Part 1 MAN-MXP
AZ263 – 23/10/04
Aircraft: I-BIMD
STD: 09:45
ATD: 09:54
STA: 13:00
ATA: 12:52
This was my first trip to Malta and my first trip on Alitalia. It all started very early on Saturday October 23, as we got up at around 06:00, and we finished packing and we put all our stuff in the back of our Ford Galaxy. We set off for the airport at 06:45, but the weather wasn’t very pleasant and there were some delays along the M53, but we got to MAN at 07:50 and managed to check our stuff in. There were some long queues at security and by the time we got into the departure area it was 08:30 and the seats were pretty full. We got seats by the big window next to Gate 212 and we looked across and saw our Alitalia A319 parked at a remote stand having arrived the night before. We saw a US A330 arrive and the SQ 772 being prepared for its return to Singapore. We also saw a mix of charter aircraft from BY, FCA and XLA and aircraft belonging to CO and DL. Soon enough, at 09:05, it was time to head off to the aircraft.We went downstairs to the seating area around Gate 300 where we waited for the buses to arrive. Once they did, all the passengers started to board the buses. We got taken out to the waiting A319 I-BIMD and we boarded at the front. We went down to our row and took our seats, with me being by the window. The seats were really comfortable and there was plenty of legroom, even for me and I am nearly 6 foot. As we were some of the first people on, it took a while for the rest of the people to board, but once they had taken their seats, the doors were closed and the crew carried out a manual safety demo. The engines were started and we rolled off stand and started taxiing slowly towards runway 24L for take-off. We passed an EUK 742, a couple of MON A320s, a few WW 733s and a TCX 752. We eventually got to the runway where we immediately commenced a rolling take-off. After about 20 seconds we lifted off the ground and headed out over Knutsford and then turned east over Hull and out into the North Sea. The service then commenced with drinks coming round over Germany. Further south, over Frankfurt, we got the in-flight meal which was these cheese and ham rolls, which were absolutely foul. Duty free came round at the top of our descent over southern Germany. We passed over Switzerland and then over into Italy and we came in over a few villages before landing with a bump on the runway (don’t know which) and reverse thrust was applied. We then taxiied in and parked up next to another AZ A319 (I-BIMA).
Summary: On this flight, the crew were very helpful and kind, the seats were very nice and plenty of legroom, the only disappointing aspect was the food which was disgusting.
Parts 2, 3 and 4 to come.
By: green320 - 22nd November 2004 at 21:08
I can’t actually find them now, but if I do find them, I will try posting them on here.
By: T5 - 22nd November 2004 at 20:27
I’ve only just stumbled across this review, but it was a great read and an interesting route to take down to Malta.
Would really like to see the photos from your trip.
By: LBARULES - 29th October 2004 at 22:05
Thats why I ended with 😀 😉
By: green320 - 29th October 2004 at 22:04
That is obvious Tom!! Thanx for the comments.
By: LBARULES - 29th October 2004 at 22:01
Great final report – Sounds like a great set of flights apart from the vomiting 😀
By: green320 - 29th October 2004 at 17:52
Part 4 MXP-MAN
AZ262 – 27/10/04
Aircraft: I-BIMI
STD: 20:25
ATD: 20:47
STA: 21:40
ATA: 21:27
After arriving early from MLA on board I-BIMF, we had more time than we had planned to get through to departures for the departure of our final flight. However, we had not banked on massive queues at the Flight Connections Centre and it was 20:30 by the time we got through, we then had to run to get to the gate on time, along with another family who were on our MLA-MXP flight. We ran down the jetbridge and boarded the plane still breathing heavily from the run. We went down to our row and I got the window seat again. The other English family coming off the MLA-MXP flight were in the row behind. The doors were immediately closed and the cabin rushed through the manual demonstration. We pushed back and the engines were started. We taxied quickly to the runway and began a rolling take-off. Near the end of the runway, we took off and about 5 minutes after that, the crew came with the drinks service as we were passing the border into Switzerland. The meal soon followed as we crossed the border into Germany, which consisted of a mini pizza. I’m not a fan of pizzas so I wasn’t that impressed. The flight continued its way north towards the North Sea where we passed over, then turning west and we began our descent into MAN over London city centre. We continued our descent through masses of cloud and with the airbrakes open and flaps extended. As we passed through the clouds, we began to get tossed about due to severe gales with the end result of me being sick. We then got onto finals for 24R, still being tossed about and plenty of people vomiting, crossing the threshold still quite high, and we just about made it to the ground, touching down level with the viewing mounds in the Aviation Viewing Park and the captain applied full reverse thrust which just about got us to the end of the runway safely. We turned back and started our taxi back to Terminal 2, passing Concorde and the Avro and then past the hangars and parking at a remote stand where we were met by buses and steps. We disembarked into the windy, cold Manchester night. The buses then took us over to the terminal where we past through immigration with ease to collect our bags.
Summary: Again great seats and super legroom, bad food and the landing was turbulent, but the crew service was great again.
Overall, I was hugely impressed with Alitalia and would have no hesitation in flying them again, though I would hope that I wouldn’t need to run to catch the plane next time!
By: LBARULES - 29th October 2004 at 17:51
Ah right 🙂
By: Bhoy - 29th October 2004 at 17:46
nah, the flight was AZ262, which is the 9:40pm arrival at MAN, the first flight (Malta-MXP) was on the 28th, so unless he had a 25 hour layover in Milan, it was two days ago…
By: LBARULES - 29th October 2004 at 17:20
Great reports 🙂
I see you flew on I-BIMI on your last flight, that wasnt yesterday by any chance was it? If so, I saw you land 🙂
By: BigJet - 29th October 2004 at 16:58
good report, i went to luqa a few years back with KM from LGW and our plane was the only one at the airport, its dead!
By: green320 - 29th October 2004 at 16:30
Part 3 MLA-MXP
AZ885 – 27/10/04
Aircraft: I-BIMF
STD: 17:45
ATD: 17:52
STA: 19:40
ATA: 19:24
After a wonderful few days in Malta, it was time to return to stormy Britain. So, we packed our stuff and left our hotel at 15:15 for the half hour drive to Luqa Airport. When we got there, there were no queues so we could check in straight away and head to security. There were no queues at security either so we proceeded straight through to departures where there was very few people. On the apron, there was 1 KM 320 and that was it. Time passed slowly and nothing happened on the airfield until at approximately 16:58, there was a rumbling sound and an AZ A319 appeared, some 8 minutes late from MXP. This was to be our plane and was registered I-BIMF. So, we watched the turnaround happen, until at 17:20, we were called forward for boarding at Gate 1. We boarded a bus and headed off to our aircraft. On this flight, there appeared to be a significant number of Brits, so we weren’t alone unlike the outbound flight. The bus came to a stop outside the A319 and we got off and boarded the aircraft via the front set of steps. We took our seats in row 12 and I got the window seat again (a common theme running here 😀 ). The doors were soon shut and the crew carried out a manual safety demonstration. We taxied slowly to the end of the runway and turned and immediately commenced a rolling take-off. We were soon in the air and the crew commenced the service with drinks. As we flew past Rome, we got our meal, which again was an omelette and then we got duty free. All too soon, it was time to descend into Milan. It was a bumpy descent with airbrakes and also going through clouds but we were soon touching down with a bump and plenty of the reverse thrust. We taxied in and parked up next to I-BIMD.
Overall summary: Another good flight, pleasant crew, nice seats and good food.
By: BigJet - 29th October 2004 at 16:13
ooooooo rite
By: green320 - 29th October 2004 at 15:46
I have a few pics, but I haven’t a clue how to put them on here, and there are a couple on my dad’s phone, but they aren’t very good.
By: BigJet - 29th October 2004 at 15:43
good reports so far, do you have any pics?
By: green320 - 29th October 2004 at 15:32
Part 2 MXP-MLA
AZ884 – 23/10/04
Aircraft: I-BIKD
STD: 14:50
ATD: 15:03
STA: 16:50
ATA: 16:43
After arriving in Milan on the Manchester flight, we went to the Flight Connections Centre and entered the departure lounge. We found seats by the window and we watched the movements through the window. With such a long wait until the next leg of our journey, it became quite tedious, especially with Alitalia dominating the movements. Eventually, after almost 2 hours in the departure lounge, the screens told us to proceed downstairs to the buses as our plane was parked on a remote stand. The bus we were on became crowded with Italian people off on a holiday to Malta. We went across almost half the airport before coming to a stop by I-BIKD. So we got off and boarded by the front set of steps. We got welcomed by the purser and we headed down to our seats near the front of this A320. I got the window seat again. 😀 The Italians were very noisy and didn’t like sitting down until they got told to by the captain. The purser then welcomed us on board, first in Italian and then in English. The crew then did the safety demonstration manually in both Italian and English, and we set off for the runway. We were followed out by I-BIKE and I-BIMD, the aircraft we had flown earlier. We halted at the threshold to let an AZ DC9 land. Then we turned on to the runway and we got thrown back in our seats as the engines were put into full forward thrust. After 40 seconds, we lifted off for this 1 hour 45 minute journey down to Valletta. The crew almost immediately began the service with a drinks service. As we went down the west coast of Italy, we got our meal which was a cheese omelette. This was better than the rolls we got on the MAN-MXP leg. Duty free came round and then another drinks service before we commenced a steep descent over Gozo. About 10 minutes later, we were flying low over villages and farm land before we got thrown down on the runway by the captain and full reverse thrust followed. We taxied back and parked up next to an Air Malta A320 (9H-AED). We disembarked by steps and we got onto a bus that transported us over to the terminal. Our bags were the first on the conveyor belt and we were out of the airport 15 minutes after our arrival.
Summary: This was a better flight and again, the seats were excellent and the legroom was sufficient for me to stretch my legs out. Food was better and the service was great too.
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October 29, 2004 at 2:49 pm