Is Easyjet reliable now? Connection question
Jul 24th, 2007, 12:48 PM
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Is Easyjet reliable now? Connection question
Planning trip USA to Europe. Within Europe will fly LON to Venice, then Rome back to LON. Easyjet has a great price, non-stop both ways, & leaves a.m. rather than afternoon like my other non-stop option, which is British Airways.
Never have flown EasyJet. Previously heard of problems, but possibly that was some time back (?) So, is EasyJet OK, now regarding schedule reliability, luggage arriving, no extra unknown fees, etc?
Also, question #2, if we take BA, we will arrive at London Stansted (MaxJet) at 8:15 am. BA leaves from Gatwick (to Venice) at 1:40pm. Do you think there is enough time to fly into & out of London on the same day?
Thanks a lot, Julie
Never have flown EasyJet. Previously heard of problems, but possibly that was some time back (?) So, is EasyJet OK, now regarding schedule reliability, luggage arriving, no extra unknown fees, etc?
Also, question #2, if we take BA, we will arrive at London Stansted (MaxJet) at 8:15 am. BA leaves from Gatwick (to Venice) at 1:40pm. Do you think there is enough time to fly into & out of London on the same day?
Thanks a lot, Julie
Jul 24th, 2007, 02:22 PM
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If all else is equal (and it never is) I would take BA over EJ because BA offers a higher level of service than EJ. Things like: more legroom, assigned seating (at check-in), food. If EJ has a time that I like at price that I like then I use them. Also consider the convinience of the airport. I don't like the idea of doing the London change airport shuffle and have never done it myself. I always take the opportunity to pay London a visit but that's me.
Jul 24th, 2007, 02:59 PM
#6
If you're taking Maxjet to STN I certainly wouldn't go through the expense of going all the way to LGW. Instead I'd just take Ryanair to Venice Treviso straight from Stansted. Granted TSF is out in the boondocks (a bit like STN) but there's a direct bus, the non-weekend prices on Ryanair are comparable to easyJet's from LGW, and the cross-London trip would probably cost at least £20 per person and take a lot of time and hassle. Ryanair have a flight leaving STN at 11:25, plenty of time to connect from your Maxjet flight.
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Jul 24th, 2007, 05:26 PM
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Thanks for the info, I love the idea of not running from airport to another, but seems Ryanair has gotten slammed on this site for all of the unexpected addon fees/charges. Is that not true?
How is Ryanair about reliability; in other words, heard of them cancelling flights a lot, higher % of losing luggage like Alitalia?
Julie
How is Ryanair about reliability; in other words, heard of them cancelling flights a lot, higher % of losing luggage like Alitalia?
Julie
Jul 24th, 2007, 05:31 PM
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There are lots of fees and charges with Ryanair, but you can figure it all out with the total before paying. There's nothing else you need to pay after the initial purchase, unless you have more checked luggage than you originally planned.
Nothing particularly bad about their cancellation and baggage lost rates. In fact, I'd say BA is probably less reliable than Ryanair in those regards.
Nothing particularly bad about their cancellation and baggage lost rates. In fact, I'd say BA is probably less reliable than Ryanair in those regards.
Jul 24th, 2007, 07:02 PM
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Ok, rkkwan, I think I read their website thoroughly. Am I correct to understand that I pay the airfare + the credit card fee + E6 for checking a bag & that is all unless I have overweight luggage?
Don't qualify for priority checkin online because of checked bag. If want, could do that at the airport. But I heard that everyone gets loaded into buses together, so not really priority - do you know about that?
REad the checked bag & cabin bag info.
Stansted is the London airport, but Venice is Trevise - never heard of it. Do you know if it is far & how difficult/costly to get to & from?
We are doing London to Venice, train to Rome, fly Rome to London, Stansted to JFK. Ryanair's Rome airport is Ciampino - never heard of it. Do you know if it is far & how difficult/costly to get to & from?
If you don't know about the airports, I can go to the airport and/or Italy boards.
Our Stansted to JFK flight leaves at 11:40am. Ryanair arrives at Stansted at 8:15am. Do you think that is too risky?
Do you know how I find out on the Ryanair site if the flight is non-stop or has stops?
Ryanair is cheap, if the transportation to & from the alternate airports aren't too costly.
Thanks, Julie
Don't qualify for priority checkin online because of checked bag. If want, could do that at the airport. But I heard that everyone gets loaded into buses together, so not really priority - do you know about that?
REad the checked bag & cabin bag info.
Stansted is the London airport, but Venice is Trevise - never heard of it. Do you know if it is far & how difficult/costly to get to & from?
We are doing London to Venice, train to Rome, fly Rome to London, Stansted to JFK. Ryanair's Rome airport is Ciampino - never heard of it. Do you know if it is far & how difficult/costly to get to & from?
If you don't know about the airports, I can go to the airport and/or Italy boards.
Our Stansted to JFK flight leaves at 11:40am. Ryanair arrives at Stansted at 8:15am. Do you think that is too risky?
Do you know how I find out on the Ryanair site if the flight is non-stop or has stops?
Ryanair is cheap, if the transportation to & from the alternate airports aren't too costly.
Thanks, Julie
Jul 24th, 2007, 07:19 PM
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- Correct. Those are the fees. And of course you pay for food/drinks on board, if you want any.
- STN-TSF is non-stop.
- While TSF is a small airport few other airlines use, Ciampino (CIA) is a major airport for Rome. It's actually closer to Rome than FCO, and there are frequent buses to Termini train station. Taxis will be cheaper than from FCO too, of course.
- Ryanair has shuttle bus (~5&euro
to go to Venice. Bus schedule matches the plane arrival time.
- 3+ hours is plenty to connect from Maxjet to Ryanair at STN. That airport has one single terminal.
If you worry about transfer cost, you should know that the Ryanair fare from STN-TSF can be cheaper than just your trains from STN to LGW.
- STN-TSF is non-stop.
- While TSF is a small airport few other airlines use, Ciampino (CIA) is a major airport for Rome. It's actually closer to Rome than FCO, and there are frequent buses to Termini train station. Taxis will be cheaper than from FCO too, of course.
- Ryanair has shuttle bus (~5&euro
to go to Venice. Bus schedule matches the plane arrival time.- 3+ hours is plenty to connect from Maxjet to Ryanair at STN. That airport has one single terminal.
If you worry about transfer cost, you should know that the Ryanair fare from STN-TSF can be cheaper than just your trains from STN to LGW.
Jul 24th, 2007, 07:22 PM
#12
Ryanair and easyJet are two peas in a pod - both have teaser fares then can (and will) sock it to you on "extras" - especially overweight bags. But both are safe and fairly reliable - if they weren't they wouldn't be in business long as other startups would eat their lunch.
Treviso is farther out than Marco Polo but there is frequent bus service; it's the airport served by the various low cost carriers, so plenty of traffic.
Same story for Ciampino for Rome. I believe actually CIA is closer to the city than FCO, but not certain. Again, plenty of bus and taxi service. Small and reasonably convenient airport.
Virtually all low cost carriers ("LCCs" - Ryanair, easyJet et al) are exclusively nonstop. Their profitability comes from point-to-point service where pax are crammed in, flown with no perks quickly, then replaced by fresh pax.
Which is not to say they're not occasionally late or have problems. In your case, if you miss your connection you're truly snookered, as MaxJet uses the same philosophy. Coming from Italy you'll have to clear UK immigration and customs, then high-tail it to the MaxJet counter for the connection. 3 1/2 hours ought to be enough, but you'll probably need most of it. (BAA, the operator of STN, says a minimum of 2 hours is a legal connection.)
Trying to switch carriers to/from the budget airlines, with tickets bought separately, is a total crapshoot. Most people who have had to sweat this out once will usually add a day's cushion to their schedule in order to avoid these misconnects.
Treviso is farther out than Marco Polo but there is frequent bus service; it's the airport served by the various low cost carriers, so plenty of traffic.
Same story for Ciampino for Rome. I believe actually CIA is closer to the city than FCO, but not certain. Again, plenty of bus and taxi service. Small and reasonably convenient airport.
Virtually all low cost carriers ("LCCs" - Ryanair, easyJet et al) are exclusively nonstop. Their profitability comes from point-to-point service where pax are crammed in, flown with no perks quickly, then replaced by fresh pax.
Which is not to say they're not occasionally late or have problems. In your case, if you miss your connection you're truly snookered, as MaxJet uses the same philosophy. Coming from Italy you'll have to clear UK immigration and customs, then high-tail it to the MaxJet counter for the connection. 3 1/2 hours ought to be enough, but you'll probably need most of it. (BAA, the operator of STN, says a minimum of 2 hours is a legal connection.)
Trying to switch carriers to/from the budget airlines, with tickets bought separately, is a total crapshoot. Most people who have had to sweat this out once will usually add a day's cushion to their schedule in order to avoid these misconnects.
Jul 25th, 2007, 04:03 AM
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<<< Trying to switch carriers to/from the budget airlines, with tickets bought separately, is a total crapshoot. Most people who have had to sweat this out once will usually add a day's cushion to their schedule in order to avoid these misconnects >>>
Applies to all airlines not just the low costs. If you have non-connecting tickets then you have a allow a LOT more time than you would if you are through ticketed.
If the onward flight is long haul and therefore expensive to buy another ticket I would be looking at arriving the day before
Applies to all airlines not just the low costs. If you have non-connecting tickets then you have a allow a LOT more time than you would if you are through ticketed.
If the onward flight is long haul and therefore expensive to buy another ticket I would be looking at arriving the day before
Jul 25th, 2007, 06:35 AM
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Thanks everyone for your help. I just solved the RyanAir issue! I'm from the US & like most of us, I am ignorant on weight conversions. Should have looked it up sooner! 30 lbs - no way! We plan to hold to 40 lbs, 10 lbs less than the allowed 50 lbs on other short haul airlines, but no way we can do 30 lbs for 2 1/2 weeks, especially coming home!
Sooo, do you think this is workable? Arrive Stansted at 8:15 am; depart Gatwick at 1:40pm (BA)? Seems like a lot of time but I do not know how long it takes to get from one airport to the other or how to do so or how busy Gatwick is for checking in, security, etc.
Alitalia takes us thru FCO to VCE (don't want to chance losing luggage) & EasyJet is too early (would cause an overnite).
Thanks, Julie
Sooo, do you think this is workable? Arrive Stansted at 8:15 am; depart Gatwick at 1:40pm (BA)? Seems like a lot of time but I do not know how long it takes to get from one airport to the other or how to do so or how busy Gatwick is for checking in, security, etc.
Alitalia takes us thru FCO to VCE (don't want to chance losing luggage) & EasyJet is too early (would cause an overnite).
Thanks, Julie
Jul 25th, 2007, 07:03 AM
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You can pay for excess baggage with Ryanair. 5.5GBP or 8EUR per kg. It may still work out better than transferring to Gatwick.
The fastest method involves taking the Stansted Express train, switch to the subway, and then to either the Gatwick Express, Southern or First Capital Connect trains. About 25GBP.
Cheaper is to take the Terravision bus from Stansted to Victoria Station 8GBP), then connect to Southern (9GBP).
Either way will take ~2.5 hours minimum.
Only "direct" method is by the National Express bus, but that bus goes through Heathrow. 3+ hours or so.
That's what you're talking about. If the excess luggage fee is manageable, it's still preferred over switching airports from STN to LGW.
The fastest method involves taking the Stansted Express train, switch to the subway, and then to either the Gatwick Express, Southern or First Capital Connect trains. About 25GBP.
Cheaper is to take the Terravision bus from Stansted to Victoria Station 8GBP), then connect to Southern (9GBP).
Either way will take ~2.5 hours minimum.
Only "direct" method is by the National Express bus, but that bus goes through Heathrow. 3+ hours or so.
That's what you're talking about. If the excess luggage fee is manageable, it's still preferred over switching airports from STN to LGW.
Jul 25th, 2007, 07:09 AM
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Also, with that much of luggage, any of those transfer will be very tiring. Taking bags up and down platforms to switch trains or buses.
The National Express is 25GBP. That's good for 4kg of excess luggage or 10lb.
The National Express is 25GBP. That's good for 4kg of excess luggage or 10lb.
Jul 25th, 2007, 07:18 AM
#17
In your similar thread on the Europe board, you say you arrive on a Friday morning (Nov. 2.)
Although the train/bus options look doable on paper, the hassle of going through customs, waiting for the train/bus, possible terminal transfers in London (meaning taxi queues during Friday morning rush hour), etc. - I think you'd arrive at Gatwick frazzled and quite possibly too late to check in comfortably, given it will be a getaway day for people from the UK going to Venice too.
A private car will be the easiest option, but given traffic conditions on the M25 ring road, combined with STN-LGW being the longest (I think) of all possible airport-to-airport road transfers in greater London (maybe Gatwick to Luton is longer, but not by much,) I think you'll still arrive frazzled. A car will probably cost £100 or so counting tip.
Set against £5.50 per extra kilo (2.2 lbs) so if you're 10 lbs over that's around £25 per person for excess baggage.
Even if you use a cheap transfer method, you'd likely spend that much for the transfer, the difference being the frazzle factor.
Nobody ever got rich underestimating the time required to go from one airport to another in London. Frankly, that's why many of us avoid London connections, period.
Are the MaxJet tickets bought?
Although the train/bus options look doable on paper, the hassle of going through customs, waiting for the train/bus, possible terminal transfers in London (meaning taxi queues during Friday morning rush hour), etc. - I think you'd arrive at Gatwick frazzled and quite possibly too late to check in comfortably, given it will be a getaway day for people from the UK going to Venice too.
A private car will be the easiest option, but given traffic conditions on the M25 ring road, combined with STN-LGW being the longest (I think) of all possible airport-to-airport road transfers in greater London (maybe Gatwick to Luton is longer, but not by much,) I think you'll still arrive frazzled. A car will probably cost £100 or so counting tip.
Set against £5.50 per extra kilo (2.2 lbs) so if you're 10 lbs over that's around £25 per person for excess baggage.
Even if you use a cheap transfer method, you'd likely spend that much for the transfer, the difference being the frazzle factor.
Nobody ever got rich underestimating the time required to go from one airport to another in London. Frankly, that's why many of us avoid London connections, period.
Are the MaxJet tickets bought?
Jul 25th, 2007, 09:18 AM
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Ok, I'm back to RyanAir!
1. I'm convinced transferring airports is too much, especially after a long overnite flight.
2. Even with the RA excess baggage fees, it still is less than BA (153.70 pounds total r/t pp).
So, I have 2 choices left -
1)take a chance that MaxJet will land reasonably close to ontime (8:15am) & we can go thru customs, get our bags, get to RyanAir checkin, go thru security, get to the gate by how ever early RyanAir requires for 11:25am flight. I'm also assuming that RyanAir will not change to an earlier flight time between now & then!
(2)stay overnite in London (we were there in May & going back next spring & Nov. will probably not be nice weather) & lose a day in Rome
Can't extend the vacation either way because our adult son is going & his work schedule will not allow. Of course this option is much more expensive because of transfer costs both ways & those very high priced London hotels!
Sooo, what do you guys think? Is it a high percentage bet to take RyanAir from Stansted at 11:25am?
BTW, Gardyloo you are correct. I did enter the wrong date - Nov 2 is correct Stansted arrival date.
And yes, the MaxJet tickets are purchased, but if there is a better suggestions, I'm all ears - maybe use it next time.
Thanks for sticking with me on this, Julie
1. I'm convinced transferring airports is too much, especially after a long overnite flight.
2. Even with the RA excess baggage fees, it still is less than BA (153.70 pounds total r/t pp).
So, I have 2 choices left -
1)take a chance that MaxJet will land reasonably close to ontime (8:15am) & we can go thru customs, get our bags, get to RyanAir checkin, go thru security, get to the gate by how ever early RyanAir requires for 11:25am flight. I'm also assuming that RyanAir will not change to an earlier flight time between now & then!
(2)stay overnite in London (we were there in May & going back next spring & Nov. will probably not be nice weather) & lose a day in Rome
Can't extend the vacation either way because our adult son is going & his work schedule will not allow. Of course this option is much more expensive because of transfer costs both ways & those very high priced London hotels!Sooo, what do you guys think? Is it a high percentage bet to take RyanAir from Stansted at 11:25am?
BTW, Gardyloo you are correct. I did enter the wrong date - Nov 2 is correct Stansted arrival date.
And yes, the MaxJet tickets are purchased, but if there is a better suggestions, I'm all ears - maybe use it next time.
Thanks for sticking with me on this, Julie
Jul 25th, 2007, 09:22 AM
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One more question - RyanAir's overweight baggage plan - can the overweight be in the one checked bag? Or do they require the overweight part to be in a separate bag (heard one airline did & folks were scrambling to buy a bag at the airport!)
Julie
Julie
Jul 25th, 2007, 09:26 AM
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Both the 11:25 and 19:05 flights STN-TSF are 4.99GBP right now. Even after tax and fees, not THAT much.
I would feel pretty comfortable with the 3-hour layover between flights. But if you're really worried, you may want to buy the 19:05 ticket as well as a backup.
Or just buy some travel insurance that covers flight misconnections. If you misconnect, buy the ticket on the next flight and then claim it back afterwards.
I would feel pretty comfortable with the 3-hour layover between flights. But if you're really worried, you may want to buy the 19:05 ticket as well as a backup.
Or just buy some travel insurance that covers flight misconnections. If you misconnect, buy the ticket on the next flight and then claim it back afterwards.
