Round The World and other travels

A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries

Flight History 2019

   DayDateFlight NoFromDepToArrAircraftCabinSeat
  Fri 01-Feb BA1441 EDI 1035 LHR 1205 Cancelled
1 Fri 01-Feb BA1439 EDI 0840 LHR 1005 319 Y 5A
2 Mon 04-Feb BA1448 LHR 1405 EDI 1530 320 Y 11A
3 Thu 21-Feb BA1441 EDI 1015 LHR 1145 320 Y 11A
4 Fri 22-Feb IB3163 LHR 0915 MAD 1240 320 J 3F
Mexico 2019 (see Major Trips menu)
12 Mon 11-Mar U2 6996 MAD 1930 EDI 2125 320 Y 1F
13 Sat 06-Apr BA2937 EDI 1105 LGW 1240 319 Y 6A
14 Mon 08-Apr BA8706 LCY 1550 EDI 1705 E90 Y 9D
15 Tue 30-Apr BA2941 EDI 1430 LGW 1605 319 J 2F
16 Wed 01-May IB37151 LGW 1050 MAD 1420 320 Y 3A
17 Wed 01-May IB39521 MAD 1610 SVQ 1715 320 Y 14A
18 Thu 02-May IB39511 SVQ 1745 MAD 1850 320 Y 12A
19 Thu 02-May IB38941 MAD 2215 SCQ 2325 320 Y 12F
20 Sat 04-May IB38791 SCQ 1740 MAD 1850 320 Y 12A
21 Sun 05-May IB9301 MAD 0930 BCN 1045 320 Y 14D
22 Sun 05-May IB12011 BCN 1200 MAD 1325 320 Y 14E
23 Sun 05-May IB37181 MAD 1830 LGW 1950 320 J 1A
24 Sun 12-May BA1452 LHR 1625 EDI 1750 319 Y 9F
Amtrak Adventure 2019 (see Major Trips menu)
31 Sun 09-Jun EC69222 AMS 1040 EDI 1110 319 Y 1F
32 Fri 26-Jul U2 426 EDI 1345 BRS 1500 319 Y 1F
33   Mon 05-Aug BE76153 VLY 0855 CWL 0945 J31 Y 5A
34 Tue 06-Aug U2 429 BRS 1915 EDI 2025 320 Y 1F
35 Mon 30-Sep EC2684 EDI 1025 MXP 1400 319 Y 1F
36 Fri 04-Oct IG803 MXP 1330 CAI 1720 738 J 1A
37 Sat 05-Oct BA1544 CAI 0800 LHR 1210 3435 J 2A
38 Sat 05-Oct BA1448 LHR 1520 EDI 1645 321 Y 22F
39 Fri 11-Oct FR813 EDI 0815 DUB 0920 738 Y 2F
40 Mon 14-Oct EI3256 DUB 1425 EDI 1545 AT7 Y 15F
Quebec to Florida, by Sea (see Major Trips menu)

(Total: 48 sectors)
  
Notes
1: These flights were collectively known to me as 'Hopping MAD'. Thanks to an Iberia promotion that turned out to be the frequent-flyer opportunity of 2018, just booking these flights (and two further 'throwaways') provded the means to secure the intercontinental award flights for 'Mexico 2019'.
2. First flight with easyJet Europe
3. Operated by Eastern Airways. Only scheduled domestic flight entirely in Wales. 
4. First sector in a ticket to Canada, returning from Florida, booked in connection with Quebec to Florida, by Sea.
5. Flight operated by Air Belgium

Selected Flight Impressions
Flight 33: Holyhead to Cardiff - Wales's only domestic flight
Background: Driving from Holyhead to Cardiff takes a minimum of 4.5hrs; this flight, commissioned by Transport for Wales, is booked at 50mins. The service is marketed by Flybe, but operated by Eastern Airways using a small Jetstream 31 aircraft. Unusually in the current short-haul market, free drinks and snacks are served, and provided you book early enough, a ticket costs only £19.99!
TOP ROW: 1. Anglesey Airport is a fenced-off section of RAF Valley  2. It has been created for one route  3. All passengers have access to free tea and coffee  4. Here's our aircraft  5. It taxies right to the gate
BOTTOM ROW: 1. Almost ready for boarding  2. A rather cosy cabin shot  3. On-board coffee and snack  4. Above the cloud cover  5. Into the descent now  6. Crossing the South Wales coast
 
Flight 36: Milan to Cairo in Air Italy Business Class
Background: This was my first flight on Air Italy, formerly known as Meridiana and renamed following a major investment by Qatar Airways.
TOP ROW: 1. Boarding, with Business Class seats presented with red headrest covers  2. Probably the most generous and best-presented pre-take off drink I've ever been given on a short-haul flight  3. The legacy competition  4. Lining up for take-off  5. Bye-bye, Italy - it's been fun!  6. Lunch tray
BOTTOM ROW: 1. Seconds of pizza  2. Nicely presented coffee  3. An Italian herbal liqueur  4. We overflew central Cairo  5. Arrival at sunset  6. Disembarkation
 
Flight 37: Cairo to London in British Airways Club World, operated by Air Belgium on an A340
Background: This flight started a good-value ticket to Canada, returning from the USA, in connection with Quebec to Florida, by Sea. The flight was originally scheduled to be operated by one of BA's Boeing 787 aircraft. Due to the need for this new sub-fleet to undergo modifications - a problem affecting all Dreamliner customers with the Rolls-Royce engine option - this turned into a rare opportunity to sample a British Airways long-haul flight that had been temporarily contracted out to Air Belgium.
TOP ROW: 1. Air Belgium A340-300 at CAI  2. Seat 2A 'throne' seat  3. Pre-take off champagne  4. Lining up for take-off 
Featured picture: Business-class cabin in 'staggered' configuration
MIDDLE ROW: 1. And we're off!  2, Crossing the Egyptian coast  3. Breakfast 'starter' tray  4. Tea service
BOTTOM ROW:
1. Second round of bread  2. Salmon close-up  3. 'English Breakfast' main course, with beefsteak and chicken sausage replacing the usual bacon and pork sausage  4. Much later, a Bloody Mary  5. Savoury snack  6. Sweet snack
 

Destinations

London
 
Spain
   1: Madrid
   2: Seville
   3: Santiago
 
Dumfries & Galloway
 
SW England
 
Utrecht
 
Riding the Rails
 of England & Wales 
  1. 24hr dining train-fest
  2. Great Little Trains
  3. Other trip highlights
 
Scotland's NC500
 
Northern Italy
  1: Milan
  2: Como City
  3: Lake Como
 
Howth (near Dublin)