Greetings and welcome to another flight report! Today I will be flying from London Stansted to Bergerac on Ryanair. It has been years since I’ve flown Ryanair, so I’ll be curious to see how they’ve held up. Upon arriving at Stansted, I headed straight to the bag drop. After dropping of my bag, I headed straight to the security checkpoint. The line was relatively quick, so I was airside in no time. I couldn’t help but notice how dated and bland the airport looked. It’s design has certainly not stood the test of time well. I quickly found the Escape lounge that is part of Priority Pass, which is how I am able to access it. Unfortunately, when I arrived I was told by the friendly check in agent that there was a wait of over 10 people to gain access to the lounge. It was getting awfully close to departure time, so my chances of getting in were looking slim. I was just about to give up when I was notified that the flight was delayed by an hour, which made waiting worthwhile. When I was finally directed towards the basement lounge I realized I had lost my Priority Pass card. Thankfully, I had a digital copy on my phone, so I was still able to gain access. The lounge setup was unusual to say the least.
There was a buffet area with dining tables and then some armchairs. The back of the lounge was blocked off for Emirates business class passengers. I was directed to sit at one of the tables. I personally don’t like that kind of a setup as I like to choose where I sit, but alas. After sitting down, I headed to the buffet, which had hot food such as pasta and cold food such as salads. While hardly gourmet, it should do the job and you could probably make a meal out of the food options.
After 30 minutes, I left and headed to my gate, which was a zoo.
I had purchased priority boarding, so I could be one of the first on. I boarded through the rear air stairs, which is pretty much unique to European ULCCs.
I turned left (I know, very classy ;-)), but my dreams of business class immediately disappeared as I was blinded by the plastic-y yellow cabin finishes. I found my way to my seat, which wasn’t particularly comfortable, though would serve its purpose for this short flight. Immediately infront of me was the safety card stuck to the seatback as well as an advert.
Boarding was soon complete and a safety demo was performed and we pushed back. On pushback, I had a view of a US Government 737 BBJ. After a 15 minute taxi, we turned onto the runway and were airborne shortly.
While ascending, I caught a view of a 787 flying below us. It’s profile was distinguishable as always.
The cabin crew wasted no time and started the service, which I didn’t partake in. Instead, I busied myself with looking out the window at the stunning countryside.
After the main service, scratch cards were offered. I was half-tempted to buy one as a souvenir, but suppressed my temptations.
We had a scenic descent, in which we had great views of rural France.
Bergerac airport is tiny (and I mean tiny!). I was soon in the baggage claim area and then went to immigration. I was landside in no time and went straight to the car rental area.
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