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Taken April 2002 from Bristol to Amsterdam

Haven't flown with Cityhopper for a couple of years but this flight was up to the usual high standard, except the food has diminished in quality and quantity over the past eight years or so - three tiny sandwiches and a sweet pastry, although the white wine was excellent.

The advertised departure was 0945 and we were in the air at exactly that time. The Fokker 70 jet was full (80 passengers) and there was an elapsed flight time of 55 minutes, giving an arrival 20 minutes before schedule at Schipol. Had a superb view virtually overhead Heathrow Airport from 31,000 feet. The landing crocodile looked like a line of 'planes crawling along the roads of West London from that height. Leg room good and cabin staff friendly and efficient on the Cityhopper.

The return flight three days later was an evening one on a Fokker 50 turboprop. Again a full aircraft (50 passengers)and obviously a bit noisier than the F 70. Service and legroom again good. This time propellers and a head wind gave an increased time in the air which was 1 hour 20 minutes. Even so we arrived at Bristol eleven minutes ahead of schedule (the timetable allows a generous 1 hour 40 minutes for turbo props). Even better, we were in the car park with hold baggage 20 minutes after hitting the runway, and there was a taxi of well over a mile in between.

Although Bristol has almost doubled the number of passengers in two years - now 3 million annually and rising - the new terminal still seems to give a feeling of space and a lack of rush; a civilised way of travelling by air!