Welcome to the second and final part of a quick itinerary covering a day run over to Vilnius back in the beginning of November. The previous part covered the outbound leg from Stockholm to Vilnius while the part you may or may not choose to read now covers the leg back to Stockholm. I greatly apologize for the major delays involved in the completion of this FR.
Note: The background to this itinerary is similar if not identical to the opening FR in this series, which on the other hand is almost identical to the background of an FR covering a flight between THN and ARN posted over a month ago.
Background:
During the summer months frivolous talks regarding a family trip in late-October were presented. Unfortunately we were unable to book a trip at this time, due to our move to a new part of town at the end of July 2017. Costs involved with the move were of higher importance than the costs of a hypothetical family trip, the trip was put on hold. When the situation with the new home had stabilized, we were too late to the booking party. The plan was to leave Stockholm for a warmer place during my school holidays, but many other inhabitants have similar if not identical plans during these school holidays. Fares to most international destinations were high and the hopes for a family trip faded away. The trip was not entirely cancelled, but postponed for 2018 instead. As a result, my week of school holidays was free. A week or two prior to the start of the holidays, I asked my parents if I could head out on two quick day trips within Europe. They agreed rather quickly after I presented the planned destinations and after the oral confirmation I proceeded to book the quickies. The first day trip included Trollhättan, while the latter involved a round-trip to Vilnius, Lithuania. The stay was expected to be brief, at only 3,5 hours after accounting for time spent at the airport and travel times to/from the airport. As a result of the brief stay, my exploration and experiences from Vilnius would be extremely limited. Nonetheless, SAS' fairly reasonable youth fares made it economically feasible to consider a quickie to Vilnius. Additionally, the permission from my parents made it socially feasible to consider such a day expedition. Thank you mother and father for letting me go on these quick trips!
Itinerary:
Part 1 - ARN-VNO, SK738, SAS (Cityjet), Bombardier CRJ-900, EI-FPM -
Part 2 - VNO-ARN, SK739, Norwegian, Bombardier CRJ-900, EI-FPP - You are here
Note: Pictures used in this report were taken with my mobile phone and camera.
Solely 202 minutes (or 3h 22 min) after hopping off the bus at the central station area decisions of returning to the airport were made. 15:11 (3:11 PM) local time.
Local levels of precipitation had witnessed an increase since I had arrived in the central parts of the city. Additional walks before returning to the airport would not be troublesome by any means but unfortunately the more lazy thoughts in my mind held a dominant position this time (happens often in my daily life).
Onboard bus 2 towards Oro Uostas (airport in Lithuanian) at 15:14 (3:14 PM).
The routing towards the airport involved a ride on the E28, the total length of the E28 route is roughly 1 200 km and spans from Berlin all the way to Minsk via Poland, Russia (Kaliningrad oblast) and Lithuania.
Approaching the arrivals area at 15:30 (3:30 PM), if I am not mistaken most (if not all) city bus lines only depart/arrive at the arrivals section. Considering the rather small size of the airport, I do not think it is a major inconvenience for most travelers.
The MAN Lion's city bus (possibly an A21?) waiting to return to Stotis (central bus station).
Entrance to the arrivals section.
Other paths towards the departures area may possibly have existed but the first sign I spotted with letterings such as "departures" implied a ride with a lift. Once again, as a result of being lazy to look around for stairs I opted to follow the first sign and used the lift towards "departures".
Interesting architecture inside this part of the airport.
This occasion, moving towards the departures area involved certain steps outdoors.
Once I made it to an indoor facility, I was approached by VNO's departure hall with check-in desks on both sides of the picture.
Kiosks were available.
When printing out a secondary BP from one of the present kiosks in the area, I noticed how few airlines were represented in the kiosk's software. Then again, considering the size of the airport and the amount of flights leaving out of VNO this evening printing out a BP from a regular check-in desk would most likely involve few complications.
Ryanair check-in desks.
Fast-track access could be purchased for EUR 5 (USD 5,9) in a certain booth.
Transactions involving fast-track access at this time would probably be regarded as a waste for most passengers, due to the present short line for the security check.
BP control.
The security check was passed in a matter of minutes, thanks to the short lines.
A quick walk to the gate assigned for flight SK739 to Stockholm ARN could not hurt much.
Apparently the majority of the seats by the gate assigned for the flight I was bound to board were already occupied. As a result of the examination of the gate area, I proceeded to find seats located in other parts of the Schengen terminal aera
Ryanair B738.
On the left hand side we have an Air Nostrum (Iberia Regional) CRJ-900 operating a flight for SK and an Ellinair B734 to the right.
For a certain period of time there were multiple passengers present around me. However, once boarding had finished for a BT flight to RIX departing from a nearby gate, I was one of the only passengers left in the area.
Quietness.
Power- and USB ports by the window, followed by a BT Q400 in the background.
Airbaltic Q400 to Riga.
Evening departure to Kiev KBP onboard a 738.
A quick look at an FIDS before walking to the gate.
Subway in close vicinity to gate A2.
Boarding for flight SK739 to Stockholm commenced at approximately 16:48 (4:48 PM) local time, 32 minutes prior to our scheduled time of departure in other words. Judging by the passenger activity by the gate, the load seemed to be heading in lighter directions.
We would be taken by buses to the aircaft, or more correctly, one bus as only a single unit was needed to transport the passengers.
Flight information:
Airline: SAS (Cityjet)
Flight no & route: SK739 VNO-ARN
Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ-900
Scheduled time of departure (actual): 17:20 (17:15), UTC +2
Scheduled time of arrival (actual): 17:45 (17:33), UTC +1
EI-FPP, a bird delivered to Cityjet in September 2017 implying it had been in service for less than two months at the time of this flight.
Queuing up to enter the aircraft.
No step!
While entering I was greeted by the crew standing by the front door before making my way through the cabin to finally settle down at row 11.
The probability to score a vacant aisle seat was high on the scale.
Droplets on the window.
Boarding witnessed a complete operation a handful of minutes after I had sat down on 11A, the load was most likely below 28% according to rough estimations.
No passengers directly behind me.
Decent amount of legroom (I am 179cm tall, or about 5'10), it may however be tight for some. The sparse occupancy rate certainly helped with comfort.
Closed bins.
Overhead panel.
Seatback.
Due to the unoccupied seat next to me, taking complete advantage of both armrests would be a trouble-free task.
The almost unusable coat hook.
Poor view of a Ryanair 738 through the window while pushing back. 17:13 local time (5:13 PM).
Prior to lifting off the crew made sure to dim the cabin and to include a safety demonstration.
Taxiing to runway 01.
Rain effects, although admittedly, it was more than an effect this occasion.
Rolling down runway 01 in dark ligthing conditions at 17:15 (5:15 PM) UTC +2.
Climbing out through cloud layers.
Gaining altitude in this quiet cabin. Moments later, the seat-belt signs were switched off.
Safety card.
Opposite side.
Fall menu.
A selection of snacks/sweets and drinks were for sale.
By the time we had reached an altitude of approximately 22 000 ft the view from the window had become clearer.
Moments later a pleasant view rolled by.
Dusk.
17 minutes after takeoff, service carts began showing up on the aisle. Tea/coffee was served for free (usually mineral water on cup too if asked), my drink of choice was coffee for this evening hop. You may notice how there seems to be zero signs of any liquids being in the cup, on this flight the cup was handed out before any drinks had been poured which explains that part of the picture. The FAs on this flight were friendly but as a whole there were no experiences with the crew worth of remembrance.
A matter of time before total darkness would strike.
Scandinavian traveler magazine.
Descent towards Stockholm had been initiated by the time this picture was shot. 17:06 (5:06 PM) local time UTC +1.
Shortly announcements regarding our arrival into Stockholm would be made.
At this point my sight only allowed me to identify the red navigation light when taking the picture.
A terrible shot of the roundabout connecting county road 273 to national road 77 in Uppsala County.
Short final to runway 19L.
Slowing down on the runway at 17:33 (5:33 PM) local time.
Three parked MAN Lion's City buses in the distance.
Taxiing to Terminal 5.
Norwegian B789 and Air India B788.
As expected precipitation levels were not low in Stockholm.
Leaving the aircraft at 17:40 (5:40 PM).
Farewell EI-FPP!
Inside the terminal by 17:44 (5:44 PM) local time. Scheduled time of arrival was 17:50 (5:50 PM).
Norwegian B789.
Schengen section of pier F.
Air India B788, it would later return as AI168 heavy to DEL.
Towards the exit.
Through the gates.
If you're interested..
Back in STO.
Tonight's plan of going home would not involve a county-border crossing, instead my routing with public transportation would include a bus ride to Märsta station followed by a train hop to Odenplan in the city centre before changing to another train to my local station.
At the arrivals area outdoors.
Flygbussarna (Airport Coaches) Volvo 9700 coach heading towards the central station (Cityterminalen bus terminal).
Local line 583 towards Märsta station already holding by the assigned stop.
Onboard the older Scania Omnilink bus at 17:55 (5:55 PM).
When the clock had moved forward by 17 minutes, the bus arrived at Märsta station.
The X60 train waiting by the platform. Unfortunately but not unsurprisingly there had been a signal error at a station in the network, causing severe service disruption and delays among all lines. This southbound train from a northern terminus was not affected but the next train I was hopping on could possibly become delayed.
Onboard line 36. Note: All commuter train line numbers in STO have been changed since 10 December 2017, changes in frequency and routings for several lines have also taken place. The changes to the commuter trains have consequently lead to changes in timetables among most other modes of public transportation in Stockholm.
The ride to Odenplan station in the city centre was expected to last for 35 minutes. Since the changes in the commuter train network in Stockholm have been implemented, skip-stop trains to Märsta have been introduced at selected times (translates to a reduced travel time to the centre).
Coming to a final stop at Odenplan 1,5 minutes earlier than planned.
The train from Märsta may have arrived slightly early but the next train I was bound to board was expecting a delay of five minutes. Official estimations should probably be taken with a grain of salt, as they are usually filled with optimism from experience of living here (rare exceptions apply, as with the bus on the ARN-VNO FR).
Inside the local commuter train.
Our northbound train from Odenplan left the station at 19:06, instead of the scheduled time of 19:01. While continuing through some of the northern outskirts, the driver was good at spending minimal time at each station and trying to accelerate and decelerate quickly every time the X60 train stopped (seldom happens from my experience, I have witnessed trains getting more and more delayed for each station due to drivers who spend a lot of time at each station and have painfully slow accelerations each time). However, despite the driver's swift skills the station suffered from the signal error was located along our line which explained a sudden complete stop between two stations. Although while we did experience a sudden stop out in the open, the driver still managed to keep the final delay at five minutes.
After arriving at my local station with a delay of five minutes I for some reason decided to finish the journey back home by walking when moderate to heavy rain was active. It would have probably been smarter to take the bus even when looking at the situation from multiple perspectives but I still walked back for unknown reasons. At last I made it home by 19:45 (7:45 PM), it had taken approximately 1h 50 minutes to come home from the airport. Thank you for taking your time to read this severely delayed FR, have a good one and see you later :).
See more
Verdict
SAS
6.5/10
Cabin8.0
Cabin crew7.5
Entertainment/wifi5.0
Meal/catering5.5
Vilnius - VNO
8.5/10
Efficiency9.0
Access8.0
Services7.0
Cleanliness10.0
Stockholm - ARN
8.3/10
Efficiency9.0
Access7.5
Services7.5
Cleanliness9.0
Conclusion
Regular evening flight from Vilnius to Stockholm that was punctual.
Cabin comfort - An unoccupied aisle seat definitely added to the comfort onboard.
Cabin crew - Standard crew that did their job efficiently.
Entertainment - The flight was short, entertainment was less of a priority for me personally as time passed away quickly. Additionally, the brief dusk view managed to do well in terms of pleasure.
Meal/catering - Regular tea/coffee service, the rest (perhaps except for mineral water on cup) is BOB.
4 LIKESLIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORTHANKS ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKED
Buying a fast track access may take nearly the same amount of time that it saves, from your picture. I note the presence of power ports in front of a plane spotter friendly window :) Now you know the purpose of my own coat hook - few coats are compatible with this ridiculous miniature button. Interesting rain effect, indeed ! I'll take your word about the identification of the roads before landing ! I did not even know Air India serves ARN - I could never see the far end of Terminal 5 Thanks for sharing, and merry Christmas !
“in front of a plane spotter friendly window :)“ - Honestly speaking though, I find few windows to be spotter friendly (including the window on the picture). Although there is a possibility my lacking skills in photography may play a part in the former opinion.
“I did not even know Air India serves ARN“ - They began serving ARN in August 2017, not many months have passed :). This was my first time spotting an AI plane at the airport.
Thank you RI 777 for sharing this return portion of your trip.
Interesting ride on the bus to the airport. Too bad about the rain and personally that would deter me from doing any more sightseeing. Cold and rain are not good combinations.
VNO looks small and manageable. The local architecture adds a touch of charm.
I think the design of the new menu is very pleasant. It has a more minimalist approach without the pics of food and drinks.
Beautiful shots of the plane and aerials. I also like the rain effect compositions.
Glad you had an empty seat next to you and the flight was not full at all. That makes the flight more enjoyable.
Looks like you got your exercise for the evening by walking home. Happy Holidays and see you around.
“The local architecture adds a touch of charm.“ - Agreed!
“I also like the rain effect compositions.“ - Sometimes it can pay off to take a bunch of random pictures, to capture one or two decently interesting pictures :).
“Looks like you got your exercise for the evening“ - That's one way of looking at it haha.
Hi and thanks for another nice and detailed report. VNO, as you perfectly noticed, is small and becomes completely empty between the flights. Anyway it's a very friendly airport in my opinion. This fast track for 5 euro is a good joke, I've never seen queues in Vilnius! Very nice dusk pics! The cabin of this brand new CRJ900 looks great. All the best to you and your relatives and many flight reports like this one in the 2018! See you!
“Anyway it's a very friendly airport in my opinion.“ - I definitely agree, had the proccesses been slower and more complicated I would have lost more time resulting in less sightseeing in the city.
A well documented and thorough report as usual! I've never seen a machine where you can buy fast track security lane access before. I guess, since I usually have fast track access in most airports, I've never paid attention. With such a short queue it wasn't needed, but I can imagine during busy times that kiosk may come in handy for some. The cabin looks like and new and the empty seat makes for a more pleasant flight. Thanks for sharing!
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10 Comments
I note the presence of power ports in front of a plane spotter friendly window :)
Now you know the purpose of my own coat hook - few coats are compatible with this ridiculous miniature button.
Interesting rain effect, indeed !
I'll take your word about the identification of the roads before landing !
I did not even know Air India serves ARN - I could never see the far end of Terminal 5
Thanks for sharing, and merry Christmas !
“in front of a plane spotter friendly window :)“
- Honestly speaking though, I find few windows to be spotter friendly (including the window on the picture). Although there is a possibility my lacking skills in photography may play a part in the former opinion.
“I did not even know Air India serves ARN“
- They began serving ARN in August 2017, not many months have passed :). This was my first time spotting an AI plane at the airport.
Have a good one, see you later!
Interesting ride on the bus to the airport. Too bad about the rain and personally that would deter me from doing any more sightseeing. Cold and rain are not good combinations.
VNO looks small and manageable. The local architecture adds a touch of charm.
I think the design of the new menu is very pleasant. It has a more minimalist approach without the pics of food and drinks.
Beautiful shots of the plane and aerials. I also like the rain effect compositions.
Glad you had an empty seat next to you and the flight was not full at all. That makes the flight more enjoyable.
Looks like you got your exercise for the evening by walking home. Happy Holidays and see you around.
“The local architecture adds a touch of charm.“
- Agreed!
“I also like the rain effect compositions.“
- Sometimes it can pay off to take a bunch of random pictures, to capture one or two decently interesting pictures :).
“Looks like you got your exercise for the evening“
- That's one way of looking at it haha.
Have a good one, see you!
“Anyway it's a very friendly airport in my opinion.“
- I definitely agree, had the proccesses been slower and more complicated I would have lost more time resulting in less sightseeing in the city.
Thank you for your very nice comments :).
Have a good one, see you!
“I've never seen a machine where you can buy fast track security lane access before.“
- Now when I think about it, I haven't either ;).
Thank you for your comments!
Have a good one, see you :).
Jag måste säga att Sverige är bättre än Litauen. Mycket bättre.
E28 mot mitt favoritt land som är Ryssland....
ARN är också bättre än VNO. Du levar i ett fantastiskt land.
Stockholmas, min favoritstad.
Bussen är så kul hahaha. Moskva livet.
Jag gillar det ting av trä längst fram. Skandinaviska känslor.
Ryanair... Skit... Värför gjörde jag skit....
VACKER UTSIKT. Det inte överraskar mig. Sverige mv.
Tillbaka i Sverge. En bra känsla (kanske bara för mig).
Hoppas att du hade ett gott flyg med SAS som är jättebra!!!
Förlåt igen mv... Och tack så mycket!!!!!!
Ha det så bra!!!!!!!! (Jag skrev "hå", jag vet mv)......
“Jag måste säga att Sverige är bättre än Litauen.“
- Nc, nc mf...
“E28 mot mitt favoritt land som är Ryssland....“
- Indeed!
“ARN är också bättre än VNO.“
- Nc once again haha.
“Bussen är så kul hahaha. Moskva livet.“
- Which one of them? Haha
“Ryanair...“
- It'll be so fun! International trip by yourself, so nice.
“Tillbaka i Sverge. En bra känsla (kanske bara för mig).“
- Probably haha.
“Hoppas att du hade ett gott flyg med SAS som är jättebra!!!“
- Thank you! It was a nice quickie (not too sure about the latter part of the sentence).
Tack för att du läste! Vi hörs och tack detsamma.
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