This is a trip report covering a Baltic Duel I did to get to and from Amsterdam in November 2012.

The story behind this trip begins in the early fall of 2012, I received an e-mail from airBaltic with a voucher worth 20 EUR to use on any BT flights. With BT flights ex-ARN to Europe usually being quite cheap in the first place, this was quite a good opportunity to do some flying.

I looked at some options, and found ARN-RIX-AMS at 50 EUR a good choice. I quickly booked it for 20 November for a grand total of 30 EUR after using my voucher.
Scheduled equipment for both legs was 733 at the time of booking.

I had been to Amsterdam before, but arriving at 10:55 I figured I might as well spend the rest of that day in Amsterdam and then fly back home the next morning.

The cheapest option to get back home was also my preferred option, Estonian Air via Tallinn. 75 EUR was paid for the two legs.
Scheduled equipment was CRJ900 for both legs at the time of booking.

The booked routing, showed with the help of Great Circle Mapper:


This also provided me with the interesting opportunity to compare the two, at the time competing, Baltic airlines in a Baltic duel.

In between the time of booking and the time of travel OV announced a lot of changes to their strategy and business model. Luckily my flights remained unchanged, except for the fact that they went full BOB.

The only equipment change during the interval booking to travel date was my ARN-RIX flight which was changed to a Dash 8-Q400, which I didn't mind to the B733, even though I would have preferred an F50 or B735.

Soon the date of travel arrived and the Baltic Duel could begin.

Let's get ready to rumble!

November 20

With a departure time of 6:45 I arrived at Arlanda Terminal 5 some minutes before 6:00.


Dark outside and feeling sleepy I entered the check-in hall and found the BT check-in desks where there were no queue. I asked for window seats, which was granted for both legs, and I was quickly checked in.

Security didn't have much queue at all and I was quickly through the security checkpoint next to Sky City.

I snapped one or two pictures airside before I ended up at gate 6B (which is a usual BT gate at ARN), waiting for boarding to commence for this morning’s flight to Riga.


Christmas lights:


Gate 6B:


I also went to a nearby window to see what aircraft would be my ride to be to Riga, turns out YL-BAJ would do the honors. This was to be my third flight on the bird, after flying her on UME-VAA-RIX in August of 2012 ( AirBaltic In Business: ARN-UME-VAA-RIX-LIN/BGY-NYO (by deltamartin Sep 19 2012 in Trip Reports) ).


BT104
ARN-RIX
Dash 8-400
YL-BAJ



Soon boarding commenced and I was among the first 5 or so to scan my BP at the gate and walk downstairs out to the apron next to the aircraft. A good photo-op, of course.




I climbed aboard and was greeted by the male FA in the front galley. I made my way to my window seat 17F towards the back.


The seat was pretty comfy, decent legroom for a prop.


The view outside is dominated by the Dash’s engine, of course.


The load was pretty good at an estimated 80%.

Safety demo, pushback and commence of taxiing followed.


We did a typical Dash takeoff from runway 19L after a few minutes of taxiing.




A bank to the left followed, lining us up towards Riga.


Cabin view after takeoff:


Seatpocket contents:


Once we had climbed to cruise altitude and the seatbelt sign had been turned off and all that, the crew begun their service round. Once they reached my row I decided to buy a Chicken and Vegetable Cup a Soup. Quite tasty, and suited me good at that hour. The price was 3.50 EUR.


I spent the rest of the flight just snoozing, it was still quite early after all.

I ‘woke up’ at the beginning of descent. It had (unsurprisingly) become quite a lot brighter outside by that time.




We soon dived down beneath the clouds.




Touchdown on runway 18 followed.


I managed to score my first smoky tires shot:


After braking and leaving the runway we taxied to a remote stand south of the terminal.

Deboarding and entering the bus was done in an orderly fashion. I thanked the crew as I left the aircraft.


We soon drove off to the terminal where we were dropped off. Baggage claim was straight ahead after entering the building, and transfers were to the left. Me, like most other people, went towards transfers.

Up the stairs one goes and one finds oneself in the transit area.


Since my ARN-RIX flight originally was scheduled on a jet aircraft my time at RIX had shrunken, so as soon as I found myself a FIDS to see where to go, it already said Go to Gate. So to gate B4 was where I headed next.


I snapped a picture of RIX’s main pier on my way there.


As I arrived at gate B4 boarding had already begun, so I first snapped a picture of my ride to be before joining the queue.


Turns out YL-BBJ would be my ride to AMS this day. This would be my second flight on this bird after flying her on RIX-TLL in February 2012 ( To Pajala On A Jetstream: KRN-ARN-RIX-TLL-PJA (by deltamartin Feb 19 2012 in Trip Reports) ).

Queuing for boarding:


BT617
RIX-AMS
Boeing 737-300
YL-BBJ

Some queuing had to be done in the jetway to be able to enter the aircraft.


Another BT ’37 at a neighboring gate:


Soon enough I was onboard the aircraft and I was greeted by the usual BT girls in the front galley.

Once I reached my seat 10F, which I had been assigned by the check-in lady at ARN that morning, I realized it was the row in front of the emergency exit row, which meant no recline. That’s a bugger considering that I was planning on trying to spend most of this flight in dreamland.


Otherwise the seat had decent comfort and decent legroom.


Luckily the middle seat stayed open, which was a nice consolation for the non-existent recline.

View out my window:




The load was pretty good though, estimated at around 75%.

Soon enough boarding was completed and the crew performed their safety demonstration and we pushed back.


We begun taxiing and passed some interesting equipment on the way. The RIX Fokker farm:


Leaving the terminal behind:


More interesting equipment:


Soon enough we reached the same runway 18 that I had touched down on less than an hour earlier, and we took off in a fairly powerful fashion.




Shortly after takeoff we entered the land of the clouds, and soon after that we emerged above said land.




We also did some banking to line us up towards AMS.

Soon enough we reached height safe enough for the captain to turn of the seatbelt sign. This was followed by the crew beginning to prepare the BOB round.

Cabin view:


Once they reached my row I decided to buy some snack sausages and a bottle of sparkling water. These cost 2.50 EUR each.


The sausages were pretty tasty and the sparkling water was sparkling water.

After indulging my purchases I decided to attempt to get some shuteye, as it was just overcast outside anyway.


I snapped a winglet shot before I turned off my brain though:


After a two digit number of minutes had passed I felt descent being commenced, this was my sign to open my eyes and look out the window.

Soon enough we ended up beneath the clouds.


A dam was showing, so we were definitely in the Netherlands.


Some banking followed, we were in a holding pattern. And all of a sudden I spotted this beautiful Tu-154 beneath us, on approach for AMS:


It was really cool, and I managed to snap one more picture of it before it disappeared from my sight.


After this, some more banking followed. The landscape was typically Dutch:




We soon lined up next to this KL 737:


This was also very cool, as I’d get to experience my first parallel approach.


A winglet shot with the KL 737 showing as well:


I realized that the KL bird was on approach for the infamous Polderbaan, which meant that we were landing on 18C, also known as Zwanenburgbaan.

Polderbaan visible:


The KL 737 touched down on 18R before us.




But shortly after we also touched down, on 18C.


We left the runway at a high-speed exit and begun taxiing towards the B-pier. Turkish was also in town:


Taxiing above a motorway:


Welcome to AMS, where Fokkers park on roofs!


It didn’t take too long to reach our gate, just a few minutes, and we docked to jetway gate B19, at the end of the B-pier.

Parked next to a Transavia 737:


Deboarding was commenced and done in an orderly manner. I thanked the crew as I left the aircraft.

My seat after the flight:


Taken from the jetway:


In the B-pier:


I walked through the terminal to baggage reclaim and arrivals (quite the distance when arriving at the end of the B-pier!).

Why, thank you!


A triholer spotted!


No bags to pick up for me so I was landside in no time.

Before heading in to town I paid a visit to the Panorama terrace.


The F100 really is a nice touch:






And the panorama terrace obviously offers some great views as well:








Next I went to Schiphol Plaza where I purchased myself a one-way ticket to Amsterdam Centraal.


Downstairs to the platform I went next where I didn’t have to wait for long for the next train to depart.

Once at Centraal…

…I took the next tram to Leidseplein, where my hotel was located.

I had chosen Best Western Leidse Square Hotel for my night in Amsterdam, mainly due to the cheap price of less than 45 EUR for the night, and the pretty good location. Façade picture taken the morning after:


I got room nr. 1 in the basement, but there were still windows for the daylight to come in, so it was all right by me.


The room was nice and clean and had the standard amenities. WiFi was also included.

I spent my day just wandering around in Amsterdam. Here are some impressions:








Westerkerk:


A very Dutch picture:


My lunch, Asian style:


I also visited Anne Franke’s house, since there were no queue whatsoever to get in, unlike last time I was here.




In the evening I also met up with A.Net user adamspotter, or Brendan. We had a few beers and chatted for a while. It was great meeting you Brendan, let me know if you’re ever in Sweden again, and the beer’s on me!