TCX750K-29/05/04
Aircraft: G-JMAA
STD: 08:45
ATD: 08:53
STA: 12:30
ATA: 12:07
This was my fourth trip to Spain and my second with JMC/Thomas Cook. It was also going to be my second flight on a Boeing 757-300. Last time, I got G-JMAB in both directions, so this time, I was hoping for G-JMAA.
It all started at 05:45 in the morning on 29th May when my cousins arrived at my house. We packed all our stuff and put it in my car, before setting off to Manchester Airport. After 40 minutes on the motorway, we got to the FSS car park where we got into a minibus which took us round to Terminal 1. We went to the Thomas Cook check-in area where we found a free check-in assistant. We checked in all 5 suitcases and our bodyboards and went through to security. Everyone got through all right and we soon found seats by the big window. Looking out on to the apron, I saw that every stand was occupied by an aircraft. These included: both Air Scandic planes, new colours MON 752, FJE 752, and these were joined by an AA 752, CO 772, VS 742 and a PK 742 new colours. I saw both 753s of TCX come in, before G-JMAB left for Palma which meant I was indeed travelling on G-JMAA.
Soon it was time to board the aircraft. Boarding began with rows 1-9 and 40-48. It eventually got down to rows 10-19 and we went through the doors to the gate and boarded the aircraft. I manage to nab 16F(a window seat) for the outbound journey. The doors were soon closed and set to automatic and we pushed back from Gate 23. The safety video was shown on the fold-down TV screens. We started to taxi towards the runway, passing G-BYTH with a ‘MY’ tail, and a Freebird DC9. As soon as we got onto Runway 24L, we started to roll forwards. Soon enough, we lifted off into the sky, before entering some thick, low cloud.
The in-flight service began with drinks and headsets, from which I got a bottle of water and a box of Pringles. Next came the scratchcards, from which I lost on my first one, but my cousin won £2 from! Then came the meal which consisted of beans, cheese omelette, hash brown potato and a pork sausage. I found it quite disappointing, especially the sausage!! Then came the duty free, from which I got a 757-200 model, costing £8.50!!
All too soon, it was time to commence our descent. We flew over the Pyrenees, down over Barcelona and Valencia, passed the mountains to the north of the airport with airbrakes deployed, before lining up on finals, passing a large residential area, over the main road before touching down smoothly on Runway 10 and using full reverse thrust to stop us from sliding off the runway, and on to the motorway!!
As we were taxiing back to our stand, I soon discovered how busy Alicante was. There were: 8 Monarch, 1 GB Airways, 2 Air Berlins, 3 First Choices, 3 My Travels, and a German Air Ambulance Dornier 328JET!! We had to wait 45 minutes in a queue to get inside the terminal building, past the one single immigration officer and collect our bagage.
Service 8/10
Comfort 9/10
Punctuality 10/10
Food 4/10
Cleanliness of aircraft 8/10
Overall 39/50
Part 2 from today to come!!
By: green320 - 7th June 2004 at 16:33
Thank you wysiwig and davforr!!
By: davforr - 7th June 2004 at 00:07
Good flight report liked it a lot
By: wysiwyg - 6th June 2004 at 23:31
Enjoyed reading every word of it. Great report.
By: green320 - 6th June 2004 at 17:10
Thank you for your kind comments again!!
By: LBARULES - 6th June 2004 at 13:34
Another top report 🙂
By: SHAMROCK321 - 6th June 2004 at 13:31
I was in Torreviaja last year and I am going again in August.Ill be flying with Iberia DUB-BCN-ALC and then ALC-BCN-DUB all with A320.I booked my flight so I could get on a MD-80 the tickets say ill be on one but the Iberia website says the time and aircraft have changed.
By: Arabella-Cox - 6th June 2004 at 13:01
Gordon Bennet!! The earliest I’ve ever been up to go away is 3.00 to leave at 7.30! The 737 ain’t that bad Chris, they have no inflight entertainment or anything, just a magazine. Hope you enjoy your holiday though, and bring back some photos or a trip report please!
By: Arabella-Cox - 6th June 2004 at 12:50
Are you going with easyJet NCLRULES?
By: bmi-star - 6th June 2004 at 11:26
Cheers bmi-star!! Looking forward to your reports!!
Hehe thanks 😀
By: green320 - 6th June 2004 at 11:25
Cheers Captainben!!
By: Arabella-Cox - 6th June 2004 at 11:21
Brill reports there mate!
By: green320 - 6th June 2004 at 11:18
Cheers bmi-star!! Looking forward to your reports!!
By: bmi-star - 6th June 2004 at 10:42
Fab report man, i’ll be posting 5 next month:D
By: green320 - 6th June 2004 at 09:02
As you told me on Plane-Mad!! Thanks for your kind comments so far!!
By: topjet330 - 6th June 2004 at 08:53
and i saw your flight land in MAN
By: EAL_KING - 6th June 2004 at 00:47
kool report m8
By: green320 - 5th June 2004 at 21:58
Trip Report: ALC-MAN with TCX
TCX750L- 05/06/04 (Today)
Aircraft: G-JMAA
STD: 13:30
ATD: 14:39
STA: 15:05
ATA: 15:56
So, after a wonderful holiday with my cousins and my family, it was time to go home!!
At 07:35 this morning(Spanish time) and got up and got dressed ready to head off to the airport. I still hadn’t packed my bag so I did that and watched TV for a bit. The rest of my family gradually got up and we made sure we had packed everything. We then went round to my cousin’s house where they were ready. So we got into our cars and set off for Alicante airport. It is a long, but beautiful drive from Torrevieja to El Altet International airport. We finally drove through the tunnel by the runway, coming up by the runway lights, with an aircraft touching down at that very moment.
So we got to the car hire place, where we handed the keys over in the office. We proceeded into the terminal building where it was chaos. There were 38 check-in desks, with 19 flights being sorted out. Each flight had 2 check-in desks. TCX750L, with a full compliment of passengers, 286, had 2 desks. Eventually, they opened a third desk to sort this chaos out. We were first in line. We got checked in pretty quickly and went over to the special check-in to hand in the bodyboards!! We then went up the escalators to security, we all went through with no problems.
Into departures we went and the place was heaving with passengers. We found 9 spaces by the window to let me take the reggies of the planes as they taxied past (10 was in use) and let me watch movements. We then went to Burger King to get some lunch. From there, it was back to the gate to wait for the flight. We already knew it was delayed so we weren’t too worried. Finally, at 13:26, almost an hour late, G-JMAA landed and taxied to the gate. I took a few photos of her whilst she was being prepared. Then, at 13:50, we commenced boarding at gate 6.
We went down the steps to catch our bus, which took us across the airport to where G-JMAA stood. We had a brief diversion round a GirJet F100 to where G-JMAA was waiting. We got off the bus and climbed the stairs. We were greeted by a stewardess who had been on our outbound flight last week. We went down to our seats, where I got 15E(I let my cousin get the window seat this time.). The doors were closed and set to automatic whilst the Thomas Cook boarding music was still playing. The safety video was shown on the fold-down TV, before the engines were started up and followed G-EZYK out, followed by G-EZJN, G-EZJE(also visited AMS during the day). We waited at the holding point for the first Easyjet to depart before heading out onto the runway. We commenced a rolling take-off, easily beating the cars along the road by the runway, who seemed determined to win the race, before lifting off near the end out into the Meditteranean.
Bizarrely, we then turned south, before heading back in land and up towards Valencia. From there, we headed up towards Bilbao. From there, it was up towards Bordeaux, before overflying at 36,000ft, the D-Day celebrations. We commenced our descent over Jersey, coming through the clouds about 2 minutes before landing, with plenty of reverse thrust.
The services provided on this flight were just the same as the outbound, with the meal of beef and ale casserole being a lot better than the outbound flight.
It took us 1 hour to get our bags once we had disembarked before heading off to the car park and home!! The end of a wonderful holiday ended with a good flight!!
Service 9/10
Comfort 9/10
Punctuality 6/10- delayed by Thursday’s events
Food 6/10
Cleanliness of aircraft 9/10
Overall 39/50
By: green320 - 5th June 2004 at 19:20
Thank you Topjet!!
By: topjet330 - 5th June 2004 at 18:56
great report, well thought out
By: green320 - 5th June 2004 at 18:43
The return flight was slightly better, even if delayed due to Thursday morning!!
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June 5, 2004 at 6:24 pm