| Azores Airlines | Paris (CDG) → Ponta Delgada (PDL) | A320neo | Economy Class | 02/03/2024 | |
| Azores Airlines | Ponta Delgada (PDL) → Paris (CDG) | A320-200 | Economy Class | 09/03/2024 | Current review |
| Azores Airlines | Paris (CDG) → Ponta Delgada (PDL) | A320neo | Economy Class | 02/03/2024 | |
| Azores Airlines | Ponta Delgada (PDL) → Paris (CDG) | A320-200 | Economy Class | 09/03/2024 | Current review |
Hello everyone and welcome to this new Flight review.
Today, after a week's rest on the magnificent island of Sao Miguel, it's time to head back to France.
I'll meet you at Ponta Delgada airport just before 7 am.
The airport terminal is relatively small, but still spacious for the small number of passengers at the moment. I do think, however, that during peak summer periods, it can be a little cramped.
Despite its age, the terminal is still well-equipped, and the décor reflects the airport's aeronautical history, with a 1920s aircraft hanging from the ceiling of the main hall.
When I arrived, check-in had not yet opened. The airline staff put us in a queue while we waited for check-in for the previous flight to another Portuguese island to finish.
Check-in goes smoothly with a very friendly ground agent.
Once you've checked in, you don't have to walk far. Only ten meters or so separate us from the controls.
The inspection goes smoothly and we don't have to wait long.
Within minutes, we're on the other side.
We've now moved closer to the planes. Before that, the airport offered a duty-free shop stocked with local and Portuguese products in general.
Little by little, the boarding hall fills up. Lisbon and Terceira are the two most popular destinations from Ponta Delgada.
Arrivals are concentrated more on American destinations such as Boston and New York.
More and more Paris-bound passengers are arriving at gate number 6.
The terminal is clean and fairly spacious. However, early in the morning, it is sorely lacking in light.
When the first light of day appears, boarding begins.
Today, no buses or jetways. We walk to the plane and climb the stairs at the front and rear of the aircraft.
I climb the front stairs of the aircraft, CS-TKK, an Airbus A320 delivered to the Azorean airline almost 20 years ago and christened "Unique".
The crew welcomes us with a smile and I discover the cabin that will take me to Paris.
This is a classic European cabin, configured with 3 seats on each side of the cabin.
However, the cabin reflects its age. The leather seats are old-fashioned.
The seat has an adjustable headrest and reclines. In the pocket in front of us, you'll find the safety card and sickness bag.
There's ample legroom at the front of the cabin.
At around 7:30 local time, we push back to the runway while the cabin crew gives the safety briefing.
There is no main taxiway alongside the airport runway. So we have to go up the runway and turn around at the end.
The end of the runway is quite impressive. There's a cliff overlooking the town below.
At 7.45 am, the pilot turned on full power and we left Portuguese soil.
We then make a half-turn towards the French capital.
Shortly after takeoff, the crew begins beverage service. A wide choice is available, including alcohol and hot drinks.
We then serve our meal, which this morning consists of scrambled eggs with ham, a small dish of fresh fruit, vanilla cake, a piece of bread, and butter.
The meal was very good. I would also like to emphasize the freshness of the fruit.
We continue our flight to Paris.
Unfortunately, Wi-Fi is not available on board. So I take the opportunity to rest a little.
After almost 2 hours and 45 minutes in the air, we begin our descent into Paris Charles-De-Gaulle Airport.
We're arriving from the south, which, despite the grey skies, gives us a fine view of the Château de Versailles, the city of Paris and La Défense.
We then line up on the airport's southern runway. I apologize for the quality of the photos, but my camera decided to act up and didn't focus properly.
The landing at Roissy was a bit bumpy and braked hard, but we soon got off the runway and into the terminal.
During the taxi, I don't know if it's because the pilots missed a taxiway, but we were treated to a short taxi with a view of the Concorde. We then arrive at Terminal 1, which has been decked out in the colors of the Olympic Games in the meantime.
We arrive at a satellite of Roissy Terminal 1. Deboarding goes quickly and I'm soon in the terminal.
The signs leading to the baggage carousels are simple and sufficient in number, making it easy to get to the end of the journey.
I collect my luggage a few dozen minutes late and head for the TGV station to reach my final destination: Strasbourg.
And so this Flight review comes to an end. I hope you've enjoyed it, and I look forward to seeing you soon on a flight from Basel to London with British Airways.
Despite the terminal's age, Azores Airport is a small, friendly airport where you don't get lost. Everything is easily accessible and clean, and access to the airport is straightforward. The only downside is the lack of natural light.
Once again, Azores Airlines did not disappoint. The on-board service was top-notch and the staff was very friendly. Despite the aging cabin, the flight went very smoothly. I recommend the company 100%.
Arrival at Paris CDG went smoothly. The terminal was clean and bright. The only minor drawback was the delay in baggage distribution.
