After a long while of abscense I decided (and had time) to upload another trip. This trip contains the following flight (between arrows)
14/07/2008 9W 0228 Brussels-Newark Jet Airways Boeing 777-300ER
15/07/2008 AA 0915 New York JFK-Miami American Airlines Airbus A300-600
20/07/2008 AA 4959 Miami-Jacksonville American Eagle ATR 72
21/07/2008 FL 0026 Jacksonville-Atlanta Air Tran Boeing 717-200
04/08/2008 B6 1086 Charlotte-New York JFK Embrear 190
->04/08/2008 9W 0227 Newark-Brussels Jet Airways Boeing 777-300ER<-
Link to part I: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=37842
Link to part II: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=38068
Link to part III: .viewtopic.php?f=4&t=38176
Link to part IV: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=38857
Link to part V: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=38867
Background:
For my 18th birthday I wanted to make a special trip with alot of new aircraft types. Eventually after a month planning (dates, flights,…) I finally put this trip together.
Pre-departure:
After arriving on a jetBlue flight from Charlotte I was on the way in the olympic airporter to Newark. I was a bit worried about traffic. But in today’s case this was no problem at all. I arrived nicely on time at 17h40 for a 20h25 departure. Driving up at Newark I could see the view of the beautiful Jet Airways 777 wich arrived this morning from Mumbai and Brussels.
@ the Airport
Entering the airport I immediatly found Jet Airways check in desks. There were already quite a few people checking in. After a short wait I was called over to the business check-in desks to check in. A few desks further I saw an enlarged view of the seatmap of our plane tonight. Wich I taught that was a nice feature. After that I grabbed myself a bite to eat at the overcrowded Mcdonalds. Soon it was 1830 and it was time to pass thru security. The security checkpoint was rather overcrowded with numourus departures between 19 and 2100. Halfway the que we where pushed aside to let the crew of Qatar airways pass. In another line I could see the Jet Airways crew pass. At about 1910 I was finally thru that mess. The B2 sattelite was very crowded aswell. By that time our plane was already been towed into gate B55. VT-JEH would do tonights service to Brussels and on to Mumbai. Besidses us was a Virgin Atlantic A340-600 to London’s Heathrow. I believe that was G-VRED. Next to it stands A7-ACC, an A330-200 from Qatar. Flying to Geneve and onwards to Doha. I just go the F-HAVN of L’avion flying to Paris Orly. It qued right behind the Air France A330 F-GZCE to Paris Charles De Gaulle. At about 1930 boarding started. First for First and Bussines class passengers. Then for families with small childeren. Soon after that it was my time to board.
The flight:
Monday 4 August 2008
Newark (EWR/KEWR)-Brussels (BRU/EBBR)
Jet Airways 227
Boeing 777-3H5ER VT-JEH. Economy 52A
20h25-20h38 (Gate B55; wheels up on runway 22L at 21h14)
09h40-10h11 (Gate B06; wheels down on runway 25L at 9h58)
Cruising Altitude: FL 340
Load factor: 100% in Y
Routing: EWR-MERIT-HFD-PUT-BRADD-YYT-NOVEP-N48W50 -N49W40-N50W30-N51W20-DINIM-GIPER-UN514- LESLU-UL-80MERLY-UM140DVR-WTI-VABIK-4W70 -KOK-BRU
http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?MAP-STYLE ... -UNITS=kts
Greeted at door 1L by the lead FA by my family name. After passing the First and premiere class cabins. I found my seat 52A. As on the flight over to Newark. I was seated in the rear Y-cabin. Boarding Music was nice but it was different than the Music on the way over. It seemed more like a light jazz instead of classic. It was a full flight tonight and in 52B and 52C ther was a young couple with a small child. So what am I thinking. Night flight, full, crying babies. Not a nice perspective to begin the night flight home. We pushed back at 2038 where the saftey demo began. Taxing out I noticed a big competitor of 9W. Air India’s VT-ESP was docked at the B3 satteliete for its departure to Paris CDG and Delhi. After quite a few holds and moves we where cleared for take off at 2114.
Soon therafter the AVOD was switched on. I kept it mainly on the moving map. Underway I created my own Music list. For those intrested it consisted the following
Micheal Bublé-Everyting
Nickelback-If everyone Cared
James Blunt-1973
Rod Stewart-Sailing
Menu’s where distributed again and showed us the menu for aswell the Newark-Brussels segment as the Brussels-Mumbai segment. Passengers travelling onward to Mumbai could enjoy a lunch and a light meal prior to its arrival. The Menu on our flight consisted of the next
Newark-Brussels
Indian selection:
Salad: Kachumbar
Diced onions, tomato and cucumber tossed with seasoning and cilantro.
Entree: Malabar Prawn Curry
Fresh water prawns simmered in a fiery coconut based gravy.
Subz Navrattan Korma (vegetarian option)
Seasonal vegtables. Dry fruist and nuts cooked in a creamy cashew gravy.
Dessert: Rasmalai
Soft milk dumplings, served soaked in flavoured and sweetened reduced milk
International selection:
Salad: Kachumbar
Diced onions, tomato and cucumber tossed with seasoning and cilantro.
Entree: Rosemary Roast Chicken, Pan Jus Reduction
Roast chicken breast served with safron mash, wok tossed pak choi, broccoli, spring onions and asparagus.
Dessert
Bread and Butter pudding
Traditional dessert of bread, cream and milk layered with dry fruit.
Continental Breakfast
Choice of Fruit Juices
Fresh Seasonal fruits
Fruit Yoghurt
Croissant
Served with Preserves
Tea or Coffee
I opted for the vegetarian option on tonight’s flight. One disadvantage on the short night flights is that if you chose to eat on board there is not much time to sleep no more. Only once on Delta flight meals out of JFK where served 20 minutes after takeoff. Flight time tonight was about 6hours and 27minutes.by the dinner was served it was 2330 in Newark and 530 in Brussels already. Soon therafter I slept for a few hours.
I woke up at about 750 local time in Brussels (150 in Newark). We where still over the atlantic ocean. About 2 hours before our landing in Brussels breakfast was served.
When Breakfast was cleared I streched my legs. This was my second stretch during the flight. I did not want to disturb the baby. However, he did behave well for the crossing over the pond tonight.
. At least better that the 2 childeren sitting a few rows before me. During my strech trough the cabin I had a wonderfull conversation with the lead FA (In Flight Executive) about stuff like work load, load factors,… We even mentioned that today it was 9W’s year anniversary in BRU. On Aug 5th 2007 Jet Airways launched its First flight from Mumbai to Newark via Brussels. We talked until about the beging of our descent into Brussels. On approach we made a circle halfway the approach pattern. Have no idea why. About 1001 we touched down on runway 25L with a pretty long run. We taxied upto the old C-councourse where we had another hold due to no availible gate. After a few minutes we continued our taxi. On our way I noticed the United Boeing 777 N781UA wich arrived from Washington Dulles as UA950. Pushing back was Continental’s N66056 wich flew me from IAH to AMS earlier this year. In the distance I noticed Delta’s 757 with winglets wich arrived as DL140 from JFK. At the end of the B-Concourse was Delta’s 125 to Atlanta. N155DL was assigned to that run. This plane flew me in feb 2007 from Atlanta to Brussels. At that time all the other Jet Airways flights where in to. The four A330’s operating to New York JFK, Toronto, Delhi and Chennai. Pushing back was VT-JEJ operating 9W 228 from Mumbai to Newark. Docked at 10h11 at gate B06. On the way out I asked if I could make a few pics wich they allowed me to.
We where one of the last longhaul flights in so immergration was a breeze. I suppose about 40-50% of the passengers terminated in Brussels. Including my neighbour. At about 1050 I recieved my bags and at 1105 I was on the train back home. Making me arrive at home approximitaly 1300.
As a bonus I would like to give a list of regs I spotted in EWR and BRU.
EWR:
VT-JEH
G-GZCE
A7-ACC
G-VRED
F-HAVN
N61864
N27015
VT-ESP
BRU:
N781UA
N66056
VT-JEH/J
VT-JWD/G/I/H
N155DL
My Total travel time was about 21hours and 30 mins. (Including part V)
Overal verdicts.
Jet Airways: (see part I and VI)
As being accoustumed to airlines like Delta or Continental. 9W was definitaly a great and unique expercience. From A to Z was just excellent. Maybe some suggetions to put them before the lead would be a drink service after takeoff. Or a similar meal choice as they do on their late night departures from India to Brussels. On flights from the USA to Brussels. Also at that time the website options where pretty poor. But those factors really wouldt keep me from flying Jet Airways again
American Airlines/Eagle: (see part II and III)
Facilities at JFK where good. For the rest. Tired looking planes, unenthiousast crews (however both sets where friendly, the American Eagle crew did do the best they could with the passport issue.) And even no food for sale on a 3-hour flight for a full-service carrier made my expercience not as great. Unless fare/scheduling would work out. I probaly wil not be chosing AA for my future travels.
Airtran Airways: (see part IV)
Airtran seemed to be a nice LCC to fly with, new planes, comfortable Seats, pretty decent service concerning the lenght of the flight, Friendly crews and the XM live radio made my expercience positive. It was just funny to see an actual bussines class on a 45 minute flight. I would not hestiate to chose Airtran again for future travel
jetBlue Airways: (see part V)
Generally great, but not the big wow as many make it look like. Not the most enthiousast crew but not bad either. De EMB190 is a nice aircraft. DirectTV was a nice feature also. And a decent snack onboard. JFK’s terminal 6 was pretty old and worn. However this is gone now. Generally jetBlue was a good airline and I would not hesitate to choose them again.
Thanks for viewing my whole summer trip report. I hope you enjoyed it!.
Next TR:
BRU-ATL-PBI-ATL-BRU on Delta.
