I’m live-blogging my SAS EuroBonus SkyTeam Million Mile challenge this week. Click here for background and route information.
It had been years since I flew Air Europa from Buenos Aires to Madrid in business class, so I was happy to give it another try, this time on a short-hop domestic flight in economy class. Talk about no frills, though, at least on the Air Europa Express 737-800 in economy class.
Air Europa Express 737-800 Economy Class Review
Boarding was absolutely chaotic in AGP, with boarding set to begin at 8:20 pm but it really did not commence until 8:50 pm. At 8:20 pm we were told to line up at the gate, but there were no agents and even the monitors did not specify it was our flight.
I had trouble with my SAS number repeatedly dropping out of my reservation and when I asked a gate agent (who finally showed up at around 8:30 pm) to ensure it was there and print my boarding pass, she only succeeded in removing it again. Thankfully, I was able to add it back on the mobile app, a very finicky app by the way.
We did finally board and I liked the mood lighting onboard, which helps any aircraft cabin appear more modern. But that’s about it. There were no power ports, no screens, no wi-fi, and no seatback literature beyond the buy-on-board menu, or anything else that would have distinguished Air Europa from a budget carrier (point of fact, it is an odd mix—like Aer Lingus—of being a full-service longhaul carrier but a budget carrier within Europe).
The seatbacks have two tray tables instead of one: the top one is intended to hold drinks and a tablet or phone for viewing while the small bottom serves as a more traditional table for working or eating.
Here’s how the flight went:
- We managed to board quickly and took off roughly 10 minutes behind schedule.
- The flight attendants quickly sprang up, came down the aisle with a cart selling drinks and snacks, then disappeared.
- Augustine and I fell asleep and awakened during the initial descent into Madrid.
- I sprang up to quickly use the lavatory, which was small and spartan, but clean.
- We landed on a remote stand in Madrid and were bussed into the terminal.
A very uneventful domestic flight in Spain…
That plane does indeed look very spartan.
My wife has just finished the challenge with her 15th flight on Kenya Airways. All have credited with the exception of Vietnam Airlines. Have you had any issue with them? SAS are trying to sort it out but keep blaming their own systems.
My Vietnam flight credited – China Airlines never did. Xiamen did not fully credit either.