Excel airlines - First time for us using them and we were off to malta for a week.

After a coffee we thought we'd take another look on the off chance to see if anyone else was queuing as we were advised to try and be at the front of the queue in order to make our flight. This was about 2am, so we headed down there to find another family having the same problem. We decided rather than go off and come back in case others appeared as there were 4 flights going with Excel before 5am and that it looked as though it might get busy to wait. Good job we did wait within about 15 minutes there was approx 40 other people waiting on tickets too and none of them had a clue about the desk not being open during those hours. Everyone was in a panic in case they missed their flights. At about 2:30 one member of staff appeared who dissappeared into the back office for about 10 mins and then came out and started handing out the tickets. We were second in the queue luckily and I calmed down knowing there was a lot of other people waiting too.
Then another mess, two tickets that's all we needed and yet they still managed to get one of the names wrong, mine being the lead party and who booked them and they'd wrote both in my partners name, altho easily resolved as they wrote out another by hand.
Check-in desks is similar to easyjet and ryanair, they don't tend to have specific desks for certain flights their open for several flights in one go. I think the lady who did ours can't of been working there long cos it took her 10 mins to check in the 2 people in front of us and us likewise and she didn't seem sure of what to do.
Finally bags checked in, through departures and then wait for boarding gate. Chance to grab something to eat as being a late booking of less than 5 days your too late to book a meal on board the plane.
Boarding time was 20 minutes before 5 and at 10 to we hadn't boarded. Another person asked if it was delayed and they said no it's fine. He said surely we won't leave on time then and she assured him we would. Got to give them this one, we were boarded in 10 minutes, doors shut and on the runway, can't complain at that one.
Seats weren't too bad, little more room than easyjet or ryanair, but when people reclined their seats you'd be knocking your knees on the seat in front or if you folded the tray down in front of you be winding yourself on it, but I've been on a lot worse. They weren't too uncomfortable but for a long haul flight definately not advisable.
Food we can't comment on but on a sneaky look at the neighbour they looked ok. Just before serving there was an announcement to say that if we wanted a meal we could for £6, bit late then we'd eaten as we didn't know we'd get the chance for one.
Flight film going over was good and also on the return, wouldn't say ideal for children though probably more for the adult altho after there was an episode for the kids of the simpsons.
Pretty smooth flight, hostesses were polite and helpful and now finally we could relax, apart from one excited little girl who thought it fun to kick the seat for most of the journey.
Picking our bags up gotta give them that one was very swift.

Oops didn't read the tickets to note that your mean't to phone 48hours in advance to check your flights are ok. Lucky for us we weren't the only ones another couple staying in the same hotel didn't realise either.

All in all the journey with excel was fine but the check-in side of things was a little hairy and maybe some of their staff could do with some more training. Very pleasant though and helpful both in airport and onboard.

You can book flights, hotels and car hire online and prices can range from as little as £74 return on a last minute offer to Faro from Birmingham. Our flights cost us £79 each to malta return from Gatwick. Prices obviously vary depending on where you fly from and to.