EasyJet - EZU > Reviews > WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH

Author's product rating:   

Food Quality	Good
Customer Service	Friendly and attentive
Punctuality	Satisfactory
Space	Fairly Comfortable
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Good service despite airport chaos
Disadvantages:	More info regarding delays would have been helpful

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The timing of my recent holiday to Spain was unfortunate in light of the tragic events of September 11. I knew that among things, there would be some repercussions in the aviation industry. As I was due to depart on my EasyJet flight on September 15, I watched the news nervously as airports closed and flights were cancelled. I had never flown on EasyJet before, and was not at all sure what to expect in terms of customer service and their response to the crisis.

I am pleased to report that on the whole, EasyJet did very well. Here's my view on what was good and what was poor about the service they offered during a time when airline travel was thrown into chaos. I should stress that my perspective is focused on EasyJet's performance during a period when travel becomes difficult, and my rating of their service is based primarily on this basis.

THE EASYJET RESPONSE TO SEPTEMBER 11:

The first thing I did upon hearing of airports closing and flight disruption was to check the EasyJet website. EasyJet communicate best through this medium, and there were immediate and continual news updates on the site as the situation unfolded. Initially many flights within the UK as well as those on some European routes were disrupted. The explanation was that additional security measures were put into place, with a knock-on effect in terms of flight delays. EasyJet offered an unqualified refund or transfer to anyone flying in the next few days post September 11, with appropriate information on how to go about this. They also provided a number to phone with queries on possible flight cancellations, and regular listings every few hours of flights which were due to be cancelled.
I decided to hold off on calling the hotline as my flight was not for several days, and I had had trouble getting through on another occasion. Monitoring the website proved to be an excellent way of finding out what I needed to know. Although the service was sporadic for the next few days, it was clear from the site that the normal schedule would resume at the weekend. With the knowledge that my flight was due to depart as planned, the Boyfriend and I headed off for the airport. EasyJet urged passengers to check in 2 hours earlier- which meant a 4am alarm clock for us….zzzzzzz.

WHAT EASYJET DID WELL:

Security was incredibly tight in general on 15th September, only 4 days after the attacks. There was increased presence of security throughout the airport. EasyJet did not allow passengers to carry on baggage, and all essential carry on items had to be put into clear plastic baggies for transport. This was actually rather amusing, as you go to see what kind of toothpaste and novels the other passengers were taking along. The check-in process itself was slow, with long queues but once we got to the counter it was relatively straightforward. We both were searched before going into both legs of our flights, but in a polite way. The fact that everyone was carrying clear bags made the searches much quicker and easier for everyone involved.
On the return leg from Luton to Glasgow, security seemed to have eased a bit, and EasyJet permitted us to take carry-on baggage. However, bags were still searched by airport security, and I had a pair of tweezers confiscated (my own fault, I forgot I had them). In general, people seemed pleased to be searched and questioned, as it gave the impression that security were doing their job. The EasyJet staff at check-in and security were very polite despite the additional duties, and everyone was very patient. Everyone, both staff and passengers seemed to understand that the extra hassle was for a good reason.

Admittedly, the flights were delayed, particularly going out to Spain. I cannot blame EasyJet for this, as I understood this to be caused by general backlog at the airport, and by the additional security. Once we got on board the flight, the staff were very pleasant and efficient. Personally, I found it reassuring that the crew behaved with confidence and seemed relaxed- the terrorist attacks were not mentioned, and nobody seemed jittery. I appreciated this because it made me feel more secure (for no other reason that everyone else seemed calm enough).

WHAT EASYJET DID NOT DO SO WELL:

My major complaint during the delays was the lack of information given out by the staff. In fact, at times there was absolutely no one at the gate or check-in desk to assist with queries. Although we had arrived two hours early, our flight was delayed another two hours, and right up until departure, there was nothing to tell us when we might expect to take off. One couple sitting next to us eventually became very concerned about making a connecting flight. They could not find out when we were expected to depart or arrive. Luckily, I had booked a long gap in between our connections, but I would have appreciated something- an announcement over the tannoy, an indicator on the departures screen- anything to give us an update or rough idea. It did cause some extra stress during a trip which was already uncomfortable for other reasons.

Again, I appreciated the staff had a lot to deal with, but I felt it would have helped considerably to at least provide the odd announcement apologising for the delay, and reassuring us know that eventually we would go. My main frustration was that there wasn't even anybody available to consult. At one point, the phone started ringing at our gate- there was noone to answer it and it rang for about 10 minutes.

On the return leg, we arrived at the departure area, and our flight had mysteriously disappeared from the screen. Although we had been told the gate number, another flight was now listed instead of ours. This caused a bit of consternation, as we afraid our flight had suddenly been cancelled for some reason. We ended up making our way to the gate anyway, where it was eventually announced that this was indeed the correct flight/departure area, but another delay ensued. EasyJet have a strict policy of requiring passengers to be at the gate a half hour before the flight- if you aren't there, they won't wait. I thought it only fair then that the gate should be clearly indicated!

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH:

Ultimately, I thought EasyJet performed extremely well in the crisis. I appreciated their efforts to resume normal service, and to deal with what must have been a horrendous amount of confusion at the airports. Admittedly, the delays were tiresome, as the inordinate amount of time it took to get the bags off the plane, but in light of the complications, we were willing to overlook it. I was really pleased prior to the departure to know that I could have a refund if we had decided to skip our holiday, or that we would be able to transfer our flights. Above all, I was really impressed by the professional attitude of the staff, who must have had their own private misgivings about going anywhere near an airport during this time. I feel they deserve a lot of respect for coping in a crisis. I would certainly fly EasyJet in future, and felt that overall, it was an excellent service for a very reasonable price.