TRIP REPORT: Air Serbia, Frankfurt - Belgrade
Trip taken: September 2021
Scheduled Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Flying from Frankfurt to Belgrade with JU335 was the logical return flight after getting to Germany with JU334. This roundtrip with Air Serbia is well timed to return to Belgrade in the evening, leaving passengers like myself the entire day in Frankfurt. Contrary to the arrival flight, Air Serbia allowed the bearers of Serbian passports to complete the online check-in procedure - it is now important to hold a passport of the destination to be able to check-in via the website. I was automatically assigned an aisle seat, in the forward part of the cabin.
Leaving the downtown very early for what used to be one of the busiest European airports proved to be an unnecessary decision. Terminal 2, used mainly for non-EU flights, was literally deserted.
Arriving two hours before the scheduled departure, I found the check-in counter still closed.
Being the first in line to perform check-in, I expected a smooth and quick process. However, it took almost 15 minutes for the ground staff to realize their printer was not working so they could not issue me a boarding pass. Instead, they suggested using the electronic version I received after the online check-in. The staff also said it is not possible to be assigned a window seat without extra charge.
After being the only passenger at passport control, I proceeded to the departure gates hall, only to find most of the shops closed.
Even the coffee shops were not open, late afternoon local time.
My electronic boarding ticket caused the system at the gate to go red and the information on the screen was that it was not valid. It was then a pleasant surprise to find out the ground staff managed to print out my boarding pass and hand it to me at the gate.
Covid measures at the waiting hall before gate E5
Everyone boarded through the priority lane.
Boarding of this half-full flight was completed ten minutes ahead of scheduled departure. However, the plane spent another 45 minutes attached to the airport building. The flight attendant notified the passengers that the delay is caused by the ground staff not appearing on time to confirm the departure of the flight to Belgrade, so the departure was delayed for an entire hour.
Sign of wear and tear on Air Serbia's aircraft.
After patiently waiting for almost an hour, we began to taxi. Lights were turned off in the cabin, so it was possible to catch some of the airport’s and city’s lights.
Free offering on Air Serbia’s Airbus A319.
After being served a tiny bottle of water and small pack of chips, I asked the flight attendant if they had any hand sanitizer on board. Though you might expect something like this in the Covid era, the answer was a plain no. Then I asked if they could offer any wet wipes, previously not offered in Economy Class despite being grounded for an extra hour in Frankfurt. I was soon handed two.
We made up some time en route, as JU 335 arrived at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport at 22.50, instead of the planned 22.15. The process on the ground was extremely fast - passport control was easy and quick, and the luggage was already delivered at the time I reached the baggage hall. Afterwards, every passenger was instructed by the customs officers to put their large bags through the scanner, which slowed down the procedure a bit.
Share your travel experience by submitting a trip report to exyu@exyuaviation.com
0 Response to "TRIP REPORT: Air Serbia, Frankfurt - Belgrade"
Post a Comment