Tag: Airplane

Your Guide to Long Haul Flight Essentials
As much as we adore travel, it can be hard. In fact, travel can be exhausting, draining and downright miserable! Don’t worry, these long haul flight essentials will ease some of the pain.

Next time you are flying from A to Z (and especially if you are going all the way over B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K with a six hour stopover in Q) remember these tips and a pack a few things and you won’t just “survive” your next flight, but you will enjoy it.

Virgin Atlantic plane at sunset

Check out our Virgin Atlantic Upper Class review. Admittedly, it is easier to enjoy a long haul flight in Upper Class!

Water is the Most Important of your Long Haul Flight Essentials

It’s a basic fact that we all know, you need water to live. But, did you know that in an aeroplane’s atmosphere you need an extra half litre an hour to stay hydrated? That’s a whole lot of the clear stuff. I am terrible at drinking water in the real world but on a plane, I suck on my water like a bottle fed baby!

And it’s not just the cabin air. Plane food can have very high levels of salt in. They are trying to make up for the deadening of taste buds at high altitude, and so you are dehydrating from the food too!

Philippine Airlines Economy in flight meal

Check out our review of Philippine Airlines Economy

Don’t rely on an airline’s drinks service to keep your whistle wet, take a bottle of your own. You can buy a bottle of fancy mineral water after security, or you can take an empty bottle through and fill it up air-side at a water fountain.

I also make a point of asking the crew if there is a water fountain on board, or a jug in the galley. This sometimes prompts them to bring you more water.

How to Approach Other Drinks

Many airlines offer alcohol as part their drinks services. The official advice is that you should avoid it, and if you are that way inclined, well done! I do like to have a drink or two though, and so to counteract the alcohol’s dehydrating effect, I make sure I ask for water at the same time.

Remember that alcohol will hit you harder at altitude so you cannot drink as much as you would at ground level, without really feeling it. This could leave you a bit of a mess and arriving at your destination with a big hangover isn’t pleasant.

Make Sure You Pack Liquids

As well as drinking lots of fluids, there are other things you can do to keep your body from drying out (and this goes for girls and guys).
- Once the plane has taken off, remove your make up, if you have any on. Once your face is bare, treat it to a nice big blob of intensive moisturiser. Ensure that it is more intense than the kind you would use at home. This will soak in surprisingly quickly, and keep your skin supple.
- Lip balm or Vaseline stops your lips from cracking. Put on a nice thick slick before you go to sleep to keep them kissably soft.
I have been using this set for a while now and it works wonders. Tap on the picture to check the latest Amazon price.
- Eye drops or spray will relieve sore, tired eyes by keeping them moisturised. It’s not something you normally think about, but it can make a difference after fifteen hours in the sky.
- I am a HUGE fan of saline nasal spray. Planes are dry, and they can be rather cold. This makes my nose all dry and sore on the inside. Occasional squirts of saline spray stops this from happening. My mum does the same thing with airwaves chewing gum, but that makes my champagne…I mean water…taste funny.
  
  Trust me, this is weird, wonderful and works. Tap on the picture to check the latest Amazon price.
Check out our Top Ten Tips to Pack Your Liquids Bag for Carry On Luggage Like a Pro!

What to Wear for Your Long Haul Flight

This is a complicated business. We all like to look nice when we fly, it’s exciting to be off on holiday, but you have to find the comfy/trendy balance.
- Don’t wear anything with a tight waistband. It will only get worse as your tummy swells with the altitude, and that bloating salty plane food.
- Don’t wear tight shoes or boots that can’t be loosened. Your feet will swell and getting them on again at the end of the flight can be very uncomfortable. If you keep them on they can restrict blood movement and that can encourage DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) which is a very bad thing indeed.
- Flight socks can look silly (I know) but they work wonders to keep your circulation flowing nicely. You will need to pack a pair of high quality compression socks.
At least they make funky flight socks these days. Tap on the picture to check the latest Amazon price. for these bright beauties.
- It can get bumpy on a plane, so ultra low neck lines could result in unwanted wardrobe malfunctions. It’s best to stick to something that covers a little more “decolletage”…or you might get a nip slip!
- I have said it before, and I will say it again, a seamless sports bra is INFINITELY more comfortable than a regular one when taking a long haul flight. There’s no straps to rub, no hooks to dig into your back and no danger that you’ll get a full pat down when the wire sets off the security arch.
The joys of the seamless sports bra lead to a seamless journey. Tap on the picture to check the latest Amazon price for this triple-pack to suit every colour top.

Consider Wearing Slippers on Your Long Haul Flight

I like to change into little stretchy slippers for my flights. They keep my feet warm, allow them to swell without pain, and they are a bit sturdier than socks for my little walks around the plane. I have black ones which are a little more discreet. They go in the washing machine when I find a laundry and then they are fresh and clean for the next flight.

If you are worried about those questionable drips on the bathroom floor, wear comfortable shoes you can slip on and off quickly. I wouldn’t recommend wear flip flops and you will get cold toes and the “flip” “flop” slaps as you make your way to bathroom could disturb other passengers.

Keep it Moving

Get up and have a wander around the plane every so often. It is nice to get a change of scene; to look out of the window when you’ve been trapped in the centre of the plane can be a revelation. More importantly it promotes blood movement and helps prevent DVT.

If you are trapped in a middle seat and can’t clamber over your slumbering neighbours there are still little exercises you can do to simulate the benefits of a walk. You may look a little silly, but they are asleep so it doesn’t matter.

Edelweiss Air economy cabin

Check out our review of Edelweiss Air econonmy here

Plan The Entertainment for Your Long Haul Flight

If you know that your plane has entertainment, why not visit the airline’s website ahead of time, and take a look at the listings. This allows you to decide what you want to watch and in which order. It would be very annoying to find a great film just as the plane starts its descent.

On overnight flights, I watch a blockbuster whilst I eat dinner. Then I get ready for bed and put on some sort of kids film, or a frivolous comedy. It is inoffensive, I don’t mind falling asleep to it (got to cut out that engine noise somehow) and they all have a nice predictable plot. It’s very comforting. When I wake up a few hours later, it’s back to the exciting films. This passes the time, gives me something to look forward to and sometimes saves me money at the cinema. Win, win, win.

Emirates is well known for their great entertainment ‘ICE Information Communication Entertainment’, check out a full Emirates economy review

Pack a Pillow

I am not sure the world has invented the perfect sleep pillow for flights yet. I can’t function without a surface to lean against! But we persist. At the moment I am using a blow up pillow. It takes up very little space and when I only have hand luggage, that is a big plus!

I have read great things about Cabeau Evolution and I’m tempted to try it for my next flight, but it looks very cumbersome and quite heavy for backpacking. Maybe I’ll give a go for my next city break.

Why not give it a go? Tap on the picture to check the latest Amazon price.

If you only have one piece of hand luggage, and it is too big to fit under the seat in front (or you are gifted with long legs and need the space), prepare an essentials pouch. You can slip this in to the seat-back pocket negating the need to get up and down every ten minutes. It also makes it less likely you will forget loose items. Here’s what’s in mine;
- Eye mask and ear plugs – I’ll be honest, I always fail to use these when I am actually on the flight, but Mr Fluskey uses his religiously. They block out light and sound for when you are ready to sleep. The eye mask I use, mostly when we are in a noisy hotel, is a 3D mask (check out all our accomodation reviews including budget, midrange and luxury). It fits the bridge of your nose snugly but doesn’t press on your eyes/eyelashes so it is very dark and very comfy.
This looks just like mine and even comes with free ear plugs. Tap on the picture to check the latest Amazon price.
- Pen – For filling out landing cards, making notes or doodling.
- Phone – It may be on aeroplane mode but it still my blogging tool…plus it has games and back up videos if the entertainment system is awful…or non-existent.
- Portable charger and USB cable – You may get lucky and have an in-seat power supply, in which case, you’re OK. Just in case there isn’t, have your portable charger fully juiced and ready for back up.
This is exactly the model I have and I couldn’t live without it! Tap on the picture to check the latest Amazon price.
- Headphones and splitter. Don’t bring your wireless headphones because you can’t use them with the inflight entertainment system, except on the newest Virgin Atlantic A330 planes.
We have had a great run with one of these multi-splitters, plus four of us watched one video together…win! Tap on the picture to check the latest Amazon price.
- Liquids – Those listed above
- Toothbrush and toothpaste – Read on…
Check out our Top Ten Tips to Pack Your Liquids Bag for Carry On Luggage Like a Pro!

Perform Your Bedtime Routine to Get Enough Sleep

This is very important if you seriously want to get some rest. You need to trick your body into thinking it is bedtime.
1. Go to the bathroom.
2. Change into some light, loose cotton clothing.
3. Brush you teeth.
4. Make sure you can sleep on your hair comfortably.
5. Do whatever else you do before you go to bed (nothing naughty please).
This psychologically puts you in mind of bedtime and so when you return to your seat and strap back in (doing up your seat belt before you sleep is very important or you could be woken by the crew to do so) you are ready to slumber.

Try Flirting to REALLY Enjoy Your Long Haul Flight

I know, I know, this is a weird piece of advice, but flirting (without being cringy) can achieve some wonderful results:

It might get you a slightly better seat on board or convince a crew member to give you extra drinks, food or water. It also means that if you are looking for ways to make the time fly(!) on your plane, you can go and have a chat with the crew. You could also try and make conversation with your fellow passengers. You may make a friend for life…or alienate the passengers around you… Either way, you’ll have passed some time.

Plus, it is a free way to enjoy your long haul flight!

Check out all our flight reviews including British Airways, airBaltic, Turkish Airlines, Jet2 and Delta

Final Tips for Travelling on Long Haul Flights
- Check in online. There are many different reasons for this but just believe me, check in online.
- Always set you phone or watch to your destination’s time zone. This means you can try and start adjusting straight away. Many airlines will try and keep you asleep for most of the journey, but if it’s 13:00 in your destination, you should be awake. Consider setting an alarm when you get ready for bed to ensure you wake up at the right time.
- Need to pee a lot? Pick an aisle seat. Need to lean on something to sleep? Pick a window. Got a tight connection? Sit as close to the front as you can get. Want a nice photo? Just behind the wing is good.
- Relax and enjoy, you’re going somewhere great!
Rosie xx

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15/10/2018
A Review of British Airways A320-200 Economy LGW – FNC

British Airways is the UK’s flagship carrier. If you were around in the 1990s, it probably conjures up images of pearls, leather seats and in the background a sweet rendition of Aria on Air. However, in recent years, British Airways has changed. They have bought in lots of new initiatives and cost cutting efforts (do you remember when they took the second olive out of their martini and saved a bundle?). Our recent trip to Funchal, Madeira saw us booking on BA for the first time in years which gave us the chance to see the changes in British Airways economy for ourselves.

The Review of British Airways Economy

Airport Experience

The British Airways app is really very good. We used it to book our flight and then it reminded us to enter our advance passenger information. I did that one day when I was bored and waiting for a train…a very good use of time if I do say so myself. Twenty-four hours before our flight, a little reminder notification to check in popped up. As all our info was already in there, it was a very quick and easy process.

Mr Fluskey’s boarding pass

Our fare was a British Airways economy hand luggage only fare. We were free to take a large carry on bag with no weight restrictions, and a smaller personal item (handbag, laptop bag, or in my case, my beloved Cath Kidston rucksack).

Check out all our flight reviews including Virgin Atlantic and Emirates

Breezing through the airport, not having to stop at check in, we were done with security in a matter of minutes. We bought some food (more on that later) and then the app updated to show our gate number.

Oh the joys of a departure lounge

Here we go!

Boarding was swift and simple. Everyone is assigned a “group” and then they are welcomed forwards by group number. Easy peasy.

Interior

The plane was just that, plain. White lights lit the navy blue and white cabin. Despite the cold colour scheme, the welcome from the crew was very warm…and actually the crew were lovely throughout, so that made the whole flight much more pleasant.

Mr Fluskey with his trusty Fjallraven

The normal light and air conditioning blowers are in the panel above you.

The windows were the Airbus A320 standard. They aren’t huge, and the second layer makes them even smaller.

Seats

The configuration is the normal 3, 3 set up, as seen on most Airbus A320s. Travelling as a couple, this is always irritating. We like the window and so we are always hemmed in by a stranger; not good when you need to pop to the loo.

British Airways have chosen a very nice seat. Well, not the seat per se, but the seat covers. They have a navy blue leatherette cover with nice stitch detailing. On both our outbound and return flight, we were greeted by a previous passengers crumbs. It wasn’t very nice but at least the leather made it easy to wipe it off.

The economy seats

The leg room was pretty average at 30 inches. The width was 17 inches, which was fine.

The head rest is nice and adjustable. It goes up quite a way. The side flaps bend well, and are nice and stiff, but they are not that big so are a little too small to hold your head very well. It also has an indent of the BA logo which is cool.

Head rest goes down

It rest goes up

Head rest goes round

The logo

The arm rests are a little thin, and ours had a sticker that wouldn’t come off.

Not the end of the world, but it shows a little carelessness.

The seat back pocket space is pretty good. There is a magazine pocket at the top of the seat. It only has a plastic piece at the bottom to stop the magazines falling out so don’t put little bits and bobs in here or they will get lost.

The magazine pocket

Below the table is a mesh pocket. On our outbound flight it was nice but on the way home, both Mr Fluskey’s and my pockets were ripped. It was a bit shabby.

The seats reclined, but by about half an inch. I have read that they are doing away with even that on their new planes. Four hours is quite a long flight, surely that deserves a better level of comfort.

Storage

British Airways has a very clear policy when it comes to hand luggage. You are allowed one larger piece of hand luggage to go above you in the overhead locker. Additionally, you can have a smaller item that must go under the seat in front of you. This got a yellow tag in the airport.

The overhead lockers were a bit battered

Check out Top Ten Tips to Pack Your Liquids Bag for Carry On Luggage Like a Pro!

Some people didn’t understand this so the crew had to go along and request that anything with a yellow tag was removed from the overhead bins. The bins weren’t deep enough to have bags on their thin side. This always reduces the capacity quite badly. People near us had their bags somewhere near the front as there was no room left nearby.

Feeling smug because we managed to get our bags in the locker above us

Read all about our travels in Portugal

Entertainment

Considering this was a four hour flight, the entertainment provision was very poor. British Airways considers this a short haul flight and so they provide no video or audio. This is the same for economy and business.

The only entertainment was the High Life and Business Life magazines in the seat back pocket. Neither interested me all that much so after a quick flick through, they were abandoned.

Thank goodness we had brought the iPad chock full of Netflix content!

Amenities

We weren’t given any kind of amenity kit on this flight.

The bathrooms were very tight and had no cute little extras in…it was just like being on a budget flight.

Food

So if you are flying on British Airways, you get a snack right? Wrong! Again, as this was a short haul flight, no food or drinks were included. Luckily we already knew about this and so had bought lunch at the airport before boarding.

If you are in British Airways economy you are given a book full of Marks and Spencer’s products that you can purchase. I like to have a look through and see what’s on offer.

Bottoms up!

The only things that appealed to me were the Globetrotting Percy sweets (who doesn’t love Percy Pigs?) and the drinks at the end. We decided to treat ourselves and got a drink each.

Cheers

Final Thoughts

Considering the length of four hours, this was not a particularly comfortable or enjoyable flight. Other than the fancier seats, and the extra handbag in out hand luggage allowance, we may as well have been on the easyJet flight that goes to Madeira! It would have saved us a bit of money and we would have spent the same on food and drink anyway.

Hello Madeira

Honestly, I am quite disappointed in British Airways economy offering on this short haul route. The hand luggage allowance is great, as is the app, but other than that…? I can’t say I would recommend it. At least their long haul offering is still very competitive.

Now you’re in Madeira, why not go Whale and Dolphin Watching with VMT Madeira

Rosie xx

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24/06/2018
FlyMe Maldives Review – Your Perfect Maldives Transfer
Whether you are travelling to the Maldives for a romantic honeymoon, a once-in-a-lifetime treat, or because you just can’t stay away, you will want the trip to be as easy and relaxing as possible. This is where our FlyMe Maldives review comes in. We believe you should check out FlyMe for your perfect Maldives transfers.

FlyMe Maldives Review – Your Perfect Maldives Transfer Airline

FlyMe Villa Air will help create seamless transfers from Malé International Airport to your resort destination. They arrange the flights, the transport to the port and then your boat transfer to whichever island you are bound for.

Airport Experience

Arriving at Malé, our flight was delayed and so we were in quite a flap. Luckily, the domestic terminal is just a two minute walk away from the international one!

There were only two people in front of us in the queue and so ten minutes after picking up our bag, we were heading through security. Check in was super quick, the desk clerk was perfectly pleasant, and we got seats next to each other, no questions asked. Brilliant.

Getting through security was fast and emerging into the small departure lounge, we could see why. It was a very small room. Most of these small domestic flights take off in the morning (to connect with the international flights) and so it was relatively busy. We got seats quickly, before they were snapped up by a large tour group, and waited for our flight to be called.

We were called fifteen minutes later, and stepped out into the glorious sunshine to climb the tiny set of stairs up and into the plane.

FlyMe for your perfect Maldives transfers

Ready for take off

Villa Air 68 seater ATR 72-500 aircraft

Check out all our flight reviews including Edelweiss Air from Zurcich to Malé, Emirates and British Airways

Interior

The interior was nice and bright. Despite the sun shining through the windows, they had the lights on which made quite a difference. We have been on similar planes that have seemed quite dull in comparison.

The air conditioning wasn’t very strong. I loved the warmth but I know that some people, dressed in their winter clothes from their first flights were too warm. Pop your shorts or skirt on, and you’ll be grand!

Seats

The cabin was quite small, but had two seats either side. They were covered in navy blue leatherette with FlyMe Villa Air head protectors.

Headrest cover

There was a small extendable tray table and below it, a seat back pocket containing the safety information. We were SO curious to find out what the special instructions were for Chinese passengers!

The seats were comfortable, but then it was just a short flight. They had great leg room, but the arm rests could be too slim if you didn’t know your neighbour.

Leg room

Storage

The overhead lockers were reasonably-sized but not huge. Don’t expect to put all your bags up there.

Instead, put your smaller belongings under the seat in front. The design of the chair legs means that it is only the small things that will fit under there.

Entertainment

OK, so there is no seat back screen, or even a communal one, but that isn’t why these flights are so cool. They are short, and fly relatively low, just 3000 feet. The entertainment lies in the lovely views you will get out of the window. This is why you use FlyMe for your perfect Maldives transfers!

The island of Hulhumalé. Can you spot the whirring propeller blades?

I mean, the bays in the Maldives are just to die for!

Planning a trip to the Maldives? Check out our Kihaa Maldives review

The other entertainment, and it is one of the things I can’t get across to you very well in a blog post, is the fantastic FlyMe Villa Air theme song. It made us smile every time we heard it. They also played gentle music during the flight. I really liked it, it made it all feel very relaxed.

Food

Being a twenty minute flight, we weren’t expecting any kind of food service. We were pleasantly surprised when they came round with little butterscotch sweets. It really is the little unexpected things that delight us.

The Bus

After we disembarked and picked up our bags, we made our way through the exit doors of Dharavandhoo Airport. There were two buses ready and waiting. One was for passengers, the other for luggage. Both were marked with the words “Villa Air”. Don’t panic, this is part of FlyMe so they are for you!

Now you know what we are like, we just kept hold of our hand luggage-sized backpacks and boarded the passenger bus for the five minute drive to the port.

The Boat

Shiny, white speedboats bobbed in the harbour, ready to whisk separate groups of people to their resorts. We stepped aboard a boat with a few others who were off to a different resort. They would drop us off on the way. It took just five minutes and then we were there!

It was so tempting to just jump straight in that gorgeous water!

On our return journey we had the boat to ourselves. It felt like such a luxury to have the boat all to ourselves. The crew were friendly and slightly bemused by our lack of luggage…but that’s just how we roll!

Final Thoughts

The flight back to Malé was smooth, very much the same as our flight out. The main difference was watching the sun burst across the morning sea. It was a real treat.
- If you are looking to book transfers with FlyMe Villa Air, visit their website here.
- FlyMe Villa Air has two main routes; Malé to Dharavandhoo (Baa Atoll or Malé to Maamigili (South Ari Atoll). They are looking at expanding their route options.
- They have now acquired a sea plane which you can use for whale shark spotting tours. It is used to help the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme with research too!
We thought that FlyMe Villa Air was a really easy and enjoyable company to deal with. It would have been really tricky to organise separate flight and boat tickets, with a very hot, sweaty, unpleasant walk from the airport to the port thrown in. Although it is not the height of luxury, it is friendly and easy service. We believe it would be a great choice to pick FlyMe for your perfect Maldives transfers.

We were guests of FlyMe Villa Air but this is an unbiased review, and all my opinions are my own.

Rosie xx
17/05/2018
A Review of Edelweiss Air Airbus 340-300 Economy ZRH – MLE

The story so far…we found a crazy deal from London to Malé, Maldives; just £192 one way!! We have taken one flight from London to Zürich on SWISS (read about it here), and now we are going to embark upon leg two. From Zürich, we would be taking our flight with Edelweiss Air, the leisure airline owned by SWISS International Airlines. This is our review of Edelweiss Air Airbus A340-300 economy ZRH – MLE Zürich to Malé.

This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.

Have some time in Zürich? Check out our itinerary for some stopover ideas.

Review of Edelweiss Air Economy Cabin

Airport Experience

Having checked in from London, we didn’t need to visit the check in counter, which is good because Zürich International’s check-in is slightly confusing.

We made it through security quickly but then discovered that there wasn’t a lot of seating in the airport’s main concourse. The flight was delayed by a late inbound, and so we needed to find a seat.

We sat and watched the screens (plus Flightradar24) as the flight was delayed by tiny increments.

Finally a gate number popped up and it was a 15 minute journey down to the gate. We approached the desk when we got there. The SWISS app had shown that there were a fair few empty seats. The staff were really sweet and accommodating. Mr Fluskey wangled his way into an empty row of four so he could get a decent night’s sleep.

That is one happy hubby

Interior

The cabin was bright and clean, but the blue seats and orange pillows were a little clashtastic! I thought the logo on the wall was a simple but cute touch.

When we boarded, the lights were all plain white, but they faded in the orange side lights which was much nicer after take off. (Sorry that it made lots of my pictures quite orange-tinted).

The windows were quite small so if like me, you like the view, make sure you get the window seat. As soon as one person is looking out, the view will be utterly obstructed. Let’s continue with our review of Edelweiss Air.

Check out all our flight reviews including FlyMe Villa Air Maldives, Turkish Airlines and Emirates

Seats

I liked the bright blue of the seat covers but the bobbly material and blocky padding felt cheap.

Edelweiss Air’s seat recline seemed slightly below average for an economy seat on a long haul flight. You get a strange headrest. It is very adjustable vertically, which is great, but bending the side flaps forward creates a v-shape. Do you have a v-shaped head? We don’t!

Head rest adjusts loads

Head rest does not fold well

But look, I match the seats!

The tray table was very compact, and easy to operate. The only issue was that you have to push it quite hard to close it again, and it was quite a loud pop, unless you lifted the flap. This would really bother the person in front of you, so a little care should be taken.

The seat back pocket space is very good. You have a plastic magazine pocket above the tray table. Remember that small things will fall out of the bottom when the tray is opened so keep this for those magazines.

Below the tray table is the actual pocket. There is a large section, and on the front two smaller sections for your phone, cables and other little bits you need. Just remember to check all the pockets before you disembark!

Entertainment

The screens in the seat back are a great size for an economy cabin. It is also a nice matte finish so it isn’t too ruined by reflections. At the bottom of the screen is the headphone jack. We love having the plug here as it is much harder to accidentally knock out. There is also a USB point so you can charge your devices (slowly).

The selection of films was pretty good, with films from the last six months. I watched Jumanji and Pitch Perfect 3 (because I’m just that cool). They also had a reasonable selection of TV, including a few Netflix favourites.

Amenities

The sleeping gear was a game of two halves. The pillows were very plump and I liked the thick covers. The blankets, however, were quite thin and not even big enough to cover half of my five foot frame. If we were taller, they would have been really silly. I don’t think that the blankets being square helped.

No amenity kit was provided for this overnight flight in basic economy, but economy max gets one.

The bathrooms were clean enough but were very basic. The water came out luke-warm; nice to wash your hands in but a bit weird for brushing your teeth. It was just another reminder that you are in the economy cabin at the back.

Food

Dinner

Dinner was served roughly an hour and a half into the flight. There were three options for the main. Sausage and potatoes, a white wine and mushroom risotto, and fish option.

Both Mr Fluskey and I opted for the white sausage and potato. The white sausage tasted a little better than a cheap hot dog but I got a few bits of gristle which was quite off putting. The potatoes turned out to be three potato rostis which were a mushy. It is very hard to keep deep fried things crispy when they are contained. The whole thing was sitting in a tomato sauce which was somewhere between a passata and ketchup. It seemed naturally sweet from the tomatoes but it definitely suffered from being very boring.

I mean, how do you make a wiener look appealing!?

With dinner there was delicious brown bread, so good that I had two pieces. I used the ham and cheese to make a tasty little open sandwich. I wasn’t a fan of the rice and veggie salad thing so I left that.

The strawberry mousse cake was very sweet but full of strawberry flavour, much better than most of the mousse cakes on planes I’ve had before.

In economy, unless you pay for economy max, customers have to pay for alcohol. Mr Fluskey and I both decided to stick to water and apple juice. It was probably the first time in years that we hadn’t had a proper drink on a long haul flight, but our bodies presumably thanked us.

Just before bed, they handed out little bottles of water, which I always think is great, especially in economy.

Breakfast

As it was an overnight flight of nine hours, we got two meal services. Breakfast was very continantal which I enjoyed. I always feel a bit gross after a hot plane breakfast.

The dried beef was delicious, the ham fine, and I always love a bit of cheese. I made a apricot jam, and brie slice which was scrummy (another two bits of gorgeous brown bread). The square pot had some sort of cold muesli/porridge concoction that was my idea of texture hell, so I left that too.

The coffee it was served with was actually really good. Strong enough to give me a little perk up, but not bitter.

Check out what we got up to when we arrived in the Maldives

Final Thoughts

We hope our review of Edelweiss Air was helpful. We found flying with Edelweiss Air fine, but didn’t really have anything overly special about it. There were no defining points to encourage us to book it again over another airline.

The food left a bit to be desired, but as I’m sure you’ve gathered, the bread was fantastic! Beyond the food, back in normal economy, we felt slightly like our custom had been forgotten. The blankets weren’t good enough for an overnight flight, and the complete lack of amenity kit would be very annoying if we didn’t always pack our own version.

Flying via Zürich would be worth it if, like on this trip, it saved so much money. If, however, there was a comparable flight on another airline, I may choose the other one.

I am giving Edelweiss Air 6.5/10

Rosie xx

29/04/2018
A Review of SWISS Bombardier Economy LHR – ZRH

When you are browsing through Kayak.com and you stumble across a one way fare to the Maldives for £192, you book it! Right? Well we did, and so found ourselves with a two leg journey to Male via Zürich. This is the review of SWISS Bombardier Economy LHR – ZRH, the first flight of the day.

Read about our second flight – a review of Edelweis Air from Zürich to Male

SWISS Airbus A220-100 or Bombardier CS100

Review of SWISS Bombardier Economy

Check In

Ahead of time, we downloaded the SWISS app. Here we submitted our advanced passenger information about a week before the flight and set it to issue our boarding cards automatically. This meant no early rising to complete online check in. That is one big win for SWISS, it was very easy to go back into the app and change our seats (got to have that view out of the window).

Airport Experience

London’s Heathrow Terminal 2 plays host to the airlines in the Star Alliance group, of which SWISS is a part. We were directed to a bag drop area in Zone B. Here there are bag drop machines where you can print your own bag tags. This was our first time doing this; but it was very easy. We scanned our mobile boarding passes and it gave us loads of options for seat changes, bag tags etc, etc.

Check out our 7 Super Heathrow Hacks – Top tips to make travelling a breeze

Bags tagged, we proceeded to the queue. Despite there being just one person in front of us, we were whisked over to the first class check in desk. This was great and had us on our way in two minutes flat.

Boarding was very smooth, but the airline was making constant announcements encouraging passengers to check in their small hand luggage suitcases due to the full flight. This may just be the curse of the hand luggage travel revolution, overhead bins just aren’t designed to fit all our larger pieces of hand luggage.

Interior

The Bombardier C Series CS100 was designed by…Bombardier and had 2 years in service before being renamed the Airbus A220-100. The decor was white & black with silver highlights. It seemed very modern and clean. I especially liked the silver seat trims which gave it a touch of 1950s/Americana vibe.

The lighting was plain white which I always find a little unimaginative.

The windows were quite large, with smooth moving window blinds that tucked all the way up, giving a fabulous view.

Check out all our flight reviews including Edelweiss Air, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways

Seats

The Airbus A220-100 or Bombardier C Series CS100 is quite a small aircraft, smaller than the Boeing 737s we are used to for European hops. Seating comes in a 2 – 3 configuration, which always leaves me feeling a little lopsided. It is nice that you can have your own space though if you are a couple travelling on a busy flight.

The leatherette seats seemed quite thinly covered. I guess you could say that they weren’t very plush. They only had a small recline function. Add to this the very thin arm rests and I think I would be pretty uncomfortable for any more than about three hours.

The head rest was just a small pad with a leather Swiss cover. There was no support there.

Leg room was about 30 inches, pretty standard for an economy cabin.

My seat

That is going to be a real elbow scuffle if you both want some arm rest

The leg room

The seat back pockets were split into three sections. The top is a plastic slot for your reading material. If you put anything small in this section, it would drop out the bottom when the tray was opened. Below the tray were two small pockets, perfect for your phone and other things that I would inevitably forget.

Entertainment

Honestly, this was not up to scratch for a full service airline. There were no seatback screens, just tiny overhead ones. This isn’t just annoying for entertainment purposes. I (as a visually impaired girl) couldn’t see the safety video whatsoever.

The inflight magazine was pretty standard fare. Lots of adverts, long articles about destinations they serve and snappy little listicles. However, being very tired and in need of completely passive entertainment, I was bored by this extremely quickly.

Amenities

There was no amenity kits provided on this flight. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting one at all for such a short haul trip. There was no pillow or blanket, and it was quite a chilly flight. If, like me, you get chilly at altitude, bring your own cover.

Neither Mr Fluskey or I made it to the bathroom on this flight so we can’t show you the facilities unfortunately. Although the two different cabins were marked by no more than a curtain, we were reminded that Economy guests should use the toilets in the back of aircraft, just in case we got any ideas above our station.

Food

Now, we got about four hours sleep before this flight. A taxi pulled up at 05:40 and we piled in, eyes still full of sleep. Our breakfast of eggs royale and Buck’s Fizz from Heston’s Heathrow offering, The Perfectionist’s Café was joyfully delicious. It is with all this in mind, that I describe just how hard it was to stay awake. With head drooping I willed the cart to reach me back at row 24. I tried so gamely to stay awake so I could review the food for you and JUST managed it.

First we were given a croissant. This wasn’t crispy on the outside, but if I were the cleaner, I would love that the floor wasn’t covered in shards of pastry after every flight. The inside was quite nice and soft. The whole thing tasted quite salty, a bit like a soft pretzel. After that, we were offered a choice of water or Coca-Cola, and a little Swiss chocolate.

Read about where we stayed – A bed in The Maldives – Kihaa Maldives Review

Final Thoughts

Honestly, I think we were expecting something a little better. We hope you found our review of SWISS Bombardier Economy useful. The Airbus A220-100 plane was clean and neat, the staff attentive enough, and there was nothing unclear, or tricky about the flight. However, it seemed a little dull….or clinical, and the lack of entertainment was a bit disappointing. I would fly with SWISS again, but they really wouldn’t be my first choice. We paid very little for our ticket, but you can pay in excess of £400 return just between London and Switzerland. For that, you could book a seat on EasyJet, pack heavier hand luggage and have plenty of change in your pocket for a hotel, a bus to Luton and an overpriced drink onboard.

Rosie xx

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29/04/2018
A Review of Air Juan USU – MPH

Another island hop in the Philippines (read our other island hopping flight with AirSWIFT here) meant another small flight for Flying Fluskey. Between Busuanga (Coron) to Caticlan (for Boracay) we opted to take the bijou airline Air Juan. These guys have little land planes and also operate sea planes on some of their routes (sadly, not on ours).

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09/02/2018
A Review of AirSWIFT Caticlan – El Nido MPH – ENI

The Philippines is a country of islands, there are over 7,500 of them. The travel options between them are twofold, you can catch a boat or a plane. As we were taking a short trip, we chose to take the air option, and so we found ourselves travelling between Caticlan and El Nido on AirSWIFT.

To get to the Philippines, we flew with Philippines Airlines, check out our full review of Philippine Airlines economy

Airport Experience

When you leave contingency time, sometimes you end up arriving far too early for things. It was just so for this flight. We spent an hour sitting on the floor of the tiny check in area, wondering absentmindedly why there were no signs for AirSWIFT.

At minus two hours, an airport worker came around to find all the AirSWIFT passengers. They had rolled out the red carpet for us, and we were able to check in at the Philippine Airlines desk. It was a little unorthodox, but the red carpet was a nice little touch.

Our check-in luggage allowance was 10kg each. We were both about 0.5kg over and so the check in agent gave us a second to grab some items out and put them in our hand luggage. They were friendly and efficient.

We walked through the security arch straight into the gate area. Here there were only two gates, so you won’t get lost.

Our inbound plane was delayed, and we were informed of when it would land. They called us all forward to board the bus to the stand and whilst waiting to cross the runway, our plane landed in front of us.

The bus continued to our stand, but we then sat there for ages with freezing air conditioning making the bus quite uncomfortable. A few passengers started to kick off, but the poor ground staff were waiting for information and couldn’t help.

We finally boarded the plane at 17:00, two hours later than scheduled.

Interior

The first things I noticed were the heat, and the dark. The cabin was very warm, perhaps it was the result of sitting on the stand with the door open for so long. Maybe it was just in comparison to the chilly bus.

The lights were very yellow, and not very bright. It was a stark contrast to the daylight outside, even on the dull day that it was. The other reason could be the windows. These are spaces quite widely apart and are quite thin ovals. This doesn’t let loads of light in. Finally, any time your wings are above your windows, you are going to lose a lot of natural light coming in.

The Storage

AirSWIFT has a strict carry-on policy, one piece at 7kgs. This is just as well, as there isn’t a lot of space in the over head bins. In fact, these are only located on one side of the aisle. It’s best that you keep your belongings under the seat in front.

The Seats

The seats were quite close together. If you are any taller than 5’6″, then you may find the space a little restrictive. If you have an exit row, however, you should be fine.

The blue “leather” was comfortable but getting a little worn. More signs of aging can seen with the seatback pocket. This droops awfully and so you may end up with the contents leaning on your knees.

Amenities

In the seat back pocket there is a sick bag, a safety card and an inflight magazine. Mine was wrinkled like it had gotten wet and two of the pages were stuck together. From the quick flick through I had, it looked like a mixture between a lifestyle magazine and a social update. There were photos from red carpet events in the Philippines and profiles of famous Filipinos.

My safety card had a slice through it…not too reassuring!

No pillow, blanket or anything of the sort was provided.

Food

As this was such a short flight, just 45 minutes, I didn’t mind the lack of inflight snack.

Entertainment

There was none, so it all about the view…which was pretty nice.

Boracay’s white beach

Landing into El Nido

Looking for somewhere to stay in El Nido? Check out A Bed in El Nido – El Gordo’s Action Adventures Guesthouse Review

Final Thoughts

This wasn’t the best flight we have taken, and I think I’d have preferred to travel with Cebu Pacific or Air Asia. There was definitely a bit of novelty travelling on a propeller jet, but the plane just seemed a bit dusty and dark. Plus, the safety announcement was made at the front of the plane where I couldn’t see or hear it, which was a little worrying. Now AirSWIFT have some newer ATR 42, so we’d be interested to hear how they are compared to the Dornier 328 we flew on.

Overall I give AirSWIFT 5/10

Rosie xx

22/01/2018
A Review of Philippine Airlines A330-300 V3 Economy HKG – MNL
It’s time to head east again, ah Asia! This time we are off to the Philippines, via Hong Kong. Leg 1, London to Hong Kong is done and dusted (why not read London to Hong Kong in Upper Class with Virgin Atlantic). Now leg 2, and we have chosen to fly with Philippine Airlines.

Check out 42 Things for Your Hong Kong Bucket List / Hong Kong Itinerary

The Airport Experience

Well, I have fallen at the first hurdle here and forgotten to take any photos for this section, but stick with me.

Hong Kong has a train called the Airport Express which leaves from Central (Hong Kong station). Within the station is the “In Town Check In”. This is a very convenient service that allows you to check in for your flight, and drop off your luggage before boarding the 24 minute train to the airport. Philippine Airlines is one of the airlines that uses the service and so we checked in on Hong Kong island before jumping aboard the Airport Express. Easy.

After our arrival at the airport, we were able to go straight to the Terminal 2 security without seeing another Philippine Airlines desk.

Weirdly, although you are processed through security in terminal 2, you will then board a train that whisks you back over to terminal 1 to board your flight. This confused us a little, we thought we had gone the wrong way somehow! Never fear, just head to your assigned gate, you are in the right place.

The boarding process was very easy, and well organised. No complaints here.

Bye Hong Kong

Whilst in the Philippines, we flew with AirSWIFT, check out our review of AirSWIFT to El Nido

The Interior

Our first impressions were good. The colours are clean and fresh with a grey and turquoise colour palette; it was clearly a new plane.

There was no music when we boarded but there was some when we landed. I always like a bit of music, I think it adds to the atmosphere.

The Seats

The seats aren’t hugely spacious but are perfectly acceptable for economy. They have a pitch of 32″ and width of 17″. This is enough to sit comfortably, but not to curl up (I struggle with this on long flights).

The headrest is pleasingly adjustable. It goes from my head height, to the head height of a much taller person. The best bit, is that the flaps to either side really do fold all the way in properly and can actually support your head.

There was a small recline but as food was served quickly, and people were asked to put their seats back up for the service, I didn’t bother to use mine.

The tray table had a button that you push in to open it, and that you click back shut again. At first I thought it was pretty nifty, but I realised that you have to push quite hard to open it, and even more so to close it. This puts pressure on the person in front, and I can imagine it getting quite annoying for them over a long haul flight.

The seats on the Airbus A330-300 V3 are set out in a 2-4-2 configuration, my preferred layout. The other two Philippine Airlines versions of this plane have the 3-3-3 configuration which is great if your plane is half empty but is no fun for anyone if it’s full. As a couple, you either have to give up your window seat to have an aisle or the other way around. In a 2-4-2 we had a window and an aisle, and only had to climb awkwardly over each other.

The Storage

The overhead bins were deep enough but the height wasn’t very good. An average cabin wheeled luggage couldn’t lie on its thin side which means the bins were full up very quickly.

The Entertainment

In the seat back in front you, you have a screen roughly 11 inches in size. This is a highly responsive touchscreen and so I guess pretty new. The only problem is that it is also highly glossy.

Now you see me…

Entertainment Hub

Films

TV Shows

Seatback USB port and headphone jack

This is the entertainment hub and it fires up from push back so you can get straight into it, with a few interruptions for announcements and the safety video.

If you are into films, you won’t be stuck for choice. On our flight, there were around 150 choices, from new releases to some great older films. For example, you could watch Notting Hill or The Birdcage, both beloved older films. I indulged in a re-watching of Moana.

Besides films you will find loads of TV, with some complete series to binge. There’s also music, a sky map and games for kids.

I think that the iPad level of touch screen, combined with the ten second back button (so handy when you miss something) makes this the best entertainment hardware I’ve encountered. They may not have the same amount of options as, say Emirates, but it just works brilliantly.

The seat back screen has a USB port so you can charge your phone or other USB devices. This means you can also use your own entertainment without worrying about running out of battery.

There is an onboard wifi service and they offer you 15 mins or 15MB free, whichever you use up first. I completely forgot to trial it (too busy pretending to sing along to Moana).

Check out all our travels in The Philippines

The Amenities

In your seat back pocket, you will find Philippine Airlines inflight magazine with articles showcasing destinations from all over the world. You will also find the duty free magazine, the safety info and a sick bag…which hopefully you won’t need.

Finally, they provide a pair of headphones. We always use our own but I did test them and these ones were pretty average quality. They blocked out enough noise for a flight but you wouldn’t make an effort to keep them afterwards. We were provided with a pillow, reasonably sized for economy but no blanket so if, like me, you are always cold, I’d advise you to bring your own.

The Bathrooms

The bathrooms were small but fine. They do provide toilet seat covers so if you’ll be happy if you’re squeamish about public loos.

The other thing that I thought was worth mentioning were the little bottles. It’s rare that you’ll find nice hand wash and lotion in economy. Plus, there’s a bottle of perfume! All three were citrusy and fresh, somewhere between a spa scent and a lemon flavour cleaning agent….in a good way.

The Food

Despite the fact this was only a 2 hour flight, we were served lunch, which I thought was pretty generous. It was served about 45 minutes into the flight and so there was no preceding drinks service, there simply wouldn’t be time.

Lunch consisted of two choices.
1. Fish fillet with rice
2. Braised beef with pasta
Mr Fluskey and I both chose the beef so I can only show you that.

The beef was tender but had a few bits of fat left on it, which turns me off a bit. The gravy was quite salty, but then that is the common curse of airline food. The veg was well cooked, not too squishy, which I was surprised by. Finally, the pasta, an odd companion to what is essentially a roast dinner. It had melted butter on and so wasn’t completely devoid of flavour but it did leave it a little greasy.

Don’t get me wrong, a big bowl of pasta with butter and cheese can be comfort food of the gods, but next to beef and gravy? They were odd bed fellows.

The little vanilla mousse cake, with a sponge base, was sweet and light. It was a completely inoffensive end to the meal and I’m sure that everyone would enjoy it. I certainly was before I remembered to take a photo. This is an improvement though, usually I have finished my dessert before I remember to take a snap.

The drinks served with dinner were soft drinks, including hot tea or coffee, or wine. You won’t get a spirit and mixer but considering you don’t have time to sleep on such a short flight, that may not be a bad thing.

Arriving at the Destination

We had a domestic connection to make at Manila Airport and so we had all the joys of picking up our luggage to clear customs. Helpfully, they announced the baggage carousel when the ground staff made their announcement so we deboarded with a sense that we knew what we were doing. Ten minutes later, we realised that this was a bit of a myth, but we got there in the end.

Hello Manila

Check out all our other flight reviews here

Final Thoughts

I loved the Philippine Airlines entertainment system, and the headrests on the seats. However, I was less keen on the food, fine for a short flight but less so for long haul, and thought it was a shame that it was a small drinks selection. Overall, a solid 8/10.

I enjoyed my flight with Philippine Airlines and would definitely fly with them again (lucky, seeing as we have an onward journey and a return flight with them).

Rosie xx
20/01/2018
A Review of easyJet A320 STN to DBV
When I say to people that I am taking a flight with easyJet, there are two very distinct reactions.
- Reaction 1 – Nose wrinkles as if a bad smell has entered the room, “Oh, sleazyjet!”
- Reaction 2 – Slight surprise followed by a genuine smile, “Oh OK”.
It seems that easyJet has its fans and it’s detractors and ne’er the two shall meet.

easyJet

In 2006 a seemingly eccentric, Greek Cypriot businessman named Stelios Haji-Ioannou (or just Stelios in his adverts) set up a low cost carrier that was very orange. It originally flew between London Luton and Scotland before expanding all over Europe. It now flies to over 30 countries, as far away as Israel. London Luton, a small airport north of London, is its hub.

So Why easyJet?

There are several very happy days in my year, that I like to call “easyJet Thursdays”! This is when easyJet open booking for the next alloted time period. Its like when a designer reveals their new collection (spring/summer 2018 for example). This always happens, as the name would suggest, on a Thursday and it’s on this day that bargains are to be had.

As well as flying to the location I wanted, I also think that they do a slightly better job than their nearest competitors. Ryanair is fine but can be quite stressful to pack for (their hand luggage isn’t very generous). You can also get a good deal on British Airways European routes but they have stopped providing food and drink, and it’s a whopping €22 to pick your seat, even at check in.

Why not check out our other plane reviews including British Airways and Emirates

Booking

Sitting on a runway, on an entirely different flight, I decided to get us a flight. I booked a one way ticket from Split, Croatia for the pleasingly low price of £35. We had time off in June and I knew I wanted to visit the Balkans. We didn’t know the time span of the holiday yet so the one way seemed like a good plan.

I have the easyJet mobile app and it is surprisingly great. It’s very easy to book with, boasting a simple design and I find it very intuitive. You can also manage your booking and get a mobile boarding pass.

Fast forward to early May and we realised we really needed to book our flight out to the Balkans. We decided to fly to Dubrovnik and started to search flight prices. EasyJet came up with a price around £70. Cheap as that was, we decided to make it even cheaper. We used our Sainsbury’s Nectar points and it made the flight completely free. That’s ten years of brand loyalty which has finally paid off!

What Next?

Our trip was a two week jaunt and so I decided to treat us to an extra carry on bag each. This allows you one regular hand luggage bag (56x45x25cm at any weight) and then one personal item to go under the seat in front (45x36x20cm). It also comes with a seat in the first few rows of the plane (which you can pick in advance) and Speedy Boarding. This means you can board first. We are SO fancy!

Again, I used the easyJet app to check in and it was fast and easy.

The Airport Experience

We were flying from London Stansted Airport, in which Easyjet only has a small presence. Stansted is the hub for their main rival, Ryanair. The check in area (which we didn’t actually use) was small, cramped even but the hand luggage cages gave us a chance to test our backpacks and make sure we wouldn’t have a problem at the gate. The good thing about the Easyjet colours of orange and white, is that you can spot them a mile off against a sea of red and blue airlines.

The gate was set up with two queues, one for Speedy Boarding, the other for the remaining passengers. We were at the head of the Speedy Boarding queue and so were the first to be scanned through. They took a quick look at our bags surreptitiously but we weren’t asked to place them in the cage. (We have noticed that budget airlines are much hotter on this on flights back to the UK so watch your souvenir shopping!)

Although there are jet bridges, we took an escalator and some stairs down to the ramp level and walked across the tarmac to the boarding stairs. This doesn’t seem so bad on a nice summer’s day, and when you are first in the queue. However, it can be utterly miserable in winter, or in the rain, when you are stuck in a queue on the stairs.

The Interior

The inside of the plane looked a little worse for wear. Many of their planes must be 15 or so years old and these small Airbuses work extremely hard. The lining on the back of the seat in front was coming away.

The plastic elements of the plane are a standard light beige, unexciting but inoffensive. The pattern on the chairs is designed to hide a multitude of sins but is reminiscent of dodgy train seat covers. The headrests have adverts on which, if nothing else, give you something to read. There is a standard size tray table and a seatback pocket which has a duty free catalogue, the “Bistro” menu booklet and the laminated safety card.

The Seat

As with most budget airlines, leg room is something that is only available for the chosen few who pay to sit in seat 1ABC by the exit allowing them stretch out. Seat pitch is 29 inches. This doesn’t normally bother me being a stumpy 5ft tall, but I dropped my lip balm and couldn’t squeeze enough of myself between the seats to retrieve it (with a sleeping husband blocking me on one side and a window on the other). I had to interrupt the canoodling couple behind so that they could pick it up for me.

Mr Fluskey’s seat had a random seat cover on it which seemed more than a little suspicious to me. Was the need to operate a super-fast turnaround stopping the seat being cleaned properly?

Amenities

I have found the duty free on Easyjet to be surisingly good (I got a great deal on my wedding perfume on our little pre-moon trip to Copenhagen). On this flight they were offering an additional 20% off all items which made them 36% off the full high street price.

No food or drink items are provided in the price so you have two options:

1 – Buy your snacks on board at an inflated price. It is a bit more expensive but they do have quite a decent selection of hot and cold sandwiches (including a fancy new falafel wrap) as well as posh ramen noodles. They also have crisps and sweets, or the healthier fruits and nuts. Finally, there is good selection of soft drinks or alcohol. I was pleasantly surprised to see mini bottles of prosecco and cans of Rekorderlig cider as well the usual wine and beer offerings.

2 – The budget travellers friend; buy your snacks before you board. We favour a Boots meal deal.

No inflight hygiene kit is provided on easyJet, but none of their flights are too long so I’m sure you’ll cope. The bathroom on this aircraft is very tight and so changing or washing may be an impossibility without a yoga body anyway. There is soap and water but little else to mention in the toilet.

The Crew

The easyJet uniform has definitely been improved and so they are all very smartly turned out. They seemed very friendly, something that isn’t always true on low cost carriers. They even smiled when collecting everyone’s rubbish. A mum came to wait for the bathroom with her six month old baby and she got a really lovely fuss made of her. We had Maria Anna, Emma and Karen and the First Officer who was making announcements was called Alex.

The Journey

No bumps came along to disturb our flight so we ate in peace and slept a little. It was quite a cold plane and so I am glad I was still in my cold weather gear from the UK. I felt for the keen beans in their maxi dresses and man vests.

The views on the descent to Dubrovnik were glorious. We skirted the Dalmatian coast, the sea was deep blue and rocky cliffs looked startling and dramatic against it. Unfortunately, this was the point Mr Fluskey decided to get his nap in so he missed the whole thing. Pleasingly we landed ten minutes early.

Read about sunset in Dubrovnik and the cable car

Info

App – That app that I keep raving about can be found here:

iOS

Android & Google Play

Website – If you are using a laptop/PC the you’ll want to get into the website:

easyBus – Luton, Gatwick and Stansted airports (as well as a few European resorts) served by easyJet can be reached by Easybus. Tickets can be purchased for as little as £2 and they are a little flexible. You can use them on the buses and hour before and after your booked time slot subject to space. This means if your journey goes too well, or you are delayed you still have a chance to squeeze on. The website is here.

Luggage – If you intend to take any more than your one piece of hand luggage you have two options. Both of these I strongly advise you to do ahead of time.

1 – Extra Leg Room or Up Front seating. This costs a bit extra but allows you that extra handbag/laptop bag/personal item. If you choose to check this bag in (maybe you bought some fancy wine during your trip) I was sent an email which allowed me to book that for just £4 extra. You can also have this if you are a easyJet PLUS customer or have FLEXI fare.

2 – Hold Item. This is so much cheaper when booked in advance online. Easyjet offers a 20kg weight allowance with extra weight purchasable in 3kg units up 32kg.

Final Thoughts

I think that when you book a low cost flight, you need to know what you are getting (or aren’t) in advance. My motto is, it’s just a coach, but in the sky, and then I don’t expect any more. easyJet are a good option, not disguising their extra charges until the last second, and having a generous hand luggage allowance. They also win big brownie points for their brilliant mobile app. I will definitely fly them again (and not just because I need to get home).

Rosie xx
Also on:
10/06/2017
Virgin Atlantic – When Lightning Strikes – Flight VS65 LGW to MBJ

On 22nd March 2017, our Virgin Atlantic plane was hit by lightning, which was very normal. We returned to London Gatwick Airport, which was not. What happened? Is lightning dangerous? Will I finally get the right things out of the overhead locker!?
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25/03/2017