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I had my Christmas holiday approaching and had three weeks off from university, so I decided that it would be a good idea to fly over to Turkey to see my father for the period. I was surprised to be able to get an outbound flight at around £80 (plus £14 for baggage) and at only a months notice, a very cheap fare considering as the holiday period is usually so busy. I was very excited for this trip as it was my first flight with Easyjet. It was also very convenient for me as the flight was from Luton which is where I would be staying for Christmas with my family.

Flight Number: EZY2383
Date of Flight: 30/12/11
Scheduled Departure Time: 0725 (local)
Scheduled Arrival Time: 1315 (local)
Route: LTN-SAW
Aircraft: Airbus A319-111 G-EZGJ

After a troubled nights sleep, I arrived at Luton airport in the early hours of the morning. I said goodbye to my mother who dropped me off in the terminal drop off zone where the £1 charge for using this service is a necessary evil which we are all used to bearing by now (it was introduced a few years ago – cars must pay £1 for a 10 minute drop off time beside the terminal). I had a large contingency time in my itinerary, having left nearly 2 hours. Nonetheless I decided to get airside as soon as possible. As I approached the check in area I saw the large queues for the many early morning departures. I queued for about 10-15 minutes before I was greeted by a friendly and polite member of staff who quickly checked in my one bag and printed my boarding pass.

The next step was to go upstairs and clear security. I showed my passport to the rude airport staff member who barely acknowledged me then joined another long queue (not opting to pay £3 for fast track which is available in Luton). The queue moved quickly enough and I was through within 15 minutes with no abnormalities. I had enough time to browse the shops as we waited to have a gate assigned. I managed to pick up two bottles of Famous Grouse Scotch for £10 each on duty free (as I was flying outside the EU). I bought some reading material at WHSmiths and then got some coffee. The terminal was swarming with passengers and the departure screens shows many early morning flights; mostly Easyjet.

Soon it was time to go to the gate which was a short walk to number 25. After seeing the 200th Airbus aircraft of Easyjet in inverted colours livery at an adjacent stand, I made the final call and boarded the bus which took us to the remote stand outside the big orange hanger (which has so often guided me in my VFR flying). Boarding was quick, but being one of the last on and with no assigned seating, I found myself taking an aisle seat near the back of the cabin. This is the first time I can recall not having a window seat.

We pushed back on time at 0730. There was a small wait as about 5 aircraft departed before us and a Wizzair flight arrived from Eastern Europe. We took an immediate take off from the intersection, feeling the full power of the CFM56 engines. We were airborne at 0748 with an expected flight time of 3 hours 20 minutes.

The cabin was fairly busy. I actually thought it was an A320 at the time, and did not realize my error until I looked up the aircraft registration. The cabin crew made many rounds up and down the aisle for those wishing to buy drinks, snacks or duty-free. I occupied myself by starting my first draft of this blog. Despite what some critics say about the pitch in low cost carriers, I had ample leg room being 1.8m high. I could imagine someone who is a few inches taller might be cramped though.

We arrived 10 minutes early on runway 24 at Istanbul’s secondary airport. It was a smooth touchdown and a short taxi. The ramp had a few surprises. Aside from the usual array of low cost carriers (Pegasus and Anadolu) there was also an Il-76 in the cargo area and a 747. We got to the gate and disembarking began via a jetway connected to the front exit. Being near the back of the aircraft, I was in no hurry. I took the time to ask the friendly and helpful cabin crew if I could visit the flight deck quickly. I entered the already open door and had a decent chat with the first officer about his career and the possibilities for me. As always I got carried away and was the last passenger off the plane.

Inside, the terminal was almost empty save those who traveled with me and an earlier flight from Milan. The Visa queue was short (the same could not be said for Ataturk airport). I paid my £10, a bit peeved that my last Visa had barely expired. A short queue at passport control and I went to the baggage collection. Mine was already on the carousel. Forget the duty free, I went straight through to find my father waiting for me in arrivals. Across the road to the short stay car park and we were on our way to begin my holiday. Fortunately the airport is on the Asian side of Istanbul so the drive to my father’s apartment was a lot quicker than if going from Atatürk airport as it meant avoiding the horrible queues along the bridge spanning the Bosphorus.

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