(Avios RFS award) (delayed 18h)
The cancellation of last night's SUN-AIR of Scandinavia flight from London City airport to Billund, Denmark, was re-classified as a delay of about 18 hours. We were told to meet at the BA check-in desk in the main hall of LCY airport at 08h30, with a view to departing with the same aircraft as last night. Although there was no mention of the flight on the departure boards we checked in and retained the same boarding passes as yesterday (no ticket revalidation, no new boarding passes?). There wasn't a single person at security and almost nobody in the departure area. We huddled together in a small group with our newfound Danish friends and waited, waited, waited, as the creeping delays piled on. Finally, after going back to the main area for coffee, we were called back to gate 23 where we finally boarded for an 11h15 departure exactly 17 hours after yesterday's departure time.
One of the quieter gates at London City Airport
Boarding the SUN-AIR operated flight on the apron at LCY
Cockpit on board the SUN-AIR Dornier plane
A bus took us to a remote stand where the SUN-AIR Dornier 328 was waiting. It was nice to be back on a SUN-AIR plane but nobody was in a particularly good mood. Danish corporate wanted to get home to their families, I wanted to pick up my rental car before I lost that reservation too. Take-off was very smooth and offered wonderful views over east London and up the coast of East Anglia, heading out over the North Sea at Lowestoft. The plane flew across the sea without a hint of turbulence, appearing to make up time in its hurry to get back to Billund. There was none of the famous SUN-AIR service, just a pack of crisps (how British) and soft drinks (if you asked for it, the single flight attendant would produce a tin of Carlsberg). Last night's meals, which apparently are round catered from Billund, had spoiled by this morning. This was a big disappointment for me because the catering on SUN-AIR makes it worth booking a flight just for this reason alone. Frankly, the flight attendant could have come around with a second pack of crisps (but he didn't!) Actually, it was the extreme opposite of what service is usually like onboard SUN-AIR.
Rating 6*
Seat 7D-4F
Aircraft FRJ
Registration OY-NCO
The catering on this SUN-AIR flight was a major disappointment - this was it, a bag of crisps and a beaker of apple juice
Great views of the Danish coast
Deplaning at Billund airport, with the SUN-AIR logo clearly written on the aircraft