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Quinta-feira, 15 de Janeiro de 2009
Air Macau (NX) and Macau International Airport (MFM)

 

The Airbus 321 of Air Macau (by Dickson Lau of jetphotos.net)

 

The Airbus 321 of Air Macau at the tarmac of Macau Airport. We can see here the sign  "Aeroporto" (Aeroporto de Macau as it's officially called). Being a lusophile, i find this amusing. Photo by: Guenter leonhard of jetphotos.net

 

Airbus 321 of Air Macau on its approach to Macau Airport. NIce view! Photo by: Dickson Lau

 

 

It's been more than a month or so that I haven't flown so I was itching to do it again. I thought of going to Vietnam or Malaysia but since I was travelling with my youngest sister, then I wanted to show her one of my favourite places in Asia: Macau!

Well, my interest in Macau has something to do with Lusofonia. When I am in Macau, I feel at home. Macau is one of the bastions of Lusofonia in Asia (the other 2 include East Timor and Goa in India). Although in Macau, only few people speak Portuguese as native language (few of them speak English too!), it's one of the official languages of the territory along with Chinese and they say more and more Macanese are learning Portuguese now. Especially for Asians, it is the place to go if you want to study Portuguese language and culture and can't afford Portugal or Brazil or any other Portuguese-speaking nation. When you go to the city centre, it has an old-world feel and some parts of it look like the northern Portuguese economic powerhouse, Porto. And since Hong Kong is near, so two territories in one trip. The price for a one-way ticket for the jetfoil costs 150 Macanese patacas amd the trip lasts for 95 minutes or so.

And more importantly, since I have been Macau and Hong Kong, this time it would be nice to know Macau Airport! And experience Air Macau too! Before we flew to Hong Kong first and then took the ferry to Macau. But this time, it's the other way around. So this means two firsts for me! Cool addition to my list! And again, flying just for the heck of it...

So two days before the trip, I went to buy the tickets from the Air Macau office in downtown Manila.

Let's get into details now.

NX851
Air Macau

Date: 10 January 2009
Dep: Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)
Gate: Gate 1
Dep Time:
Load: 30%
Seat: 23B
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Airbus 321
Weather during take off: Clear day
Arr: Macau Taipa International Airport (MFM)
Weather during landing: Clear but chilly weather





After an hour of just sitting at the waiting area, the counter finally opened. Not too many passengers today, I think. Most of them are migrant workers in Macau. The check-in agents were corteous and efficient.



The waiting lounge. The Airbus 321 of Air Macau can be seen from this angle. I actually took a couple of pictures near the aircraft but my camera disappointed me (or maybe I disappointed my camera).



The flight attendants with the routinary aircraft safety instructions.



During pushback, we saw this Airbus 340 of China Airlines bound for Taipei. Sometimes an Airbus 330 is used.



A minute before take off......2 Philippine Airlines aircraft are on the line too waiting for their turn.........



Seconds before take off..........



Seconds after rotation.....buildings of Makati City can be seen here..........



The pilot pulled up the aircraft so abruptly...was uncomfortable for the ears......but was exciting though..........



The legroom...not bad...and the safety card and inflight magazine and shopping magazine...The inflight magazine called Air Macau is actually cool.....



The interior of the aircraft...........it's actually clean!



Snack.....it's good for a 2-hour flight......good if you're full..otherwise, you might want to eat before you board



My sister looking out of the window..........



And we arrived in Macau!



Return flight to Manila

NX856
Air Macau

Date: 12 January 2009
Dep: Macau Taipa International Airport (MFM)
Gate: Gate 1
Dep Time: 12:35
Load: 50%
Seat: 14B
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Airbus 321
Weather during take off: Clear day
Arr: Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)
Weather during landing: Clear day



Some pictures of the Macau International Airport

 

 



Dramatic shot...of my self...lol



Lockheed and the control tower in the background......



Simple but nice airport.........



My signature airport shot................


Post-flight:


The Air Macau Inflight Magazine and the skyshopping magazine



Boarding passes, ticket, and luggae tags...


Impression:

I loved the experience. Too bad my camera ran out of battery and I was not able to cover my flying experience on my return flight to Manila.

The check-in process was a breeze although the agent took some time to do it as she had another issue with another passenger and she had to run and help her sort out the passenger's problem. To me she was very apologetic, corteous and was smiling sweet. Ah, that made up for it.

Air Macau is a good company. Both legs were fun. Especially for the return flight, the flight attendants were all corteous and good-looking. I was happy with the service that during the flight I took some time to complete the survey and I made some suggestions and praises for their service. My first time to do so. Not that my other flights in the past were bad, no. But it's just that most of the time, I am just right there in the plane enjoying every moment of the flight and don't bother to do other things. It happens also when I go visit some place. Sometimes I tend to forget to take pictures because I simply enjoy the sights. But anyways...

A note about flight entertainment. No movies nor documentary was shown. Maybe the flying time may not have permitted one...But the inflight magazine made up for it.

When we were leaving the plane, I gave the completed form to the stewardess and she just said thank you and looked kinda worried. Maybe she was uneasy that I could have written some bad reviews about the flight. She read it fast and then smiled and said thank you again but this time with so much enthusiasm and she asked for my seat number and wished me a good day. She's so happy to know that my comments were good.

I was not able to quote my "Privileges" membership number (the frequent flyer program [FFP] of Air Macau and they claim that it's one of the most generous FFP in Asia). When I got home, I wrote them an e-mail and I got their response right away. Sent them several e-mails after that and they'd always respond quickly.

And Macau Airport? I loved it! It is an alternative to the more famous and bigger Hong Kong Airport. More and more low-cost airlines are flying to Macau and usually fares are cheaper. The staff at the airport are also corteous except the Macanese lady at the foreign exchange booth (so is she considered an airport staff??) at the arrival's area who was really rude and impatient. She looked like she didn't want to be there and didn't like her work at all. Poor girl...LOL.

But in general, all staff were corteous and nice. Special mention to the "information" staff and the lady at the parking booth because she was willing to change our bills into coins. The airport also employs Filipinos actually. There are security personel and check-in agents who are Filipinos. This is a nice touch especially for the Filipino travelling public.

I also love the grey-black-silver theme of the airport. And it's easy to navigate. It's a mid-sized airport comparable to or maybe even more beautiful than Gothenburg Landvetter Airport in Sweden (another favourite).

I would recommend Air Macau and without hesitation I would fly with them again.............



publicado por Sadiri Gonzales às 13:10
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Sexta-feira, 13 de Dezembro de 2002
Lufthansa/Air Canada: Trip to Canada

Flight Details

LH4343
Lufthansa German Airlines

Date: 13 December 2002
Dep: Madrid Barajas (MAD)
Boarding Time: 1220
Dep Time: 1245
Load: 100%
Seat: 20E
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Airbus 321
Arr: Frankfurt (FRA)

LH0470
Lufthansa German Airlines

Dep: Frankfurt (FRA)
Gate: 823
Boarding Time: 1550
Dep Time: 1620
Load: 95%
Seat: 39G
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Airbus 340
Arr: Toronto (YYZ)

----------------------------

Air Canada

Date: 12 January 2003
Dep: Toronto (YYZ)
Load: 95%
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 767
Arr: Munich (MUC)

LH4260
Lufthansa German airlines

Date: 13 January 2003
Dep: Munich (MUC)
Load: 100%
Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Arr: Madrid Barajas (MAD)


Airbus 321 of Lufthansa in madrid Airport (by Keishi Nukina of jetphotos.net)


I flew with Lufthansa and the aircraft was Airbus 321 (same as the picture above). It was a mid-day flight to Frankfurt (FRA) so the flight was full. It was an ordinary flight (except that it was my first time to fly on an A321 and my first time to fly with Lufthansa; so maybe not that ordinary after all, lol!). Food was good and the flight attendants were nice and even extra kind to me because they noticed that my knee was injured. Nice touch.



Photo: LH Airbus 340 taken by Alejandro Perez (airliners.net)


We arrived in Frankfurt after 3 hours. The sky was gray but no rain. Smooth landing. I proceeded to my designated gate and chilled out for some hours. I walked around and explored the airport for a while. I saw the aircraft which would take me to Toronto. It was an Airbus 340. Wow! Again, first time to fly on this aircraft type. I stared at the plane for some minutes. Beautiful metal. Well, nothing, I read some informative brochures about the airport and the aviation buff that I am, I kept some of them.

Time for boarding. I noticed that there were many Indian passengers. Some passengers wanted to bring all their stuff on board while the ground stewardess was explaining to them that the A340 is not as big as the B747. Lol.

It was an evening flight so there's not much to see. And as usual, I enjoyed the take-off. Powerful one, I'd say. I sat next to a Canadian engineer who was working in Germany and he asked me if it was my first time to go to Canada and I said yes. He gave me some tips about the country and we chatted for a while until we fell asleep. The announcement made by the pilot woke me up and he informed us that we were flying over Iceland then Greenland. Affff, too bad! I was seated on the aisle! Anyway, it was dark so maybe there was not much to see. Normally, the passengers can see the coast of Iceland and Greenland and they say it's a sight to behold!

It was 19.00 hours when the plane landed at the Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Seconds after, some passengers started to collect their baggage from the overhead compartment and suddenly a loud voice from the back interrupted my concentration of the feeling of landing which was all over me; it was a flight steward saying: "Sit down! We have not arrived yet!". Lol. I don't have problems with that since I am normally a behaved and polite passenger.

After clearing the immigration, I saw my sister and my uncle waiting for me at the arrival's hall. I was happy to see my sister who I had not seen for 2 years. My uncle too. And they were surprised to see me with a forearm crutch!

I was not impressed with the airport because at that time it was being expanded and they were building another terminal so the arrival's area was not really that attractive.


Toronto skyline with the CN Tower (anonymous photographer)

My first impression of Toronto: white, cold, boring. But it was Canada! I had always wanted to visit Canada. I was obsessed with it. I could not believe I was there. And yeah, it would become my home for the months of December and January! LOL.



Me in front of Casa Loma. This beautiful building is situated on an elevated area in downtown Toronto. The architecture is cool and it's one of a kind in Toronto which is full of those boring low buildings and some interesting skyscrapers.



Niagara Falls (anonymous photographer)


Before Christmas, I had to get out of bed early because my uncle would bring me to the Niagara Falls. The previous night I met up with a Canadian friend, Bryce, whom I met in Portugal a year earlier and he also visited me in Spain after that. We kept emailing each other and decided to meet up when he told me he'd be in Toronto during Christmas. So there. I brought my sister and we went to see him downtown. We watched a movie and had some chat. I asked him to spend the Christmas Eve with us but apparently he had something planned for that day. I think he had to review for his exams. So I went home because my left knee was hurting.

And yeah, Niagara Falls. This is one magnificent natural wonder. I loved it. Though I was a bit disappointed because the water was muddy as a result of the melted snow. They say Niagara Falls are best seen during the summer or autumn because the water is emerald, sparkling green.

I travelled to Quebec province alone after 2 weeks of staying in Ontario. First I stayed at some friends' house in Montreal. This city I know is beautiful but since it was mid winter, for me it looked boring and white and whatever. After some days, I travelled to Quebec City as suggested by Bryce.

I like Quebec City, especially the old section. It was like France! Europe! Though at first I could not understand the way they spoke French but could get by after a while. I stayed in a youth hostel but could not avail of the discount for because my Hostelling International card has expired so I had to buy another one and got one stamp for every night spent there but at least 3 stamps were needed for me to avail of the members' price which was cheaper. I shared the room with 2 Australians and a Korean.


Before going back to Montreal, I went to Montmorency Falls. It's located outside Quebec City and you can reach the place by bus. With my 2 luggages I took the bus and noticed that I was only one of the few passengers that we there. I did not wonder at all because it was winter and few people would go to that beautiful place (though in summer, lots of tourists). Inside the park, I was indeed the only one in there and the snow was knee high! And since I had my luggage with me, it was hard because I had to walk and reach the place alone and if something happened to me, nobody would rescue me or something, lol. Well, when I reached the place, I saw the frozen falls (which is actually higher than the Niagara Falls). It seemed magical because the surroundings were so white because of snow, the river was frozen and there were like 5 people around. Sure it would have been nicer to see it in summer and in 'action', but frozen waterfalls and rivers have their charm too.



Quebec City and the frozen St. Laurent River (anonymous photographer)

So I travelled back to Montreal and decided to take a side trip to Ottawa, the capital of Canada. I called up Rene, an environmental science student at the University of Ottawa whom I met earlier at the bus station in Montreal. He spoke some Spanish and that's how we got to know each other. Wo wo wo, it was even colder in Ottawa! I waited for him at the bus station and I was freezing! After some minutes he arrived and he let me stay in his dormitory at the university and off we went ice skating at the Rideau Canal! We walked around the city with that freezing temperature but it was worth it. I loved it.

Anyway, after some weeks of spending some cool (or cold) time in Canada, it was time to go back to Spain again. I was sad. I hate that feeling. Ahhh but I missed my sister and relatives there.



Air Canada Boeing 767 (anonymous photographer)

I took an Air Canada flight back to Germany (Munich). It was an ordinary flight (but then again, my first time to fly on a Boeing 767 and with Air Canada, so I think that makes it special again, lol). Mediocre service. I had an aisle seat so no views whatsoever but the cabin. Only the cabin. When I arrived in Munich, I wanted to sleep but no, I could not because I still had to catch a plane back to Madrid. I liked Munich airport though. It's prettier than that of Frankfurt but the thing is Frankfurt is nearer to the city centre while Munich airport is far from the city centre.

Going to Madrid, I flew with Lufthansa, B737. Nice flight and I could see the Swiss Alps!


I took this photo second before take off run



Up up up up hehehehehhe


Seconds after take off




Cruising altitude near Bern, Switzerland


I arrived in Madrid in the afternoon. Went straight to my apartment and took a shower and went to school.

 

 

 

 

Toronto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quebec

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



publicado por Sadiri Gonzales às 17:06
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