Tag: airport

We Tried a Private Airport Lounge! – A Minute Suites JFK Review
If you are looking for somewhere quiet to hide from the masses at JFK then an airport lounge could be a very good plan. Maybe your airline status or business class seat lets you into a lounge. If so, enjoy the food and drink and skip this review. The rooms may be more private but you can have a nice enough time in a regular lounge not to warrant the extra cost. However, if you are a mere mortal like me then read on for my full Minute Suites JFK review.

If you are booking before 12th March 2025, use code FLYING for 20% off!

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

Click here to watch the YouTube video of our latest stay at Minute Suites JFK

Why Choose a Stay at Minute Suites?

Sleeping, relaxing and working in airports can all be tricky. Bright lighting, noisy gate announcements and people tripping over your feet are constant bothers. Enthusiastic air con can make even the comfiest of spots unpleasant to be in and you never know who is going to sit near you and start scrolling socials without headphones. Even normal airport lounges can be just as bad, full of self important business people barking instructions at staff down the phone on loud speaker or demanding coffee after coffee from the overworked servers. Some are so oversubscribed that it’s tough to find a seat.

All that to say, you won’t experience any of that once you’re checked into Minute Suites. The noise from the gates is wiped away and some branches even have white noise machines to help further (not JFK yet though). You control the lighting and the fan so you can have it nice and dark for napping, or nice and cool for working. It is truly a space you relax in as you have it all to yourself. No fighting for a seat because it’s all yours. You can have a shower (not available in all locations), watch TV, nap or plug your laptop in for an important meeting you need to have in a quiet space.

Our Stays at Minutes Suites JFK

We have actually stayed at Minute Suites Express JFK not once, btt twice. That probably gives you an indication that we quite liked it. Our first stopover was between a very late Virgin Atlantic flight and a very Delta one (both of which operate in JFK Terminal 4). Our luggage didn’t arrive on our first flight so we spent about an hour messing about with all that before heading through to the concourse again. We had five hours booked and managed a decent four hours of sleep.

Our second stay was again a Virgin to Delta overnight connection. This time we had much longer and got six decent hours of kip. On both occasions, I was surprisedat how well I slept but I guess a long-haul flight will do that to you.

Our Review of Minute Suites JFK

Check In

Right opposite B24 is something that looks like a just another shop but there is a counter and this is the check in area. Nobody was behind the counter (totally expected at 00:20). We pressed the doorbell and the friendly staff appeared within a few seconds. They let us in and showed us to the room, grabbing an additional set of bedding and showing us how things worked. They mentioned booking a bathroom slot (more on that later) but not that it was chargeable.

The Rooms

The rooms are reasonably small but very clean and simply decked out. Each has:
- A smart TV which you can use to stream lots of different services including Netflix and YouTube.
- Two sets of plugs which have two USA plugs and two USB-A sockets.
- Free Wifi.
- A fan or temperature control.
- A smart speaker or Alexa.
- A couch with a pillow and blanket.
The Couch/Sofa/Bed

The couch/sofa is grey leatherette so it is comfortable enough but I wouldn’t say cozy. I would imagine it’s just so it’s easy to wipe down. The big cushion is firm which suits me for sleeping but might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

We each got a pillow, which was just right and a fluffy blanket for a duvet/comforter. Our room was warm so it was fine but I did bring another blanket to use between myself and the sofa itself.

You can pull out a second bed (a trundle, or truckle bed) from the bottom which is how you get two adults enough space to sleep. Saying that, something Mr Fluskey noticed, is that the bottom bed is shorter. We are both under 5’6” and we only just fit.

The Bathrooms

Located within Minute Suites Express JFK, is a bathroom. In here you will find a toilet and sink. That isn’t why you would book a slot in here however. The thing they are charging for is the shower. It has a fixed shower head and a handheld one, as well as the products you’ll need to get clean; shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Then, you can use the hairdryer and clean towels. This is so handy, meaning you don’t need to carry anything extra to freshen up…but it does come at a price.We really wanted to get as much sleep as possible so we didn’t bother with the shower. It really wakes me up and I didn’t want to rush getting all invigorated! We just showered once we reached our final destination.

If you are not booking a bathroom slot, you need to leave Minute Suites to pee or brush your teeth. Next door you will find the gents and directly opposite from that is the ladies. I brushed my teeth here and it was fine. It was late at night and nobody else was around really. I can see how this would be embarrassing though for some people.

Top Tips for Staying at lMinutes Suites JFK
- PJs – If you are staying, and normally sleep in your birthday suit, remember to bring pyjamas so that you can leave the room to go to the bathroom easily.
- Bedding – You are not provided with a bottom sheet so if you are worried about using the public sofa, bring an additional little throw, sheet or blanket to use as well.
- Security – Security/TSA will not let you through security until 00:01 (!2:01 am) on the day that you are flying. If you are arriving internationally, and planning an overnight stay, don’t forget that you have to wait until midnight to get through. Only then will you be allowed to make your way through TSA screening and to Minute Suites. If you arriving domestically, the plane will disembark directly onto the concourse so you are already there…easy peasy.
- Room Temperature – During our first stay, we have the Times Square room. In here, we had access to the air conditioning. We like it warm so didn’t touch it anyway. On our second stay, we were in Wal Street. In there, we had no controls. We don’t know if this is the passage of time or the different rooms. If you like a chilly sleeping environment, it might be worth contacting Minute Suites JFK to find out either way.
- Plugs – There are USA (type A) plugs and USB-A plugs in the room. Remember this if you are planning to charge anything and are either just transiting the USA or have USB-C charging cables. You need to bring appropriate plugs.
- Pricing – Up to 8 hours If you are staying overnight, the price is much lower for those eight hours.
- Discounts – There are a few ways to get a healthy discount. Military/veterans and airline employees will get money off. You can also have one hour for free with a Priority Pass, and a further discount on any additional hours you book. This covers the cardholder and two additional guests.
- The Shower – Adding shower time costs $30, or $20 if you’re using a discounted rate. You can book just to use the shower. At $30, it is not the cheapest wash you’ve had but if you really need to freshen up then it’s nice to know its there and you can book a slot ahead of time on the website.
- Breastfeeding – Minute Suites has a policy which allows breastfeeding mothers to use a room for 30 minutes for free. I have recently seen a video saying someone said this was no longer the case but it still shows on the website so take a screenshot and use if needs be.
Final Thoughts on Our Minute Suites JFK Review

Mr Fluskey insists that true luxury is exclusivity and privacy. By his standards this is pure luxury. I think if you threw in some snacks and a bottom sheet I might agree a bit more. However, whilst it may not be a luxury, I think Minute Suites is a brilliant idea with excellent execution.

Will we be back? You betcha! Atlanta will be our next long layover so it’ll be rather fun to compare and contrast a night there. Maybe this post will get a little upgrade…stay tuned!

Rosie xx
18/02/2025
8 Tips to Ensure You Never Miss a Flight Again
Did You Know? I work for an airline, so I see airport drama every day. These are the things that really mess people up and lead to many a missed flight. Don’t fall victim to one of these silly things that can be solved so easily. Follow these simple steps to ensure you never miss a flight again.

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

1. Book Directly

Your first tip to ensure you never miss a flight again is book directly. When you are searching for flight prices online, flight aggregators may seem to have the best options but it can come at a cost later down the line. Websites like GoToGate and Kiwi sometimes put together itineraries with connection times that are too short, and combine different airlines that have no agreements with each other. This means you aren’t actually in transit. You will have to clear passport control, pick up your bags and possibly change terminals before checking in again for the next leg of your journey. With these separate tickets (which might look linked on your itinerary), if your first flight is late, the airlines have no responsibility to get you rebooked. In the case of disruption, it can be SO hard to get an online travel agent on the phone. The airline usually can’t help as they cannot see the original fare and then you’re stuck. If you book directly, it is the airline’s responsibility to get you where you are going.

2. Use “Manage My Booking”

Don’t stand in a queue just for a request. So much can be done ahead of time online, allowing you to zoom past the check in queues.

If you have a special meal request, for example, hop on the website of your airline and go to “Manage My Booking”. As long as you do this more than 48 hours before your flight, you can put the request in. If it doesn’t work, give the airline a call.

For access requirements, you should be able to add this in when you book. Some airlines have a separate department and it is good to contact them to ensure all the notes are in the booking before you travel. British Airways in particular, only allows you add special service requests after booking, over the phone. This is a little annoying but gives those who need it free seat reservations and early boarding.

Excess baggage? This can often be prearranged online so you can use the bag drop quickly like everyone else. It is sometimes cheaper to book this online in advance too, so it is definitely a win win to get on it as early as possible.

3. Check your Documents

Once you are booked, it is time to check that your passport and documents are in order. This doesn’t just mean that it looks in date. Some countries have minimum time left requirements (you must have six months left when you enter the country), some have blank page requirements (you must have two passport pages with no stamps on) and some don’t accept the small extension allowed on the British passport (that extra few months if you renew early).

Then you need to check visa requirements. Travelling to most countries requires either a visa (paper or online) or a visa waiver. The USA has the ESTA and both the EU and UK will have similar schemes too.

When you are ready to check in, have your passport, your visa and the full address of where you are staying when you get there all to hand. Keep it all with you on the plane just in case you are presented with a landing card mid-flight.

4. Check the Airport Info

Double check the airport you are flying from so you never miss a flight again. This probably sounds obvious but many big cities have several airports and you would be surprised how many people go to JFK when they are flying form La Guardia in New York, or head for London Heathrow when they are actually meant to be at London Stansted. Then, make sure you know the terminal you are going from. Not all airports have their terminals right next to each other, so getting dropped off in the wrong place can cost you lots of time and possibly money.

5. Contingency Time

I know that there are people who love to stroll into an airport, through security and right to the gate as boarding is imminent. Sure there are days when it all goes perfectly to plan and it is smooth as silk, but next time you might get a hessian sack of a day! It is SO risky! You never know what might happen along the way. So leave plenty of time and arrive at the airport 3 hours before international flights or 2 hours for domestic and never miss a flight again. The way I see it, it is better to be through security and a little bored than stressed out getting to airport or paying for a new flight.

6. Don’t Over Pack

Overpacking is almost always a bad idea. As we all know, I am a hand luggage only kind of girl. Arriving at the airport with an abundance of luggage is going to extend your time at check in. (Well, dropping any kind of luggage off takes time so maybe try to travel carry on only).

Here are 20 Top Tips for Travelling Light!

If you don’t want to pay for your excess luggage and you have packed over and above the weight limit, you will have to waste some time trying to repack. Juggling items, stuffing your arms through yet another jacket you’ll have to wear and shoving things into your hand luggage bag is time-consuming and can be a little embarrassing. If you are happy to pay, you may waste time queueing to pay at a different counter. Do your research to check the airline’s luggage restrictions and stay well under if you want to never miss a flight again.

7. Prepare For Security

Laptops, liquids and clothing are all things you can prepare in advance. Knowing the rules and planning ahead allows you to sail through with no dramas.
- Liquids – Although changes are coming, most of the world still adheres to the liquids restrictions that have been in place for several years. Each passenger is entitled to carry liquids no larger than 100ml (3.4fl oz), in containers no larger that 100ml. You can bring a maximum of one litre and they all need to fit in one re-sealable clear plastic bag 20cm x 20cm. You are allowed to leave these in your bag in much of the world, but the UK wants them out separately.
- Electricals -Laptops, kindles and tablets need to be taken out and scanned separately in much of world. Some places also want power banks out too. Some are really extreme and want absolutely everything electrical out (cameras, speakers, hair dryers and straighteners). Keep an eye out for signs as you enter security.
- Clothing – Are you planning to wear anything with extra metal bits? Skip it! Do you have a jacket or hoody that needs to be removed for the scanner? Whip it off. Avoid anything that needs lacing, unbuttoning or is in any way fiddly. Finally, consider wearing undies without underwires.
- Shoes – All of the above, goes for shoes too. Wear footwear that you can slip on and off easily. It will be easier for you and less annoying for those around you.
Check out Top Ten Tips to Pack Your Liquids Bag for Carry On Luggage Like a Pro!

8. Get Travel Insurance

If all else fails, make sure you have travel insurance. It can help cover the costs of new flights, alternative transport, accommodation and more. Of course, weather and an “Act of God” are not covered by anyone, the airlines or insurance but most other things are good.

Check out Why Getting Travel Insurance is Vital!

Final Thoughts on These Tips to Ensure You Never Miss a Flight Again

Look, we know that some things are out of your control. Trains break down, there are accidents on the roads and weather is completely out of our hands. That aside, following our advice will give you the best shot at making sure you never miss a flight again.

Rosie xx
13/07/2024
7 Super Heathrow Hacks – Top London Heathrow Tips
London Heathrow airport is one of the world’s busiest, with a plane arriving or departing every 45 seconds all day. I have compiled 7 London Heathrow tips to ease your journey, just a little. London Heathrow can be big, confusing and frustrating, but I work there so these are all legit London Heathrow tips!

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

1.) Know Your Terminal

Currently, Heathrow Airport has four working terminals. Terminals 2, 3, 4 & 5. Getting between them can be up to half an hour so it is definitely best to know your terminal before you leave for the airport. Heathrow has a handy tool on its website which is always up to date. (Don’t just google it, the search engine may bring up old information).

Heathrow – Which Terminal Website

2.) Getting to Heathrow

Trains to Heathrow

A quick note about lifts. There may be a queue at some lifts but don’t be tempted to take the escalators. There are multiple long escalators, it’s probably not quicker and it can be dangerous with bags. Lifts to take:
- Terminal 2 from the underground tunnel to departures.
- Heathrow Central from the Elizabeth Line/Heathrow Express platforms
- Terminal 5 from Elizabeth Line/Heathrow Express platforms or Underground platforms to departures.
Train Options
- Heathrow Express – At just 15 minutes from Paddington, this is the quickest option from Heathrow to a London terminal station. It is also the most expensive.
- Elizabeth Line – A bit of a game-changer, this travels to Paddington in 25 minutes and then cuts through Central London in no time at all. It is the most popular train.
- Piccadilly Line – The dark blue London Underground line is the slowest way into Central, but it is also the cheapest….and you can use this hack to make it even cheaper:
Check out Your complete guide to the London Underground

The Hatton Cross Hack

If you are catching the Piccadilly Line to London Heathrow (and have some time to spare) then there is a sneaky way to save some pennies. If you are travelling to Heathrow during off-peak hours (avoiding 08:30 – 09:30 and 16:30 – 19:00) then hop off at Hatton Cross. Tap your Oyster or card out of the gates and you will have been charged around £3.50 from Central London. Then, you can tap back through and travel on using the “Free Heathrow Travel Zone”. It is a pain in the bottom with luggage as there is no lift but if you are on a budget then it might be worth the faff. It saves £2 on your tube fare. Actually it saves you 0.50p during peak times but it just doesn’t seem worth it for that.

Coaches to Heathrow

You catch the National Express coaches to London Heathrow from around the country and from Victoria Coach Station in London too. It’s a good option if you live further afield. Just remember to leave lots of extra time for traffic snarl ups and break downs. It is also worth noting that they do charge more for going directly to the airport rather than into London itself so price up your options.

Depositphotos.com – Photo by claudiodivizia

Driving to Heathrow

I don’t know an awful lot about this as we don’t drive but there is something you really need to be aware of:

The Drop Off Fees

If you are driving to London Heathrow, even if you are just dropping someone off or picking them up, you need to pay £5. This can be paid online using this website and can be done a little in advance or a little aferwards. There is no way to avoid this if you are driving within the Heathrow area so just be prepared to fork out a fiver.

Oh, and Heathrow is now in the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) so there will be a ULEZ charge of £12.50 if you car isn’t compliant.

Check out Carry On Only! – 20 Top Tips for Hand Luggage Travel

3.) Try a Timeslot

Trials at have begun at Terminal 3 for something they are calling Timeslot. Three days before you fly, you can search for your flight on this website and book a time to go through security. Slots are allocated in 15 minute windows but you can actually arrive up to 15 minutes before or after your entry time. Booking in advance allows Heathrow to limit the entrants and ensure there are enough staff for the people booked.

Let’s see how it turns out!

4.) Getting Through Security

Next on our London Heathrow tips is preparing for security. You can start this before you even leave for the airport. They are going to ask that you remove a few things from your bag as you go through. There are some fancy new machines which will make these rules obsolete but they aren’t everywhere yet. Oh, and at London Heathrow every bag gets its own tray to go through the x-ray machine so spread things out.
- Know Your Liquids Rule – That’s one clear, resealable bag no bigger than 20cm x 20cm per person. Inside, no liquid container can be bigger than 100ml. The total volume cannot exceed 1 litre. Keep these out and separate in the tray as they go to the x-ray.
- Remove Your Laptops – You will be asked to remove laptop, tablets and mindless. You will need to place these in a separate tray. Make sure they are somewhere handy.
- Consider Your Clothing – You must remove all your metal and any boots or high heels. My advice is to wear soft, wireless clothes, skip the belt unless you really need it, and opt for slip off shoes that don’t require much lacing. Oh, and really empty your pockets as you got through.
Check out Top Ten Tips to Pack Your Liquids Bag for Carry On Luggage Like a Pro!

5.) Heathrow Transfer Tips
- Transfers – If you have through checked luggage and you are continuing your journey from Heathrow then you can use the transfers areas. Follow the purple signs rather than those for passport control. If you need to change term in is you will be using inter-terminal buses. These don’t come as often as anyone would like. They also don’t all go directly between terminals so you may need to catch two. Bare this is mind if your hand luggage is crazy.
- Security – When transferring at Heathrow, you will be passing through security. This is just as thorough as the main security checkpoint so everything that applied to that, applies here. If you have a little drink from your previous flight, drink it or ditch it. Make sure you have gathered your mini liquids back into their bag and remember that even if you got away with something a little bigger at your origin they will spot it and throw it away.
- Connection Time – Travel agents and flight aggregator websites will lead you believe that an hour is enough time to transfer at Heathrow. Let me assure you, it really isn’t. This is especially true if you have to change terminals. Realistically, I wouldn’t book a flight through Heathrow with less than two hours.
- Staying Overnight – If your connecting flights arrive mean an overnight stay, book hotel accommodation. There are no airports in the transfer areas and nowhere nice to sleep. Most people are rounded up and shown to Gate 7 in Terminal 3 for the night. Book a hotel along the Bath Road or somewhere handy for your departure terminal. Remember, you will have to go through passport control and exit the airport to reach these.
- Transfer Desks – As you transfer, make sure you visit the Airline Service Desks. The staff can make sure you have everything you need for your onward flight, enter any baggage numbers that may not be in your booking automatically and give you more helpful advice like this.
6.) Food and Beverage Tips
- Download the Heathrow App – The app will let you know about all of the food and drink service outlets in each terminal. You can even order ahead on the app for some of them and collect when the food is ready. This is great if you need to grab and go. Order when you join the security queue and something yummy will be ready for you when you get through.
- Grab a Meal Deal – Not included on the app are the shops that provide meal deals. These are the cheap and cheerful way to grab a bite at the airport. For £5-£6 you will get a sandwich, a soft drink and a snack. These can be as basic as a cheese sandwich to an elaborate triple sandwich pack. For snacks you can choose fruit, crisps, chocolate and more. Airside, Boots and WHSmiths are the best for these and you can add in M&S Simply Food if you are landside too.
- Bargain Booze at WHSmiths – This is a rather recent development and I am intrigued to see if it will stick around. They are now stocking a pretty decent selection of wine, beer and cocktail cans for purchase. These are the cheapest alcoholic drinks at Heathrow so bottoms up!
- Bring a Water Bottle – There are free water fountains near the entrance to many of the bathrooms at Heathrow. The water in these is safe to drink so you can top up and drink your fill.
7.) Getting to the Gate
- For our final London Heathrow tips, get to the gate on time and prepared.
- Terminal 2 – Get your legs ready if you are flying from here. Half of the gates are in a separate part of the terminal which is a good 15 minute stride. There are moving walkways to help but travelling down a huge escalator, walking under the tarmac and re-emerging at these gates can be a long way.
- Terminal 5 – There are some far gate at Terminal 5 too but luckily there is a train. For a hint on which doors to aim for if you are in a rush, follow the British Airways staff. They know the quickest way!
- At the gate – Have your boarding card and passport ready. They may use self service boarding, in which case you will only need your boarding card but listen for announcements to tell you so.
- Bathrooms – Heathrow has lots of closed gates. This means you are scanned onto the flight at the point you enter the gate room. Coming back out to find a bathroom means the gate staff have to stop what they are doing to mark you back off the flight, and that you have to carry your boarding card and passport to the loo. Use the bathrooms en route to your gate or hold it until you board.
Final Thoughts on Our London Heathrow Tips

Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airports so anything you can do to feel prepared and a little smarter than your average passenger can only be a good thing! Do you know any more London Heathrow tips or hacks that we have missed? I’d love to hear them in the comments. (Oh, and if you see me, wave hello).

Rosie xx
15/06/2024
A Review of Jet2 737-800 STN – ATN – STN

Jet2 has been going gangbusters in the U.K. with plenty of flights from the north of the country, (in fact I travelled with Jet2 to Prague before they made it down south and had a lovely flight). Now Jet2 is conquering the south with an increasing presence at London Stansted. With very reasonable prices and more passenger offerings than your average Stansted departure, the orange and blue carriers must be a little bit worried. Join us for our review of Jet2 flights from London Stansted to Athens and back again.

Boeing 737 aircraft

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

Airport Experience

Stansted

With a brutal 03:15 alarm, we surfaced bleary-eyed and a bit stroppy into the London cold. It took us two night tubes and the first Stansted Express of the morning but we made it bang on time for our expected 06:32 arrival. Two hours before a flight is an hour less than I really like but it was the only way to ensure a little sleep.

We found our check in desks and there was no queue. There was a very clear Jet2 check in area at London Stansted with some fun Instagram additions (giant teddy bear). We decided to check in our bags as they were included in the fare and the chap who checked us in was very perky. It was impressive for such an early morning. He let us know that the Stansted transit train wasn’t working and that staff would point us in the right direction. We were very happy to see that there were four staff stood by the train entrance and they were all Jet2. No other carrier was represented here. We all went down to waiting coaches over to the remote terminal. I was very glad we’d checked in our bigger bags as it was a lot of standing and stairs which would have been annoying with the suitcases.

The terminal is very scrappy but that is not Jet2’s responsibility. There were lots of seats and nice big windows where you could see our plane and a few other Jet2 planes too. They had nice, shiny signage and nice, shiny staff. Everyone was wished a good holiday as they passed through the gate which was a very nice touch and it was really good that they maintained that line for everyone.

Athens

We arrived at Athens airport three hours before our flight took off but the check-in wasn’t open yet. There wasn’t anywhere to sit nearby and it was very buy and tight so we went and sat out of the way for a while. When we returned, there was a huge queue…rookie mistake! It took around 20 minutes to get to the front and then the agent wasn’t too friendly. We checked in our bags and headed for security. Jet2 is in the satellite building and there is quite a long way to walk along travelators before you go through security (plenty of time to buy any drinks you have bought).

Once through security, there was a departure lounge that was very busy where we picked up a sandwich and crisps for the flight. Then we passed through passport control (another long queue) and found our gate. Remember to leave plenty of time to get through the airport because it takes a while. We entered the gate which was very busy and didn’t have many seats left. The staff were checking in hand luggage. they were not asking but instructing passengers and making sure they went over to the tagging desk. It didn’t feel very Jet2.

The Plane

The Seats

We paid to book our seats ahead of time both to ensure we could sit together and to guarantee a window seat. Honestly, we sit separately alot due to traveling on standby but when I am reviewing a flight, I like a window. Poor Mr Fluskey likes a window too, but he married a window lover so he doesn’t get it all that often.

The seats were pretty standard for a European short haul airline with 31 inches pitch and 17 inches width. This is slightly wider than both Ryanair and Easyjet and has at least two inches of extra leg room, This really does make a difference when the flight is more than two hours, especially when squeezing out to pop to the bathroom. There is no back to the seat in front where your legs are which, if you are tall, will give you those precious extra centimetres….I wonder if that is included in the legroom?

Instead of a traditional seatback pocket, there is a magazine stand. This means you cannot store your belongings in there. This is much cleaner (those pockets can be real germ-fests) and presumably prevents lots of lost property. There is a small tray table and the addition of a simple metal cup holder which I really like. It’s designed for the hot drinks they sell onboard so doesn’t really fit a water bottle.

The Windows

There was something very strange about the windows and I only realised about half an hour into our flight. I went to pull down the shade for an easier sleep but it wasn’t there. None of the windows have shades so the sun streams in undisturbed. It’s great for the views but it was tough to nap with the full force of the sun seeping through my eyelids.

I wanted to share some of the views we got.

The Way Out

Leaving a grey morning at Stansted is always satisfying. Bursting through the final layer of cloud and into the blue sky above really makes it feel like a holiday! Plus, trying to spot the Acropolis on our descent was lots of fun.

Coming Back

On the way back we were treated to a fabulous hour long sunset. I couldn’t stop snapping but here are just a few little photos.

Storage

The baggage bins have stretchy bands across the front so things don’t fall out when the bins are reopened. It also means people can shove their coats and other soft items in and they stay put. This is a very smart addition which I am surprised I have never seen on any other carriers.

Everyone is entitled to one underbag seat and one overhead spot. Of course, if everyone takes advantage then it gets overfull so they were checking in baggage at the boarding gate in Athens. I was surprised that they faced this issue seeing as everyone gets free chek in luggage. This surely reduces the number of large rolling hand luggage bags that end up at the gate. Well, it encouraged us to check our bags in, something we rarely do.

Entertainment

There are two magazines in the seat back but no TVs onboard. There aren’t any plugs so my advice is to bring a phone or tablet, a portable charger and some headphones. Mr Fluskey used both his Bluetooth headphones until they ran out of battery and was forced to read the magazines. (What a rookie, use one at a time!). There were a few interesting articles but not enough for a three hour flight.

The Tannoy

We really enjoyed the tunes as we boarded. They were all upbeat and put us in a good mood with our mini singalong. Of course, they played Jess Glynne’s banger Hold My Hand which is on the Jet2 adverts.

Now, about the announcements. They were all prerecorded and very cheery. We loved the fun tone and the two voices giving it some pep. However, they were SO loud! Every time one was played, the whole plane (who were trying sleep due to the early starts we had all had) was shocked awake. You could visibly see people jump out of slumber. It seemed unnecessarily loud when the boarding music had been considerably quieter so there must be a volume choice. I would hate to take this as a commuter without a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. In general, the announcements were too loud and too frequent.

That being said, we loved the flight deck announcements which were thorough, describing the exact route we would be taking and what we could expect to see along the way. They also kept everyone informed when we had a delay on the way home. Top marks to the flight deck!

Amenities

The bathroom was kept clean on both legs of our journey which is impressive on 3.5 hour flight. I liked the big pictures on the door which cheered up the small space….and they were small. You would struggle to change clothes in here or anything like that so don’t plan to use them as a space for anything other than using the toilet. There was some simple soap but no hand cream or anything so if you need that stuff, make sure it’s in your liquids bag.

Food & Drink

There was plenty on offer to purchase during the trolley service. I was expecting shocking prices but actually, compared to airports and other carriers, it was all quite reasonable. We stupidly paid more for food in Athens airport to eat on board which saw us standing in long queues. We should have just waited and chosen things from the menu!

There was a second round of trolley service on both flights where sandwiches were offered at half price. This is a nice way of ensuring less food waste but I would be pretty annoyed if I had paid full price just one hour prior. Good to know for future travel though!

Final Thoughts for our Review of Jet2

For holiday travel Jet2 is a brilliant choice. Free luggage, check-in desks and super cheery announcements at the gate and onboard all get you in a good mood. Whether you prefer a longer fly and flop or want a fun Jet2 city break, they will get you there safe, sound and smiling. Overall, Jet2 are a fantastic choice with genuinely friendly staff, an expanding network and an attitude we love!

Rosie xx

04/12/2023
Top Ten Tips to Pack Your Liquids Bag for Carry On Luggage Like a Pro!

Travelling without checking a bag is a great way to travel. It saves you time, money and stress. If you are a hand luggage traveller, you have probably mastered rolling your clothes to save space, you can probably nail the art of the capsule wardrobe and you have whittled your travel gear to smallest, lightest version you can cope with, but when it comes time to pack your liquids bag it can be a real pain! You have to contend with airline liquid restrictions, the scary security in the UK or the terrifying face of TSA. Don’t panic, come with us into the liquids bag of a travel blogger and learn our top ten tips to pack your liquids bag like a pro.

(more…)

18/02/2020
A Review of Turkish Airlines 777-300 Economy LHR to IST

We get rather excited by small things here at Flying Fluskey and taking a short-haul flight on a long haul carrier is one of them! The chance to fly Turkish Airlines from London to Istanbul was just such a chance, and we jumped at it. Read on to see our full review of Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300 economy from London Heathrow to Istanbul Airport.
(more…)

22/07/2019
A Review of Jet2 Boeing 757-200 MAN – PRG
Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is just a couple of hours flight away from the UK, but stroll through its fairytale streets in the snow, and you will feel a million miles away from home. I was given the opportunity, with Jet2, to take in the architecture, sip on a few cups of gluhwein and experience a new city – I was there with bells on! Read all about our trip in 6 Reasons Prague is the Perfect Christmas City Break

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, welcome to Jet2”.

(Yes their announcements said that, and yes, it made me happy).

Airport Experience

Mixing things up a little, I flew out of Manchester airport for this trip. Jet2 operate out of two terminals at Manchester airport. The majority of their flights depart from T1 but a few destinations are from T2. These were well signposted from the train station. I then got myself in a small tizz. Half of the airline’s check-in from another floor, and it was here that I got confused. I followed people into a lift, without paying any attention and had to find my way back down to the ground floor for the Jet2 desks.

The gentleman who checked us in was incredibly cheery and made the experience very enjoyable. It was nice to have a chatty check-in agent, rather than the minimal interactions we are often greeted with. Was it because we were “up North” or is it just the normal way Jet2’s agents are?

I had originally packed into hand luggage, partly out of habit and partly because I was thinking of Jet2 as a budget airline. Happily, we were given a 22kg checked bag along with a 10kg hand luggage, and a personal item. I could have packed my whole wardrobe…almost. This was my first pleasant surprise and my first indication that Jet2 is a value airline, not a budget one.

I checked my hand luggage bag in, and went handsfree for the journey, just carrying my little rucksack and my coat in a carrier bag. So far, so easy.

Interior

Again, I was pleasantly surprised by the interior of the plane. There wasn’t any mood lighting or anything, but they had Christmas pop songs playing, and the crew gave us a wonderfully warm welcome. I didn’t know it was possible to feel festive on a flight, but this felt jolly.

The Boeing 757-200 is a very long, thin plane. There are over 40 rows and only one aisle. Luckily, there were two boarding doors so it didn’t take too long to board or disembark. We flew on a Delta Boeing 757 just a few days prior to this, and it took almost 20 minutes to clear the plane.

Seats

The seats are leatherette, with an alternating pattern of grey and red. I quite liked the effect.

The seats

There was a pretty standard amount of leg room for a short-haul flight. The exit seats had quite a bit, so if you need it, I would advise you to book one of those. There is no recline, and that is also worth bearking in mind if you need a lot of room.

Looking at the seat back, it took me a second to realise that it was without a back panel. Instead, you just see the shape of the seat bucket in front of you. I’ve seen a few seats like this and I suppose they save weight? Looking at the picture, I can see that they have done the same with the armrests. I noticed that they were a little thin at the time, but I hadn’t realised that they were hollow.

There is a magazine rack but don’t store anything in it, as it will fall out again. It is just the kind that is designed to house A4 papers but has no bottom.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a seat back pocket lower down so you will need to keep your bag under the seat in front of you for your bits and bobs.

The cup holder is a metal hoop that hangs from the chair back. I have mixed feelings about it. I like that it doesn’t wobble, or tip your drink forward like some plastic models, but it feels a bit like an afterthought.

The tray table itself was simple to use and very sturdy with the standard locking arm.

Storage

There is always a struggle for overhead locker space on a flight to a cold destination. People tend to have large coats and stuff the lockers full. Thank goodness I could check my bag in. The locker themselves were standard size but our fellow passengers just didn’t use them properly.

Despite the free luggage allowance, lots of people still had full size carry on bags and towards the end of boarding, there were some reshuffles to do so everyone could fit their things in the overhead bins. I did like that they had elastic stretched across the front of each locker, preventing things from falling out when the lockers were opened.

Windows

OK, there isn’t loads to say about these, they are standard windows but I thought this would be worth mentioning.

On our outbound flight, we were in row 19, and this was the window view:

That’s fine if you are in the window seat itself, but I was in the middle seat and couldn’t see out at all. When the person next to me leaned against it for a nap, it was totally blocked.

On the way back, I was in the middle seat again, but this time in row 21, and the view was considerably better. Something to consider if a view is important to you.

1.5 windows

Entertainment

Beyond the in-flight magazine and duty-free shopping, there was no entertainment available. Bring your phone/book/iPad to keep yourself entertained.

Food and Drinks

Jet2 sell a variety of snacks on board. You can also preorder hot meals but as it was an afternoon flight, I’d already eaten lunch.

Looking for food when you land in Prague? Check out 6 Best Restaurants to Try Great Czech Food in Prague!

I just stuck to what I know best, the bar.

They serve a range of drinks, and happily, among them is my favourite brand of prosecco – I heart wines! I was very overexcited when I clocked it in the menu. It tasted different at altitude, but was still rather tasty and very appreciated!

Not quite as classy as I like to think but that metal ring came in helpful when we hit mild turbulence.

Final Thoughts

I believe that it is worth mentioning; Jet2 should be immensely proud of its staff who were kind, friendly and unfailingly enthusiastic. It was a very refreshing change and they got us all the way to Prague with a smile.

If you are thinking of travelling with Jet2, here is some information that you might like to know.
- You will find the best deals on flights to Prague (and their other destinations) directly on the Jet2.com website.
- Jet2 flies from 9 airports in the UK to 50 destinations in 19 countries. The Jet2 flights hub is in Manchester, (check out their routes here) but they are expanding their network from London Stansted.
- Jet2 tries to operate flights at reasonable hours. That means no half nights of sleep or running to catch the last train!
- Jet2 have been receiving awards right, left and centre. Which awarded them Best Travel Brand of the Year, and Tripadvisor gave them Best Airline – UK. Looks like we will be hearing a lot more about them.
- Jet2 are about to take delivery of a new fleet of 787s. In fact, it is listed from January 2019, so maybe they already have!
- They don’t just do flights, but package holidays, city breaks and villas as well.
When I consider it against the UK’s biggest airline, and their short haul offering, I would pick Jet2 every…single…time. (You can read all about our most recent flight with British Airways here).

Jet2 definitely exceeded my expectations. The plane was bigger than I thought, the luggage allowance was bigger than I thought, and the choices for food and beverages were bigger than I thought as well!

We were guests of Jet2 on this flight but all opinions are entirely my own.

Rosie xx

Love it? Pin it!
03/01/2019
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

Love it? Pin it!

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 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).

(more…)

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