SK
First-Class-Member
Me thn eykairia twn xionoptwsewn sthn Athina, poy ekleisan to "Ελευθεριος Βενιζελος", eipa na balw ena tajidi poy eixa kanei amesws meta tis megales xionoptwseis ton Ianoyario toy 2002, me merikes fwto (arxika to eixa dhmosieysei se allo site kai einai grammeno sta agglika). Ta links gia tis fwto einai mesa sto idio to keimeno, me ena mple asteraki * dipla, gia na fainontai pio eykola.
This is just one segment out of a four-segment trip (Boston - London (LHR) - Athens - London (LHR) - Boston). The transatlantic flights were on AA, while the LHR-ATH-LHR ones were on BA.
BA 631 ATH-LHR Jan 7
Boeing 757
scheduled to depart at 7:55 am
and to arrive at 10:00 am
The trip started in a snow covered* Athens. It had snowed almost continuously for the previous three days, resulting in conditions not seen in Athens for forty years, a landscape associated more with Sweden, and a paralysis of the transportation system, including air transport. The day before my flight only 35 out of about 350 flights operated out of the new Athens airport, which was at periods closed due to snow. The BA flights run with five and six hours delays.
My flight on Monday was due to depart at 7:55am, so my father and I left home at 5:10, in order to leave plenty of time for the slow drive through snow covered streets and highways, and the expected lines at the airport due to the cancellations of the previous days. In fact the BA check-in lines* were already full but reasonable at about 6:00, when I arrived at the area. I was flying economy (Euro traveler in BA parlance), but as an AA platinum I checked in at business (Euro club), which had only two persons ahead of me. So, I was done very quickly. I didn't care about spending all this time at the executive club lounge, so I went browsing around the airport. It was only my third time using the new Eleftherios Venizelos airport, so I wanted to familiarize myself better with its shops, outlay etc. I also wanted to change some euros into dollars. The banks, though, and the exchange dealerships were closed, either due to the weather or due to being too early in the morning. Same went for the post office, whence I wanted to mail some postcards. It did open at 7:00, as indicated. I ended up at the gate about 10 minutes before boarding. For future reference, the executive club lounge is conveniently located just across the gate used by BA (A11).
The flight, operated by a 757, was full in economy. I was seated in 15F. It was a window as always, but unfortunately over the front part of the wing which restricted part of the view. As I boarded, I was given a survey to fill out by the purser. It contained about 50 questions, covering all aspects of the trip, from checking in to service onboard. We pushed back* half an hour late, due to air traffic delays (what traffic! most of the other flights that morning were cancelled...), as the captain said. After a lengthy taxi, and interesting views of the completely snow covered Attica around us, we took off eastwards*. Then we turned left, for a standard path over Athens, the gulf of Corinth, and northwest to Corfu, the Strait of Otranto off Albania, Italy's east coast, over Switzerland and France to London. The captain told us that we flew at 37,000 ft, and the total flight time was only 3:20, due to favorable winds and no circling over London (which usually takes about 10-20 mins). This 757 had no in-flight entertainment, not even audio, which I found unusual. 757s are supposed to be on their way out of BA anyway. That was my only negative remark on the survey. The crew on the other hand was pleasant and had that kind of formal informality and cheerfulness that I like about BA.
In the meanwhile I had one of the best views of Greece I've had in many flights out of Athens. The photos that follow refer to this map*. That was probably due to the extremely clear atmosphere, the snow cover and the low sun, which accentuated the morphology of the landscape. After overflying Athens, and some nice views of Evia (Euboea) and Chalikda city*, I could clearly see almost all of central Greece*, with the plains of Thessaly and even Mt. Olympus, which was approximately 130 miles (210 km) from where we were! Then, as we approached Corfu, I saw the mountainous Epirus* region, in whose capital Ioannina I spent my high school years and, more recently, part of my army service*.
At that point, 30 minutes after takeoff, the in-flight service began with a bar round, followed by a hot breakfast*. It consisted of orange juice, a mushroom filled omelet with bacon and a fried tomato, a bread bun, butter and strawberry preserve and a fruit salad. Tea or coffee followed soon after, as we were cruising over the southern Adriatic and the Strait of Otranto, with the Albanian city of Vlorλ and Sazan island* at our right. Another drink round took place about two hours into the flight. The clouds came in soon, and would stay with us all the way to London, apart from a break over the always spectacular Alps*. The approach to Heathrow was from the west, clearing through the low clouds just before the M25* motorway and landing on 09L. We parked at gate 16* of terminal 4, amidst a miserable drizzle. I had an eight-hour layover, till my connecting flight to Boston. I chose to spend it in downtown London, browsing the shops and the high streets....
note: Here is a link to a thumbnail index* of all the pics together.
This is just one segment out of a four-segment trip (Boston - London (LHR) - Athens - London (LHR) - Boston). The transatlantic flights were on AA, while the LHR-ATH-LHR ones were on BA.
BA 631 ATH-LHR Jan 7
Boeing 757
scheduled to depart at 7:55 am
and to arrive at 10:00 am
The trip started in a snow covered* Athens. It had snowed almost continuously for the previous three days, resulting in conditions not seen in Athens for forty years, a landscape associated more with Sweden, and a paralysis of the transportation system, including air transport. The day before my flight only 35 out of about 350 flights operated out of the new Athens airport, which was at periods closed due to snow. The BA flights run with five and six hours delays.
My flight on Monday was due to depart at 7:55am, so my father and I left home at 5:10, in order to leave plenty of time for the slow drive through snow covered streets and highways, and the expected lines at the airport due to the cancellations of the previous days. In fact the BA check-in lines* were already full but reasonable at about 6:00, when I arrived at the area. I was flying economy (Euro traveler in BA parlance), but as an AA platinum I checked in at business (Euro club), which had only two persons ahead of me. So, I was done very quickly. I didn't care about spending all this time at the executive club lounge, so I went browsing around the airport. It was only my third time using the new Eleftherios Venizelos airport, so I wanted to familiarize myself better with its shops, outlay etc. I also wanted to change some euros into dollars. The banks, though, and the exchange dealerships were closed, either due to the weather or due to being too early in the morning. Same went for the post office, whence I wanted to mail some postcards. It did open at 7:00, as indicated. I ended up at the gate about 10 minutes before boarding. For future reference, the executive club lounge is conveniently located just across the gate used by BA (A11).
The flight, operated by a 757, was full in economy. I was seated in 15F. It was a window as always, but unfortunately over the front part of the wing which restricted part of the view. As I boarded, I was given a survey to fill out by the purser. It contained about 50 questions, covering all aspects of the trip, from checking in to service onboard. We pushed back* half an hour late, due to air traffic delays (what traffic! most of the other flights that morning were cancelled...), as the captain said. After a lengthy taxi, and interesting views of the completely snow covered Attica around us, we took off eastwards*. Then we turned left, for a standard path over Athens, the gulf of Corinth, and northwest to Corfu, the Strait of Otranto off Albania, Italy's east coast, over Switzerland and France to London. The captain told us that we flew at 37,000 ft, and the total flight time was only 3:20, due to favorable winds and no circling over London (which usually takes about 10-20 mins). This 757 had no in-flight entertainment, not even audio, which I found unusual. 757s are supposed to be on their way out of BA anyway. That was my only negative remark on the survey. The crew on the other hand was pleasant and had that kind of formal informality and cheerfulness that I like about BA.
In the meanwhile I had one of the best views of Greece I've had in many flights out of Athens. The photos that follow refer to this map*. That was probably due to the extremely clear atmosphere, the snow cover and the low sun, which accentuated the morphology of the landscape. After overflying Athens, and some nice views of Evia (Euboea) and Chalikda city*, I could clearly see almost all of central Greece*, with the plains of Thessaly and even Mt. Olympus, which was approximately 130 miles (210 km) from where we were! Then, as we approached Corfu, I saw the mountainous Epirus* region, in whose capital Ioannina I spent my high school years and, more recently, part of my army service*.
At that point, 30 minutes after takeoff, the in-flight service began with a bar round, followed by a hot breakfast*. It consisted of orange juice, a mushroom filled omelet with bacon and a fried tomato, a bread bun, butter and strawberry preserve and a fruit salad. Tea or coffee followed soon after, as we were cruising over the southern Adriatic and the Strait of Otranto, with the Albanian city of Vlorλ and Sazan island* at our right. Another drink round took place about two hours into the flight. The clouds came in soon, and would stay with us all the way to London, apart from a break over the always spectacular Alps*. The approach to Heathrow was from the west, clearing through the low clouds just before the M25* motorway and landing on 09L. We parked at gate 16* of terminal 4, amidst a miserable drizzle. I had an eight-hour layover, till my connecting flight to Boston. I chose to spend it in downtown London, browsing the shops and the high streets....
note: Here is a link to a thumbnail index* of all the pics together.
