BasilFawlty From Netherlands, joined Jun 2009, 1254 posts, RR: 1 Posted (3 years 1 month 4 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 8715 times:
Flying the Avro's: AMS-DUB-LCY-AMS on Aer Lingus, CityJet and BA Cityflyer
Welcome at this trip report!
A while ago I was just browsing through some airline websites when I found a cheap fare with Cityjet from Dublin to London City for only 47 EUR. BA had affordable fares from London City to Amsterdam starting at 56 GBP and this was the ideal opportunity to fly the RJ100 before they are all gone. The RJ85 was missing in my list as well so the choice was made. A.net member HansHubers decided to join me and so we booked AMS-DUB on EI, DUB-LCY on WX and LCY-AMS on BA.
At Wednesday December 9th, we met each other at the airport in departure hall 2. EI still has no online check-in from Amsterdam so we had to use the KLM self-service machines. We picked 17F and 18F and we proceeded to passport control. The departure gate today is D2 so it’s a short walk to the beginning of D-concourse.
The aircraft arrived ahead of schedule and around ten past nine, boarding started. As always, the cabin crew was very friendly. Runway 24 was in use for take-off today which is not very far from stand D2. Pushback started at 09.42 and 6 minutes later we took off from runway 24, in The Netherlands known as the ‘Kaagbaan’.
While we climbed to 38000 feet the cabin crew started with the inflight service. I bought a cup of tea and enjoyed the view of England. The route went over the North Sea, Sheffield, Manchester and over the Irish Sea to Dublin.
SBS-radar view
Final approach with a lot of condensation on the windows
At Dublin, runway 28 was in use which means an almost straight approach. We landed on Irish soil at 10.02 and taxied to pier D. Our next flight was due to depart in just under 3 hours which gave us enough time to walk around. After a quick stop at Mc Donalds we proceeded to security. After that we went to pier C and did some plane spotting for the next hour.
Arriving from Chicago
Date: Wednesday, 09Dec09 Flight: Air France CityJet // AF5118 From: Dublin // DUB To: London City // LCY Duration: 1h25m STD: 13.05 // ATD: 13.16 STA: 14.30 // ATA: 14.27 Aircraft: Avro 146-RJ85 // EI-WXA Seat: Economy // 10F Load factor: 43% // C: 2 passengers // Y: 39 passengers
Boarding for our flight to London City started just before one o’clock at pier A. The dispatcher’s computer monitor showed a light load and indeed boarding was completed very quickly. Because of some ATC restrictions we had to wait for a few more minutes before pushback was approved. Ten minutes late all engines where started and we taxied to runway 28.
After take-off we made a 180 degree turn to the right and headed eastwards. The route today was via North Wales, Stoke-on-Trent, Leicester, Luton and East London at an altitude of 27000 feet. The cabin crew started with the inflight service which consisted of two drinks and a sandwich. They had a goat cheese with pesto roll or a turkey roll on offer and I opted for the goat cheese, which was very delicious.
Goodbye Ireland
Wales
My lunch
Descending
Just after descending had started the cabin crew did another quick drink run and made the cabin ready for arrival. Runway 28 was in use and we made a steep ‘London City style’ approach. Touchdown at 14.25 and on blocks at 14.27, a nice on-time arrival. We parked in between G-LCYG and G-BZAU, the latter would be operating our flight to Amsterdam in the evening.
Inside the terminal building we checked in at the self-service machines for our flight to Amsterdam. Normally I would have used online check-in but that was not available for our flight for an unknown reason. With another 4 hours to kill we decided to go to the city. Last time I was at London City Airport was 4 years ago and at that time the DLR, the Docklands Light Railway, was still under construction. Now there’s a station located in front of the terminal, very convenient. The first option was Tower Gateway station but while enroute announcements were made that an accident had happened and no trains were running to Tower Gateway. So we went to Bank station in stead and explored the area around Bank station for a while.
The millennium dome
Disembarking at Bank Station
Bank Station entrance
The Gherkin
Around five o’clock we arrived back at the airport. It was extremely busy at security with a lot of flights departing at the same time. LCY could really use a bigger terminal during peak times. We stopped at a restaurant for dinner and about an hour later, around 18.15 the FIDS showed boarding for our flight at gate 10.
The check-in hall seen from above
FIDS
Departure lounge
Two Amsterdam flights next to each other
Date: Wednesday, 09Dec09 Flight: BA Cityflyer // BA 8457 From: London City // LCY To: Amsterdam // AMS Duration: 1h15m STD: 18.50 // ATD: 19.09 STA: 21.05 // ATA: 21.19 Aircraft: Avro 146-RJ100 // G-BZAU Seat: Economy // 12F Load factor: 70% // C: 4 passengers // Y: 73 passengers
It took a quite some time before they opened the doors and allowed the passengers to board the plane. At 18.45 the gate staff opened the doors and outside was G-BZAU, one of BA Cityflyer’s Avro RJ100 aircraft, waiting for us. Start-up was delayed for almost 20 minutes due to ATC restrictions. Once off blocks we had to wait for some more inbound traffic until we received clearance to start backtracking to runway 28. Exactly 15 minutes after leaving the gate we received take-off clearance and we made an exciting LCY-style take-off (full power before releasing the brakes).
Sun Air of Scandinavia, one of BA’s franchise partners
Cruise altitude was at 21000ft and the route to Amsterdam is always the same from London. Heading to the North-East, overflying the Ipswich area, crossing the North Sea and a landing on runway 06 or 18R in most cases. Today 18R was in use so that would be a long ride to one of the D-gates. We made a nice landing on Dutch soil at 21.04 and arrived at gate D12, 14 minutes late.
We said goodbye to each other and I took a bus to Badhoevedorp, a small village close to the airport, where I had parked my car. I arrived home with 2 new aircraft types, 2 new airlines and a satisfied feeling.
Thank you for reading!
Best regards,
Jeroen
*Please feel free to comment or ask your questions.
Sultanils From Belgium, joined Mar 2010, 1173 posts, RR: 29 Reply 2, posted (3 years 1 month 4 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 8095 times:
Hi BasilFawlty
Nice report!
Good idea to include those radar views & Google maps. Where do the Google maps come from?
LCY indeed is a small airport. The lounge upstairs is great with good apron views.
How did you find the service on CityJet? I have flown them twice last year and enjoyed it very much.
akhmad From Netherlands, joined Sep 2005, 2329 posts, RR: 53 Reply 3, posted (3 years 1 month 4 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 7963 times:
Quoting BasilFawlty (Thread starter): A.net member HansHubers decided to join me and so we booked AMS-DUB on EI, DUB-LCY on WX and LCY-AMS on BA.
Hi Jeroen, it is always great to have an A.net member to get along with for a trip.
I like your boarding photos in DUB. The Avro looks so cute!
Great pictures of London. I have still not been further than the airport by now. Didn't you get any trouble of taking pictures inside LCY? I reckon some fellow A.netters being warned for that.
CrimsonNL From Netherlands, joined Dec 2007, 1615 posts, RR: 42 Reply 6, posted (3 years 1 month 4 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 7468 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW CHAT OPERATOR
Hey Jeroen, nice report! I should visit London somewhere soon as well. LCY Is definitely my favorite airport in the area. (Though I haven't been to LTN)
EI-DET and G-BZAU are also in my log, as well as G-CELH from one of your earlier trips!
mtaabq From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 81 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (3 years 1 month 4 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 7177 times:
Jeroen: outstanding report! Thank you for writing and for sharing it.
Do you (or anyone) know the reason behind "Bye Bye Easyjet" on Ryanair's plane? I don't recall reading or hearing the story behind that. Slightly off-topic, I realize, but seeing the pic made me wonder. My thanks in advance for the explanation.
And again, Jeroen, great report and I look forward to more submissions from you.
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 2): How did you find the service on CityJet?
Excellent service, I really like the Cityjet product!
Quoting akhmad (Reply 3): Didn't you get any trouble of taking pictures inside LCY? I reckon some fellow A.netters being warned for that.
Yes, I was warned as well when I was taking a picture in the check-in hall. The first picture is taken from a restaurant, no security officers in there at that moment. I experienced no further problems while taking the rest of the pictures.
airbuseric From Netherlands, joined Jan 2005, 4015 posts, RR: 52 Reply 10, posted (3 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 5982 times:
Hi Jeroen,
nice report, good mix of aircraft. I flew all carriers before, and was not too satisfied with Cityjet though. Seatpitch bad and 3-3 seating on these Avro's is terrible. BA was better, experienced on BXAS and row 4 (2-seater behind C-class).
I judge from your LCY picture a long queue with security. That's bad! LCY should not have long queues. This will damage the reputation of the cute little airport, which is growing faster then it can accomodate...
Regards,
Eric
"The whole world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going"
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From Netherlands, joined Jun 2009, 1254 posts, 
Take-off video:
From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2009, 95 posts, 
From Belgium, joined Mar 2010, 1173 posts, 
From Georgia, joined Sep 2003, 4387 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 81 posts, 
I experienced no further problems while taking the rest of the pictures.
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