VLM Airlines VG 161 Antwerp To Hamburg - Fokker 50

[TheFlyingSultan]

Dear aviators,

A few months ago I tried out VLM Airlines for the 2nd time from ANR. Previously, I’ve flown to GVA on the F50 (see https://www.aviation24.be/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=56001) and now it was time to sample the route to HAM. I booked a oneway ticket for € 49 - a bit more expensive than to GVA - in the 2nd week of operation of the route. Nowadays, the return flight HAM-ANR continues to SOU making it possible to book HAM-SOU with a stop on ANR. This is by my knowledge the 1st time ANR is used as a stopover point. The same will happen with BHX when this route starts from ANR on Oct 5th.

Here’s the route map for this flight (courtesy of Great Circle Mapper, copyright Karl L Schwartz).



And here are the flight details:


ANR to HAM
VG 161
Fokker 50 OO-VLQ ‘City of Manchester’
STD-STA 07h05-08h35
Y class
seat 10A

The report, as usual in video format:



TheFlyingSultan

[Comet]

We had a few flights on VLM in the past - 2 in 2002, 2 in 2003 and 2 in 2007. They were brilliant to fly with, just a pity they no longer fly to and from LCY.

[KriVa]

As far as I know, Cityjet (with VLM staff) still flies to and from LCY from ANR?

[sn26567]

It looks like your flight had a very low load factor. I wonder how long VLM will be able to sustain such a situation with an otherwise nice flight and a free meal which tends to become a rarity nowadays.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience! Keep them coming.

Impressive pictures of the blades falling off. Autumn is early this year

By the way, seat 10A doesn't fit with your habits! What happened?

[TheFlyingSultan]

We had a few flights on VLM in the past - 2 in 2002, 2 in 2003 and 2 in 2007. They were brilliant to fly with, just a pity they no longer fly to and from LCY.

As far as I know, Cityjet (with VLM staff) still flies to and from LCY from ANR?

Both airlines have ‘demerged’ but VLM Airlines provides aircraft and crew for Cityjet.

It looks like your flight had a very low load factor. I wonder how long VLM will be able to sustain such a situation with an otherwise nice flight and a free meal which tends to become a rarity nowadays.

Me too André. Only time will tell I guess. The GVA route does well now I heard, I find it a very good alternative for the easyJet and Brussels Airlines route from BRU.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience! Keep them coming.

I will do my best

Impressive pictures of the blades falling off. Autumn is early this year

Lol, the tricks of editing

By the way, seat 10A doesn't fit with your habits! What happened?

I was assigned this seat as I just asked for a window seat. When the load is light, all pax on the F50 are concentrated at the rear end of the plane for balance purposes as the plane is ‘heavy on the nose’. Hence the purser had to ask the captain if it was ok for for me to be reseated to the front for landing. It was!

TheFlyingSultan