Introduction
Hola amigos!
Here's the return flight to Madrid from Morocco. My flight over to RAK is here:
Flight routing
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So after a week across the country (I had a great time sharing with my brother), and spending the weekend in Casa with some friends it was time to go back home.
My friend's dad had arranged for a cab to take us to the airport, which was at a considerable distance away from my friend's home. My brother was not going with me to Madrid, so he was departing from a different terminal from me (there are two terminals @ CMN, one for RAM and friends, and the other one for everything else).
At CAsablanca's MOHAMMED V Intl. Airport
The first thing you'll find at CMN is a security check, that took ages. Once inside there was a vast check in area.
I knew IB's handling was done by RAM at CMN, so I expected to be able to leave my bag, and head to say goodbye to my brother. Alas, that was impossible and I had to wait for about an hour until check in was open. I was unable to contact my brother too see if he could check in for his flight.
The terminal's architecture is…eclectic.
I finally managed to check in head for the gates, so I had to do another security check and passport control.
Once airside I managed to say goodbye to my brother just in time before he had to board. Once goodbyes were done, it was time to do some plane spotting and catch some chow at the lounge.
I headed to the Pearl Lounge near my gate. The place was decent enough, altough there were no windows. Nothing extraordinary but at least I had some good food and hydration before my BOB flight.
Food done, it was to head to the gate. As expected, a bus gate to our small canuckjet.
And just in front a gorgeous RAM Dreamliner
boarding
My highlight for this trip was that I was to try a new airplane type, the CRJ-1000. (I had ridden the CRJ-900 between JFK and DCA back in 2012), the Canadian answer to the Embraer is quite hard to fly in Latin America (I reckon no airline in the regions flies the type).
So I was very excited for this ride. And we were lucky to be taken back to Spain in the one dedicated to Valencia CF.
I was quite fond of bats when I was a kid (because of Batman), so I like things with bats.
The interior was smart and confortable, but the seats look from the 1980s. There is no difference between J and Y, except for service.
Going to Madrid!
The flight was practically full, while boarding was being completed I took the mandatory FR-related pics.
Seatback pocket contents (this is so Pre-COVID)
Instructions for the wifi-based IFE (I didn't use it because there were no chargers for our devices…so what's the point?)
General cabin view from my vantage point:
Not many planes that day at CMN
We took of from one of the 35 runways, can't remember which one, and we god awesome views of Casablanca as the sun set…
Its amazing how massive the Hassan II Mosque is.
The flight was pretty much eventless…I split my time between watching out and dozing.
I woke up over Cadiz
The sun finally set as we flew into Spain.
I managed to peak into Sevilla, but the haze did not let me take proper pictures of the city centre.
We crossed Andalucía and Castilla-La Mancha in no time, and the Captn anounced our decent into Barajas in no time.
We parked in front of T4S and were bussed to the terminal. I was lucky to pass quickly through the passport check.
Hola Chibcha, thanks for sharing this report!
The CRJ1000 never gained traction in the US with all of the restrictions on regional carriers and the popularity of the E-Jets, IB is one of your few changes to find them. And you got a fairly new plane with special livery, so not a bad chance to try one.
The rest of the IB experience looks like it checks all the boxes to go from A to B. At least the natural IFE makes up for their lack of charging ports.
Hola Chibcha!
Bonito viaje en el “Batiavión,” jajajaja
Gracias por hacerme ir al diccionario. No sabía lo que era ecléctico. Si seré ignorante!
Tanta seguridad! Hay amenaza terrorista en Marruecos???
Me gusta la librea de RAM. Es como antigua. La de LAN era tan linda en los 80.
Me pregunto qué inspiración puede sacar un club de fútbol de un murciélago??? Juegan de noche? Cazan polillas?
Amaszonas los tenía, pero no sé si los tiene todavía. Parece que los están reemplazando con Embraer. Compré pasajes para volar con ellos el próximo año, y parece que solamente voy a volar en Embraer.
Los prefiero!!
Ha! Les sobra el papel?
Síii!! Gracias por las vistas de la ciudad “top of my bucket list.”
Gracias por compartir!!
Hola Nelson
El murciélago es el " animal regional" de Valencia. Los encuentras por todos lados...según Wikipedia los empezaron a poner en los escudos porque se parecían a los dragones (wtf)...
Entiendo que ya ninguna aerolínea vuela los crj en América Latina, pero ya nos contarás!
Saludos!
Hi Chibcha! Nice to see a report on the YW CRK, it's become one of my commuter aircraft over the last few years since it's on the majority of flights between MAD and my home town of TLS. The service is Meh on such a short fligth, but the seats are much more comfortable than the mainline seats on A319/20/21, unless you get XL seats, and even then I think regular CRK rows have just as good legroom if not better than XL seats on mainline. And the seats themselves are much better padded!
Yep exactly, that's why I stopped buying J on CRK routes unless it's included in a longer J itinerary. Not really worth more than double the price just for a meal. During the pandemic at least the cabins were empty so there'd be extra space but that's no longer the case.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Kevin, I'd take the CRK over any of IBs Airbus anytime. 2x2, confy seats; the soft product is going to be equally mediocre so it's a winner.
Thanks for passing by!