This is my fourth a.net trip report, the last one you read here. I hope you enjoy this one too.

AMS Amsterdam Schiphol Airport - BUD Budapest Ferihegy Airport

Date 25 of October 2007
Flight: MA 0661
Aircraft: Boeing 737-8Q8
Reg: HA-LOH
Gate: D26
Planned departure time: 10:00 am.
Actual push back time: 10:19 am.
Arrival time: 12:15 pm.
Seat: 10 F economy

All my trip report which I have posted were leisure trips, this one is my first trip report of a business trip.

Because the departure time was 10:00 am. me and my colleague decided to take the train. We have namely in the Netherlands a big problem and that are the traffic jams. Without that I can drive from my house to Amsterdam Airport within a hour but when you are unlucky than is 3 hours not uncommon. Avoid the stress due that uncertainly we took the train, first class otherwise you can stand until station Leiden.

My boss who lives in a another part of the Netherlands was already arrived at the airport and he has done the check-in for us, so we could at 8:50 am. direct to passport control and doing some shopping. Boarding time at gate D26 was 9:30 am. and there stood a long row. Due extensive and IMO a little bit exaggerated control for this kind of flight (shoes off, all drink bottles sealed or not in garbage) shrunk the row very slowly. At 10:10 am. we were sitting in our leather seats. Five minutes later the door closed and at 10:19 am. precisely the push back starts. The full loaded 737-800 taxied to the Zwanenburgbaan 18C/36C. We have to wait for a starting El-Al cargo plane and at 10:32 am. we took off. It was foggy so after 30 seconds we disappear in the clouds above Holland.

The HA-LOH at the gate


B pier with all Star alliance


Behind the KL a very special 747


El-Al cargo plane ready for take off


One of the female F A's made in three languages (Hungarian, English and funny Dutch) the announcement that the flight time was one hour and 45 minutes. The belt lights went off, the screens came down with the flight info. The F A's started at 11;00 am. with the serving of one hot sandwiches, a candy bar and a non alcohol drink. Twenty five minutes later they came with coffee or tee and a little refreshing tissue. At 11:50 am. The captain made an announcement, what he said was not really clear, but I guess that one of the subjects was the rainy weather in Budapest. A few minutes later the landing procedures were starting and 12:15 pm. we landed very smooth on runway 13L/31R at Ferihegy Airport.

Flight info during the flight


The lunch


At 12:20 am. we connected at the gate and 20 minutes later I could pick up my bag from the belt. We were going out of terminal 2a and walked to terminal 2b where we after fill in a lot forms got our key of the rent car. With that car we drove 3,5 hours to our final destination Pécs, a city in the south of Hungary.

Before landing at BUD


Rainy BUD


Final destination Pécs



Return flight

BUD Budapest Ferihegy Airport - AMS Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Date 27 of October 2007
Flight: MA 0664
Aircraft: Boeing 737-7Q8
Reg: HA-LOI
Gate: 23
Planned departure time: 11:50 am.
Actual push back time: 12:02 am.
Arrival time: 2:12 pm.
Seat: 10 A economy

After a drive of 3,5 hours, mostly in foggy circumstances we arrived at 10:30 am. at Ferihegy Airport. I parked the car and we walked to terminal 2b where we dropped the key of the car. From there we walked to the other terminal where we at one of the self check-in machines do the check in, then we wanted dropping our luggage by one of the baggage drop-off point. But there they were filming for I don't no what, so we must dropped the luggage by one of the regular check-in desks. We tried by one of the desk where was no row, but unfortunately the woman behind the desk had one task and that was to do the check for another flight and she had not the flexibility or the self initiative for doing the labeling our luggage. At the end we stand 20 minutes in a row for only drop off our luggage, you may ask what the benefit is for the self check-in at Budapest airport.

Terminal 2a


At 11:10 am. we passed the luggage control, I walked around and looked to the airplanes which arriving, departing and standing at the gates and make some photos. BTW all my aviation photos which I've made during this trip you can see here. Half past eleven the boarding started and 10 minutes later I was sitting in a 737-700 on seat 10A next to the emergency exit. Twelve minutes later then the planned departure time the push back started and 12:10 pm. the plane took off by a speed of 231 km/hour, direction South East. I know this because my boss, who was sitting next to me, played somewhat with his Garmin nuvi navigator, that navigator was mostly useless in Hungary but it works during the flight. The maximum speed was for example 840 km/hour and the display of the map is like the map on the flight info screens.

HA-LOI at the gate with behind the tower of Ferihegy


Cargolux taxi to the runway


Gate info


The serving of the drinks and the lunch was similar as at the AMS-BUD flight. At 1:30 pm., we were flying near Dutch border where the landing started. For about a half hour later we touched the 18R/36L Polderbaan and everyone who knows Schiphol airport, that means a long drive to the gate. During that we passed my favorite airplane a beautiful KLM Boeing 772, that plane reminds me to all my vacations to Brazil. Finally, 15 minutes later, flight MA 0664 connected at gate D18. Out of the plane I walked to the baggage claim where I picked my bag, through the customs and surprisingly for me they stopped me not for a extra check. After that a short visit to the terrace and then me and my colleague went to the train station, where we took the train to our home town.

Seatpitch next to the emergency exit


The lunch


Flight info


Landing on the Polderbaan


Passing the most beautiful airplane a KL772


CO 767 from behind


A well known shot from the terrace with in the middle the tail of Malev plane


Conclusion, Malev is okay, it can easily compete with the A-carriers of Europe, food is okay, the F A's are friendly, the plane is clean, the leather seats are good, one thing that IMO can really improve is the check-in at Budapest Airport.

Regards,

Hans