Date: 05. August 2016.
Departure: 09h20.
Arrival: 10h45.
Flight time: 1 hour 30 minutes.
Seat: 2F, window on the starboard side.
The bus drops us off just outside the terminal on the arrivals side. The terminal building really is inappropriately small, especially given that the ramp is rather busy with arriving and departing aircraft. I enter the building and much to my surprise, only few passengers are heading for arrivals and immigration for Croatia. The vast majority are turning left to queue for transfer immigration and security. And God, how slow the process is! It takes fifty minutes from the moment I enter the terminal building until I am finally through security and in the transfer area. All things considered, that is pretty fast though, seeing as there is only one check point for all the passengers.
The Lounge
Location: Behind the duty free shop.
Type of Lounge: Contractor lounge.
Facilities: The view of the apron. There are no toilets.
Catering: A machine serving juice, another machine serving soft drinks and another for instant coffee and tea. Bad pastries.
Internet: Wifi is available, the code is plastered on the walls all over the lounge.
The Business Class lounge is obviously a compromise, both in terms of location and size. If you are, like me, arriving in the terminal from another flight, once you clear security you have to walk all the way through the duty free shop and then up the stairs. Because the lounge is actually located in the hall leading passengers starting their journey in Zagreb from security to the airide area, you will have to fight your way through all the passengers heading the opposite direction. And once you arrive at the lounge you will no doubt be wondering why on earth you even bothered!
The lounge is rather ugly, dingy and small. Its one redeeming feature is that it is not quite as crowded as the public area outside the lounge, which is way too small for all the passengers.
Boarding
My gate is located on the far right of the lounge area and I have a bit of a problem accessing the gate because the Vueling and Germanwings flight at the neighbouring gates are so crowded. But eventually, I sort myself out with a bit of pushing and shoving.
The Cabin
Configuration: 2 + 2.
Seat: The seat is kept in the same colours as those on the Airbus fleet. According to the Croatia Airlines inflight magazine, the aircraft has a capacity of 76 passengers. There are two and a half rows in Business Class. On the port side there is a row 1 and 2. On the starboard side however, there is only a row 2, which is the bulkhead row. It is also the emergency exit row, so legroom is in fact rather good here. The flight is completely full and I suspect there are at least four commercial upgrades in Business Class. And incidentally, the seat next to you is not kept empty in Business Class.
The Crew
The service on this flight is completely different to that on the previous flight. There are two ladies working the cabin and they are perfectly charming, very friendly and elegant. Of course it helps that their uniforms look pretty sharp. While we are on the ground, the crew offer Croatian newspapers and pre-packed cold towels. The flight time is announced at one hour and twenty-five minutes.
The Meal
Delivery: Tray service.
Type of meal: Breakfast.
- Fruit salad.
- Müsli with yoghurt and prunes.
- A plate with cheese, tomato and olives.
- A bun and a croissant with butter and this really tasty orange and fig jam.
- Tea or coffee.
- Apple juice.
Well this is much more like it. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy the meal. The Müsli is tasty and quite filling, especially with the large bottle of yoghurt. The fruit salad tastes fresh and the variety of cheese is good.
I have a second coffee to keep me going (awake). But it is no use, it was just too early when I started on my way home and before I know it, my head is tilting forwards and I start dribbling into my polo shirt.
Arrival
I am awakened by the cabin who pats me on the shoulder and asks me to replace my tray table. The weather in Zürich looks nice and cool. It is overcast and the pilot announces a temperature on the ground of 15 degrees, much cooler than Skopje.
Zürich airport really is quite impressive, I must say. Despite the fact that the place is very busy with arriving and departing aircraft, by the time I reach the luggage belt I only have to wait for another two minutes before the suitcases start arriving. Mine is the third off the belt.
Conclusion
I have been meaning to try Croatia Airline for a long time now, so I am glad I finally got that off my chest. So what’s the verdict? The first flight really was nothing special, but the second one way rather enjoyable. It is a pity that the ground experience in Zagreb is so unappealing. That old terminal really is getting a bit long in the tooth and probably should have been replaced many years ago already. But there is hope! Apparently in March 2017 the new terminal with its funky design is set to open. Hopefully, the new facility will have a nicer lounge and a better transfer process.