Speedy boarding worth it? or just something tossers do?

[UnquietDad]

We're flying with easyjet on Monday. Our first "no-frills" flying experience. They've emailed with their "checklist" which includes a "speedy boarding" option. Is this worth it, or a wanky waste of money? If one does not speedy board, is one left in the departure lounge feeling like pondlife?

And how much truth is there in this article?

IME - if you have wee ones (under 5 I think) they still give you early boarding - after the speedy boarders but before everyone else. But this is departing UK only (Luton in our case)

One the way back it's a waste of money because you usually have to get on a bus anyway so what's the point?

Actually this article is a bit more accurate.

Well, I fly ryaniar frequently and they are awful. Truly awful. But, you get what you pay for and if it's only for a short flight ho hum.

Personally I can't bare boarding a flight first. Why do you want to sit squeezed in your seat any longer than necessary. I think those who want to push on as quickly as possible so start queing before the flight has been announced are nobbers.

Ours are 5 and 8 so i don't think we'll get automatic speedy boarding. Thanks for link!

DH and I flew with Easyjet a couple of weeks ago. The queuing system was:

1. Speedy Boarders
2. Parents with young children (not sure of cut off age)
3. Those with boarding cards marked with A
4. Those with boarding cards marked with B.

This all worked when flying out (Luton) but on return from Zurich it got rather chaotic and the B-listers were going through at the same time as the A-listers! DH seemed to qualify as an A lister both ways - he had checked in online. I checked in our luggage and was marked as B on the way home - but was upgraded to A when DH commented on this. I presume that you are A listed if you check in early enough, though both ways I checked in just after the check in opened.

I agree with gingerninja, there really is no benefit to boarding first anyway, and even some flights departing from the uk involve a bus journey anyway so it doesn't mean anything.

Just another way for them to swindle more money out of you, bumping up the price for you.

So all you have to do to be A-listed is turn up early?

Would be interested to know how young the young children have to be.

They'd have to find you seats together though wouldn't they else you'd have minors traveling on their own.

The plane will take of at the same time regardless of when you boarded, so you will be waiting the same amount of time whether you where the first on and sitting on the plane or the last on and sitting in the departure lounge.

With Easyjet seating is free for all so if you all want to sit together it's worth boarding early otherwise you have only the odd seats to sit in that are scattered around the plane. If you travel with just hand luggage and check in on line you get to board early.

They won't let children sit without a parent so if necessary someone will have to move. This happened to us on easyjet. We boarded near the end and there were no seats left together, crew basically made an annoucement that unless someone moved the plane couldn't take off. As others have said in the bus situation it is a total waste of money anyway. For easyjet young children is under 2. My youngest is 3 and I know we didn't qualify.

I would recommend speedy boarding, was great for us. At East Midlands and Palma (Majorca) we had a seperate queue to cheque in which was MUCH shorter than the normal queue, and we boarded first both times. In Palma we did have to go on a bus but the first section was roped off just for speedy boarders and that door opened first.

I disagree that they wont let children sit on their own, i have heard of it happening, its not worth the risk and the worry to me.

I speedyboard on Ryanair Stansted to Palermo and it works both ways, the overhead bins fill up really quickly i have found otherwise.