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Original poster

Never flown Easyjet!What is it like?!Feedback please

19 replies

notsurewot2do · 17/05/2011 08:19

Is it worth paying extra for 'speedy boarding'....Family of 4,planning to go to Barcelona on a sat!...for a few days.....

OP posts:
thestringcheeseincident · 17/05/2011 08:22

We just paid extra for speedy boarding with 2 kids. It's worth it to ensure you get seats together. (although do check you don't automatically get it with small children anyway)
It's cheap. So everything costs money from the trolley. And make sure you book the right amount of luggage in. Otherwise they charge you again. And they ran out of newspapers which was a bit rubbish.

bigTillyMint · 17/05/2011 08:26

Don't bother with speedy boarding - we never have, even when our children were small. They always let children on first. Check your luggage allowance, but IIRC, every passenger can take on hand luggage - the largest size allowed is big!

Take plenty of snacks unless you don't mind paying onboard, but you can only buy drinks to take on once you are through check-in.

The flight is fine and Barcelona is FAB - have fun!

KaraStarbuckThrace · 17/05/2011 08:28

I have flown a few times with Easyjet.
Has been fine.

As long as you have a child under 5 in your party you are boarded as par of group SA (Special Assistance).

Boarding order normally goes - SA wheelchair users, SB, rest of SA (which includes other disabled people not in wheelchairs and families with under 5s) then the main population.

Obviously you can't sit near the main exits but you can sit together. Speedy boarding is only worth paying for if you have only children over 5.

crystalglasses · 17/05/2011 08:32

Last time we flew with easyjet it seemed most of the passengers had paid for speedy boarding so there was a huge 'speedy boarding' queue, which defeats the object really.

KaraStarbuckThrace · 17/05/2011 08:34

BigTilly - that is incorrect. Children are not boarded before the Speedy boarders.
boarding order

But since the SBs are generally wanting the seats that SA groups cannot have, it is not a problem.

The only people that get on before SB are the disabled people who are in a wheelchair as they have to be boarded via a lift and so it is easier to do them first (they also get taken off last).

They are operating a very strict one bag per person policy, so ensure that any snacks drink you take on the plane will fit in your hand luggage. And all children except under 2's can take one hand luggage bag as well.

geordieminx · 17/05/2011 08:35

It's fine. Certainly not as bad as ryanair.

If you have children under 5 then you will get on before everyone else anyways. And tbh, unless you are a tosser that holds everyone up late to the gate you will get at least 2 lots of seats together. It's only hour and a half to Barca.

Might be worth taking some snacks with you on board. Choice is limited, and quite ££. £1.50 for a big kitkat IIRC

It will really be fine, if you see it as just taking the bus.

Very Envy I love Barcelona! There wry buses right outside the terminal that take you to the Playa de catalunya. Tourist buses are a great way to see the city. Zoo is fab, the nicest I have ever been to. Oh there is a bar called the fairy bar which is next door to the wax works museum(which is shit). The bar is like a secret grotto, it's fab! Food market on La Ramblas is also worth a wander round... Long as you don't mind dead rabbits/squirrels etc Wink

ChristinedePizan · 17/05/2011 08:44

I have been let on before speeding boarders on some flights and at the same time on others. I think it seems to be up to the people staffing the gate

Original poster
notsurewot2do · 17/05/2011 09:16

Thankyou for the quick responses....Children are 6 and 11;still in 2 minds about 'speedy boarding'...especially if there could be a long queue for it!!!!(defeats the purpose)...Will definitely take snacks as dd as numerous food allergies...Will make sure we get to airport early!!!2 hours before(standard?!)...

OP posts:
Himalaya · 17/05/2011 09:32

I wouldn't bother with SB, just get there early/on time. You will get 3+1 or 2+2 anyway, iirc the seating was 3,3,3 on the flight to Barcelona.

They are very strict about 1x hand luggage each

the Science Museum in Barcelona is fab - very new and hands on.
Sitges is nice for a day/night at the beach by train.

ChristinedePizan · 17/05/2011 09:33

Yes do get to the airport early because EJ quite often merge check in queues so it can take a fair while to get through.

MotherMountainGoat · 17/05/2011 09:41

Easy Jet is fine for a budget airline - the flight attendants are generally quite nice. This contrasts greatly with Ryan Air, which seems determined to provide a nasty experience (admittedly I've only flown RA twice, but that was enough).

We've never used SB (in the four years since we stopped getting under-5s priority) and it's never been a problem. If I ever did find myself seated separately from the kids I would possible breathe a sigh of relief at this point (they're nearly 13 and 9). I suppose you could just ask the person sitting next to kids if they would rather swap, and get a more peaceful flight.

titchy · 17/05/2011 09:51

EJ are fine! But remember your handbag will count as one of your items of hald luggage!

bigTillyMint · 17/05/2011 09:55

OK so they are not boarded before the SB's, but IME there aren't many SB's so that is not a problem. Anyway, by the time you have shuffled down the stairs and across the tarmac, you are all in a different order anyway.

GnomeDePlume · 17/05/2011 10:02

I have flown with them a lot especially to Netherlands. I hove found them to be excellent for the money. I would do SB, sometimes it's more worthwhile than others. It's no frills so dont expect frills but generally it is punctual and I have always found the crew to be fine. If it's my money I was spending then I would go with EJ every time. I even sometimes choose it for work (when it isnt my money!) simply for the convenience.

kruhisir · 23/05/2011 12:14

i fly with easyjet a lot. its ok. It feels like taking a bus tbh. There is always a scramble to get to the seats. People queue now for up to an hour at the check in gate so they can be one fo the first on the plane and the speedy boarding queues are long too.

However, even if you don't get seats together, you will usually find that the people who would otherwise be sitting with your children decide that they would rather swap seats with you!!!

One tip would be that easyjet have recently become quite strict about hand luggage and they will force you to pay a huge fee to check your luggage in at the gate, so its worth getting it right.

NoseyNooNoo · 28/05/2011 22:25

I don't think I could handle the stress of Speedy Boarding again. The other Speedy Boarders assumed that pregnant me and my 20 month old didn't have Speedy Boarding and must be trying to jump the queue. I have never been so man-handled and physically assaulted. My DH almost ended up having fist-cuffs with various people.

In fact the only time that I cried in my 2 pregnancies was due to bullying 50/60-something men at airports or on aeroplanes.

We're travelling with Easyjet next month, our first family flight since my second pregnancy. I'm kind of dreading the rudeness of these men :(

Peetle · 31/05/2011 10:25

Just back from Alicante with our 3 year old twins. Being easyjet virgins we'd forked out for speedy boarding but I wouldn't bother again. On the way out it worked fine, but on the way back there was an hour and a half delay and a boarding queue formed as soon as the gate was announced so the whole speedy boarding thing was completely ignored. We got seats together though as the flight wasn't quite full.

They cram their flight schedules really tight so the chances of delays increase as the day goes on - get an early flight if you can.

babyjames · 31/05/2011 14:02

oh no we have afternoon flights!

crispyseaweed · 09/06/2011 14:57

I always fly Easy Jet.... so cheap.
Good service and helpful flight attendents.
You have to buy own food on board (only downfall) but otherwise great!

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