TRIP REPORT: Air Serbia, Belgrade - Lisbon

TRIP REPORT

Written by Nikola Milojević

Date and time: September 9, 2024, 12.25PM

Airline: Air Serbia operated by GetJet

Flight Number: JU 562

Duration: 3h 40m

Aircraft: A320-214 (LY-CAP)

After some careful deliberation that my friend Marko and I had in June of 2024, we decided to swap our usual seaside holidays with something more interesting this year. Portugal came up as a choice because it combines the sightseeing that you can do in a city full of rich history with a feeling of being on the sea. Once we checked the prices and the options that we had from Belgrade, we decided to stick with just visiting Lisbon for 7 days, with day trips to Sintra and Cascais. For the flights, after we compared the fares, we decided to book Air Serbia for the Belgrade - Lisbon leg and Wizz Air for the return flight. Interestingly, even after choosing the Wizz priority option, this combination was around 50 euros cheaper than booking a return flight with either of the two carriers.

We arrived at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport at around 10.30 and headed straight to passport control since we only had carry-on luggage and completed our check-in online. The queue at passport control was already stretching for the half of the meandering line, since the midday departure wave passengers were slowly coming into the airport. There were three booths open, and a security officer was directing passengers to the first available booth. The line moved quickly and all in all I would say that it took us around 15 minutes to clear passport control and move to security. The line through security was of a similar size, also monitored by a security officer and moving quickly. Due to new regulations that were in effect since 9/1/2024, we were asked to take out our electronics and liquids from our bags, which was not the case when I flew from BEG last year.

In the end, in less than 30 minutes, we were in the new duty-free area of the airport. I noticed there were now more dedicated salespeople working certain areas of the duty free, such as perfumes, sunglasses and such, which I do not remember was the case in BEG previously. After a quick stroll, I decided to treat myself to a new magnetic card holder, as my old one had become unreliable with cards slipping out. We also signed up for the Dufry loyalty program, which earned me a 10% discount on my purchase.

After shopping, we visited a nearby toilet which was in a pretty clean state and decided to take a stroll through the C terminal to do some plane spotting. Since the midday departure wave had not started yet, most of the gates were empty and we only spotted Hainan Airlines A333 HU7970 being late to depart for Beijing. Overall, the terminal seemed in a pretty decent state with no trash or unpleasant odours. Soon after, our gate was announced to be A02, so we headed back. As we saw that the queue at the bakery, located at gate C02, was not long, we stopped for a coffee to go and then went to our gate A02.

Hainan Airlines A333 HU7970 late to depart for Beijing

Unfortunately, since the nearby gate A03 was designated for the BA889 flight to London, departing at a similar time as ours, it was a challenge to find two free seats. At around 12.00, the boarding agent started calling out passengers by their names, asking them to come forward to the gate to have their passports checked. This was done in two groups and finished by the scheduled departure time. Once the procedure was completed, we started boarding the flight at 12.25.

Gate at BEG showing Last Call although boarding was yet to start

Boarding was again done in groups, first with the back row passengers and then the front row passengers. As we were in row 11, we boarded with the second group and were in the plane by 12.50. I have to say that despite being late, boarding was quick, there were no issues with passengers storing their luggage in the overhead compartments or seating in their designated seats. Boarding completed at around 1pm when we started taxing while the pilot was welcoming us on the flight and explaining the route we would be taking, which I found very nice. Flight seemed quite full, and I found out that there were 168 passengers on board the 180seat aircraft, which gives a 93% load factor. After a short taxi, we were airborne at 13.10.

Flightpath for JU562

Since this was an Air Serbia flight operated by a wet-leased plane, I noticed that in the seat pocket, in addition to the usual safety card and the in-flight magazine, you could also find an inserted card explaining that you are on a wet-leased plane, what that means and why it is being used. This is something I have not seen before, although last year I was on an Air Serbia flight to Malta operated by Marathon. My guess is that due to frequent complaints and especially media speculation, Air Serbia decided to take a proactive approach with their customers and explain the wet-lease concept to the actual passengers.

Complementary in flight service

The complementary in-flight service commenced around 45 minutes after take off. It consisted of a small vegetarian sandwich, small Air Serbia branded water and a refreshing wipe. In addition, hot and cold drinks were offered as a part of buy on board. Most of the flight was uneventful until we reached Spanish airspace some 2 hours into the flight. At that moment, we started experiencing some turbulence and the seat belt sign was turned back on for about 30 minutes. After that, it was mostly smooth. We started our descent towards Lisbon at 15.24 Lisbon time and landed at 15.50 local time. Lisbon Airport is close to the city and the usual landing path actually goes straight over the city centre. Combined with the clear sky and the fact that I was in the window seat gave me a pretty amazing view of some of Lisbon’s Landmarks that I was to visit in the upcoming days. Additionally, for aviation enthusiasts, all of Lisbon’s so called “miraduros” are at the same time excellent for plane spotting as well.

View of Lisbon during descent: Belem Tower, Monument to the Explorers and the St Jerome monastery, all of which we visited

The landing itself was pretty interesting due to a strong northerly wind that caused the aircraft to swing a bit. I believe the applause that came after was well deserved by the captain.

Once we landed, the captain announced that we are being welcomed by 20 degrees Celsius with a northern wind, in contrast to the 35 degrees Celsius that we had left in Belgrade. Additionally, he apologised for the flight taking a bit longer than expected since we apparently had to bypass some storms over Spain and consequently adjust our cruising altitude. Once we landed, we were parked on a very remote stand, literally next to the cargo planes, and quickly bussed to Terminal 1 of the Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport. The queue at passport control was mostly our flight, with three booths open, so we were out of the airport by 16.20 local time.

DHL Boeing 757 that we got parked next to

All in all, despite a small delay, I would say that this was a pretty smooth experience at Belgrade and a very nice flight, considering that it is was still summer season. Also, I do believe that small things that you can do as a passenger, like checking in online, making sure that your liquids and electronics are easily reached for security screening and arriving on time at the airport can make your and the journey of others more enjoyable.