So how easy is EasyJet ? Having just had the 'orange' experience whilst visiting Amsterdam, I consider myself in a position to set the record straight...
{}{}{} Who are EasyJet ? {}{}{}
EasyJet airline co Ltd was founded by Stelios Haji-Ioannou in 1995 to take advantage of the deregulation of the European airline industry. EasyJet is a cheap and cheerful, 'no-frills' airline that was floated on the London stock exchange in November 2000. You might also recognise the company as being the star attraction of a TV documentary series called 'Airline'.
Since the launch of EasyJet, the 'Easy' empire has grown significantly and now includes a chain of internet cafes, car hire, coach services and much, much more.
Stelios stood down from being the chairman of the budget airline company in November 2002 and celebrated his last day by seeing profits rise to £71 million ! Not bad for a 'no frills' outfit ! He does however still own over 50% of EasyJet.
{}{}{} Where do EasyJet fly from ? {}{}{}
EasyJet fly from the following airports in the UK: Liverpool London Luton Bristol Edinburgh Glasgow Inverness London Gatwick London Stanstead Newcastle East Midlands
You have 127 routes between 39 countries to choose from so you're spoilt for choice. The only thing to bear in mind is that each airport only offers flights to a select number of the countries which EasyJet offer - ie: you can't fly to Amsterdam from Newcastle and you can't fly to Alicante from London Luton. The only way to establish exactly where you can fly to from your nearest airport(s) is to visit the site (there are too many to list here).
{}{}{} How do I book a flight ? {}{}{}
It has to be said that booking a flight with EasyJet really is child's play - you can either ring them directly or save £5 per flight as I did and go 'online'. The EasyJet website address is 'www.easyjet.co.uk' and once the first page launches, you'll instantly know you're in the (ex)world of Stelios Haji-Ioannou as everything is ORANGE ! Horrible colour but excellent marketing ploy - who doesn't recognise the trademark colour these days ?
I'm not going to go into great detail about how to get to the website as if you are reading this, you have undoubtedly fathomed that one out for yourself already ;o)
The website is available in seven languages including English, Spanish, French and Italian and once you have selected a language, every subsequent visit from that PC will automatically display pages in your chosen language - handy if you're thinking of learning a foreign language don't you think ?
So, booking a flight then. Easy Peasy. You simply highlight from the list provided, the airport you wish to depart from - this automtically drives a list of available destinations in a second box. Select one of these, the dates you wish to fly and the number of lucky folk you are taking with you and 'voila' - a list of available flights, times and prices will appear. I've found that wherever possible, 3 options will appear for the date you selected as well as the day before and the day after (for both the outward and return flights) to allow you to further tailor your journeys.
It is at this point that EasyJet remind you of the £5 you will save on each flight if you continue and book online, rather than use the old telephone !
If you do decide to proceed, you select one flight from the outbound list and one from the return options and 'proceed'. EasyJet then presents to you the flights you have selected and a full list of costings and finally the total price. If you are happy with yourselection, you can move on to the checkout - either as a registered user or as a new passenger (you can buy tickets without registering which is excellent - can stand the sites where you have to join to benefit).
At the checkout, you enter the names and details of all passengers and then payment details. EasyJet accept Switch (for pound Sterling transactions only), Delta, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club. Because of Spanish bank regulations, they cannot accept Spanish Visa Electron cards.
Done ! That's all there is to it. You are now the proud owner of flights to the destination of your choice. But you haven't quite finished yet. EasyJet operate a 'no-ticket' policy to keep costs to a minimum. Instead, you can either print out the confirmation email that you are sent following confirnation of your purchase, or make a note of the reference number contained within that email. Either of these (email printout or reference number) will be sufficient to allow you to check in at the airport. You also need your passport if you are flying outside of the UK or photographic identify for domestic flights.
{}{}{} How much will my flights cost ? {}{}{}
The fare structure is very simply. EasyJet quote fares for each leg of your journey to allow you to tailor your trip and take advantage of cheaper, less convenient timetables if you desire. They do not have any criteria for pricing flights (some airlines only offer cheap flights on certain days of the week or if an overnight stay is included) but instead encourage travellers to book as early as possible as fares can increase in line with demand.
EasyJet are committed to offering the lowest fare amongst all their competitors for any given flight.
My flight to Amsterdam from Liverpool cost me £62.50 in total. I do however know someone who flew from Stanstead to Barcelona for less than £30 but likewise, I have seen flights for £100+ one way. Like I said, the earlier you book, the cheaper the tickets should be.
{}{}{} How do they do it ? {}{}{}
It's easy (sorry !) - EasyJet are a no-frills airline and everything is kept simple and straightforward to keep costs down. There are no tickets issued to save on paper, mailing and resources, turnaround at the airports is kept to a minimum (20 minutes) to maximise use of it's planes and there are no plastic trays of food provided on the EasyJet flights - instead EasyJet offer a small selection of food and drinks which can be purchased on board during the flight.
{}{}{} Anything else I should know ? {}{}{}
Each passenger is allowed to check-in 20kgs of luggae and 10kgs of sporting equipment. One piece of hand luggage up to 5kgs is also permitted. (Ladies - note that you are also allowed to carry on your handbag in additional to the handluggage allowance). Laptops, umbrellas, infant car seats, cameras and duty free good are also permitted and do not count against hand luggage allowances. Worth noting at this point that EasyJet appear to take compliance to these policies very seriously and insiated my hand luggage be weighed before I could take it on board.
Children under 18 travelling unaccompanied must have written permission from a parent or guardian.
Whilst most passengers are requested to check in a minimum of 50 minutes before departure, passengers in wheelchairs must check-in at least 90 minutes before to allow sufficient time for their special requirements to be recognised and handled.
{}{}{} My personal experience {}{}{}
I flew from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Schiphol (Amsterdam) for a business meeting last Thursday afternoon. I had booked my tickets as per instructions above and had printed off my email. I was ready.
(Note at this point, my company actually use KLM as the preferred operator for these flights. However, when I compared the prices for this same flight - £347 with KLM, £62.50 with EasyJet, it didn't take long to convince them that flying with EasyJet was the better choice !)
OK, EasyJet ask that you check-in at least 50 minutes before your flight is due to depart and the desks close 40 minutes before the plane is due to take-off. Anyone arriving after this time will not be permitted to board and will not be entitled to a refund, however I do believe that EasyJet operate a policy whereby you can have a seat on the next available flight to the same destination providing there is one available.
I was asked all of the usual security questions ("could someone have tampered with your bags, have they been left unattended etc etc) and then presented with a boarding card - we'll come onto those later. All over and done with in about 2 minutes - just how I like it.
I was then subjected to the usual security checks - passport control and the dreaded x-ray machines. As a result of September 11th, security has been increased at all airports and you now have to remove coats and all bags to allow these to be screened. Fortunately I caused no 'bleeping' and was allowed straight through.
Obviously how you spend the next 50 minutes depends on the airport you fly from. Liverpool is fairly small so I just grabbed a sandwich from Boots and a drink in the bar and then proceeded to the gate. I was very surprised to find that the plane wasn't actually at the gate yet and we were flying in 20 minutes or so. I later found out that this is how EasyJet operates, presumably to save costs. They only leave 20 minute turnaround times from a plane landing, being emptied of people and luggage and being re-filled for the next flight !
Ok - here comes the fun bit. I assume in another attempt to save time and costs, when you check-in, EasyJet don't allocate seats - they simpy present everyone with a boarding card with a number on. Once it is time to board the aircraft, the idea is that passengers with boarding card numbers 1-30 are requested to board first and seats are allocated on a first come, first served basis ! Bit like musical chairs really. In reality this didn't happen and instead, there was a bit of pushing and shoving as everyone tried to get to the front of the queue and ensure they were sat with friends and family or got a window seat ! I wasn't looking forward to this bit but it really wasn't that bad.
The plane. Big and very orange - for a plane that is ! I think the one I flew on was a Boeing 737 so plenty of space and the outward flight wasn't full either so even more comfortable. The interior of the plane was fairly standard, again very orange (and grey) and the air stewardesses were also sporting the trademark colour scheme, albeit in very casual attire, quite unlike your average 'trolley-dolly' (sorry, couldn't resist). Trousers and t-shirts seemed to be the order of the day !
We departed bang on time and were subjected to the usual safety demonstration. There was then just enough time for the air stewardesses to hand out EasyJet magazines and then wheel a trolley through the plane selling a small variety of sandwiches (chicken, cheese or tuna), crisps, chocolate and drinks. Contrary to what I was told before I flew, you can still consume alcohol on EasyJet flights (even though this isn't recommended) but only that which has been purchased on board.
The flight was only 70 minutes in duration so the fact that inflight entertainment is not offered did not cause a problem; most people either chatted to fellow passengers, read the EasyJet magazine or listened to music. Take off and landing were as smooth as can be expected and the staff on board were very helpful and polite.
Once we landed in Amsterdam, we left the plane and entered the terminal and I was pleasantly surprised to find my luggage was already on the carousel waiting to be collected.
The return leg of my journey was a similar story - no problems, no hassle and all in all, a very pleasant experience.
{}{}{} Other, useful snippets of info {}{}{}
- To change the passenger name for a flight costs £10
- Any customer who purchases a ticket for a flight and then finds the price has decreased before they fly can request a credit refund against future flights
- For any taller pasengers, the seat dimensions are as follows - Pitch (distance between back of seat and back of seat in front): 29" (approx 72.5cm) and width (distance between armrests): 17 1/2 " (approx 44cm)
- All flights operate a no-smoking policy
{}{}{} Company Details {}{}{}
Address: EasyJet Airline Company Limited EasyLand London Luton Airport Bedfordshire LU2 9LS UK
Contact Numbers: UK - 0871 7500100
Website: www.easyjet.co.uk / com
{}{}{} Summary {}{}{}
Providing you stick to the rules, your journey should be straightforward from start to finish. Booking is straightforward and can be done from anywhere with a PC. Check in is efficient and the absence of food trays and duty-free trolleys on board means you can always get to the toilets ! I therefore conclude that EasyJet is EASY !!
More details
Class flown most frequently
Economy
How often do you travel with this airline
Rarely
Where did you book
Directly with this airline
Safety
Good
How well does it cater for disabled people
Well
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