Yes the Jet2 planes appear to be old clunkers! (at least the ones I have flown on). They give the impression of being held together with silicone mastic like you seal a bathroom with.....
What a load of cr@p, and no it's not just because I fly them. They're no older than many other aircraft knocking around in Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson etc. and they spend less time airborne, therefore more time on the ground getting some TLC. You won't find many yellow stickers in a Jet2 cockpit.
In answer to the original question, looking at where you watched the aircraft going, I imagine it was a loooong duty day
. they might well have been delayed departing
, and therefore been tight on hours to get the job done. Increase the speed round trip, make up 30 mins or so, and hey presto, no tech stop with a fresh crew to pick up the last leg of the journey required
.