Easyjet Summer 2010

[Belladonna]

Testing Easyjet loyalty

We have been an Easyjet supporter for many years now, but last night had our loyalty sorely tested.
Booking our September flights from Gatwick, we confidently logged on to the previously well known site. Well, we were surprised to see that it has changed slightly since the last time we used it, and not for the better!
Yet again it asked for all our passport details and constantly threw us out to keep rechecking details.
To actually book using THEIR Easyjet card now costs an extra £10. We were unable to book the car on the same booking form, and so after eventually managing to book flights and decline their kind offer of insurance, we then had to go back in and book the car, which as we all know, is more expensive than ever anyway, but now it demands an extra cost of using the card again!
THEN when we finally received the emailed confirmation - 3 PAGES LONG - there are so many room and car pop ups on it that it wont print out!!!!!
Now I can sort of turn a blind eye to Speedy boarding costing 3 times as much as it did at the start, and now having to pay for each case, by convincing myself that this extra money is going towards saving the planet in some way - dont tell me otherwise please, ignorance is bliss here - but when the actual booking part gets more complicated and expensive I am having real problems with staying calm!
We will definately be looking at alternative companies to fly with, although I think Easyjet are still the best of a bad bunch for this short haul flight! Worst luck.

 

[roig cat]

You have to have your wits about you when using this new and 'improved' site.
I was nearly caught out on the second quote page when it highlighted the cheapest fair and not the day I had asked to travel on! I am sure Easyjet must have had lots of feedback on this!
Families with Children over 5 dont get allocated in the SA group (special assistance) I feel I have no choice but to book Speedy boarding (A RIP OFF AT BRISTOL AS YOU HAVE TO SHARE THE BUS FROM THE GATE TO THE PLANE WITH EVERYONE ELSE) as I would not like to think my young daughter had to sit with someone who could be pervy!! They should take a leaf out of British Airways book and put families with children up to age 12 together at no extra charge. Unfortuately our choices are alot less than last year with the demise of BA and BMI flights to Palma.

 

[CathB]

we have used easyjet now for a number of years and although bristol airport is a little further for us it is much cheaper than BMI from Cardiff (and better times too),,booked yesterday for january without any problems...when I got to entering the passport info the drop down menu offered you the option to use existing details..

ps...I also think speedy boarding is a rip off from Bristol..in October you had to walk to the plane...

 

[its cd]

Am I on my own with this one ....... Speedyboarding we all think its a rip off but some still use it .... so thats why they still have it

I just don't "get" the point of speedyboarding for short flights once kids are old enough to sit and read a book, order themselves a drink or snack or play a hand held game on the plane ... so I guess the "difficult ages" are between about 5 and 8 .... a bit young for some to be self sufficient but too old to be boarded as Special Asistance ..... but I guess you can still ensure you get quite close to them .... often lots of seats oposite sides of an aisle available if you ask the couple hogging the aisle and window seats to move up one ( most will prefer that than having a young kid put inbetween them ) and failing that if you ask your child whether they still feel sick as you sit them down someone will probably offer to swap with you.

I've had lone kids of 9 or 10 sit next to me lots of times and I just chat away to them as though they are my own .... most adults will be civil and will easily pick up whether the child is sociable and wants a conversation or just wants to be left alone. The child will probably feel quite grown up and I think most kids would ask one of their parents to swap seats with them if they were unhappy where they were sitting.

I think the airlines play on our over protective culture where kids only ever speak to adults in their immediate circle and fail to recognise that its perfectly fine to hold a sociable conversation with an adult whilst still being wary shoudl the conversation turn to inapropriate topics and of course not divulging personal information like email addresses or phone numbers and addresses .... isn't that how they learn and by the age of 9 or 10 they need to know about such things because whether we believe it or not they WILL be experimenting with social networking and many of them will be need to get the bus or train to school by the time they are 11 and then they have to sit next to all sorts and you are not even there with them.

Kids aside, I certainly can't get my head round why any adults would want to pay for speedy boarding ....... the flight is only a couple of hours so what does it matter who you sit with ........ its not like there isn't going to be a seat for everyone. ..... well not until Ryanair introduce standing flights lol

Ha Mr CD says its coz I don't love him enough to pay to sit with him ...... could have a point there !

 

[eleanor]

CD, I couldn't agree with you more. I was surprised by the attitude of some when travelling Ryanair recently. The majority it seemed had paid for speedy ( priority) boarding - not myself I might add - rather spend the money on a nice bottle of wine! The que was one of pushing and shoving and I just looked on with a smile on my face. People were putting their hands up and shouting 'I'm priority'. I just thought no your not your just rather silly! It seemed as if it gave some a false sense of importance. We all got on the plane. I didn't need to shove or push but just took my time and still had a wonderful window seat. I just found the whole experience somewhat laughable. After all we were less then 2 hours on RYANAIR!!!!
I totally agree with you too. As an ex teacher I especially appreciate the importance of children learning 'the real world'. We need to give more credit to our children to enable them to know what is right and what is not. The vast majority of people are kind and would treat children with respect. We hear so many nasty things in this world but thankfully there are very few monsters and frankly the chances of one sitting next to a child on a short flight are very remote. Yes awareness is important but so too is the ability to encourage our children to be just a little streetwise to enable them to function and make decisions in everyday life.

 

[Chemical Dave]

Agree with your comments CD and Eleanor. Easyjet and Ryanair make the most of the "British disease" of queueing and not wanting to miss out.

I fly on business all the time and I see passengers arriving miles early before the check ins are even open. Virtually the whole flight is lined up before the checkin opens. As for boarding the plane it is wonderful to watch the jungle beasts patrolling the area, staking their spots or lined up at the Easyjet boarding gate, before the plane has even landed!.

I can understand the need to have families close together but I have found most people accommodating.

Bella as far as loyalty to one airline is concerned - I don't have any!. I weigh up the total cost, including parking and taxis, choice of airport and flight times and go with the best value. As far as car hire is concerned I check a few comparison sites first and usually find a better deal than the airline's car hire partner but don't book this until nearer the time as I don't like them having my money for 9 months. (Only exception would be if going in July/August when there might be a shortage of cars).


Adios

Dave

 

[debz1]

I agree with Cd and Eleanor that speedy boarding is a complete rip off and waste of money unless you are travelling high season and have young children. We've been out in Jan / Feb when the plane is half full but there are still people in the speedy boarding queue


Bella the price charged when paying by credit card is always a fixed price across the board, irrespective of it being an Easyjet card...as it will be owned by one of the large banks. If you pay by debit card the charge is ..or used to be...about £2 compared to 10.

 

[Belladonna]

Believe me, the Easyjet card has put it price up.
Dave, I agree about doing your homework first and it has been pure ease of booking that has stopped us doing this for a few years, now thiings have changed we will be looking into it a bit closer after next Septembers flight.
As for the speedy boarding discussion, I think this has been aired before and its a case of do it if you wish to, when you want to, and dont if you dont! It hurts no one except the pocket of those who do it, and obviously gives viewing pleasure!

 

[BonysLad]

As for the speedy boarding discussion, I think this has been aired before and its a case of do it if you wish to, when you want to, and dont if you dont! It hurts no one except the pocket of those who do it, and obviously gives viewing pleasure!

Coming round to this point of view cos ( stupidly ) always pay Speedy Boarding. Final straw last Saturday flying back from Munich to Gatwick , we were first on the bus as speedy boarders , they then filled the bus up and then another when we all proceeded to the plane. We sat on the runway for 15 minutes with the heating blasting out and they proceeded to disembark the second bus first keeping us all locked in for a further five minutes. Because of our position on the bus we finally ended up as the last one's boarding and were separated when seated at the very front of the plane. The stewardess then released the first row of three seats that had been reserved so BLT and I "lorded it back " to the UK. Still they say a fool and his money ......... !!!!!!

Mood improved dramatically come Sunday , folks, on meeting Bella, Debs and Snowy plus partners . Seen the photos in the Tapas bar, guys ????

BonysLad

 

[jiggggy]

Yippee!!!
Looking for the Liverpool flights now.

 

[jiggggy]

We always flt Easyjet, and always buy speedy boarding passes too! Its great to see everyone rush to the gate when it first opens whilst we just sit there drinking our coffee, then just before they board we stand up and make our way to the front of the queue Their faces are a picture
And its not expensive, £44 for the family
Easyjet getting a bit of stick lately from some peeps. They do exactly as it says on the tin. Cheap flights! getting you from A to B easily. Ive never had any troubs with them, and no hidden costs unlike some airlines i could mention.

 

[Belladonna]

......and they are still hanging on in there, so they must be doing something right somewhere!

 

[joelise80]

Easyjet have just announced Doncaster to Palma in our local paper. This is great for us as Jet2 from Leeds Bradford have been our only cheaper airline choice for many years and the drive home from Leeds Bradford is a nightmare at rush hour - it took 3 hours for what should be a 1 hour journey last September! Hopefully this new route and airport will encourage a wider variety of visitors to Mallorca and give Thomson Fly some much needed competition from Doncaster.