Flight 136 B737-700 (RTM-SXF)

5 September 2004

Transavia Airlines flight HV5041
Boeing 737-7K2
PH-XRA
seat 23A

Duration: 00:57

Both check-in and security were done swiftly at Rotterdam Airport. Transavia has stationed three of its Boeing 737-700’s at Rotterdam for its low-fare Basiqair services. Both PH-XRE, having arrived from Girona and PH-XRA, just landed from Oslo, were parked in front of the terminal building. PH-XRA, in front of gate 7, was to be our plane for Berlin-SXF. After passing security we had to wait for some 20 minutes before we could board the flight. Unfortunately a large part of the departure hall was a smoking area. Since Rotterdam does not have a jetty, we had to walk across the platform to the aircraft. As we were seated in row 23, we had to board the plane through the rear air stairs. Seats 23A and B appeared to be on the second last row on the left hand side.
After the doors were closed and the engines started, we departed our stand at 19:37, taking a left hand turn onto the taxiway parallel to runway 06. At 19:41 we took off from runway 06, heading for Berlin. En route to Berlin at 11.500 m altitiude we could see the sunset. Flight and weather info was given to us by the -female- captain. During the descent into Berlin the sun had set and we could see the Berlin city lights in the darkness. Although no wet runway conditions existed, touchdown on runway 07R was ‘firm’. We departed the runway through taxiway D and taxied to the platform at Schonefeld. Although SXF has some jetties, we were nonetheless parked on the platform at 20:44 and bussed to the terminal. Price: EUR 45,24 pp.