FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Turboprops across Europe in Y
View Single Post
Old Apr 3, 2007, 4:21 am
  #1  
lnixon
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: LPI
Programs: SK *B (?)
Posts: 362
Turboprops across Europe in Y

I thought I'd supply a contrast to the usual intercontinental F trips by a short report from a Prague business trip. These are rather shorthaul hops, meaning turboprop, and I work for the gubmint, meaning Economy class...

LPI-CPH
SK3123 codeshare on JZ metal
06:20-07:30
Fokker 50
W class


Got up at an ungodly hour and found the taxi waiting for me outside. Good. I dislike having to take a taxi to the airport - they have shown up late too many times. I've never missed a flight so far, but there have been a couple of close calls. As I had allowed plenty of extra time for taxi mishaps, I arrived relatively early at LPI, and had to wait for security to open. I bought a few minutes of wifi, ssh:ed into the office and wrapped up the installation of a storage server I had begun the previous day.

One of the good things about being based out of LPI: queues for check-in and security are short and fast. Just over an hour after I left home I was airborne and passing over our house. That was actually the first time I've seen our house, due to the combination of a rare north-bound take-off and a starboard seating. A few weeks ago I realized I've always chosen POSH seating on the LPI-CPH flights - Port Out, Starboard Home - and recently I've made an effort to break this habit to get some new views. Like my own house.

The flight was booked full, but it seems there was at least one no-show, since I had a seat pair to myself. As usual on the JZ morning flights you get a cup of coffee and a sandwich. Obviously handmade sandwiches, handwrapped in plastic clingwrap. You could put a sticker on them: "These sandwiches have not been touched by robotic hands!". Absolutely no-frills, but a comforting change from largescale catering.

On-time arrival at CPH, and the usual bus journey from the remote stand. I had a tight connection, so I had just time to go through passport control, stroll down to the C bus gates and visit the bathroom before it was time for another bus journey out to the remote stand, just a couple of parking spots over from the plane I had just arrived on...

CPH-PRG
SK767
08:15-09:40
De Havilland Q400
W class


This is actually the first time I've flown a Dash-8. Decent enough, I guess, though I could use a bit more legspace.

Cool, courteous and efficient service, as SK tends to be. I bought a 45 DKK breakfast from the Cloud Shop ("Totally New Concept!"), and it looked rather like the old concept, except that I had to pay for it. Natural yoghurt, a turkey rundstykke, a glass of orange juice and a coffee. Oh, well.

Central Europe was cloud-covered, and it was an uneventful flight. Except that I had forgotten to switch off my mobile and got a "Welcome to Germany" text message from a German operator in mid-flight. Oops. *blush*

We landed on schedule at PRG and were bussed into the terminal. I was certain that my baggage wouldn't have made the tight connection at CPH, but it actually turned up on the belt. Nice surprise!

I couldn't find an ATM in the arrival terminal, so I walked over to terminal 1 and got some cash, and then frustrated a guy with an "Offical Dispatcher" badge by ignoring the "Passenger Transport" cars he tried to make me take and walking over to the metered taxis in the far lane instead. I suspect that was a good move. The AAA Taxi took me to the Hilton, where I had gotten a dirt-cheap rate, and suddenly I was upgraded to an Executive room due to ongoing renovation work. Oh, the things we have to suffer.

All in all, I've spent much worse mornings. Now to explore Prague.
lnixon is offline