I can’t, I’m 16.

Cheers Tom!

ALC-MAN 29/10/05
G-OOAW
STD: 12:05
ATD: 12:54
STA: 13:45
ATA: 14:11
We got up about 7:30 Spanish time in order to finish the packing and put all the stuff in our hire car. We left just after 8:30 to get to the airport early in order to get window seats. We went along the N-332 road towards Alicante airport. We arrived at ALC about 9:30 leaving us with half an hour to sort out the paperwork for handing the car in and we took our stuff in and waited for the EUK check in to close and the FCA check in to open. Once the FCA check in did open, we were told our plane was delayed by 30 minutes which we didn’t mind. We checked our 7 pieces in and headed through to security where there was a very long, but fast-moving queue. We soon passed through security and went to the food court to Burger King to have breakfast. This was quite nice and then we went to the window to watch movements. It was extremely busy with loads of British planes. There were 3 FCA 757s (including G-OOOG and G-OOBD to LGW), 2 FCA 320s (OOAR to CWL and OOAW to MAN), 2 TOMs (762 to MAN and a 752 to LGW), 2 XLAs (752 to MAN, 738 to GLA), 1 GB Airways, 1 Easyjet, 2 MON 757s, 2 MON 321s, 2 MYT 320s, 1 MYT 321, 1 Transavia 737, a Disney Air Europa 737 and plenty of JKK and IB planes. Our plane arrive about 11:40 and parked on a remote stand to the right of the terminal. Boarding commenced at 12:10 but we waited to the end of the queue. We finally got through the gate adjacent to where the ZB MAN was boarding. We took the bendy bus out to the aircraftwhich was parked by the building work. We got off and boarded at the back door and we headed up to rows 16 and 17 where we had 2 window seats. I took 17A and my dad sat next to me, with my sister taking 16A and my mum taking the seat next to her. The doors were closed and we pushed back as the engines started. We taxied slowly out ahead of the ZB flight to MAN and the MYT flight to MAN. We waited for a TCX 753 to land (G-JMAA which took me to and from ALC in 2004) and then taxied on to the runway where we waited for ages before finally moving forwards and roaring down the runway and eventually lifting off near the end of the runway, surely the longest take-off roll that morning/afternoon as most were lifting off opposite the terminal. We lifted off and climbed out over Alicante and the mountains to the north of Alicante. As we climbed towards Valencia, the bar came round and the IFE started, a film called Monster In Law starring Jennifer Lopez. I listened to the music channels (much better selection on the 320 than 757) as we made steady progress towards Bordeaux. The meal came round as we headed up towards Brittany. The meal inbound was pasta sald followed by sausage casserole followed by chocolate and vanilla cake. This was better than the outbound flight. Duty free came round as we headed eastwards over Jersey and Southampton from which I got a 767 model. We passed directly over Gatwick and Heathrow (very cloudy so not very good view of either airport) and we headed up towards Birmingham. We headed over BHX and we commenced our descent towards MAN. We avoided the cloud through our descent and lots of turns later we were on finals. However, this was the most turbulent landing I’ve experienced for quite some time. Winds were battering the side of the A320 and we were shaking about all over the place. It wasn’t as severe as were passed over the Airport Hotel and the runway came into sight. We touched down with a bump by Pier B of Terminal 1 (SkyEurope and My Travel parked up there) and reverse thrust was deployed to slow us down. We turned off near the end of the runway and we taxied in passed a fairly busy AVP and we taxied passed Terminal 1 where I caught my first glance of an EK 777-300ER. We taxied in passed a Zoom 767 and parked up next to a PK 777 and the FCA 757 that operated the earlier ALC flight (I think it was G-OOOX but I’m not sure). We parked up and we disembarked the aircraft and headed up towards passport control and baggage reclaim where our bags were already wizzing around belt number 3.

Overall, much better after our horror show with Air 2000 in 2000. Legroom was somewhat better on the 320 and the food and crew were also better on the return flight. Overall, they were very good considering they were the cheapest option for flying to Spain.