Date: 09 July 2016
Departure: 09:25
Arrival: 10:50
Flight time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Seat: 1A, window seat
Getting to the Airport
Transport: Complimentary hotel shuttle.
Journey time: 10 minutes.
Departs from: Outside the hotel lobby.
Arrives: Departures level of Terminal 2.
Frequency: Every 20 minutes.
The shuttle for Terminal 2 leaves at 07h00 in the morning. There are only two other passengers in the bus with me and both of them are heading for Terminal 2 as well.
Check-in
Location: Terminal 2.
Facilities: Self-service check-in machines or counter check-in.
Counters: All of Air Europa’s domestic and Schengen flights operate out of Terminal 2. Accordingly, the airline has quite a presence at the facility. There are thirty Economy Class counters. And then there are two separate counters for Business Class passengers.
To the left of the Business Class counter is the Fast Track security lane.
The Lounge
Location: E concourse, near gate E76.
Type of Lounge: Contractor lounge operated by AENA.
Facilities: Toilets and showers are available in the lounge. There is also a quiet area towards the back of the lounge. Computer workstations are also available and all seats are equipped with electric power sockets.
Catering: They have Nespresso machines! Other than that, the selection is good, with a wide range of typical breakfast items like fresh fruit, yoghurt, breads, etc.
Internet: Wifi is available throughout the lounge. The code is displayed on the information screens in the lounge.
Boarding
There is a separate queue for SkyPriority passengers, families and passengers requiring assistance. Much to my surprise, once the boarding call is made, the passengers queuing in the Economy Class do not immediately push and shove to the head of the counter but actually wait until the passengers in the SkyPriority queue have boarded.
The Cabin
Configuration: 2 + 2.
Seat: Air Europa has the typical European style Business Class configuration, where the middle seat on a row of three is kept empty. The armrest on the inner side of the seat is turned inwards and a small tray table is set up between the aisle and the window seat to give passengers more space. There are twelve seats in Business Class and 168 seats in Economy Class – for a total of 180 seat. Eight of the seats are occupied in Business Class this morning.
Pitch: 33 inches in Business Class and 31 inches in Economy.
Width: 21 inches.
Facilities: There are no power plugs.
Audio and Video: Overhead drop-down screens.
The Crew
There are four cabin crew on the flight. A friendly young man and friendly but certainly no nonsense female purser are working the Business Class cabin. Initially, I am on 1D, which is an aisle seat. However, once boarding is completed I move over to 1A, the window seat.
The Meal
Welcome drink on the ground: A choice of either orange juice or still water. In contrast to the flights operated by the Embraer, on the Boeing 737-800 the welcome drink is served out of a real glass – not plastic.
Towel before the meal: Pre-packed, scented cold towel.
Pre-meal drink: No.
Choice: No.
Delivery: Trolley service.
Type of meal: Breakfast.
Meal:
- Omelette with turkey ham, aubergine and zucchini.
- Natural yoghurt.
- Croissant and a roll with butter and strawberry jam.
- Coffee and sparkling water.
The meal hits the spot nicely. All in all though, I think I prefer the food and the presentation on Air Europa Express, which seems more innovative. This breakfast is good but there is something very old school about it.
The crew are friendly and make a series of coffee rounds. From what I can tell, there is no tea available. Or perhaps only on request.
The trays are removed as soon as passengers finish their meals. Which is a nice touch and shows how attentive the crew are. It is always a bit frustrating when you finish the meal and cannot get out of your seat because you are trapped by the tray table.
About an hour out of Lanzarote the crew make another drinks run, which are served with a packet of salty almonds.
Arrival
After about an hour over the empty immensity of the Atlantic Ocean, our aircraft gently dips its nose and we begin our descent into Lanzarote. Our routing takes us due east of the isles, so make sure you get yourself a seat on the starboard side of the aircraft. Otherwise, you will only see land about three minutes before touchdown, once the aircraft comes out of a 180 degree turn to line up with the runway.
knightofmalta 