FLIGHT: VS030

PLANE TYPE: BOEING 747-400

CLASS: ECONOMY

FROM: BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS TO LONDON GATWICK

DATE: 29/11/2014

VS030 on the tarmac at Bridgetown, Barbados

Many think that the 747 is out of date when compared to newer models and, sad to say, I was one of them. This flight convinced me that I might have been a bit premature.

Like many Caribbean airports, Grantley Adams at Barbados actually checks passengers in just outside the main concourse, in the fresh air. It’s an easy process, and a simple airport to navigate.

We boarded on time, walking outside to see the great plane standing against the last glow of the sunset as it warmed up on the tarmac. There’s still something evocative and effortlessly romantic about boarding a flight on the tarmac via a set of external steps.

Delighted to find that this plane was one of the recently refurbished 747/400 series. As…