AMS-CDG
VY 9963
Date: 02 August 2007
Dept. Time: 1535
Arrival Time: 1700
Seat: 8F
I arrived about 1.5 hours before departure. AMS was really busy during this summer vacation season. I proceeded to Depature area 1 where the check-in desks of Vueling is located. I noticed that there was no line. I had actually just one carry on with hardly anything, but due to the silly liquid rules, I had to check the bag in. I had already checked in about 3 days ago! Yes, with Vueling you can check in about 7 days ahead of time if I remember well. One of the only airline I know where this can be done. Proceeded to security check which was really long. Stood about 15 mins in line and finally proceeded to the gate. This gate was located in the B area which was quite a distance to walk. Here are some shots of the “journey” to the gate.
The long walk to Pier B
A rare Martinair, most probably from former DBA.
After arrival at the gate area, I saw that it was a nice location, at the end of the pier with a good view of the apron and runways. Here are some of the shots I took while waiting for boarding time. Some of the exotic ones are Iran Air, Varig Log (Cargo plane), some chartered aircraft operating for Martinair, Euro Mediterranean, Dragonair Cargo, Air Finland and a KLM with the Bird beak. Others were just Transavia’s, Martinair’s and the KLM CityHopper.
During this time, I noticed also that the wife of a German couple near me was also a bit of a plane spotter, not sure if she was really as she was also taking shots of planes like me. Anyway, back to the trip, our flight was delayed by about 30 mins due to late arrival of the aircraft. Here is our bird to Paris.
I noticed that for this flight, there were quite a small number of passengers. Boarding into the holding area began about 1545, and we were only allowed into the aircraft around 1600. As suspected, load was really light, with about only 40+%. We were greeted at the gate by the Spanish purser. She was friendly and by another FA who turned out also to be a purser. Here is a shot of the cabin and some of the materials available onboard
The reading material was all in Spanish, supplied by some Spanish gossip magazine I guess. And for the first time, in this edition, they had I think the top ten love/sex scene of movies, and again for the first time I saw that in the magazines they showed some scenes I think not viewable by children. The menu for inflight meal was not too pricey, seems reasonable. Boarding finished and doors were closed at about 16.10. Here is a shot of the cowling and the unidentified operator for Martinair.
We pushed back and was on our way via the “Haarlem” way to the runway. A NWA shot taken during the long taxi to the runway.
After an uneventful flight, we started our descent into CDG. We were handed out sweets which again is the first for a LCC that I have traveled with. Arriving in CDG, I had the same runway again which was used when I arrived from NGO a couple of weeks ago, but this time as predicted we were using T1. We passed through the construction of the A380 hangar.
At CDG, the crew also left and this was replaced by a new crew headed towards Palma de Mallojrca.
Overall, I would say that Vueling is one of the best LCC that I have traveled with. I would recommend it to anyone, crew members are friendly, and prices for buy-on-board food is cheap. They also have some “extras” which you would not expect from LCC’s.
From T1, I transferred to 2F via the new CDG airport rail system.
Continued my journey on Air France (upgraded to Biz) to Budapest, service was ok. Full flight, most probably for the F1 that weekend in Budapest. Here are a few photos of the activities at CDG and a view of Le Bourget.
Here are a few shots of my arrival back from Budapest with Alitalia at AMS. Did not do any TR again because I have done it before and there was nothing special, only thing was the flight was delayed by nearly 1 hour on the boarding and 45 mins in the plane (while on ground).
Hope that everyone enjoyed the report. Next trip will be with KLM to KUL.
Btw: Does anybody know why is it that some shots that I made with the zoom function of my camera and loaded via Imageshack, placed in the forum will be very much enlarged? (thus some of the photos I need to leave them in thumbnail size).
