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
Except for training flights, we always have 3 cabin crew members on the 737-700 and 737-500. You'd be surprised how swiftly we can do the service when necessary, so it's really not a problem on the shorter flights either.
Thomas
Re: With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
Hellocathay belgium wrote:Andre,
727 .. dead parked or awaiting domestic flights ?
CX-B
And here is the other answer.
B727 N727NQ Stored
Greetings,
All my posted timings are local !
Re: With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
I got a (too short) technical nightstop in Aqaba this summer, Radisson Blu is indeed quite nice and has a view on the sea .
Enjoy !
Enjoy !
Re: With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
thank you for the trip report! ENjoy Jordan!
Re: With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
Did you also pass Aqaba and only do the U-turn 50km South of the runway? I had this in May 2011 and I found this sooo stupid, to lose so much time, why the hell do the u-turn this far south. It's a loss of at least 10min. cos it's like 100km more for whichever reason I don't know.
And it was even worse than you concerning the schedule. The flight back was about 5h yet the schedule planned 6h30... very strange indeed! I guess it's to have good on-time records... but this is exagerated.
And it was even worse than you concerning the schedule. The flight back was about 5h yet the schedule planned 6h30... very strange indeed! I guess it's to have good on-time records... but this is exagerated.
Re: With JetairFly to Aqaba, Jordan, on a B737-700
Yes, indeed. This gives the opportunity to see the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba over some 50 km, thus way into Saudi Arabia before seeing Tala Bay in Jordan and the hotel where I would be staying for one night, the Radisson Blu Tala Bay, before starting my tour of Jordan.stefanel wrote:Did you also pass Aqaba and only do the U-turn 50km South of the runway?
André
ex Sabena #26567
ex Sabena #26567