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— TXL-LIN —

Hello and welcome to my 5th trip-report!

***BACKGROUND-INFO:***

Last October, when I read that both SAS and Alitalia had planned to retire their MD-80 family aircraft until the end of the year (2012) I decided to go on another weekend-trip as I have never been on a DC-9 or MD-80 family aircraft. I managed to book a trip with SK from LIN back home to TXL via CPH. The first leg was scheduled to be an CRJ, another new aircraft family for me, the second one on a MD-82. I added a rather standard LH A319 oneway flight from TXL to LIN and a night at the Holiday Inn Linate Airport. I was ready to go, just had to wait two weeks.

This map and all other maps in this TR created with www.gcmap.com, copyright Karl L. Swartz.

***PRE-FLIGHT:***

As this was a trip just booked for flying around, what seems rather crazy for normal people (that are the ones not spending their time on a.net), I thought I might go spotting before my first flight as this is another activity getting you strange looks. There is this famous spot just behind the end of runway 08L behind a highway offering great views of the whole airport in the street “Meteorstraße”. As I have never been there, it seemed like a good idea to include it in this trip. I went there around 16:30 / 4:30 PM and planned to stay there a good 2.5 hours until after sunset.
LH A319:



KL B738:


AB A319:


LH B733:

TXL apron view:

TXL airport overview:

LH A321:

AB A319:

Sun setting behind the airport buildings:

Bizjet departing:

After sunset:

After it got dark I brought my car to our company which is very close to the airport and took a taxi to terminal D, the small extension to terminal A, where my LH flight would depart today.

The famous Es-Bahn:

As I still had 60 minutes until boarding, I went to Burger King to have dinner. Got some hamburger plain, as usual.

After walking around the airport for some time I went back through the main hall of terminal A and through terminal D, passing security there…


Terminal D was packed, flights were leaving from all gates available in the first half of the small terminal and some were late, that added to the feeling of chaos post security:

At least my flight still looked to be on time, FIDS:

Waiting area in front of gates 72 and 73:

Pushback time was 20:40 / 08:40 PM, but at 20:39 / 08:39 PM I was still sitting at my gate, boarding had started one minute earlier:

***FLIGHT TXL-LIN***
Date: 26 October 2012
Airline: Lufthansa
Flight: LH 3492
Aircraft: Airbus A319-100
Aircraft Reg: D-AILU
Departure Airport: TXL / Berlin – Tegel
Arrival Airport: LIN / Milan Linate
Scheduled Departure Time: 20:40 / 08:40 PM
Actual Departure Time: 20:55 / 08:55 PM
Scheduled Arrival Time: 22:20 / 10:20 PM
Actual Arrival Time: 22:35 / 10:35 PM
Class: Economy
Seat: 12F (window)

Boarding at gate 72 is either via bus or walking up to the aircraft, today it was the bus, so I had time to take this photo of another LH A320 waiting for the passengers of gate 73:

Boarding was done via both front and rear stairs, but as usual most pax rushed up the front stairs, I took my time and took some photos around the aircraft:




Wing view after boarding was completed:

Pushback and taxi passing terminal A:

Take-off:


And flying out in eastern direction over Berlins city center:


Excellent legroom thanks to LHs new eco cabin NEK:

The NEK slimline seats:

Food bag with Berlin design:


Contents, all very tasty:

Adding two cups of OJ made it an excellent second dinner before I slept for 40 minutes:

I woke up like 10 minutes before landing when the captain announced we would be landing at LIN in a few minutes and that we already had left our flight level of 39000 feet and had passed MUC and BGY on our way to LIN. We were having some real low hanging clouds and a lot of fog at LIN that evening:


Parking beside a company A321:

***POST-FLIGHT:***

Deplaneing and taking the bus to the terminal:

Passing the baggage-claim area as I was only travelling with hand-luggage:

Waiting for my bus to take me to the hotel. I expected it would not take longer than perhaps 10 minutes for the bus to arrive and the short drive back to the hotel. But no, the driver took his time, letting me wait there about 20 minutes (the hotel was no 5 minutes away and it was a hotel-owned bus). After the driver finally arrived I got into the bus and we started our short hop to the hotel. About 1 minute, still on the airport ground, the driver got a call, that another pax would arrive soon, so we went back to the terminal. It took 25 minutes for the italian lady to arrive outside the terminal. She told us she called the driver right after landing while still on the airplane and then had to pick up the baggage at the carroussel. I wanted to slap her right in the face or smack the drivers and her head against each other. At that time I could have been at the hotel already for 50 minutes. The idiot driver then drove us to hotel, it took us 4 minutes. Congrats for bringing me there on time. Not.

The departure hall of the terminal while waiting for the bus to arrive:

Hotel room at the Holiday Inn Linate Airport, clean and modern:

— LIN-CPH —

***PRE-FLIGHT:***

Me in the airport elevator. Not looking very happy after the short sleep, made even shorter by the stupid driver:

Hotel lobby:


I took a taxi to airport, the price was fair. The hotel bus is not available before 8 AM.

Departure hall more busy now:

FIDS:

Check-In area:

Gold to go, like everyone wants to have some gold with him when travelling:

Passing security took about 5 minutes, very quick and efficient, but not many people leaving at this time, too:

On my way to the departure gate, walking through a rather empty area of the terminal, all shops still closed:

Gate area:

First time I got a boarding pass which was valid for more than one flight:

When boarding started we were first all squished into a very small area righ behind the gate counter before the bus did arrive and we were allowed to go on:

***FLIGHT LIN-CPH***
Date: 27 October 2012
Airline: SAS
Flight: SK 1690
Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ-900
Aircraft Reg: OY-KFF
Departure Airport: LIN / Milan Linate
Arrival Airport: CPH / Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup
Scheduled Departure Time: 06:00 / 06:30 AM (on time)
Scheduled Arrival Time: 08:35 / 08:35 AM (on time)
Class: Economy
Seat: 17F (window, exit row)

Taken before boarding my CRJ-900, a very nice looking aircraft, good asthetics. The -700 is too short and the CRK too long IMO.



Exit row seats, available at no cost at SK while booking your tickets when pre-selecting your seats (no cost, too):

Yep, CRJ-900, the safety card, small like this regional jet:

Before taking off in foggy conditions the captain greeted us via the PA system and announced an on-time departure and arrival at CPH. I was asked by the flight attendant to put my SLR away for take-off, so I took the first photos with my small backup cam:

The lowest cloud layer was illuminated by the lights from the city below, that was very interesting looking:

The whole cabin after service had started in the front, load factor was around 30 percent:

Lots of legroom in the exit row:

Tea, rather bad tasting. Only coffee, tea and water available for free.

The sun slowly rising behind the horizon:






Descending over the Danish coast:




Final approach:


Landing:


At the gate with a Primera B73G at the next gate:

Another legroom shot. It took some time until the door was opened, apparently the guy outside opening the doors to the terminal was late:

Another cabin shot while deplaneing:

***POST-FLIGHT:***

My CRJ after deplaneing:

Inside the very nice and modern terminal:

Lots of FIDS, my next flight not showing a gate that early:

Another view of my CRJ:

I went to the Grab+Fly and picked up some excellent chocolat croissants and a lemonade:

I settled down beside the Grab+Fly and watched the early morning traffic while having my breakfast, in front of the window the Primera B73G was getting ready for pushback:


After breakfast I started walking around the airport a little bit to watch the traffic and explore the terminals, Blue 1 MD-82:

SK B736:

QR A333:

SK A343s, including the Star Alliance special paintscheme:

Norwegian B378:

LH A319:

SK MD82:

Same aircraft again, out of the sun:

And a second MD-82:

A third one being pushed back:

And a fourth one at the gate. You see, this is my MD-82 trip, so please bare with all the MD-82 photos! ^^

LH Regional E-190:

Wonderful and modern CPH terminal, I have to say CPH probably was the best airport I have ever been to. Good looking, good atmosphere, relaxed, but still large enough for an a.nutter to feel at home:


LH A319:

SQ 77E:

Some more photos from the terminal, good places to eat there, too, had a nice lunch there later on:


SK CRJ-900 and TG B744:

TG 744 up close:

SK A333:

LO E-170:

— CPH-TXL —

***PRE-FLIGHT:***

About 80 minutes before my flight the gate appeared on the FIDS:

As I still had some time to pass I went into the Dixons travel store. You would expect a normal Dixons like at hundreths of airports around the world. But not here at CPH. This shop is a complete camera store having all SLR models available and even well-informed employees who were able to discuss the pros and cons of the different models. I got my hands onto the Nikon D800, D600 and Canon 5D Mark III trying to find out which camera I would like to get in the near future.

In front of my gate, no seats available, only in the secured area behind the counter which was not accessable:


My aircraft, I love the T-tail:


Finally, 10 minutes late the gate agent showed up, went inside the secured area and let us wait another 5 minutes before boarding started:

***FLIGHT CPH-TXL***

Date: 27 October 2012
Airline: SAS
Flight: SK 1675
Aircraft: McDonell Douglas MD82
Aircraft Reg: LN-RMO
Departure Airport: CPH / Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup
Arrival Airport: TXL / Berlin Tegel
Scheduled Departure Time: 12:00 / 12:00 noon (on-time)
Scheduled Arrival Time: 13:15 / 01:15 PM (on-time)
Class: Economy
Seat: 22A (window, exit row)

When boarding started I was the first person passing through, but was called back as the scanning of my boarding pass had not been succesful. My aircraft on the apron, what a wonderful unique looking machine:

Boarding the empty cabin:

Wing view:

MD-81/-82 safety card:

Wing detail:

Oldschool passenger service unit:


After pushback, passing the TG B744 and SK A333:

Line-up:

Takeoff, it felt like a rocket despite the aircraft being full:





Climb and cruise:


Lots of legroom in the exit row:

Oldschool thick seats, but very, very comfy!

Over the German coastline the clouds got very dense, did not look like a sunny day anymore:

Descend:



Approach from westernly direction passing south of the Tegler See (Lake Tegel):

Landing:





Crossing runway 26L/08R:

Passing Terminal C:

AB A333:

Terminal A:

We parked at gate D72/D73, from where I have left TXL one day ago, but this time directly at the stairs which lead into the departure area of the D/E-Terminal. Still busses arrived. Why? Not possible to enter the terminal from there directly when arriving? Seems like sub-optimal planning.

An a.netter?

***POST-FLIGHT:***

The bus took us over to the baggage claim area of the D/E-Terminal:

The End!

***FINAL WORDS:***

It was great to get onto the MD-82 and the CRJ-900. Both great aircraft and very comfy. LH was fine, the food-bag was great, the crew okay/professional. SK was okay, the crew not very proactive regarding the customer service, but still friendly.
TXL airport was the usual business, LIN was efficient, but not very good looking/feeling. CPH was great, my favourite airport so far, only negative point being the boarding area without seats for my flight to TXL. But as I saw no other boarding area like that one, so I consider this just bad luck.