Trip Report:-MAN-LCA with XLA Part 1

XLA7112-04/04/04
Scheduled Time of Departure: 11:25
Actual Time of Departure: 11:36
Scheduled Time of Arrival: 18:10
Actual Time of Departure: 18:01
Aircraft: TF-ARD
This flight was booked only two weeks before the flight out but it was very cheap at about £900 return for 3 adults(they count adults as over 13) and 1 child. It was an early start on the morning of the 4th April as we had to check in at 09:00. So, we left the house at 07:30 to get to the car park at 08:30 and to check-in at 09:00. As it was the first Sunday of the Easter holidays, T2 was very busy with nearly all the check-in desks used. We waited for about 20 minutes before checking in for the flight. We went straight to security where we waited for about 25 minutes. Whilst we were waiting in the queue, a man booked on the CO flight that morning was guided back through security to check-in a suitcase he thought qualified as being hand luggage!! After passing through security, we headed to the seating area by gate 214 as there was nowhere else to sit. Whilst I was sat there, a CO 764 arrived, a DL 763 arrived, two PK 772s and a 742, an ECA 738, a MH 744 and a QR 332. I also watched my aircraft being towed down to gate 201. We proceeded down to gate 201 about 5 minutes before boarding commenced. Shortly after, we went through the gate and into the open air and across to our plane which was parked at a remote stand. Once inside the aircraft, we soon discovered we were separated, I was in 18D, my sister was in 18C and my parents were in 17C and D. Once everyone was on board, the crew did the safety demonstration manually and then came round to check our seatbelts. We taxied pretty swiftly out to Runway 24L for our departure, overtaking the Eurocypria heading off to LCA as well, before commencing a rolling take-off on 24L. About 15 seconds into the roll, we lifted off the ground and climbed to our cruising altitude of 35,000 feet. Shortly after the seatbelt signs were switched off, the crew came round with snacks and headsets priced £2.50 which you could take away. After this came the drinks trolley from which I got a bottle of water. After this, the crew came round collecting any rubbish. Then came the in-flight meal. Today it was Bangers & Mash. It was very tasty as well. I was watching the feature film Catch That Kid during the meal. After that, they came round with a duty free service and got a 757 model. About 40 minutes before landing, they came round with a final drinks service before we commenced our descent. We used the airbrakes to slow us down and we quickly lined on the southerly runway to land. We landed pretty hard on the runway before using reverse thrust to slow us down. When we were taxiing, the purser welcomed us to Las Palmas!! She quickly corrected herself however and soon we disembarked via the second left door. We boarded the bus and I had just about enough time to see 4x ECA 738s, 2x CY 319s, 1x EK 332, 1x CY 332 and 1x HCY 738. We went through immigration and into the baggage hall which was chaos with all four belts being used. It took us 40 minutes to get our cases before heading off for a week’s holiday.