BD 105 LHR - AMS 26 April 2009

So this was a short hop from LHR to AMS for a work trip lasting a day. Decided to take off on the Sunday as to have a day in AMS to see some sights having not been there for a few years. So left home yesterday at around 5.30am and M25 was very kind. Was in the Star Alliance Gold lounge by 7.30am. Im not even going to try and compare this lounge in T1 to the VS CH there is no comparison. Lets just say that the crme de la crme of Star Alliance really have a poor lounge compared to the hallowed VS CH. Just as a taster its the old BA Terraces lounge re-done. So lots of Ikea furniture and not much else. Some bacon rolls, ropey coffee and greek yoghurt with muesli. Oh please bring on BOS on 6 June!!!

T1 itself is ok quite bright and the usual BAA affair. The gate areas are like a time-warp though. Pretty old and drab.

Anyway with an anticipated flight time of about hour I didnt expect much. When we boarded the aircraft turned out to be an Embraer 145 (a first for me) instead of the A319 advertised. It really did feel like a sardine can. Despite the short flight it turned out to be a VS fest..

.when in queue to take off we saw 2 VS A343s parked remotely (recognised as such by the hairdryer sized engines). A few minutes later (still in the queue) a VS 346 left the ground (didnt catch the name). Better still a 744 (Cosmic Girl) took off 2 before we did. Wow.

Anyway a bumpy hour ride later we landed smoothly into a wet AMS. The taxi was as long as the flight (honest). As I negotiated the terminal I (like a geek) was aircraft spotting as I walked. No. It cant be. Surely not? Not in the space of an hour. Yes. It was. A VS 744 taking off from AMS!! Presumably after some sort of maintenance. So in one hour I had seen precisely 5 VS planes. Unbelievable!

Anyway, back to the BD flight. It was ok. For 166 it was ok. However, BMI seem to be rapidly becoming a LCC. Luckily I am *G otherwise I would have been paying for my chicken pesto sandwich!!! A LCC in a major alliance? Whatever next!

Thanks for your report, must have been strange to see vs at ams.


cheers

alex

Sounds like a good plane spotting flight!

Dominic

[mcmbenjamin]

quote:Originally posted by DMetters-Bone
Sounds like a good plane spotting flight!

Dominic


Smart person![}:)]

quote:Originally posted by flyerdavid
A VS 744 taking off from AMS!! Presumably after some sort of maintenance. So in one hour I had seen precisely 5 VS planes. Unbelievable!



You are correct - the 747's have their maintenance done in Amsterdam.

quote:Originally posted by flyerdavid
As I negotiated the terminal I (like a geek) was aircraft spotting as I walked.


I did the exact hope earlier this month with BA and was more excited about spotting at AMS than actually seeing the sights in Amsterdam. Nothing says Amsterdam more than seeing all those NW/KL birds lined up for miles on end.

quote:
No. It cant be. Surely not? Not in the space of an hour. Yes. It was. A VS 744 taking off from AMS!! Presumably after some sort of maintenance. So in one hour I had seen precisely 5 VS planes. Unbelievable!

Yeh I saw a VS 744 parked remotely when I was there also. If it shocked you seeing a VS plane in AMS can you imagine how excited the people of Manila get when the 346's pop over for a bit of TLC!

quote:Originally posted by flyerdavid
So this was a short hop from LHR to AMS for a work trip lasting a day. Decided to take off on the Sunday as to have a day in AMS to see some sights having not been there for a few years. So left home yesterday at around 5.30am and M25 was very kind. Was in the Star Alliance Gold lounge by 7.30am. Im not even going to try and compare this lounge in T1 to the VS CH there is no comparison. Lets just say that the crme de la crme of Star Alliance really have a poor lounge compared to the hallowed VS CH. Just as a taster its the old BA Terraces lounge re-done. So lots of Ikea furniture and not much else. Some bacon rolls, ropey coffee and greek yoghurt with muesli. Oh please bring on BOS on 6 June!!!

T1 itself is ok quite bright and the usual BAA affair. The gate areas are like a time-warp though. Pretty old and drab.

Anyway with an anticipated flight time of about hour I didnt expect much. When we boarded the aircraft turned out to be an Embraer 145 (a first for me) instead of the A319 advertised. It really did feel like a sardine can. Despite the short flight it turned out to be a VS fest..

.when in queue to take off we saw 2 VS A343s parked remotely (recognised as such by the hairdryer sized engines). A few minutes later (still in the queue) a VS 346 left the ground (didnt catch the name). Better still a 744 (Cosmic Girl) took off 2 before we did. Wow.

Anyway a bumpy hour ride later we landed smoothly into a wet AMS. The taxi was as long as the flight (honest). As I negotiated the terminal I (like a geek) was aircraft spotting as I walked. No. It cant be. Surely not? Not in the space of an hour. Yes. It was. A VS 744 taking off from AMS!! Presumably after some sort of maintenance. So in one hour I had seen precisely 5 VS planes. Unbelievable!

Anyway, back to the BD flight. It was ok. For 166 it was ok. However, BMI seem to be rapidly becoming a LCC. Luckily I am *G otherwise I would have been paying for my chicken pesto sandwich!!! A LCC in a major alliance? Whatever next!


The *A Au lounge isn't trying to compete with the clubhouse.

A new *A lounge is due to open in June this year. This lounge is supposed to be much nicer. *A themselves say it will be no clubhouse as they simply don't have the funds available however, it will be a very nice lounge. From what I read it'll be more like the Air NZ lounge in LAX but that is just my interpretation, I could be miles out!

Thanks for the TR, sounds like an aircraft enthusiast's dream.