Review of TUI Airways flight London → Kerkyra Island in Economy

TUI airways _ b737-800 g-tawv _ london gatwick - corfu

Hello!
Welcome to my 6th report on flight-report.com!

This report is on the Boeing 737-800 registered G-TAWV to the British holiday airline TUI Airways.
We shall be taking a flight from London Gatwick airport down to the Greek island Corfu.

We start the morning after checking in and passing security very quickly. I find myself in a very empty, dark and run down North Terminal.  

Not all the shops are open yet due to being here so early, me and mum decided to sit in a restaurant for breakfast.

We headed to the usual place we eat when flying out off the North terminal called Sonoma. 

They have completely changed the layout off the restaurant and done a complete new menu.
Less food and higher prices.

Somehow the waiter managed to take two payments for six meals on my card, when we only had two meals! To this day they have not refunded me back. Thankfully though my bank helped out, but If you ever decide to eat here I advice that you pay with cash.

After the poor service, the terminal started to get very busy and it was time to walk to the gate.

This is when the holiday started to begin, seeing the apron full off aircraft's! Here is an easyJet A320 loading up for its morning shuttle flight up to Edinburgh in Scotland

Also here are two more easyJet aircrafts.

One A319 sporting the special UNICEF livery waiting for a busy day ahead.
I flew on this aircraft in August 2018 to and from the channel island Jersey.

Boarding the aircraft was a quick easy process and found my seat with no problems.

All TUI Airways 737-800 aircraft's Feature the fairly new winglet stabilisers called Scimitars.

After waiting for the last remaining passengers and having the safety demo played on the over head TV screens, we pushed back and headed for the runway.

On the way to the runway we pasted one off the biggest airport passenger bridges in the world!
This connects the North Terminal to the North Satellite Gates.

While walking inside the bridge you feel like you are in a rain forest.
Speakers play sounds off frogs, birds, waterfalls and creatures to create the feeling off being in the Amazon rain forest.

We pasted a fellow TUI aircraft 757-200 and Virgin Atlantic's A330-200 which previously operated for the now defunct airline, Air Berlin.

After waiting for a few aircrafts in front to depart, we hurtled down the runway and up into the low clouds above. 

Not long after taking off and breaking through the clouds, the aircraft levelled out as we started to enter French airspace halfway over the British Channel.

There is no IFE on any  TUI's 737-800's, but they do display a live flight tracker on the TV screens above the seats.

Flying over Paris, the crew started the on board food/drink purchase service. 

I bought a meal deal at duty free before boarding, but did order some chocolate cookie fingers and a coffee.

On this TUI flight there was plenty to read. 

The safety card, Cafe menu and the Duty Free magazine. I do enjoy reading the magazines on flights as they show the route maps the airline fly to and the little model planes I could buy.

It's time for the cabin tour.

Let start off with the seat.

The seat was very cushioned which is a win for me as I tend to get back ache after 30 minutes. As you can see no IFE installed. 

The tray tables are good sized unlike various airlines I have seen, for example in the USA, Spirit and Frontier airlines offer tray tables over half the size as TUI do.

Leg room which I was surprised to be was very generous.

Plenty off space to stretch out my legs, not have the seat in front touching my knees and you can easy store a bag if need be.

The cabin features the new Boeing Sky Interior which displays various colours (mainly sky blue) to create a calm, bright and spacious mood.

I personally love this feature in Boeing aircrafts, especially on board the 787 Dreamliners.

This 737 also has the new standard overhead units which has the usual lights, air vents and assistance call button. 

Half way to Corfu now, the views out off the window are just spectacular.

I notice on all the flights I take is this yellow piece off metal on the wing.

I know what its purpose is, but do you? leave a comment on what you think it is!  

I notice on all the flights I take is this yellow piece off metal on the wing.

I know what its purpose is, but do you? leave a comment on what you think it is!  

There is even the old plane radio panel section on the armrest….. that still works!

Sadly TUI do not provide free headphones, but I tested it with my own and it had 6 channels playing different genres.  

As with many aircraft's in today's industry, the toilets are cramped.

Nothing new or exciting but it does the job. 

Another great feature on the overhead screens, the distance to the destination and from the departure airport in miles are displayed.

After a while we finally made our decent into Corfu.

Sadly on the day off arrival it was a little stormy but still didn't stop the views looking amazing.

Circling around the island while waiting for a clearance to land.

Fantastic time to see Corfu island from above and snap some spectacular photos! I can also just see the resort I will be staying at as well in the top right part off the island (just in between the clouds).

The area is called Messonghi. 

On the final approach onto the east part off the runway, vapour trail streams off the wing as we descend. 

Landed smoothly on solid ground and made a sharp right exit off the runway toward the terminal.

The first planes spotted after landing are two Corfu sea and fire rescue aircraft's.

Shortly after vacating the runway and towards the gate, our aircraft passed various other airlines.

Finnair Airlines A320 preparing for its passengers to fly back home, Helsinki in Finland.

easyJet Europe taxing down the runway going back to Lyon in France.

I was very surprised to see a 737-800 for NEOS Airlines parked up. This airline was part off the TUI group franchise until early 2004, but the airline until recently still have the old TUI livery design on the 737's.

This aircraft is destined for Milan Italy in the late afternoon.

Soon as the aircraft stopped, goodbye in various different languages are displayed on the TV screens while the blue Boeing sky interior is illuminated through the cabin.

Walking out the aircraft, I was greeted by the oven hot air as I step down the steps and onto a bus.

Whilst waiting to get into the bus a fellow companies B757-200 from Manchester thunders past moments after landing. 

This is my favourite aircraft! Will be a huge loss when this beautiful aircraft retires.

Shortly after walking into the terminal which is a complete construction site, passed passport control and onto the coach we made our way to the hotel. The whole process was very straight forward and wasted no time at all.

Me and mum still had the whole afternoon and early evening to explore the village and relax by the beach.

What a beautiful place it is, I highly recommenced anyone to stay here!

Thank you so much for reading this report!

I hope you enjoyed reading and this and it helped you in anyway possible.

I found TUI reasonably priced and a simple airline to fly with, I recommend to anyone wishing to find paradise for a cheap cost and a medium standard comfort on board the aircraft.

Please leave a comment on your thoughts or any questions….especially if you know what that yellow piece is! 

If you would like to see my previous reports, do head over to my profile page.
I have flight reports on many different airlines and aircraft's. For example British Airways, Portugalia, Flybe, B747-400, Q400 and many more

Until then,
Keep flying and Smiling! :D