February 16, 2001
Aer Lingus #202 / British Airways #5902
SKD DEP: Dublin Ireland 0720
SKD ARR: Manchester, UK 0820
ACT DEP: 0728
ACT ARR: 0808
Boeing 737-400 EI-BXB (St. Gall)

It was time for another trip to Manchester to take care of some personal business. I’ve been quite busy with work at school and all I really could allow for was a Saturday and Sunday. I’ve given up on taking the advice of the reservation agents and decided that one hour is enough to arrive in advance for these early morning flights. I ordered a taxi to pick me up at 6.00am and I arrived at Dublin within 20 minutes. Inside the airport was a mess, as is usually the case in the mornings (but I really thought a Saturday would be different), and I made my way to the customer service desk to check-in since I only had hand luggage. The line was quite long as there was only 2 people working the counter but the lines for luggage were even longer. I’ve given up on complaining about Aer Lingus….you have two choices leaving Ireland for most places….Aer Lingus or Ryanair….and having tasted the low fares market with Go last month I’ve decided that Aer Lingus will continue to take my business. However, that is not to say others have given up too. A man in front of me turned around to me and was like “ I feel like taking this ticket and telling them where to shove it…..two f***in people working the desk!!!” Sounds like something I might have said two months ago. I waited a good 20 minutes and was assigned 10D for the 737-400 flight. I was number 92 in the sequence.

Security was another mess (which actually is unusual at DUB). The lines at the B gates were so horrendous that they stretched into the check-in area for Ryanair which is quite far. So I made my way to the A gates where the situation was not much better but was about a 15 minute wait. Once through security I was so tired since I was up so early I just grabbed a paper and made my way down to the gate area. The flight was leaving from A7. At the gate there was a load of schoolkids. They were all holding British passports….I figured that they were just off the JFK flight and in transit….thus the reason for me being 92 in the sequence. I just prayed I didn’t have to sit next to any of them!!!!

Boarding commenced shortly after and we boarded the 734. The 737-400 is in my opinion the best aircraft that EI operates….albeit the oldest….from 1989. Takeoff was on schedule just about and we left Rwy 10/28 and headed for our cruising altitude of 18,000 ft. Once at cruising level we were served a stupid cup of coffee. This is a new feature on the UK regional flights. The last time I did this flight in November the crew came around with a cart with tea and coffee and asked what we wanted. Now…..they come around and hand you the cup which has a lid and inside it is your sugar, spoon (which you can only imagine how small it is), a napkin, and your milk. Then you are given a biscuit or two and then you have to hand back your cup to the F/A and tell them what you want. Now, all three crew have to serve a full 737-400 with 26 rows in a matter of 25-30 minutes. I’m not complaining here at all……I feel sorry for the crew having to put up with this new procedure. Putting everything in the cup with a lid takes up time which is something that is not present on these short flights!!!!

Just barely after serving this coffee we landed a bit early at MAN at 0808. I proceeded to make my way to the rail station to get my taxi to the city center to check in at my hotel and then head to Stoke-on-Trent.

The next day I returned.

February 17 ,2001
Aer Lingus #207 / British Airways #5907
SKD DEP: Manchester, UK 1255
SKD ARR: Dublin, Ireland 1355
ACT DEP: 1252
ACT ARR: 1331
British Aerospace 146-300 EI-CLJ (St. Senan)

I woke up and quickly ran to Starbucks (ahhh Starbucks……something so American…..something I miss….something we don’t have in Ireland!!!!) for breakfast. Then I checked out of the hotel. On the way down the captain of the PIA flight to Karachi that afternoon was in the lift with me and we started talking. He had just flown in from JFK the day before. I couldn’t help but notice how old those uniforms are….the captain really did not give the image that some captains like on AA and UA ….or even EI for that matter give. But he was a nice guy…and anyone that can fly a 747 is OK in my books!!

I arrived at Terminal 1 at 1120 and checked in with considerably more baggage this time and checked through one piece and was assigned 6D. I had some time, about an hour, so I headed up to the roof of the parking garage. Manchester is one of my favourite airports to fly out of simply for this one amenity….forget about all the airport clubs….give me a viewing gallery and I am happy has can be. Unfortunately, there wasn’t as much traffic as I had anticipated. I was hoping to see an AA 763 and a CO 777. They had already departed back the US. But, as I was walking I saw on approach the Emirates 332 from DXB. Now, that was a first….I’ve done a lot of spotting at JFK….and that is one visitor I have never seen. So, it was all worth it then. At T2 there was a US 333 parked and boarding for Philly. A couple of domestic BA flights arrived and then I realized it was time for me to make my way out to the gate.

Security was easy. No lines….no hassle….even though the airport was very busy with the usual array of UK Charters to Malaga, Faro, etc. Boarding was through Gate 24 and commenced on time and the lounge was quite empty with only about 50 people or so in it. Flight boarded a bit late at 1240 but I figured that was probably due to the light load. Surely enough we pushed back at 1252. Once we reached cruising altitude, which I couldn’t hear because the captain could not be heard making announcements, we were again served this stupid coffee deal. Now, this was far easier on this flight due to the fact that the 146 is only 20 rows and that we only had about 60 people on board.

Landing was about 25 minutes ahead of schedule at DUB and baggage was delivered unusually quickly.

So, overall a pretty nice set of flights with EI. Although the fare was quite high at EUR 163.55 = $148.00.

Next weekend….Dublin – Frankfurt.