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Yet another of my older trip reports. This time I will tell you al about my flights with Iberia to Tenerife in the Carnival holiday of 2002.
We had won a stay of one week in an apartment complex on Tenerife and we decide to go there during the carnival holidays of 2002. Because Sabena went bankrupt we chose to fly with Iberia.
We departed on a saturday, the flight to Madrid departed at 18:00 so we didn’t have to get up early. At 15:30 the airport service rang at the door and then off we went.
When we arrived at the airport we went directly to the check-in desks after a short queue we got our seats on both flights twice 2 seats one window and one other. After that we went to the satellite where we would board the aircraft, because it was dark outside we couldn’t see anything.
The old C-gates satellite in Brussels, closed and replaced by the new A pier in 2002, still waiting for refurbishement and reopening if neccesary when the traffic would grow significatly.
When we boarded the aircraft we got a newspaper and headphones. The aircraft was a B752 (so as the 3 other flights). The seating was very spacious and the inflight service was excellent. For safety purposes there was a movie whit all things you have to do in case of an emergency. The explanations in Spanish and English where spoken and the Dutch and French announcements where tape recorded (that was much clearer then the Iberia-crew version of English). After a smooth flight of 2h we landed In Madrid (It’s quite spectacular take-off or landing at night because you see all those lights)
In Madrid we had to wait two hours before our connecting flight departed. But we didn’t have to walk far because it was the gate right beside ours, in the meantime I saw an IB A300 arrive. After 2h waiting we where bussed to our Plane again A B752, under the way A saw an IB B742 and a Varig MD11 taking off. We boarded the aircraft and we landed 2 and half hour later in TFS, It was already 1 o’clock in the morning so we where the only flight at TFS!
After a nice week of holiday (I could see all the aircraft landing at TFS because they flew right over the hotel), we had to depart again. That day it rained a lot so we where very happy that when we took a taxi to the airport it stopped for a while.
We where at the airport at around 20:00 and the flight didn’t leave until 2:00 the next day so we had to wait till midnight before we could check-in. When we where waiting for check-in to open we hears that a SLR flight was boarding. In the large departure hall of TFS hangs a miniature model of an Hapag-Lloyd A310 in old colors. When check-in finally opened we where one of the first to check-in and again we got two window seats on both flights.
When we went to the gates area there where still 3 Airlib 737’s boarding all flying to Paris Orly with ten minutes interval.
We boarded the B752 and after a very smooth flight we landed 20 minutes early in Madrid. Where we had to wait till 8:00 before the flight to BRU departed. While waiting I could see A lot of Iberia, Spanair and Air Europa planes.
The flight to BRU was again very smooth only the served breakfast could be a bit more generous. But after 2h flying we landed on 25L and taxied to the satellite, the end of a wonderful week of holiday.
After this rather positive experience I flew Iberia again last your to Mallorca via Barcelona, this time on A320's and MD88's. Compared to my first Iberia experience service has detoriated a lot (no more free foodand drinks, only a very expensive Buy on Board programme) so Iberia has really become a low-service airline with high fares. I would fly Iberia again if they have the cheapest fare but certainly wouldn't pay more to fly them.
We had won a stay of one week in an apartment complex on Tenerife and we decide to go there during the carnival holidays of 2002. Because Sabena went bankrupt we chose to fly with Iberia.
We departed on a saturday, the flight to Madrid departed at 18:00 so we didn’t have to get up early. At 15:30 the airport service rang at the door and then off we went.
When we arrived at the airport we went directly to the check-in desks after a short queue we got our seats on both flights twice 2 seats one window and one other. After that we went to the satellite where we would board the aircraft, because it was dark outside we couldn’t see anything.
The old C-gates satellite in Brussels, closed and replaced by the new A pier in 2002, still waiting for refurbishement and reopening if neccesary when the traffic would grow significatly.
When we boarded the aircraft we got a newspaper and headphones. The aircraft was a B752 (so as the 3 other flights). The seating was very spacious and the inflight service was excellent. For safety purposes there was a movie whit all things you have to do in case of an emergency. The explanations in Spanish and English where spoken and the Dutch and French announcements where tape recorded (that was much clearer then the Iberia-crew version of English). After a smooth flight of 2h we landed In Madrid (It’s quite spectacular take-off or landing at night because you see all those lights)
In Madrid we had to wait two hours before our connecting flight departed. But we didn’t have to walk far because it was the gate right beside ours, in the meantime I saw an IB A300 arrive. After 2h waiting we where bussed to our Plane again A B752, under the way A saw an IB B742 and a Varig MD11 taking off. We boarded the aircraft and we landed 2 and half hour later in TFS, It was already 1 o’clock in the morning so we where the only flight at TFS!
After a nice week of holiday (I could see all the aircraft landing at TFS because they flew right over the hotel), we had to depart again. That day it rained a lot so we where very happy that when we took a taxi to the airport it stopped for a while.
We where at the airport at around 20:00 and the flight didn’t leave until 2:00 the next day so we had to wait till midnight before we could check-in. When we where waiting for check-in to open we hears that a SLR flight was boarding. In the large departure hall of TFS hangs a miniature model of an Hapag-Lloyd A310 in old colors. When check-in finally opened we where one of the first to check-in and again we got two window seats on both flights.
When we went to the gates area there where still 3 Airlib 737’s boarding all flying to Paris Orly with ten minutes interval.
We boarded the B752 and after a very smooth flight we landed 20 minutes early in Madrid. Where we had to wait till 8:00 before the flight to BRU departed. While waiting I could see A lot of Iberia, Spanair and Air Europa planes.
The flight to BRU was again very smooth only the served breakfast could be a bit more generous. But after 2h flying we landed on 25L and taxied to the satellite, the end of a wonderful week of holiday.
After this rather positive experience I flew Iberia again last your to Mallorca via Barcelona, this time on A320's and MD88's. Compared to my first Iberia experience service has detoriated a lot (no more free foodand drinks, only a very expensive Buy on Board programme) so Iberia has really become a low-service airline with high fares. I would fly Iberia again if they have the cheapest fare but certainly wouldn't pay more to fly them.
