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From: London Gatwick (LGW)
To: Funchal, Madeira (FNC)
Flight: TAP Air Portugal 349
Date: Friday 5th September 2008
Scheduled departure time: 16:25
Scheduled flight arrival: 20:10
Aircraft type: A320
Distance: 1551 miles
It had been raining heavily in London all morning and I couldn't wait to get away from this part of the world to warmer and sunnier climes. After a lunchtime business appointment I headed to Gatwick by train and arrived at the airport just before 3pm, an hour and a half before my flight. I had already performed online check-in (OLCI) and chosen seat 1A at the front of the business cabin and printed my boarding pass. There are no Star Alliance operated lounges at LGW and the Servisair lounge in the South Terminal isn't worth writing about. I spent less than half an hour in there before making my way to Gate 24 to board my flight. Any longer in the lounge and I would have been bored out of my brain. Boarding hadn't yet started when I arrived at the gate but it wasn't too long before the flight was called.
My plane
A former British European Ba146
CelebAir is the new reality TV show currently showing on British telly. I saw filming near the check-in desks earlier on
Flight TP349 to Funchal, Madeira pushed back 15 mins behind schedule and taxied onto the runway in preparation for take-off. Now, for readers who don't already know, LGW operates a single runway for both take-off and landing. Just before turning onto the runway I heard the familiar "dong-dong" call tone indicating take-off was imminent. But instead of speeding down the runway we immediately turned off at the nearest taxiway and rejoined the queue of planes waiting to take-off. I looked out of my window and a few seconds later saw a Brussels Airlines 737 approaching to land. Five minutes later we took off without any problem and the flight time was estimated at 3hrs 35mins.
Going around for a second take-off attempt
The Brussels Airlines 737 which had just landed
I won't write too much about this flight, suffice to say the service wasn't very good and the food was appalling in business class for a flight of three and a half hours' duration. I knew I wasn't in for a gourmet in-flight experience but I didn't enjoy the flight at all. TAP intra-European business class is hardly luxurious. We touched down in Funchal at about 20:40 local time - there is no time difference between London and Madeira - and I was relieved to feel the heat and humidity of the evening as soon as the aircraft doors opened, and everyone disembarked through both the forward and rear doors via stairs. 10 mins later I collected my hire car and I was soon on my way to the other side of this mountainous island heading to the beautiful town of Porto Moniz where my friend was staying.
TAP "Top Executive" cabin
Daily Trash headlines (I don't read this paper!)
Horrible! This isn't even fit for economy class. And the tea was shockingly bad.
Funchal runway - 180 degree turn to land
To: Funchal, Madeira (FNC)
Flight: TAP Air Portugal 349
Date: Friday 5th September 2008
Scheduled departure time: 16:25
Scheduled flight arrival: 20:10
Aircraft type: A320
Distance: 1551 miles
It had been raining heavily in London all morning and I couldn't wait to get away from this part of the world to warmer and sunnier climes. After a lunchtime business appointment I headed to Gatwick by train and arrived at the airport just before 3pm, an hour and a half before my flight. I had already performed online check-in (OLCI) and chosen seat 1A at the front of the business cabin and printed my boarding pass. There are no Star Alliance operated lounges at LGW and the Servisair lounge in the South Terminal isn't worth writing about. I spent less than half an hour in there before making my way to Gate 24 to board my flight. Any longer in the lounge and I would have been bored out of my brain. Boarding hadn't yet started when I arrived at the gate but it wasn't too long before the flight was called.
My plane
A former British European Ba146
CelebAir is the new reality TV show currently showing on British telly. I saw filming near the check-in desks earlier on
Flight TP349 to Funchal, Madeira pushed back 15 mins behind schedule and taxied onto the runway in preparation for take-off. Now, for readers who don't already know, LGW operates a single runway for both take-off and landing. Just before turning onto the runway I heard the familiar "dong-dong" call tone indicating take-off was imminent. But instead of speeding down the runway we immediately turned off at the nearest taxiway and rejoined the queue of planes waiting to take-off. I looked out of my window and a few seconds later saw a Brussels Airlines 737 approaching to land. Five minutes later we took off without any problem and the flight time was estimated at 3hrs 35mins.
Going around for a second take-off attempt
The Brussels Airlines 737 which had just landed
I won't write too much about this flight, suffice to say the service wasn't very good and the food was appalling in business class for a flight of three and a half hours' duration. I knew I wasn't in for a gourmet in-flight experience but I didn't enjoy the flight at all. TAP intra-European business class is hardly luxurious. We touched down in Funchal at about 20:40 local time - there is no time difference between London and Madeira - and I was relieved to feel the heat and humidity of the evening as soon as the aircraft doors opened, and everyone disembarked through both the forward and rear doors via stairs. 10 mins later I collected my hire car and I was soon on my way to the other side of this mountainous island heading to the beautiful town of Porto Moniz where my friend was staying.
TAP "Top Executive" cabin
Daily Trash headlines (I don't read this paper!)
Horrible! This isn't even fit for economy class. And the tea was shockingly bad.
Funchal runway - 180 degree turn to land
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