Welcome to my exciting trip report on Azul Brazilian Airlines!
The first airline to operate the ERJ-195 E2!
This airline was one of the first in my mind when it comes to flying on the domestic flights in Brazil. This airline operates a good number of ERJ-195 series, both E1 and E2. At the time I booked, it was scheduled to be operated by the E1 version but later on the aircraft type was changed to E2. It doesn't matter as I haven't flown on the ERJ-195 series but it would be better to fly on the E2 series as it is an upgraded version of the ERJ 190/195 series.
How I booked my flight?
Well, In the end I had to book my flight with a 3rd party travel agent as I wasn't able to use my credit cards to confirm my booking on the airline's website even with the VPN in used. Fortunately for me, after booking with the 3rd party app, I keyed in my PNR code onto Azul's website, it was recognised. Only thing though is I am unable to make any flight changes or choose the seat until the day itself. I tried checking in the day before the flight, it still won't accept and informed me to do my check-in at the airport. Oh well!
My booking was done with Trip.com. Initially I was able to check the seat map and select the seat (payment required), however when I checked my itinerary later on (few months before my flight), I wasn't able to do so as I was informed that I can only it at the airport and that includes check-in. Bummer! That's a disappointment. I was worried that my ticket might not be valid.
The cockpit of the aircraft (Photo: Philip B Hosking)
Economy Class
With that, I am back in the terminal. We were moved to another gate and I saw this beauty, I thought this was our replacement aircraft.
\
After waiting at the Gate 6 for a while, there was another announcement and my heart sank in, our flight was cancelled. I was thinking, how about this beautiful plane in front of me? Apparently, it was scheduled to operate on another route and since there is no replacement aircraft at the airport, they had no choice. The announcement also mentioned that we would be placed onto another flight and asked us to head over to the other gate. After the announcement was made, I went to the counter to ask for translation and the staff told me the flight was cancelled and we were being transferred to another flight to SDU Airport. Fortunately for me, they were kind enough to transfer me to the later flight to GIG Airport and upgraded me to Premium Economy Class. As compensation, they gave me R$200 credit for use on future flight, I asked whether I can exchange it for meal voucher but the nice staff told me she can't.
Embraer ERJ-195 E2 (Owned)
My 2nd attempt to depart VCP airport
My flight summary
About Azul Brazilian Airlines
Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras is a Brazilian Airline based in Barueri, Sao Paulo. Azul means Blue in Portugese and was set up in 2008 by the founder of Jetblue, David Neeleman. This airline began with a fleet of 3 ERJ-195 E1 and 2 ERJ-190 E1 version and slowly the fleet expanded. Trip Linhas Aereas were bought over by Azul and the airline expanded its operation in 2012. In 2015, the airline placed an order for 35 Airbus A320NEO and with options for more and later on placed an order for 30 ERJ-195 E2 version. With Avianca Brasil shutting down its operation, the airline was quick to buy its assets which include hiring the staff and after the merger, Azul continues to survive with its branding. Currently, it is operating a modern fleet of ERJ195/E1/E2, Airbus A320NEO, Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-900, A350-900 and ATR72-600.
I welcome you to my trip report to know more about this airline and the ERJ-195 E2.
This is the ERJ-195E2 demonstrator (Profit Hunter) Photo: Jerry Pang
The ERJ-190/-195 E2 family
Embraer launched the E-Jet 2 version in 2013 during the Paris Air show. This version is the successor of the original version of the E-Jet (190/195) family. There are several improvements in this version and that is the adoption of the more fuel-efficient Pratt & Whitney PW1900 turbofans enbgine, new wings, fly-by-wire controls with new avionics and an updated cabin. The ERJ-190 E2 received its certification in February 2018 and Wideroe took delivery of the aircraft 2 months later. While for the ERJ-195 E2, it received its certificate a year later in April and Azul Brazilian Airlines was the first airline to operate this type.
The airline’s website
About Viracopos International Airport (VCP)
This is an international airport based in Campinas, a state in São Paulo. The operator of this airport is Aeroportos Brasil and this company has been operating it since 2012. Azul Brazilian Airlines and LATAM cargo are main operators of this airport. This airport is one of the miltiple airports based in Sao Paulo and the other two airports are CGH (Congonhas) and GRU (Guarulhos). The airport is located about 80 km northwest of Sao Paulo.
Photos inside VCP Airport
I was pleasantly surprised how new this terminal is. Free WiFi is available and all you need to do is to watch an advertisment and you are connected.
These photos were taken the night before my departure with Azul. (I arrived from SDU Airport).
The overview model of the airport.
This is what you need especially for the first timers like myself at this airport. (Below)
I like the interior of the terminal, it is clean and spacious.
Before I called it for the night, I went to do my check-in at Azul check-in self kiosk. I was worried there might be an issue with my air ticket and it was better to get it sorted ASAP then to sleep and worry about it.
Aisle seat for me? No way!
Fortunately, everything went smoothly. I managed to change to a window seat and thankfully I wasn't charged to change seat. (You will know why on one of my upcoming trip reports).
Once that was done, I went to the hotel to settle down.
As my flight was in the early afternoon, I had time to spare. I went around to check out more on the airport's facilities.
The day of departure
Departure Hall (Land side)
Thanks to Flighty app, it notified me of any flight changes. It is about 90% accurate.
Going through immigration was fast and efficient, soon I was at the other side of the terminal.
Airside
Look at the number of Azul flights!
It is a plane spotting photography friendly airport, You can snap away without issues.
Azul's Airbus A320NEO
The pink ERJ-195 E2
Azul's ERJ-195 E2. The difference between the E1 and E2 is the lack of winglets on the E2 version.
Pinky Airbus A320NEO
You know whose hub is this!
Company Values Special livery on this Azul's ERJ-195 E2.
Another Azul's Airbus A320NEO
This Lisbon bound flight (Airbus A330-900NEO) was delayed.
This advertisment is to encourage overnight travellers to rest at the hotel.
There is even benches for you to relax. Charging ports are also available at designated locations.
Relaxing myself in this quieter part of the terminal.
This is the food court where I had my dinner later.
My ride is coming in from Campo Grande.
My ride has just arrived. At this point, everything went smoothly.
Soon, it was time to board.
Is this a Brazilian version of Jetblue? Let's find out.
My ride: PS-AEC (Photo: Jaka)
Embraer ERJ-195 E2
Name of aircraft: Azul Lindimais
Configuration: Y136
Engines: 2 X PW1900G
Built in Sao Jose Dos Campos (SJK)
3+ years old (2023)
Date of departure: 30th May 2023
Airline: Azul Brazilian Airline
Flight: AD2843
Aircraft type: ERJ-195 E2
Registration: PS-AEC
Flight route: VCP-GIG
Load: 70% in Y class
Gate: C8
Schedule departure: 1325
Boarding: 1249
Pushed back: 1327
Towed back to gate: 1335
Disembarked: 1340 +
About this flight
Boarding was on time and everyone settled down quickly. I had no seat mate besides me but the seat mate behind me closed the window shade leaving me with just one window which I need to bend forward to view outside. As time passed by, we were still stuck even after the safety video was played. During this time, other passengers got up and use the toilet and I followed suit. I manage to take more photos of the cabin before settling down. Finally an announcement for us was made and the seatbelt sign came on. The aircraft pushed back about few minutes after our schedule departure time.
Everything seemed to be normal until we were at the spot where the engines should have been started and depart once we received the clearance. However, after the 2nd engine spooled up, it quieten down almost immediately. Something was wrong! I think at that point of time, it was silence for a few minutes as I was sure the pilots were trying to restart it but to no avail. Minutes quickly passed and one thing for sure, we were not going to take off with one engine. An announcement was made and I heard murmuring noise from other passengers. Shortly after, we were towed back to the gate.
Once at the gate, we waited for a short while. The captain came out of his cockpit and informed us that we have to leave the aircraft due to technical issue with the aircraft. They would try their best to fix it and once ready, we can board the aircraft.
Cabin photo of this aircraft
Azul's ERJ-195E2 is configured in a 2-cabin configuration. It is called Espaco Azul (Premium Economy or also known as Azul Space) and Economica (Economy). There are 20 Premium Economy Class seats and the remaining 116 are the standard Economy Class seats. The layout is in a comfortable 2-2 for all rows and it is quite spacious and comfortable in both classes. Every seat comes with an individual seat back Personal In-Flight Entertainment System and the airline offers WiFi as well.
Premium Economy (Azul Space)
These seats offer a good legroom space of 34' inches and are slightly wider than the standard seats.
These leather seats do look luxurious and comfortable.
The extra legroom space and the colour of the seat are the difference between this and the standard economy class seats.
Economy Class
These seats offer a pitch of 31' inches and a width of 18 inches, making it comfortable enough on short hops.
This is my seat (below), you can imagine my look when I saw the placement of the windows! So if you are flying on Azul's ERJ-195 E2, row 29 is one of the rows to avoid.
The seat also offers headrest.
The overhead compartment is spacious, big enough to place in the largest cabin baggage without issues.
Are you impressed with the cabin?
More photos of the seat
Legroom space was not too bad.
I was happy to be on board the ERJ-195-E2, but wasn't too happy with the placement of the window.
Announcements were made (in Portuguese) a few times while we were waiting.
Every passenger gets an aircon duct, light and crew call button on the overhead panel.
Legroom space
The foldable tray was large enough for a laptop to be placed on it.
We were taken well care by the cabin crew on board our flight.
In-Flight Entertainment System
The system reminds of Jetblue. I am quite impressed with the airline's offering. This is definitely the way to go, travelling without paying over the odds in Economy Class.
A good selection of the latest movies are available.
This is part of the safety video.
In-Flight WiFi
I visited the lavatory while waiting for departure. It's rare for me to use it while waiting for departure.
The lavatory was quite small as you can see.
We were given a packet of water while the flight crew were working with the mechanics to fix the problem.
After 40 minutes on the aircraft, we were told to disembark and wait at the gate for further instruction.
Well, despite the setback, I got to explore the cabin during the period on board the aircraft. My worry at that time is they might change the aircraft type to the A320NEO or transfer me to another airline! Fortunately that didn't happen.
What do I think of the ERJ-195E2?
It is definitely a lovely plane, an upgrade over the old ERJ-190 E1 version. The 2-2 comfortable layout, makes it a passenger's choice over the 737 and 320. Adding Azul's cabin product into the equation, this makes travelling on this aircraft type even more comfortable. From my replacement flight's experience. The aircraft is definitely quieter on the inside during take off and cruising. The new wings and Pratt and Whitney engine offer a more comfortable ride for the passengers and yes, this is certainly an upgrade over the E1 version.
I am not surprised that this aircraft and the ERJ190-E2 have picked up more orders and I am looking forward to fly on Scoot's ERJ-190E2 in the near future.
Azul's ERJ-195-E2 cabin and me!
See the problem with my seat? The window is too far from me. (Front window)
The window is aligned just behind my seat.
2 Pinkies! Are you a fan of this special livery?
This Pink Azul ERJ plane departed before us.
With that, I am back in the terminal. We were moved to another gate and I saw this beauty, I thought this was our replacement aircraft.
\Sadly I was told otherwise.
Later on, I went back to my original gate and saw PS-AEC with the 2nd engine cowling cover opened, and you can guess it, issue with the Pratt and Whitney engine.
Checking my replacement flight timing, I had about 2 and a hour hours to spare.
PS-AEK would be my ride instead.
My new boarding pass and the credit voucher.
The view outside of the terminal
I was assigned an Azul Space seat (Premium Economy)
This is a Brazilian steak meal, it normally comes with rice, beans and fries.
Checking my flight status, so far so good. I cannot afford this flight to be cancelled otherwise, I may missed my early morning flight with GOL Airlines to GRU (Sao Paulo) Airport.
This is the far end of the terminal. My flight was departing from gate B13.
My ride for my replacement flight (AD4040): PS-AEK
My original aircraft was cancelled and was scheduled to operate 2 days later.
My ride: PS-AEK (Photo: Tiago Deived)
Embraer ERJ-195 E2 (Owned)
Name of aircraft: A De Azul B De Brasil
Configuration: Y136
Engines: 2 X PW1900G
Delivered in December 2022
Age: 7 Months Old (July 2023)
Flight route: VCP-GIG
Miles: 248
My 2nd attempt to depart VCP airport
Look at how cute this girl is!
My rescheduled flight
Date of departure: 30th May 2023
Flight: AD4040
Route: VCP-GIG
Aircraft type: ERJ-195 E2
Registration: PS-AEK
Seat: 4A (Azul Space)
Gate: B13
Load: 90%
Scheduled departure: 1855
Boarding: 1835
Doors closed: 1907
Push back: 1910
Take off: 1923
Flight duration: 45 minutes
Actual flight time: 50 minutes
Schedule arrival: 2000
Actual arrival: 2009
Departure runway: 15
Arrival runway: 15
Some photos of Azul Space cabin. Since the cabin is identical to the previous aircraft I was on, I didn't take as many photos.
Despite the plane arriving early, we departed late. As the announcements were only in Portuguese, I had no idea what happened. But it doesn't matter as long as we are on our way, that matters. Since the time at GIG is greatly reduced, I would just rest at the hotel instead of exploring near the airport.
At that point of time, it was raining quite heavily. We took off in slightly turbulent condition and hit some bad turbulence while flying through some clouds but fortunately it didn't last long. After the seatbelt sign was turned off, it was smooth all the way to GIG.
The cabin crew were friendly and came around to distribute snacks and drinks.
Legroom space is definitely better.
Is it worth spending more on this class? I would vote for yes if your flight is longer than 2 hours and the price is reasonable of course.
I am glad to experience both the normal seat and Premium Economy seats!
Finally on our way! The blue sticker is a guide on how to use the WiFi. For this flight, the WiFi system was not turned on for unknown reason.
Do you recognise this movie? I am looking forward to watching the next part.
This time, I had a proper window seat.
The window view
I was given 3 packets of snack and a drink of my choice (orange juice).
We arrived at the gate about 10 minutes late. It doesn't matter to me since I am heading to the hotel and rest.
Welcome to RIOgaleao- TOM Jobim (GIG) Airport!
You can tell from the interior that it is quite an old airport.
Once I reached the landside, I went over to GOL check-in counter to collect my boarding pass for my 6.25 am flight to GRU. This would be in my next trip report.
My flight summary
Thanks for the ride, PS-AEK!
My rating
Airline's website/mobile app: 2/5
Airport Staff at VCP Airport: 4.5/5
In-Flight Service: 4/5
In-Flight Experience: 5/5
Cleanliness of the cabin: 4.5/5
In-Flight Entertainment (PTV): 4/5
Seat comfort: 5/5
In-Flight Snack: 5/5
Punctuality: 0/5
Cabin interior: 5/5
Overall rating: 39/50
Percentage: 78%
Verdict: Great!
Conclusion
Despite the delay, the airline has done well in their service recovery. The helpful ground staff helped me to rebook my flight to my destination and given me an operation upgrade plus a credit voucher. Some airlines may not even bother at all. However, the airline's website and app (not able to download it from my location) are not user-friendly for me and I had to use VPN to access the airline's website otherwise, I get errors when I try to use it from my country. This is the only downside of my experience.
As for the airline's ERJ-195E2, the cabin products are fantastic and I am impressed with the airline's staff and the airport (VCP - Campinas). The airport may be small, but it was a pleasant place to hang out and rest especially during delays. Would I recommend this airline? Definitely yes and VCP Airport is definitely in my list of good airports.
So the question you may be wondering. Which Brazilian airline gave me a very good impression? The answer is Azul Brazilian Airlines. For the impressive cabin in-flight product and good ground and in-flight service I received.
Hope you enjoy my report.
For my previous trip report (GOL Airlines SDU-VCP 737-800), click here.
Next trip report, I will be flying on GOL Airlines' 737 from GIG to GRU. Was the flight operated by 737 MAX 8 or 737-800? Click here to find out!
Hope you enjoy this trip report!
Charles
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