Hello everyone,
Back to Düsseldorf for a visit to my company's headquarters for two days. It's a flight I take often (about once to twice a month) and I have learned to appreciate the flights in the little Bombardier CRJ900 that was always deployed on this leg.
For a few weeks now, Eurowings has replaced its flight to GVA with an A320, and sometimes an A319 from Germanwings (4U). So it was my first flight on the new type. And for the Geneva-Düsseldorf leg, AirBerlin opened a route at the end of October with 2 or 3 flights a day. As the CRJ was always half empty (or two thirds sometimes), I wonder how they'll fill up those flights with now 3 A32X and 2 or 3 DH8 heading there each day.
It was a 320 with Sharklets today, my first time flying one of those too. So I was pretty happy about the flight. And weather was good too :-)
Arrival at Geneva Airport at around 07:20. Well in advance, because the road to the airport from my house can be very long when there's traffic. So not problem today. Left my car at the parking and proceeded to the Check-In Gates.
One agent only for the flight, and 1 person in front of me. No problem here. Security was done very quickly, as I get Priority Lane with my Frequent Traveler Status. 07:30 and I'm all done and through security, no shopping needed today, so straight to the lounge.
The Swiss Business Lounge was pretty empty this morning, so was the airport, very calm and therefore pretty nice. Breakfast and newspaper for me, with some croissants, yogurt and hot chocolate (I just don't like coffee). The choice was pretty much the same as every other time there, bread, yoghurts, the hot and cold drinks, chips, Haribo-Bears. Yes, Haribo Bears!
I sat in the "Eating" corner of the lounge, and then proceeded to the seating place to get some work done and working out my emails. All in all I gotta say the lounge was clean and tidy, personnel was nice, but the food offer is quite basic. Its' WiFi works pretty good, too. Boarding was at 08:30 and I left the lounge at 08:40 as the gate was only 4 minutes away from the lounge.
I reached Gate A4 where boarding hadn't started yet. I didn't have time to take a seat, that boarding was called, with priorities respected. Children and families (there were none) and then, Business Class and SA Gold Members (there were only 5). The plane was 2/3 full, which was an amazement to me, as I said this flight is usually really emtpy.
I had booked Emergency Exit Row Seats. I always do this when I can. I'm not small,but I'm not huge either (183cm, that's about 6ft), but I appreciate to be able to feel my knees after a flight :-)
S
eat pitch is pretty good at these rows. The'yre also in the first 12 rows or so of the aircraf
t, which means these are labeled as Preffered Seats, with more legroom. Didn't test them but it seems.
Push-back was perfectly on time and take-off was quick with no waiting time.
Service on board was pretty basic, the usual Pack with Cheese or Ham Sandwich with a bottle of water and Haribo (again!) Bears.
A little later, the included drink was provided. Tee choice was very limited, I asked for Coke Light or Zero, and they didn't have any left. For a 9am flight, that's pretty strange. Oh well.
Service on board was however realy nice, the crew was smiling and looked happy. That's a big change from the CRJ crews that were mostly unpleasant and the smile on their faces were really hard to tell…
Smooth flight, just above the cloud ceiling.
Descent started almost 30 minutes before landing, and we just flew in the clouds for so long. Not really bumpy, pretty smooth too in fact.
Good landing, and taxi to the gate in no time. We were out of the plane at 10:20, so perfect timing.
Arrival at an A-Gate. Oh flying the 320 now on this leg is pretty handy because it means Pax Jetbridges and no more Paxbus, in Geneva and in Düsseldorf. Specially because it was raining cats and dogs un DUS. So that was a nice change.
There, I'm writing this report on my way to my meeting in the car (not whilst driving, don't you worry!)
Hope you enjoyed it. Till next time!
Very nice report, I would like to try Eurowings one day.
Hi! It's some kind of in-between airline. It's not really Legacy, and not really LCC either. If you're booked on the Smart Fare, you get the drinks and food, on the Basic Fare, you get nothing. And on the Best Fare, you get a wider choice of food and a seat in the first rows of the plane. It's pretty much ok. As I said, in between airline, but still, you get the perks of Star Alliance when you're a Status Member (Lounge, Prio Security, Prio Boarding, etc.)
Great report, enjoyed it :)