Luxembourg to Manchester with Luxair and the Bombardier Dash-8. I was Surprised!

[@jfrancobelge]

Hi from the Belgian province of Luxembourg, where we recently moved. Last month my wife and I flew Luxair twice, a three-hour flight round tip, from Luxembourg to Chania in Crete, in a Boeing 737-800. This was a chartered flight as it was part of the vacation package we had bought. My wife and I were happily surprised, expecially compared with other chartered, economy flights; comfortable seats, decent leg room, kind staff, and good quality food (and real, metal cutlery...). From now on Luxair will be our first choice for long haul vacations - and the Luxembourg-Findel airport is way closer to our new home than Brussels or Charleroi, much easier access for us.

[@mrmichu1631]

Luxair is a great airline. I flew with them on the first operational day from Manchester to Luxembourg on March 29, 2024. And in the past, in between LCY - LUX

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Oh I didn’t realise this route was so recent. It was probably around then I booked it too. 👍

[@roblancs]

Just done this flight for real today- that loo is much smaller than it looks! Great service though, nice sandwich, and less noisy than the ATR I flew on not too long ago.

[@anthonywarrener1881]

Luxair is very good, and the Dash 8 aircraft is ideal for the flight to Manchester. They also use those aircraft to London City , and the onboard service to LCY is identical to your flight.

[@Biscuit1rl]

ive flew with last year heading to the Luxembourg Marathon and decided to go business class, it was €200 rtn. Never flow with them before and found them great.

[@simonwhitlock9189]

A great flight that ticked all the boxes, thanks and stay safe, cheers.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers Simon and thanks as always for watching 😊

[@sheilam4525]

Great flight, Mark! Window seat, no immediate neighbour and good service..fantastic! 👍👍

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers Sheila! Yep, no complaints whatsoever. It Al worked out very nicely 😊👍

[@yonmons]

Love the Dash-8 delightful small aircraft Flybe ( Flymaybe) used them before their demise.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

They did! Though I much preferred this Luxair flight to any I took with Flybe.

[@nickbeer2658]

It may be because of the time of year but I go through LUX every February and have done so with both LuxAir and BA. I always find that security is rammed with long delays. Wish it was like you experienced!

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Yep security was fine. Bit busy airside but overall, not bad at all (unlike Josh Cahills recent experience!).

[@nickbeer2658]

@@LetsMakeaTrip Indeed. He does attract drama! LuxAir's PR department does seem to be making a mess of it though

[@garethsmith2250]

Flown LuxAir from London City a few times for work many years ago

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

My first time but I really enjoyed them 😊👍

[@paulroberts9570]

Hi Mark from Manchester airport station if your going down the cardiff line you don't have to wait for the hourly to crewe you can go to Manchester piccadilly and change for the south Wales service there you possibly could end up on the same train as what you would have caught had you waited for the crewe stopper⁰ and more chance to get a good seat

[@philipthompson7901]

Thanks Mark, good video. These fly over Canterbury three times a day from LCY to LUX. Keep up the good work!

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers Philip. Yes I think most are routing into London. Tbh, if I hadn’t found this one direct to Manchester I probably wouldn’t have even been in Luxembourg!

[@Julian-ck6lf]

Agree on MAN I think it’s a terrible airport and awful connectivity, I live in Cheshire so the one train per hour is rubbish if you land at the wrong time, Luxair look really good and free public transport in Luxembourg is great it’s the same in Geneva at least for visitors, great report as always! 😊

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

I didn’t know that about Geneva mate, cheers. And yes if I can avoid MAN, I will.

[@briangentle5515]

@@LetsMakeaTrip Just for info; public transport in the city of Geneva is free for guests staying in hotels or registered guest accommodation (possibly not if you are in a flat, Air B&B style, though I don't know for sure). On check in at the hotel, you receive a voucher for travel on the Geneva local transport for the duration of your stay. Oh and I agree with those who say it's a lion! Stylised for sure, but on the Luxembourg coat of arms, as someone else has written.

[@andywillis2650]

Great flight Mark, and always nice to get those added extras on what was a short flight.

[@jonjohnson2844]

Yes approaching Manchester from the east you'll be crossing over the Peak District, I camp up there occasionally it's great for an av geek - you can easily identify the aircraft types and the airline if it's not too overcast.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers Jon. Camping up there sounds just like my thing! I might have to try it one day, looks great from above 👍

[@neilcoram3495]

Another interesting video i have only flown on 2 prop planes myself,a 4 seater training plane and a C130 from Cyprus to Lyneham via Corfu

[@fiveYqueue]

I like the look of Luxair and I consider the price to be realistic. I have only ever been to Luxembourg by rail, arriving by Eurostar at Brussels and changing at Liege for a pleasant trip down through the Ardennes and then a connection at Lux onwards and alongside the Moselle valley down to the Rhine. Certainly attractive but for a functional and quick journey Luxair looks like just the ticket. I remember specifically asking for a window seat when flying from Dublin to London City Airport in 2015 on a Avro aircraft and was allocated a seat directly above the wing that had no window. Such a shame because I wanted pics of the approach to London City. Another specific memory of that journey was the sound like a grinding gear change as we turned over the Medway towns to make our approach to London city. It must have been the flaps. But, on a positive note I achieved the journey from Dublin to Ashford International in two hours which was amazing really and accomplished by DLR upon arrival at London City and an immediate connection onto the Javelin.

[@bobbythomas200420032]

A great video and i really enjoyed it so much. Thank you for making it.

[@robertalan3214]

Nothing wrong with that flight Mark, even a wee bit of grub thrown in to, nice one bud 👍

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Yes it was very enjoyable AND a smart aircraft too - very nice.

[@mikeschmit007]

Yes, Luxair remains one of the very few true full service airlines. It's catering service, first and foremost on it's luxair tours holiday flights, is unmatched on intraeuropean flights.

[@luxair1997andTAP]

Lovely trip report! Nice to see one of LG's brand new route reported :)

[@WingsWheelsMore]

Thanks Mark for another unique video and it is the Peak District you fly over for most 23 arrivals like yours, although flights routing into MAN from Northern Europe usually clip (not literally) the southern edge of the South Pennines.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers mate, I do like this approach - bet thing about Manchester airport for me. All goes downhill once you get to the gate 😂

[@enricomonti156]

I did travel on a Dash-8 of DAT Volidisicilia between Catania and Lampedusa in 2021 and indeed it was a better travel experience than on a larger aircraft due to the small runway at Lampedusa. Luxembourg seems a really lovely country and their national airline seems to offer great services albeit their small size

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Must admit I’ve never heard of DAT Enrico! Sometimes though these turboprops are much more inter3sting than the bigger jets (imo). It’s just a ‘flying thing’ I reckon! Hopefully I’ll go back to LUX one day and with the MAN flights, this is definitely the most convenient way for me currently.

[@Henbopty]

great video again Mark many thanks

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Thanks for watching mate, cheers 👍

[@218colin1]

Nice video mark. Lucky to get away filming in airport. They can be very funny about that. Always amused at the propeller with the camera shows it going slow then changing direction.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Yes I do have to be a bit covert sometimes. All good though and thanks for watching 😊👍

[@smogontheline]

Great video, mark. It looked a nice flight back to Manchester. I did chuckle at the little orange thing in the window 09:47 What could it be? 🤣 Hope you're well. Andy.

[@andyp6737]

Bizarrely at take off it literally looks like the propeller stops turning and then it's going around really slowly, but surely it can't be so! Your videos are always interesting and informative, thanks.

[@northstar1950]

It's all to do with frame rates.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers Andy. Yep it’s the frame rate the video is shot at which makes propellors appear to be doing this 👍

[@Philltbag]

Your not wrong either way, it's the peak District and the southern point of the Pennines 👍 what a great flight and vlog

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers Phil, thanks for the watch and the clarification 😊👍

[@jamestravels24]

This makes me want to fly to Luxembourg, even though I’ve no reason to go there!

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

That’s never stopped me in the past James! 😂

[@calebmumby5803]

nice one mark a good flight to Manchester That Q400 certainly aged well for 11 years but yep I've enjoyed it but didn't know what was on the side of the airplane!

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers Caleb. I believe the general consensus seems to be a Griffon!

[@paulhellander2791]

Nice one Mark! I didn't even know that Luxembourg had an airline though I do recall there being a small(ish) airport in Lux on my last visits there (quite some time ago, I might add). Great little airline, as you showed us. Why Manchester and not London?

[@CoachdriverScotland2023]

I think your videos are brilliant. There’s other channels I follow that have changed tracks a little, and I’ve lost interest in them. They’ve changed from videos similar to yours and now more so city tours, videos with others etc etc and it’s just not as entertaining for me personally - being a transport enthusiast. Cheers for now mark. Keep it up 👍

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Thanks mate. I do appreciate your comment and tbh, I do enjoy a good wander around wherever I’m going. But these kind of videos just don’t work on the channel - mainly because my subs are similar to yourself (and me). So rest-assured, there will be plenty more ferries, buses, coaches, trains to come. 😊👍

[@Adam-fj9px]

Hi Mark haven't commented for quite a while, i might have to make this trip at some point with Manchester being my local airport!

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

That’s ok mate, good to hear from you. This direct route to LUX is much more convenient for us up north isn’t it. I’d definitely do it again 👍

[@Richard-gk3kq]

Great informative video as always.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers Richard 😊👍

[@derisleybrittain]

Excellent ❤❤ thanks

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers Derisley 😊😊😊✈️✈️✈️🇱🇺

[@RachnDave0529]

Great video as usual Mark. Can’t believe we’re actually following you - currently in Germany (Trier) and heading to Luxembourg tomorrow. One thing I wanted to know was what was going on with the ceiling in that hotel room at the beginning???. It looked weird or was it just a trick of the light on your video??. Rach.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers Rach, enjoy Luxembourg. It wasn’t a trick of the light, the ceiling was supposed to be like the surface of the moon I think. I certainly wasn’t expecting it and I’ve no idea why it’s like that! 😂

[@Timstravels01]

A great review. Isn't it great when everything just works. Luxair look fab. Is that creature a griffin?

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers Tim. Someone has said it is the Luxembourg Lion’ so I’m not too sure now tbh!

[@kevinmcanulty2593]

Radio Luxembourg!!! Thanks for the video. Why were you in Luxembourg? I think the animal is a Griffin

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

I was only there to fly back Kevin tbh but I did have time to look around the city. Very nice!

[@tonys1636]

That not Lion is a Griffin, the Mythological symbol that was used by LT Buses and Underground for their own brand tea, coffee, bacon and sausages on sale in canteens across the network in 1/4 and 1/2 lb packets. Griffin Brand offered great quality at very low prices compared to supermarkets.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

I’m still confused though Tony because now someone’s acting it’s the ‘Luxembourg Lion’ 🤷‍♂️😊

[@albawutz]

It’s the Red Lion

[@philpedlow]

Super effort again Mark, very interesting as ever. I love the obscure places as you know 😁 sorry if I missed it but how did u make it to Luxembourg, was it via the same route? 🙂

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Thanks Phil. I was in Germany and just booked this one way. Got to Luxembourg on the train 👍

[@philpedlow]

@@LetsMakeaTrip ah yeah, silly me. The Hannover trip! 😁 Very good

[@CherylelaineRayment]

Very early for once. Can't wait to watch this

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Hope you enjoyed it Cheryl 😊

[@paulgibsonphotography]

Great Video Mark

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers Paul and thanks for the comment.

[@Alan_AB]

Aircraft manufacturer Bombardier is pronounced Bom-Bar-Dee-ay. I worked for the company for 20 years.

[@jayweston9723]

Luxair Luxury!

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

I’ve certainly had a lot worse! 👍

[@dominikschmalstieg2912]

The animal does (somewhat) look like the lion on the Luxembourg coat of arms. There must have been some artistic license. 🙂

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Yes Dominik I think this is the more likely answer tbh.

[@yagi3925]

Thanks for the report and please allow me a couple of remarks and extra information. Findel airport is not connected to the rail network, that’s right (and quite stupid, btw, as the Luxembourg-Trier line passes nearby) but it will be connected to the (country’s only) tram line very soon: the extension is already under construction. Apart from that, you’re every right to state that Findel is the only international airport in the Grand Duchy but, honestly, there’s never been any domestic flight in that tiny country, so it’s Luxembourg’s only airport pure and simple.

[@Zuuu40]

Amazing video just a quick silly question was there WiFi on the plane?

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Thanks. I’m not aware of any WiFi no.

[@simongs40]

I think your unidentified airport may have been Liege - mainly used by cargo airlines.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Quite possibly Simon - I must admit I had no idea what it was.

[@northstar1950]

I'm pretty certain we travelled on a Dash to Jersey a few years back. I think the operator has since gone to the wall, rather nice little craft.............cloud over Britain?.............never!

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Oh yes I’m sure you would’ve. Plenty of ATR’s go there these days. 👍

[@johnedwards3198]

I know my kids would have made mince meat of that changing table! They would probably have rolled off the table into the cockpit knowing them! Good loo review in a certain other aviation youtuber style... Bit faster than the usual coach toilet 😅

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Haha, cheers. Only a short flight but I couldn’t resist a little nosy in the loo!

[@slowlydrowninginirrelevance]

Always leftfield Mark, what is it with Airports without a rail connection?

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

I try lol! Decent bus service to this one tbf but yep I certainly prefer a rail link where possible.

[@mrtiabrown]

Not a bad Price

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

And worth it (for me) not having to fly into London 👍

[@tomkenyon3721]

The animal logo is possibly a Griffin.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

That seems to be the general consensus. I’m just watching the football and the Dutch have something similar on their shirts 🤔🇳🇱

[@andyt8216]

4:06 matey it is like nearly every single lion in European crests everywhere! It is the “Roude Léiw” or red lion, the emblem of Luxembourg!

[@UnbelievableEricthegiraffe]

I believe that the airport was Charleroi.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Ah interesting. Someone else said Liege and tbh I’ve no idea either way 😂

[@margaretpickbourn2647]

Think it’s a Griffon xx

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Yes someone else said that too 😊👍

[@timdiggle5090]

I found Luxembourg City to be a really odd place (I went by train from Metz). It is hugely French in language, used in all shops and cafés with all signage and road signs in French, but the attitudes and disciplines are mainly Germanic! Very odd ... a bit like Geneva.Make

[@j3ojos]

French is the “prestige” language in Luxembourg, but Luxembourgish reigns supreme in homes. Standard High German is also spoken by the majority.

[@jacquesleroux5069]

My first overseas trip, whilst studying at university, was with Luxair in 1988, between Johannesburg and LUX 😊

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

In an aircraft a bit bigger than this one I presume! 😂

[@kevanhubbard9673]

I've only done one flight with Luxair and it was in 1983 on a Boeing 707 from Johannesburg to Luxembourg .All my other trips to/from Luxembourg have been by train and once a bus.

[@maxinlux6570]

That would have been LuxAvia, a South African sanctions-busting type thing which had a dodgy (?) agreement with Luxair. Luxavia flew A300s and a 747 SP under Luxair colours, but nothing to do with Luxair proper.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Interesting, cheers for the info 👍

[@sandiandgregh]

Nice staff, comfortable flight, smooth landing. All looked great. Have to ask. In the intro, the ceiling of your hotel room looked like the moon??

[@maxinlux6570]

My national flag carrier. OK airline now, but they used to be sooo much better back in the day... They're going down the no-frills, almost LoCo route which is a shame, but I guess they have to remain competitive. Ryanair is now big in Luxembourg, worse luck...

[@mikeschmit007]

@@maxinlux6570 you can't really say they're going the no-frills way. They're still full service, to a greater extent than other legacy carriers like KLM or Lufthansa.

[@maxinlux6570]

@@mikeschmit007 Mike, I've been flying Luxair since the days of the Sudaviation Caravelle back in the 70s... OK, not a massively frequent flyer, and don't get me wrong, Luxair still gets my vote anytime they fly to a destination I want to get to, but over the last 5-ish decades I have noticed the change... Granted, they may not have gone full LoCo, but the "full service" you mention is undeniably much reduced.

[@alanlake5220]

What language to "Luxembourg speak ?

[@peteredwards338]

It amazes me that China and other countries are building power stations on dry land which work regardless of the weather and we are putting windmills in the ocean .

[@plugsocket9432]

Blame UK Politicians for their Net Zero madness.

[@AQUAFONIC]

WIND FARMS are more greener than power stations 🙄🙄🙄🙄 bloody windmills GET A GRIP

[@AQUAFONIC]

@@plugsocket9432🫵🏽 haven’t got a friggin clue at all

[@peteredwards338]

@@AQUAFONIC " More Greener " ? Poor Grammar , also you couldn't be more wronger about green energy.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Global disconnect 🤔

[@WVislandia]

Is the animal on the plane a griffin? I haven't been to Luxembourg but had seen Luxair Dash-8s on the stream from London City. So thanks for bringing me along.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

Cheers mate. Lots have said it’s a griffin. Then someone suggested it was the Luxembourg Lion! So I’m honestly not sure now 😂

[@nudgenudgewinkwink3212]

Bit of a strange route i wonder why it exists.

[@UnbelievableEricthegiraffe]

The route has existed for around 20+ years before covid, so there's definitely demand for it.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

I’m glad it does. Much easier for me than going into London all the time.

[@jennadoel5748]

A very interesting video good service from luxair I think the lion on the aircraft is some think to do with the Flanders region of Belgium I think

[@mikeschmit007]

Lol...no, the red lion is our national symbol. It also can be found on the national flag being worn by the aircraft and ships. It has nothing to do with Belgium.

[@wallydug2256]

The Lion looks like the Lion Rampant on the Scottish Royal Standard.

[@Fan652w]

A useful video. But a much more interesting video would have been one of Luxembourg City. It is a beautiful city in a beautiful location. And what about the public transport? Luxembourg does have a modern 'second generation' tramway with major plans for expansion, including a route to the airport.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

It is a nice city and I’d love to do more ‘tour of a city’ type videos. But unfortunately they just don’t work on this channel. I’ve tried it in the past but they perform terribly,last weeks video on Hannover for example the view counts are awful! My analytics tell me that people enjoy watching bus, coach, ferry, train and plane videos and I like to try and keep the majority of my subscribers happy. Appreciate the feedback though and I hope you can stick around 😊👍

[@Fan652w]

@@LetsMakeaTrip I take your main point. But a video showing the new tramway in Luxembourg (on which of course no fares are charged), would have surely have raised a lot of viewer interest here in Britain where there are very few modern tramways, and where tram fares are quite high. (And remember that in ENGLAND (only) the current government is subsidising a flat £2 single fare. But that £2 fare does not apply to TRAMS.)

[@AnnSmith-u9c]

@@Fan652wthe main point . It is the point.

[@legionnairegonk4425]

All is great until you arrive back at the shambolic mess that is Manchester airport! 😁. I had the recent misfortune of departing from and arriving back their in February with Qatar flights to Doha. Even the refurbishment of T2 does not save it. Never again for me, unless I have no other choice.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

I agree, you may even get an unexpected power cut by the sounds of it! I did Qatar from there last year (see separate vid) and it was ok but the airport again was pretty average.

[@shanewaterman4125]

Hi Mark, think I'll have to put that on the turboprop bucket list. That certainly is one well looked-after aircraft, but my gut feel thinks it's been refitted somewhere along the line. Eleven years and the looks THAT good??? Pity your route didn't take you over Kent - I could have waved! 😂

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

I will be down in Kent at some point Shane! Yes very clean and smart this Dash-8 wasn’t it.

[@zebbedy8542]

👌

[@TransportGeekery]

Bit rude to talk over the safety announcement in French

[@diamonddave2622]

Peak District > Hyde > Stockport > MAN

[@DEAVIATIONPTFS]

From Luxembourg it is a lion.

[@jjsmallpiece9234]

Brexit bonus - having to show your passport to leave mainland Europe.....

[@plugsocket9432]

When the UK was in the EU people still needed to show their passport leaving mainland Europe due to not being in Schengen. Republic of Ireland which is still in EU is not in Schengen therefore needed to show their passport when leaving mainland Europe. Nothing to do with Brexit.

[@UnbelievableEricthegiraffe]

It's not so good when arriving in an EU country and having to wait for 45 minutes along with people from Azerbaijan-Cambodia and Uzbekistan as I did earlier today in Berlin.

[@LetsMakeaTrip]

I do have lots of stamps in it these days!

[@vaughnwilliams1208]

Schengen is a village in Luxembourg

[@ivorgripes8440]

After Josh Cahill`s experience I will give this Luxair lot a miss; scamming an advance fee for transit lounge access and then denying access and being rude is bad.