This is my first trip report, I decided to give it a go. Since I'm crazy about planes and flying and hoping to become a pilot in the future, and love taking pictures. I hope you will enjoy this trip report and any feed back will be much appreciate it.
The reason I've token this flight is to collect my luggage at Algiers Intl Airport Houari Boumediene. After Arriving at the airport 2 days previously, a flight from Frankfurt via Dublin. my luggage didn't made my very tight connection of 45 min, i was quite disappointed and got even more upset as it took me more time to report it and to my another disappointment that i have to come back to the capital and to collect it and swissport refused to send me my bad for security reason plus i need to verify its my bag and to sign some papers to say I received my bag.
I'm born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, but I'm originally Algerian. Every few years i head back to Algeria just to visit family. if it wasn't from them i would never go to Algeria ever again, just cant cope with the people. don't get me wrong i love Algeria very much and it has a unique beauty in each city, lovely weather, amazing beaches and more. sadly most people are simply have the third world mentality which i cant cope nor i cant blame them for that.
Two days after i arrived to Oran, Oran is secondary city in algeria and is a very important and a big city. I called swissport which they were suppose to call me, and told me the good news that my luggage had arrived from frankfurt and is ready to be collected. I went to a local travel agent which was more quicker then buying online and booked a flight for the day after on 17/02/14 and cost me only 60 euro. i was very excited to be honest as it was my first time flying a turboprop plane, but wasn't excited to fly air couscous.
My dad dropped me off at the airport just one hour before my flight, i was shocked that the airport was not a building but a giant tent. It was tiny, only 4 or 5 check in desks if i recall correctly and passed the security, it was my quickest entry from the airport terminal to the air side. Only 4 mins and still had over 55 min until my flight.
the view of oran ben bella Intl airport.
B735 from air mediteranee, B736 from Tunisair and our Atr72-500 Sandwiched between them. and an american private jet.
Was surprised that the flight was on time and boarded on time. The flight seemed full, the plane was dirty and showed its aged but that didn't put me off as it was my first ATR72-500 flight.
Air Couscous (algerie) Atr72 safety card.
After i boarded the aircraft funny enough there was 3 Cabin crew, even tho it is supposed to be two. only one of them was friendly and the other two just seemed they didn't want to be flying. take of was normal but very loud, i enjoyed the turbo sound.
view of oran just after take off.
the flight was uneventful and they didn't serve anyone on board because it was ramadan, but it was bad out as they were serving the pilots with tea and sweets, there were lots of Asians on the flight and didn't give them any drinks, it was very very hot that day, above 35 degrees.
Arrival was on time into Algiers, i love Algiers but sadly never had time to explore it.
Domestic Stand and the View of T1 and the air traffic control.
Air algerie and tassili airlines Boeing 737-800WL.
went across the Intl T2 building to swissport, collected my luggage and went to the Lufthansa office in first floor, the two gentlemen's were very friendly and help me in a very professional manner which i didn't expect to be honest, and apologise many times and made some funny jokes to ease it off the situation as i was a bit stressed, fair play to them.
I was done at 2pm, and my flight was not until 8pm, i really didnt want to stay that long in algiers as i was fasting, felt sick…. all i wanted to do is to fly back and sleep immediately. its was 39 degrees outside, felt like i was gonna faint. walked around a tiny bit around the two terminals and went back to the domestic T1 building.
I love palm trees, they are simply beautiful.
After entering T1, I went straight to the departures board, and found a flight at 5pm. I rushed to the check in counter where an angry check in staff just had a fight with a passenger , oh dear my luck -_-. But he was calmed a little and then dealt with me. He told me he put me down as a stand by and just stay beside the stand by check in counter where they will call my name in three hours time. better then 6 hrs wait aye hahah.
i was surprised that the domestic terminal lacked seating area alot, not good and there is dozens of flights a day and nearly 3 million passengers pass through it a year. Not good but the terminal looked nice and airy which was once a international Terminal until 2006, which was a bonus i guess and everyone can seat on the floor or beside the windows.
Waiting list. translated from Arabic.
After more them 3 hours wait, which seemed for ever, finally i heard my name and rushed through security as it was final call. I arrived at me gate, waited for 10 mins then they started boarding. the tagged my luggage and gave it to the baggage handler.Before you board a plane, you go to another security check before you get the bus and another security check before you board the plane.
AH B736
TAL B738W
Assigned seats doenst exist with air algerie and its passengers, they seat where they are pleased and if you argue with them, its like talking to a wall. Maybe a wall might answer back. Didnt bother to make a scene as i was exhausted and went to look for another seat, sat in the aisle but the seat comfort wasn't that bad, if not better then ryanair, but they were filthy. Pure dirty, black everywhere.
Return Boarding pass.
After every one was seated and a safety demo was done, the cabin crew went to sit, i was seating near the front, and noticed the cabin crew was struggling to open her seat, something broke of it and fixed it, after take off it broke again and i was shocked to see this. but no one else cared.
After 55 min we landed at oran ben bella airport. After we disembarked like a sheep, got on a bus …. back to the filthy gigantic tent, collected my bag and back to home to sleep before sunset.
Fuselage tube of the Atr72
Oran Ben Bella Intl Airport
My atr 72, as soon i disembarked.
40 degrees heat, which melted me lol.
See more
Verdict
Air Algerie
2.8/10
Cabin7.0
Cabin crew4.0
Entertainment/wifi0.0
Meal/catering0.0
Oran - ORN
6.2/10
Efficiency9.0
Access9.0
Services4.0
Cleanliness3.0
Algiers - ALG
7.2/10
Efficiency8.0
Access7.0
Services7.0
Cleanliness7.0
Conclusion
It was a lovely experience by self on a domestic route, as well on atr and second time ever flying air algerie. i just dislike them, i shouldve flown with tassili airlines as i heard its 10 times better, but i was glad to experience my first turboprop ever. As for air algerie ..... they need to sort out everything, still surprised people fly them and its still around ! if only Khalifa airways was still around today. I hope you enjoyed my first trip report, and i promise my second and third and so one trip report will be better. this is just a testing.
Regards,
Zikko.
1 LIKESLIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORTHANKS ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKED
thank you very much, yeah true i agree, sadly no sorry .... many people were around i didnt bother as they are quite strict about photography in the airports. Yes they are using a huge tent at the moment to cope with lots of passengers as its growing, they are currently building a new airport which im not sure when its done.... didn't had a chance to see the building site.
Once again thank you, i promise it will be a better one hahah
Hi There, thanks for sharing this first report on an exotic route. Good job on your first report, just a few tips for the future ones...Like Lagentsecret said, it's best to have the text above the pictures on this site. Also, landscape format works better for photos on this site. Just turn your phone sideways :-) Also, each report can only reference one flight number so I took out one of the flight numbers. Cabin shots and pictures of what was served (if anything) would be good to have in future reports. Also, you may want to blurr out your family name and address on the photos. It's better to be safe with personal information like that on the internet. If you don't have software on your computer to touch up photos to blurr, there are many free programs you can download, like picasa for example.
So that's nuts that you had to fly to Algiers just to get your bag back. Did the airline that lost your bag reimburse you for the plane tickets you had to buy just to get your bag? I hope so! I'm surprised the national airline of Algeria runs so many ATRs between the country's two largest cities. I would think it would be more mainline aircraft like 737s. Thanks for sharing and Welcome to Flight-Report!
your most welcome Kevin, hahah ill try next time.... my phone is quite big, Z1 soo its hard to do it side ways :P, ohh i didnt know that, thank u, and yes you are right, i wasnt aware of this. sadly they didnt serve us anything. yes it is, waste of time and money but a good experience ! they just rembured my baggage fee which is 50 euro as well how many days its took them to send it bak, took them two days, and i stayed in algeria for only 10 days.
yes they do in the early mornings and nights with mixed b737s, b767 and the a330 ! wasnt lucky to fly the b767 :/.
thank you again and i really like this website its awsome !
if i was to choose ill choose the B767.... sadly it was only ATR72 or B737 .... was suppose to fly back on the B737 but did not want to stay until night time , the flight was at 8pm
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47 reviews
12 Comments
It's more convenient to have the comments before the pictures (so one doesn't need to scroll down and up)
No picture of the check in desks at ORN ?
It's weird that the building is not used and that they are using a tent instead
Looking for your next report
Yes they are using a huge tent at the moment to cope with lots of passengers as its growing, they are currently building a new airport which im not sure when its done.... didn't had a chance to see the building site.
Once again thank you, i promise it will be a better one hahah
So that's nuts that you had to fly to Algiers just to get your bag back. Did the airline that lost your bag reimburse you for the plane tickets you had to buy just to get your bag? I hope so! I'm surprised the national airline of Algeria runs so many ATRs between the country's two largest cities. I would think it would be more mainline aircraft like 737s. Thanks for sharing and Welcome to Flight-Report!
yes it is, waste of time and money but a good experience ! they just rembured my baggage fee which is 50 euro as well how many days its took them to send it bak, took them two days, and i stayed in algeria for only 10 days.
yes they do in the early mornings and nights with mixed b737s, b767 and the a330 ! wasnt lucky to fly the b767 :/.
thank you again and i really like this website its awsome !
You had some nice spotting on the tarmac.
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