Review of Air Serbia flight Sofia Belgrad in Economy

Airline Air Serbia
Flight JU 123
Class Economy
Seat 15F
Aircraft ATR 72-500
Flight time 01:15
Take-off 12 Mar 16, 16:05
Arrival at 12 Mar 16, 16:20
JU   #44 out of 96 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 39 reviews
NGO85
By SILVER 4167
Published on 24th March 2016
Background:

This series covers a two-week vacation to Europe that will feature stops in SOF, BEG, TIV, LIS, ARN, and ATH. For background and planning, please refer back to Part 1. As a reminder, the routing for this series is:

Part 1 – IAH-IAD [UA 373, Boeing B767-300ER, Economy] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-13577.html
Part 2 – IAD-MUC [UA 106, Boeing B767-400ER, Economy] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-13623.html
Part 3 – MUC-SOF [LH 1702, Airbus A321, Economy] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-13658.html
Part 4 – SOF-BEG [JU 123, Aérospatiale/Alenia ATR 72-500, Economy] – You are here
Part 5 – BEG-TIV [YM 201, Fokker F100, Economy] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-13699.html
Part 6 – TIV-BEG [YM 202, Fokker F100, Economy] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-13726.html
Part 7 – BEG-LHR [JU 380, Airbus A319, Business] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-13820.html
Part 8 – LHR-MAD [BA 522, Airbus A330-300, Business] – Coming soon
Part 9 – MAD-LIS [IB 3118, Airbus A321, Business] – Coming soon
Part 10 – LIS-LHR [BA 499, Airbus A320, Business] – Coming soon
Part 11 – LHR-ARN [BA 780, Boeing B767-300ER, Business] – Coming soon
Part 12 – ARN-BEG [JU 411, Airbus A319, Business] – Coming soon
Part 13 – BEG-ATH [JU 512, Airbus A319, Business] – Coming soon
Part 14 – ATH-IST [TK 1850, Boeing B737-900ER, Economy] – Coming soon
Part 15 – IST-ATH [TK 1843, Boeing B737-800, Economy] – Coming soon
Part 16 – ATH-FRA [A3 830, Airbus A321, Economy] – Coming soon
Part 17 – FRA-IAH [UA 47, Boeing B787-900, EconomyPlus] – Coming soon

Tourist Bonuses:

Sofia – Part 4
Kotor – Part 6
Belgrade – Part 7
Lisbon – Part 9
Sintra – Part 10
Stockholm – Part 12
Athens – Part 16

This report will cover the flight from SOF to BEG aboard JU. This route is only operated by JU, FB doesn’t touch it. JU sends an ATR 72-500 once daily so the options were very limited. When I booked the award ticket, I just arbitrarily picked a window seat at the back of the plane to avoid the wing. Train service looked particularly unreliable between these two cities so I don’t know how else you would get between them quickly/efficiently. There will be a Sofia bonus at the end of this report.



Pre-flight:

After lunch, I retrieved my bag from the hotel and took the metro to the airport. As I mentioned at the end of the last report, the metro in Sofia is clean, efficient, and cheap. I bought my ticket from a vending machine for 1лв (€0.50) and got on at Su St. Kliment Ohridski Station in downtown Sofia.



Twenty minutes later, I arrive at SOF.

photo 4

SOF Terminal 2 is fairly new and modern with a nice façade.

photo 5photo 6

The check-in lobby.

photo 7photo 8

The JU check-in counters. They have two counters with two agents. Ground services in SOF are handled by Swissport. The agent tags my bag to BEG and hands me my boarding pass. He doesn’t mention lounge access so I enquire. He says to use the Swissport Lounge and explains how to get there after clearing security/passport control.

photo 9

FIDS on the old CRT monitors.

photo 10

Security was empty and passport control also had no line. However, the immigration officer leaving was not as friendly as the one entering the country. He was talking on his cell phone the entire time and never spoke a word to me. After clearing passport control, I head off to the Business Lounge 1, which is the Swissport Lounge. Business Lounge 2 was a pay lounge.

photo 11

Walking to the lounge.

photo 12

The entrance to the lounge, it was just an open door into the room. As you can tell, almost everyone that serves SOF uses this lounge.

photo 13

The “Vitosha Lounge” is a single room. The agent scans my boarding pass and lets me in. Right next to the counter is the bar and food/drink offerings. She was watching me so I didn’t take pictures up close of the lounge offering.

photo 14

I grabbed some food and took a seat.

photo 15photo 16

View of the lounge from my seat, there were maybe 10 people inside, most look like they were going to be leaving on the LX flight.

photo 17

The food/drink offering in the corner. It was like a convenience store, all the food was packaged snacks and drinks. There were large bulk containers of food on the ground where the agent would replenish stuff from. Not very elegant at all.

photo 18

My boarding documents.

photo 19

The view from the lounge. The sunny morning quickly vanished into rain clouds. Not a lot to see, but on a clear day you would get spectacular views of Vitosha (ironically the namesake of the lounge).

photo 20

Questionable baggage handling at SOF observed from the lounge. Hope your bag doesn’t fall off…

photo 21

Near the boarding time, I hear an airport announcement requesting me to my gate. I pack up and head out. The airport is large and feels empty.

photo 22

Some spotting on the way there.

TK B739.

photo 23

LH Technik hangars along with a 9U A320, LX A321, and FB Avro RJ70.

photo 24

FB ERJ-190 leaving for BCN.

photo 25

4U A319 (same one that I spotted on arrival missing an engine) and Bright Flight Antonov An-26B.

photo 26

Down to Gate B2, which is going to be paxbus.

photo 27

The paxbus waiting room.

photo 28

I go up to the counter since on my way to the gate, there was a second airport announcement requesting me to my gate. The agent asks me for my passport. He looks concerned as he types, which is never good. He asks me about my middle name. My boarding pass and ticket don’t have my middle name (never really an issue in the US), but it seems Bulgaria was scared to send me to Serbia since the names don’t match. He eventually handed me back my passport and boarding pass, so I think it was okay.

LX Avro RJ100 arriving from ZRH.

photo 29




——————————-

Air Serbia, JU 123
Equipment: Aérospatiale/Alenia ATR 72-500 [YU-ALV (ex-XK), delivered March 2006]
Departure: 16:05 (ATD: 16:15)
Arrival: 16:20 (ATA: 16:05)
Flight time: 0:50


Boarding started 10 minutes late, no priority boarding was done. It was just a general boarding call since this flight is Y only and will be handled by paxbus. I join the queue and my boarding pass flashes red. He asks me to step aside until he finishes. After the last passenger went through, he took my passport and again typed some more into the computer before waving me through.

photo 30

Onto the paxbus as the rain starts to sprinkle.

photo 31

The bus pulls up next to our plane and we step out to board through the rear.

photo 32

The beautiful JU logo.

photo 33

Fuselage shot.

photo 34

Entering the plane, a FA welcomes me on board in Serbian and then English. The cabin entering the rear.

photo 35

The seat behind mine.

photo 36

Seat pitch is okay, nothing fantastic. The ATRs have a seat support that means you can’t have underseat storage for the window seats.

photo 37photo 38

The cabin during boarding.

photo 39

Seatback contents.

photo 40

Safety card for this ATR 72.

photo 41photo 42

In the Elevate magazine, they advertise their social media image, so I think JU is open to photography on board and supports the free advertisement.

photo 43

JU fleet.

photo 44

JU route map.

photo 45

We taxi off as the last passenger boards. The FAs do the safety demonstration in Serbian and English. Turning onto the runway. The windows were scratched so most of the photos today will be a little blurry unfortunately.

photo 46

I won’t be the only photographer today.

photo 47

We lift up giving aerials of SOF and the city in the distance.

photo 48photo 49

Farmland in the outskirts of Sofia.

photo 50

Industrial center.

photo 51

We make a U-turn to the northwest and clear through the clouds.

photo 52

After leveling off, the FAs come through the cabin and distribute snack bags. There is no drink service, which is kind of a disappointment, but at least there is a water bottle inside the bag.

photo 53

The contents of the snack bag: a water bottle, chicken sandwich, and wet towel.

photo 54photo 55

The cabin mid-flight. Load was around 70%.

photo 56

It was cloudy the whole way.

photo 57

Shortly after the trash was collected, we were into our descent into BEG.

photo 58

Crossing the Sava River.

photo 60

Flying over the apartment complexes in the outskirts of town.

photo 61

More housing as we cross into the farmland outside of Belgrade.

photo 62photo 63

Our shadow.

photo 64

We touch down ahead of schedule into BEG on a sunny afternoon.

photo 65

We pull into our stand next to to our twin that arrived from Sarajevo before us.

photo 66

Our paxbus arriving.

photo 67

The seats deplaning.

photo 68

The FAs thank me for flying as I step out and onto the bus. The bus ride back to the terminal gives some nice spotting.

JU A319s.

photo 69

JU ATR 72.

photo 70

LO, YM, and LH ERJ-190s.

photo 71photo 72photo 73

At the terminal, there was no one in the line for “All Passports” so I was quickly through and off towards the baggage claim.

photo 74

Welcome to Serbia.

photo 75

The arrivals information this afternoon.

photo 76

Interesting Fiat baggage claim exit.

photo 77

After collecting my bag, I stop at the ATM in the baggage claim to pick up some Serbian dinar (РСД). Clearing customs, I force my way through the sketchy taxi drivers and straight to the shuttle bus to the city. You buy a ticket from the driver for 300дин (€2.40) as you board the bus. The bus takes 40 minutes to reach the center of Belgrade and you can get off at the train station.

photo 79

Leaving the airport.

photo 78

I’ll leave off this series here as I begin my stay in BEG. Tune into the next report for a look at YM’s service. I’ll withhold the Belgrade bonus until Part 7.








——————————————–
BONUS: I spent two days in Sofia (София), which is a beautiful city with a vibrant history. One day was rainy and one day was sunny so they pictures will have mixed skies since they were taken on different days.

photo 100

National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria.

photo 101

Monument to the Tsar Liberator.

photo 102photo 103photo 104

Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”

photo 105

National Theatre “Ivan Vazov”

photo 106photo 107

Church of Saint Nicholas the Miracle-Maker, which is the Russian Church.

photo 108photo 109

Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which although only completed in 1912 is the most iconic site in Sofia.



Saint Sofia Church, which dates back to the 6th century.

photo 115

Tsar Samuel of Bulgaria.

photo 116

Streets in downtown Sofia.

photo 118

Quadrat 500, which houses the National Gallery for Foreign Art.

photo 117

National Art Gallery.

photo 119

City Garden, a nice park in the city center.

photo 120photo 121

Church of Saint George, which dates from the 4th century and is considered the oldest building in Sofia.

photo 122

Nezavisimost Square, which is surrounded by Communist era government buildings known as the “Largo”.

photo 123

The former Party House.

photo 124

The Council of Ministers of Bulgaria.

photo 125

The President’s Office.

photo 126photo 127

Saint Nedelya Cathedral, which dates back to the 10th century.

photo 128

Statue of Saint Sofia.

photo 129

Streets in the suburbs of Sofia.

photo 130photo 131

Flowers in bloom.

photo 132

I stayed at the Hotel Sense Sofia, which is the new trendy hotel in the city. The rooms had nice hardwood floors and a large bathroom.



Bulgarian lev.

photo 137

National Museum of Military History, which was a very interesting museum highlighting Bulgaria’s diverse history. There had a large collection of tanks and airplanes at the museum as well, which might be of interest to this community.



The cats of Bulgaria.

See more

Verdict

Air Serbia

7.0/10
Cabin7.5
Cabin crew8.0
Entertainment/wifi5.0
Meal/catering7.5

Pliska Lounge - 2

5.0/10
Comfort4.0
Meal/catering4.0
Entertainment/wifi6.0
Services6.0

Sofia - SOF

8.2/10
Efficiency10.0
Access9.0
Services5.0
Cleanliness9.0

Belgrad - BEG

8.0/10
Efficiency9.0
Access7.0
Services7.0
Cleanliness9.0

Conclusion

A nice flight on JU, they offer a good product for regional flights in the Balkans. Ground services in SOF with Swissport were average. The in-flight service with JU was about what you’d expect from an EY operation. Nice catering, but a drink service could be done with the snack bag since there was about 15 minutes after the bags were distributed and descent started. The Vitosha Lounge in SOF was mediocre at best. Not very private seating areas and the food/drink offerings were all pre-packaged.

Cabin comfort: This is an old ATR so the seats were well broken in, which also means they were comfortable. The pitch is fine for a flight of this length and there wasn’t too much engine noise. I prefer Dash8s to ATRs, but this was perfectly fine for a 50-minute flight.

Crew: A decent JU crew. They all spoke English and did service with a smile. Pilots gave updates and route information in English.

Meal and catering: A snack bag was handed out containing a sandwich, bottled water, and a wet towel. Probably time for a drink service on this 50-minute flight, which is my only criticism. For a flight of this length, this is pretty good service.

Entertainment: Standard seatback literature. No IFE.

On-time performance: We left on-time and arrived early.

Related

30 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 160344 by
    Pilpintu TEAM 997 Comments
    I really enjoyed your report. Thank you!

    The views are amazing. We don't know much about Sofia or Belgrade in my country, and I fell in love with those cities after seeing these photographs. Adding Sofia and Belgrade to my list of future trips... done.

    And the cats! Cats are lovely all over the world!
    • Comment 337024 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting!

      We don't know much about Sofia or Belgrade in my country
      - This is true for the US as well. The Balkans generally have a negative reputation given the political volatility in the region following the collapse of Yugoslavia in the late-1990s. There is still some anti-NATO sentiment in Beograd as you'll see in the upcoming bonus. I never felt unsafe in these cities (even alone at night), so as long as practice common sense and vigilance they're no different than any city in the world.

      Cats are lovely all over the world!
      - Sofia is supposed be famous for it's 10,000+ stray dogs, but I only came across cats when I was there.
  • Comment 160346 by
    marathon GOLD 10117 Comments
    I should have guessed that this striking title picture was from you ;)
    The French have routinely several middle names which never find enough space in foreign forms (including plane tickets). I wonder if I could fly to Serbia ?
    I too find JU's logo very attractive and interesting.
    I like your definition of blurry images :)
    That Fiat baggage claim exit is a brilliant advertising idea : it must be found in quite a number of blogs !
    Thanks for this report and the bonus which brings back old remembrances !
    PS : do you have the identification of the aircraft in that military museum?
    • Comment 337025 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      I should have guessed that this striking title picture was from you ;)
      - It was enough to entice you to read^^

      I wonder if I could fly to Serbia ?
      - You'll be happy to know that all four times I passed through Serbian immigration no one said a word to me, they simply scanned my passport and stamped it. They are on their best behavior to make friends with their EU neighbors.

      I too find JU's logo very attractive and interesting.
      - It's a great way for them to showcase their national pride by incorporating their flag into the paint scheme and using a modified Serbian eagle in their logo. The patriotism in these Balkan countries is always immense.

      That Fiat baggage claim exit is a brilliant advertising idea : it must be found in quite a number of blogs !
      - I thought it was a very clever display to highlight Beograd's economy and advertise Fiat cars. Although I must say there are more Yugos than Fiats driving around Beograd ;)

      do you have the identification of the aircraft in that military museum?
      - I do, I'll go back to the photos and pull the names off of the signposts and add it later today. I always take two pictures, one of the item and one of the sign ;)
  • Comment 160349 by
    SKYTEAMCHC GOLD 10071 Comments
    Thanks for sharing this report with us.
    I Really ike their livery that stands out from more familiar ones.
    Good service for such a short flight . Not sure that a drink service would be possible with a full cabin on a 50 minutes flight but it depends on how many FA work the flight.
    • Comment 337027 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you Christophe for stopping by and commenting^^

      I Really ike their livery that stands out from more familiar ones.
      - Having seen the old JAT logos with polka dot tails, I think it is a big improvement^^ I can't wait to see it on the new A330s they are getting for BEG-JFK service this fall^^

      Good service for such a short flight . Not sure that a drink service would be possible with a full cabin on a 50 minutes flight but it depends on how many FA work the flight.
      - There are 2 FAs on the ATR72s with a capacity of ~70 passengers. Since snack bags only take a couple minutes to hand out from a cart passing through the aisle, there really isn't a reason not to offer a limited drink service as well (since water is already given, just pass through with coffee/tea/juice). I have been on 30 minute flight on Dash8s that have had a drink service (but no snack). I think the snack bag is good service, but when you compare it to what TK offers on a 50-minute flight, it falls short.
  • Comment 160351 by
    whitelight44 346 Comments
    Great FR and great pictures. I really liked Sofia and the cats :)
  • Comment 160354 by
    Aubin 231 Comments
    Love the cats at the end, thank you!
  • Comment 160377 by
    aussenrist 225 Comments
    Thanks Michael for sharing this report with nice pictures always!

    I am impressed with SOF’s grand transportation which has metro connecting to the city and the fee is cheap!
    The JU tail design is nice with its elegant logo. BTW it is unusual to board at the rear cabin hahaha
    Considering the flight length, although no drink services provided, the snacks bag is good (at least there is a bottle water).
    The FIAT baggage claim in BEG looks funny and reminds me of King's Cross Platform 9 3/4 :P
    Fantastic travel bonus of Sofia and the hotel! The cats are かわいい! They convince me to visit there^^
    And looking forward to your travel in Balkans!
    • Comment 337031 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you very much for all your comments!

      I am impressed with SOF’s grand transportation which has metro connecting to the city and the fee is cheap!
      - Very cheap and affordable city to visit^^ And not many other foreign tourists so it is quiet and pleasant^^

      The JU tail design is nice with its elegant logo.
      - Beautiful Serbian eagle :)

      BTW it is unusual to board at the rear cabin hahaha
      - ATRs don't have front doors ;) You always board through the rear since the baggage/cargo hold is right behind the cockpit.

      Considering the flight length, although no drink services provided, the snacks bag is good
      - TK offers a snack box and drink service on 50-minutes flights, which is really outstanding. Most carriers only can pull of a drink service on a 50-minute flight which is average. So getting a snack bag falls between those two benchmarks and so I think it is quite good service and better than what I would expect on a flight like this.

      The FIAT baggage claim in BEG looks funny and reminds me of King's Cross Platform 9 3/4 :P
      - I had to look this reference up, but I can see the resemblance ;) I thought it was very clever for the bags to disappear into the trunk of the car^^

      The cats are かわいい! They convince me to visit there^^
      - The Japanese tourists would have days of fun just following them around taking pictures^^
  • Comment 160386 by
    Numero_2 TEAM BRONZE 10416 Comments
    Thanks for sharing !

    An airport lounge is never impressive, this one makes no exception. :P

    The ATRs have a seat support that means you can’t have underseat storage for the window seats. -> No flashy shoes like the ones you had in Japan ? ;)

    We lift up giving aerials of SOF and the city in the distance. -> We can see the metro terminus which seems to be built just for the airport.

    No drink service for such a flight length is way disappointing !
    • Comment 337032 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Merci Clement^^

      An airport lounge is never impressive, this one makes no exception. :P
      - But it had Swiss in it's name so I was expecting free watches and chocolates^^ Instead I got ice-cold Zagorka and packaged snacks :(

      No flashy shoes like the ones you had in Japan ? ;)
      - Not that day ;) Wait for the next report^^

      We can see the metro terminus which seems to be built just for the airport.
      - The subway becomes a suburban line for the last couple stops, which were completed in April 2015 so it is a very recent addition making the city even more accessible. The airport is just on the edge of the city center so even a taxi would only take 10 minutes.

      No drink service for such a flight length is way disappointing !
      - Agreed, TK > JU. But JU > most European carriers^^
    • Comment 337081 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Also, forgot to ask you: Do you know what the deal is with the LH Technik hangars at SOF? Do they send planes there for maintenance? That LX A321 was sitting there for both days outside of the hangar. I'm assuming that is also why the 4U A319 was there for repairs?
  • Comment 160393 by
    Rl 777 802 Comments
    Thank you for sharing this FR with us!

    Nice spotting thos from SOF!

    Seat pitch looks acceptable for a flight of this length, the cabin seems to be clean.

    No proper drink service but that sandwich looks much better visually than many other airline-sandwiches.

    Wow, absolutely wonderful shots upon arrival at BEG!

    Sofia looks beautiful from your bonus, thanks for sharing!

    Beautiful shots from the museum, the Mil Mi-24 (I think it is) reminds me of the old Battlefield Bad Company 2 days. We can't forget the amazing cats as well haha.

    Have a good one, see you!


  • Comment 160397 by
    Rl 777 802 Comments
    Thank you for sharing this FR with us!

    Nice spotting shots from SOF!

    Seat pitch looks acceptable for a flight of this length, the cabin seems to be clean.

    No proper drink service but that sandwich looks much better visually than many other airline-sandwiches.

    Wow, absolutely wonderful shots upon arrival at BEG!

    Sofia looks beautiful from your bonus, thanks for sharing!

    Beautiful shots from the museum, the Mil Mi-24 (I think it is) reminds me of the old Battlefield Bad Company 2 days. We can't forget the amazing cats as well haha.

    Have a good one, see you!
    • Comment 337084 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you for sharing this FR with us!
      - It must have been so good you wanted to post twice ;)

      Nice spotting shots from SOF!
      - There was also some US military aircraft on the tarmac, but I didn't include those photos. SOF doesn't get much exotic action, mainly LCCs and the occasional flight in from BA/LH/LX/etc. FB has code-share agreements with lots of carriers so often will operate the routes to CDG for AF, for example.

      Seat pitch looks acceptable for a flight of this length, the cabin seems to be clean.
      - For a shuttle flight on a turboprop, it's good enough. Yeah, the cabin should be clean. JU is only around since 2013 so all of their fleet has clean cabins, but saying that, I'm surprised at how worn out the leather seats look on the ATRs if it was newly installed when JU picked up the planes on leases when they started operations. They must have gotten secondhand seats for these planes since the A319/A320s have new seats.

      No proper drink service but that sandwich looks much better visually than many other airline-sandwiches.
      - It was on par with the TK sandwiches. It was better than the LH sandwich ;) This one had a tomato, lettuce, and cheese to go with chicken. I still think coffee/tea/juice should have been offered, they don't have to do a full drink service.

      Wow, absolutely wonderful shots upon arrival at BEG!
      - BEG is a beautiful airport to fly into, I'm 3/4 on arrivals over the city (only the flight from ARN arrived from the other direction). There is also an aviation museum next to the airport that has some old JAT planes. the only ironic part is that every arrival into BEG was sunny, but when I was actually in the city, it was always cloudy...

      Beautiful shots from the museum, the Mil Mi-24 (I think it is) reminds me of the old Battlefield Bad Company 2 days.
      - There was a nice collection of ~50 aircraft parked there. Not in the best of condition as you can tell from the photos, but that just gives them that battle-worn look ;) Who likes looking at shiny F-35s in a hangar?

      Thanks for commenting and stopping by!
  • Comment 160419 by
    jetsetpanda 2283 Comments
    Thank you for sharing this interesting FR on an unusual carrier and the great bonus. Eastern Europe deserves more exposure. If things work out I will be visiting there this year in another around the world type of trip.

    For such a short flight it is commendable to have a snack. A for effort.
    • Comment 337085 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Eastern Europe deserves more exposure
      - Their carriers too, I was very impressed with YM as well. These countries probably have a lot fewer irregular ops as well given the young age of most of their fleets, they all seem to be moving towards ERJs based on what you see with FB and YM.

      For such a short flight it is commendable to have a snack. A for effort.
      - Absolutely, and it wasn't a bad sandwich either. But you know I expect coffee with my service :)

      Thanks for your comments Adan
  • Comment 160498 by
    KL651 TEAM 4534 Comments
    Thanks for this FR.
    Good that you flew on ATR72-500 and not one of the old ATR 72-200 that JU still has.

    I would indeed have expected a true beverage service, vs just a snack bag but it's still better than what you'd get on any other turbobrop flight in Europe.
    • Comment 337162 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Good that you flew on ATR72-500 and not one of the old ATR 72-200 that JU still has.
      - Haha, I think they are all pretty old, but mine was one of the younger 10-year old ones. It was hard to tell from the seatmap during seat selection which model was operating this route.

      I would indeed have expected a true beverage service, vs just a snack bag but it's still better than what you'd get on any other turbobrop flight in Europe.
      - It was a decent sandwich: it had tomato, lettuce, cheese and the bread wasn't too stodgy. Having had a full drink selection in the lounge before the flight, a beverage service wasn't sorely missed.

      Thank you for your continued comments KL651.
  • Comment 160768 by
    cloud_rider 825 Comments
    I've been reading your reports with great interest. The bonus at the end is a very good point, i loved the one on YM with the views of Kotor which is now on my places to visit list

    Your accounts are very well written and thus easy to get through.

    Thank you for sharing those unusual reports (the airlines and cities are indeed rare on FR) .
    • Comment 337840 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you for your comments!

      I loved the one on YM with the views of Kotor which is now on my places to visit list.
      - It was well worth the trip, highly recommend going there although getting to TIV is difficult so most will land at TGD.

      Your accounts are very well written and thus easy to get through.
      - Thank you for the compliments!

      Thank you for sharing those unusual reports (the airlines and cities are indeed rare on FR).
      - I enjoy the obscure :)
  • Comment 160793 by
    marathon GOLD 10117 Comments
    A footnote to my comment:

    You apparently did not go to Gabrovo, in the center of Bulgaria, which has the most famous cats in the country.

    There are countless self-deprecating Gabrovo jokes about the supposed reputation for stinginess of the locals. The more famous one is that the Gabrovians cut the tails of their cats, so that the cat door would remain open less time when they come and go, and save heating.
    I have saved an unused ticket of the Gabrovo House of Humor and Satire, decorated with a cat whose long tail would be cut off when the guard detached the stub.

    PS : I too always take double pictures in museums like you do :)
    • Comment 346253 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Sorry for the delay, I updated the bonus for you to include the aircraft identifications.
    • Comment 346262 by
      marathon GOLD 10117 Comments
      What is a one month delay between friends ? ;)
      Thanks for updating your report, I do appreciate your taking time for adding this information! :)
    • Comment 337841 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      You apparently did not go to Gabrovo, in the center of Bulgaria, which has the most famous cats in the country.
      - My next trip to Bulgaria will start from Sofia and travel east towards the Black Sea.

      cut the tails of their cats, so that the cat door would remain open less time when they come and go, and save heating.
      - Very clever, I might have to try this at home ;)
  • Comment 160944 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    Thanks for this exotic report! The first of many, it seems!

    He doesn’t mention lounge access so I enquire. He says to use the Swissport Lounge
    - How are you getting lounge access with travel in Economy and no status? As far as I know Air Serbia isn't in an alliance. Or are they one of the Etihad Partners? I can't remember.

    She was watching me so I didn’t take pictures up close of the lounge offering.
    - You must look suspicious. Or she had the hots for you ^^ Either way, aaawkward.

    Definitely not the nicest lounge, but it's still better than being out there in the terminal with the unwashed masses :-P

    The beautiful JU logo.
    -Yes, it is! Unusually complex and colorful--definitely not following the trend of simplifying logos.

    JU fleet.
    - Soon to include A330s for longhauls to be delivered in May!

    There is no drink service, which is kind of a disappointment, but at least there is a water bottle inside the bag.
    - interesting, but I guess it's cool to get a sandwich so that makes up for the lack of drinks a little.

    Great aerials, especially the arrival shots.

    Lovely bonus! Kitties and Churches..it's Catastic! LOL. Great report as usual. Thanks for sharing!
    • Comment 337842 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      How are you getting lounge access with travel in Economy and no status? As far as I know Air Serbia isn't in an alliance. Or are they one of the Etihad Partners? I can't remember.
      - JU is an EY partner airline and uses the same FFP. My EY Gold status is the same as JU Gold status and I get full benefits. This is also why I'm able to book JU award tickets very easily through EY.

      You must look suspicious.
      - I do ;) Who else walks around taking pictures of everything?

      but it's still better than being out there in the terminal with the unwashed masses :-P
      - It was better than US domestic lounges ;) As you saw in the terminal shots, a plague must have already killed of the unclean masses since there is no one inside SOF^^

      Unusually complex and colorful--definitely not following the trend of simplifying logos.
      - A very nice incorporation of their seal and flag into the livery.

      Soon to include A330s for longhauls to be delivered in May!
      - The EY empire expands again^^

      but I guess it's cool to get a sandwich so that makes up for the lack of drinks a little.
      - It's a trade-off, on one hand the snack + water is better than just getting a drink.

      Thanks for reading Kevin!

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