Sorry I’m bombarding you all with another trip report, but I had to tell you about my great expeience with First Choice earlier this year in March. (Sorry, I don’t have any pics, again 😮 )
FCA4346
LGW-FUE
30/03/05
G-CPEP Boeing 757-2Y0
We left our house at half five in the morning for our family holiday to Fuerteventura. We travelled to Gatwick and it was very foggy, last year I could see the planes land over the M23 as we approached the airport. We took our car to the same place as last year, and I could only hear the planes take off, and I couldn’t see them 😡 .
We went to the North Terminal and we still had four hours until our departure, so heck in wasn’t due to open for another hour or so. But First Choice Airways had a desk which said “Check in for any FCA/DP flights today”. So we checked in within 5 minutes of entering the building :D. We headed strait through to departures and my mum had a random security check. We looked around the shops in the very nice departure lounge (much nicer than the South Terminal 😀 )
I found a seating area overlooking the aircraft stands and saw many aircraft including;
And on remote stands and taxying
It was very foggy and I could just about see the runway, but whenever the planes took off, they were strait up into the cloud 🙁 .
At 12 our gate came up on the departure screen – Gate 45. Luckily, it was one of the nearest gates. Once we went down the escalators to ground level, we had to go to Gate B, where we had our boarding cards checked. We then had to wait for a bus to take us to our aircraft (on a remote stand – 135 if anyone’s interested). The bus took us past many aircraft nad to our plane which was parked next to a TCX320. We had to wait on the bus for a few minutes as our plane was not quite ready. When we did board, we were greeted by the very friendly FCA cabin crew in their colourful uniforms and they directed us to our seats (They were very comfy 😀 ). I took 4A and I had a great view of all the aircraft taking off RWY08R 🙂 , including NW DC10s, VS744s, EZY319s and OOM763s. I also spotted an Air France Embraer 145 and a VS343 and UN734 which were parked near us. We had a slight delay on the flight as the pilot told us, and he explained that it wasn’t his fault as everything was running slow at LGW today due to the fog. Anyway, at least our flight wasn’t cancelled as the BA flights to AMS and GLA were. The pilot also gave us detailed route details, which were something like “We will depart Gatwick on the easterly runway, and turn left heading over the north of the airfield and towards Southampton. We will then head over the Bay of Biscay and past Lanzarote where we will hopefully be making our decent into Fuerteventura.”
We took a fast taxi to RWY08R and were in a big long queue for takeoff, along with Flybe 146s, OOM763, WOW Dash8, OK735, NW DC10 and lots of EZY319s. We eventually took off and had an overview of LGW before heading into thick cloud. We flew over Britanny and we were served our meal, the best one I have ever had on a plane 😀 . It was some sort of chicken meal (if I remember) with pasta salad, bread roll, crakers and cheese, strawberry cheesecake and a cup of tea/coffee/orange squash. The cabin crew were very helpful. My brother didn’t feel too good on the flight and they were very friendly towards him. We headed over Portugal and between Portugal and the Canaries, I saw a plane at the same altitude shoot past us heading the other direction. I couldn’t work out what airline it was 🙁 .
We began approaching FUE probably around Lanzarote, but I’m not sure as I wasn’t on that side of the aircraft. We turned into FUE and flew over the resort of Caleta de Fuste (which was where I was staying 😀 , and I even saw my hotel 😀 😀 )
We landed a bit late in Fuerteventura due to the events earlier on adn on the ground was an XLA752 (for LGW), a MYT320 (fro BHX) and various ATRs from Binter Canarias and Islas Airways. We didn’t have to wait too long for our bags, and we were out of the airport very quickly, (and it was 32 degrees 😮 )
Overall
On time 10/10 😀
Service 10/10 😀
Comfort 10/10 😀
Fly them again? – Yes definitely 😀
By: G-CDFF - 12th September 2005 at 19:58
Here’s the return!
So, after a great holiday in Fuerteventura, it was time to go home 😡 . I really liked it here, mostly to the fact that we were about 5 miles from the airport, and the planes flew over our hotel really low! 😀 . So I could sit and relax in the sun, and watch endless arrivals into FUE. I saw loads of European charters, including almost all aircraft types from LTU, Condor, Hapag-Lloyd, Thomsonfly and MyTravel, along with other aircraft from Iberia, Spanair, First Choice Airways, Monarch and Swiss, along with local arrivals from Binter Canarias and Islas Airways, and loads more!
FCA4347
FUE-LGW
06/04/05
G-CPEV Boeing 757-236
Our flight was due to leave at 18:10, so the bus picked us up from our hotel at half three. We stopped at a couple of hotels in Caleta de Fuste, and we then went strait to the airport, which only took about 10 minutes. When we approached the airport, I saw an XLA738 and a TCX752 on the ground. We had to wait on the bus for a couple of minutes while the friendly FCA reps found out what check-in desks we were at, so there would be no chaos inside the terminal. We swifty checked in and went through security, and upstairs to the lovely deparure lounge.
I watched the planes at Fuerteventura for a couple of hours while my mum looked round the shops. I saw the Monarch flight depart (752) (probably to LGW/MAN – it was alreday off the departure screens as it had already boarded when we arrived). Also the TCX flight to GLA departed (752), the delayed XLA LGW flight (752 TF-ARK), along with an FCA MAN arrival (752), the MYT BHX flight (320) and varios ATRs from the two local carriers (NT/IF). Our flight was running a bit late, and when the plane was arriving, we went out onto the viewing terrace to watch it land. As soon as it landed everyone hurried to Gate 10 as it came up on the departure screen. Your common sense would tell you that the plane needs to be offloaded and cleaned before you can get on ! :confused:
Soon enough the enouncement came “First Choice Airways cuatro, tres, cuatro, siete, i Londres Gatwick…”, followed in English. We then went to Gate ten and were quickly boarded. I noticed that on the screen there was a cloud and a “7”. We then realised it was the weather, LOL, quite cold, but better than the BHX pax, theirs said 3! Anyway we went down the steps to our plane and were told to board the plane from the back, so we walked the whole length of the plane, then had to walk all the way down again as our seat was where they boarded the other passengers. I had a wing view from my seat (20F). Just after the second evening MAN flight arrived, we pushed back and did a fast taxi to RWY01, nad before takeoff we waited for a couple of minutes on the taxiway, (probably because an IF taxied off before us). We performed a rolling takeoff and not long into the flight we had a wonderfull overview of Lanzarote – you could see the creaters in the volcanoes 😮 .
Once again we recieved great service and another great meal – same as last time except it was bangers and mash and a chocolate cheesecake for pudding. By now it was dark and flew over a couple of European cities. I looked at the moving map and it said we only had another 50 mins till landing. 😮 . We flew over Britanny and approached the south English coast and over an airfield (could anyone guess what it was) on a lovely clear evening. When the lights were dimmed, the flight attendant said “we have to dim cabin lights for…, and it also makes me look more attractive at this time of night” LOL! 😀 Another thing the flight attendant said on the way out was “smoking is…, but if you do wish to smoke, please feel free to step outside.” 😀 We flew past Brighton turned, over the M23, and had a nice landing on RWY26L – 15 mins early (total flight time 3hrs 15 mins 😀 ). A BA737 landed just after us and taxied along RWY08L. I saw a Phuket Air 743 and EZY319s, along with XLA752 TF-ARK (I think). If it was it was the one we saw at FUE. I also saw VS343 being preparec for it’s flight to Port Harcourt. We parked alongside an AEU752 and didembarked.
Overall
On time 10/10 😀
Comfort 10/10 😀
Service 10/10 😀
Fly them again – Yes, and I am! Taking FCA 4744/5 LGW-FUE in April next year on a 321 😀 .
Once again thanks for reading!
G-CDFF
By: tomfellows - 11th September 2005 at 20:05
sorry it wasn’t FCA779c but something else like FCA344C – am getting confused with when i went a few years earlier!
By: tomfellows - 11th September 2005 at 20:03
G-CDFF
Excellent report there. I find First Choice to be the best charter operator. Seems you did pretty much the same as me, except i went in April 2004. Still, I went on FCA779C (as it was then) which left at that time but it was G-OOBE. Went from Gate 45 also but was stand 140. Stayed in Caleta de Fuste as you did. FCA definately best – good food, staff, entertainment, nice planes also.
Tom
By: G-CDFF - 11th September 2005 at 20:02
I hope you have a good trip with FCA Alex.
I will hopefully post the return journey sometime tomorrow.
By: green320 - 11th September 2005 at 19:18
Good report, nice to hear that they are so good considering I’m going with them in October.
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September 11, 2005 at 12:45 pm