FCA 6356 DUB-AGP 08/04/04 Boeing 757-200 G-OOOZ

Our departure time was quite early at 0500 for this flight to Madrid via Málaga where I would be getting off. Dublin terminal was absolutely deserted except the handful of early passengers for our flight and another First Choice Airways services to Arrecife (Lanzarote). After some confusion as to whether all three desks would check in Málaga and Madrid passengers or not we were checked in. I was surprised that our hand luggage was weighed! As everything in the terminal was closed we went straight to our gate on the lower level of the C pier. There I saw two First Choice aircraft an A320 and Boeing 757, I assumed the 757 was for us. Boarding started 15 minutes late by the dispatcher – Tiffany Kylie. We had a nice tour of the ramp courtesy of our bus journey to the aircraft including some rather nice CityJet Bae 146’s.

I was presently surprised when I boarded the aircraft to see an all green leather interior and a smiling crew in pink uniforms awaiting us. I was seated in seat 4B, in that nice forward section of the 757 where it feels like you are in your own class! We departed 30 minutes late. The crew began inflight service of a bar/snack service, a meal (hot breakfast with a bread roll, tea/coffee) and inflight shopping. The film Big Fish was screened during the flight making a change from the usual sitcom rubbish that is screened. Our crew were all Irish including Tracey our cabin supervisor Rita and Eoin. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. The weather in Málaga was overcast L. The great think about just bringing hand luggage is being able to speed past the luggage carousels!


FCA 6357 AGP-DUB 11/04/04 Boeing 757-200 G-CBEP

Málaga airport was very busy with a lot of people returning home after the Semana Santa (Holy Week) celebrations, a very big thing in Spain. Our check in was down at the old part of the terminal. I was surprised at the queues considering we were there nearly 3 hours before our departure. After checking in we proceeded to security, which I noticed had been stepped up after the Madrid bombings. I was asked to take my belt off, something that has never happened before! The shopping in Málaga airport is very good!

We boarded on time and I noticed that there was no galley unit in the centre of the aircraft. I was seated in 12F, which had very little legroom. We pushed back late, again about 30 minutes due to incorrect headcountS by our cabin supervisor – Martin, much to the ground handling staff’s amusement J. Take off was uneventful. The inflight movie this time was Cheaper by The Dozen, which was actually quite good! The inflight meal was beef and potatoes in a kind of gravy sauce with vegetables, not very nice, with the obligatory bread roll and tea/coffee. A bar service and inflight shopping service were also given. One thing I did notice was that there was no information such as Altitude, Speed, Outside temp. shown on the IFE screens as Air 2000 always had!