easyJet newbie advice!
Discussion
I'm using easyJet for the first time ever a in a couple of months and have no idea what to expect. I'm told they're very good.
Tickets are booked, speedy boarding is booked. But I'm unsure about checking bags in on-line. How is this done? I'm guessing weighed at home, security questions answered and then bags dropped off but without passengers actually checking in?
Any easyJet tips and tricks for someone who's never used them before would be welcome!
Easyjet are in the business of moving people from one airport to the other as cheaply as possible, whilst charging the customer as much as they can get away with.
Read their terms and conditions. If you're happy with them, book. Don't expect anything for free, don't expect other fliers to be courteous, or to give you space in the scrum for the seats.
If you book with no expectations, you can only have a pleasant trip. Went with them to Cyprus a few years ago. We departed on time and arrived on time both outbound and inbound. Our bags travelled with us and weren't damaged. We bought a bottle of water in the terminal, and ate before we flew.
All in all, I was satisfied, and would certainly use them again, but you have to know what to expect.
Read their terms and conditions. If you're happy with them, book. Don't expect anything for free, don't expect other fliers to be courteous, or to give you space in the scrum for the seats.
If you book with no expectations, you can only have a pleasant trip. Went with them to Cyprus a few years ago. We departed on time and arrived on time both outbound and inbound. Our bags travelled with us and weren't damaged. We bought a bottle of water in the terminal, and ate before we flew.
All in all, I was satisfied, and would certainly use them again, but you have to know what to expect.
NDA said:
But I'm unsure about checking bags in on-line. How is this done? I'm guessing weighed at home, security questions answered and then bags dropped off but without passengers actually checking in?
From memory, you don't check your bags in on line - what you actually do is check yourself in on line. You'll then go to the check in desk to drop your bags off - they're weighed at this point, and an excess baggage charge will be due if you're too heavy. I think that's right - it's been a while!you have to pay for baggage online which i'll assume you've done
you then check-in online and print your boarding passes at home.
you get to the airport and join the queue for the baggage drop off. - show them your boarding cards which will confirm you have pre-paid for your baggage. ALWAYS PRE-PAY.
its twice the price at the airport.
drop your baggage off and providing its all in weight thats it. off u go to the departure lounge
you then check-in online and print your boarding passes at home.
you get to the airport and join the queue for the baggage drop off. - show them your boarding cards which will confirm you have pre-paid for your baggage. ALWAYS PRE-PAY.
its twice the price at the airport.
drop your baggage off and providing its all in weight thats it. off u go to the departure lounge
You get what you pay for. I always fly Easyjet to Italy and they are fine, especially when my son was younger as we got priority boarding for the bambino. It would be double the cost for a non budget airline and for 2.5 hour flight it isn't worth it for my situation.
Note the one item hand luggage though. It is rigidly enforced even with your duty free purchases (which aren't duty free on my flights to Italy but you know what I mean). You must be able to fit your duty free in your hand luggage and no amount of sobbing will change their minds (have witnessed some extreme behaviour by passengers on this one)
Am using Ryan Air in 3 weeks to Ireland but won't be taking any luggage as it is an overnight stop.
Note the one item hand luggage though. It is rigidly enforced even with your duty free purchases (which aren't duty free on my flights to Italy but you know what I mean). You must be able to fit your duty free in your hand luggage and no amount of sobbing will change their minds (have witnessed some extreme behaviour by passengers on this one)
Am using Ryan Air in 3 weeks to Ireland but won't be taking any luggage as it is an overnight stop.
NDA said:
Any easyJet tips and tricks for someone who's never used them before would be welcome!
have you flown before?have you used public transport before?
mix the two experiences and there you are.
fwiw, i've never had a bad experience with short haul budget flights - easy,ryanair, jet2, bmibaby et al. the only gripe is the nazi-esque carry-on luggage check and the vomit inducing ryanair colour scheme.
Kateg28 said:
Note the one item hand luggage though. It is rigidly enforced even with your duty free purchases (which aren't duty free on my flights to Italy but you know what I mean). You must be able to fit your duty free in your hand luggage and no amount of sobbing will change their minds (have witnessed some extreme behaviour by passengers on this one)
This is correct. It's a policy of these airlines to make alot more money out of their loved customers. On every flightthere will be some who have 2 pieces of hand luggage (even a small carrier bag as the second). You will be charged a significant amount extra right at the gate if you do not manage to put them together in one bag. It's a scam that's allowed to occur since there is absolutely no safety or loading overheads in having 2 pieces of baggage at the gate. Other airlines manage fine allowing 2 bags and use the same aircraft types.Have flown Easyjet 4 times, cheap and cheerfull, I would fly with them again, but only with priority boarding.
I have flown RyanAir once, never again will I fly with this puss ridden, scumbag, s
tty, wk, horrific, spanhandler, Barbara Striesand, cockolopolis company again.
Easy jet are cheap
Ryan Air are nasty
I have flown RyanAir once, never again will I fly with this puss ridden, scumbag, s
tty, wk, horrific, spanhandler, Barbara Striesand, cockolopolis company again.Easy jet are cheap
Ryan Air are nasty
Having just flown with Thomas Cook, I fail to see how they could be worse - superlong queues booking in baggage, aircraft with almost zero legroom, no entertainment unless you want to hire a portable DVD at £7.50 a set per person, "Starbucks" coffee at an arm and a leg for tasteless slop, the smell of curry from the in-flight meal I'm glad I didn't opt for, blocked aisles at both ends with vending trolleys preventing kids getting to the toilets, bus from aircraft to terminal etc etc.
OK, they're budget too but BMI Baby and Thomson were better (though BMIBaby have unilaterally cancelled flights ruining two holidays in the past).
OK, they're budget too but BMI Baby and Thomson were better (though BMIBaby have unilaterally cancelled flights ruining two holidays in the past).
they don't say it's for safety. it's a pure money making exercise. having taken 1hr to board at madrid airport on a ryainair flight it is bloody annoying.
my solution on cheap flights is to use a dunlop wheeled case - cost me £7 from sport soccer. it just about fits in their cage thing but is over if stuffed full of duty free etc. i put a rubble sack in one of the pockets and if they ever try to charge me £35 to carry the case on i'll transfer my gear to the sack and leave the case for them to dispose of.
my solution on cheap flights is to use a dunlop wheeled case - cost me £7 from sport soccer. it just about fits in their cage thing but is over if stuffed full of duty free etc. i put a rubble sack in one of the pockets and if they ever try to charge me £35 to carry the case on i'll transfer my gear to the sack and leave the case for them to dispose of.
Zaxxon said:
Have flown Easyjet 4 times, cheap and cheerfull, I would fly with them again, but only with priority boarding.
I have flown RyanAir once, never again will I fly with this puss ridden, scumbag, stty, wk, horrific, spanhandler, Barbara Striesand, cockolopolis company again.
Easy jet are cheap
Ryan Air are nasty
Totally agree. However only Ryan Air could do the flights we needed to Ireland in 3 weeks. Luckily only one way as driving back (in my new car whey hey) so will have to suffer. At least will only be taking a change of undies and a toothbrush so no luggage.I have flown RyanAir once, never again will I fly with this puss ridden, scumbag, s
tty, wk, horrific, spanhandler, Barbara Striesand, cockolopolis company again.Easy jet are cheap
Ryan Air are nasty
I travel with EasyJet all the time, mostly on business. Personally, I think it's worth doing the speedy boarding thing (I have one of their cards actually) since this gets you a choice of seat most of the time and you have less time hanging around in the terminal, even if it just gets you onto the bus first. I rarely check bags in, even away for the best part of a week, you can get that into rolling carry-on luggage. As others have said, you pay for anything above and beyond a seat and carry-on luggage. Anything. But then you don't get stuff you don't want baked into the ticket price.
Once you get used to how the airline works, it's really incredibly convenient.
Once you get used to how the airline works, it's really incredibly convenient.
NDA said:
Some useful tips there, many thanks.
I have been fortunate to have always (for the past 20 years or so) turned left when boarding a plane, so this is going to be 'interesting', as will Gatwick too.
However, needs must!
As someone who has recently lost gold status, I think I know what your biggest shock will be...I have been fortunate to have always (for the past 20 years or so) turned left when boarding a plane, so this is going to be 'interesting', as will Gatwick too.
However, needs must!
No lounge access
Easyjet's not so bad, it's like going on a cheap airline. Which is pretty much what it is.
Ryanair on the other hand is something else entirely. It's the only airline I've ever been on where every flat surface inside the plane is covered in adverts. The seats are covered in vinyl to make it quicker to wipe up the sick.
Ryanair on the other hand is something else entirely. It's the only airline I've ever been on where every flat surface inside the plane is covered in adverts. The seats are covered in vinyl to make it quicker to wipe up the sick.
I go away quite a few times a year. I'm not rich. My only option is to book cheap flights. I happily fly with the budget airlines (usually Ryanair) as I couldn't take these regular trips away to see amazing places if I wanted to fly with better airlines.
You get what you pay for. The people that get my back up and those that book a flight from UK to Barcelona for £7 and then complain that "a bottle of water is £2 / you don't get allocated seats / they treat you like cattle / why don't you get a meal".
It's a no frills airline. If they want to start charging to use the toilets and will knock a couple of quid off the flight price, I'm all for it.
You get what you pay for. The people that get my back up and those that book a flight from UK to Barcelona for £7 and then complain that "a bottle of water is £2 / you don't get allocated seats / they treat you like cattle / why don't you get a meal".
It's a no frills airline. If they want to start charging to use the toilets and will knock a couple of quid off the flight price, I'm all for it.
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