EasyJet--what are the planes like?
 

Hi,
I can get such a cheap flight on this airline, that I'm afraid it's put together with duct tape! Has anyone flown it? I'm going to wait until I hear something good before I book it...thanks!

The planes are quite new 737s, well maintained, clean, fully licensed.

Obviously there isn't much legroom or in-flight service, but that's not especially uncommon even on the big carriers nowadays.

The boarding process can run the gamut from chaotic to - er - chaotic, but again, what else is new. Show up at the gate early and you'll be fine.

Don't worry - be happy.

Well let's see..

Most of them have two wings, one on each side and engines below each wing. On the inside there are rows of seats each with a seat belt.

What else do you need?

I cannot tell you. I didn't survive my last flight. The low fares are why so many people fly EJ each year. Its a cheap adventure.

Seriously. Given the financial woes of most American airlines, why would you suspect that a profitable airline like EJ would have poor aircraft?

If anybody holds its planes together with duct tape and bailing wire, it is US Airways.

American airlines need to adopt the EJ business model.

The new ones that come along to replace those that go bankrupt might just do that.

If Delta goes under, it will be a major blow to Atlanta, but somebody will start up a new line to replace the service. Easy Jet would be a good model to copy.

Thanks, everyone, I just needed to hear that. The boarding process sounds a bit hairy, but as long as the planes are new and well maintained, we'll be fine!
:-)

I flew out of Luton last summer and learned that an early arrival was benficial. Passengers are assigned a seating sector, and sector A is in the front and boards first. Sector C is in the rear and boarded from the rear and last.

By being in Sector A, we got our choice and first shot at the overhead bins.

It was no more hairy than an American airline where people mill about with huge suitcases that will not fit in the overhead bins.

EasyJet will call you on having a steamer trunk on wheels to carry onboard.

I have flown EasyJet once and got to where I wanted to go on time. Expect to nothing for free onboard, for example it was one pound for a bottle of water. Seating is like a bus, no assigned seats. You are assigned to one of four groups based on how early you show up to check in. They will not let you check in more than two hours ahead. When the gate is posted on the departure board go to the gate and line up in the appropriate "coral" according to your check in group. You then board the plane and pick a seat. We were in row 1 and the seat was narrower than normal, possibly because the plane is narrower at the front. The plane was new and did not crash!

If you know anything about our own Southwest..the airline that in its entire history has had only one quarter in which it lost money..then you know about EasyJet. Same business model, same operational procedures. It gets you there safely.

And hurry because that fare you saw that was so cheap may very well have risen while you were waiting here on the ground to see if airplanes really can fly!

I have flown it a few times. It's very much like Southwest airlines here in the states.

Planes appeared to be new. Everything was clean, and the employees friendly. Food & drink does cost...nothing is free, so bring your own snack. And there are heavy fees for overweight luggage...READ THEIR RULES!

Easyjet is a great bargin. My last trip was from Naples to Paris...for a whopping 13 euros. Of course by the time they added all the various fees & taxes, the fare shot up to 41 euros.

We were thrilled to get from Naples to Paris in 2 hours for that price.

We flew British Air from London to Berlin. It was horrible. We've flown Easy Jet from London to Nice and from London to Naples and both were far more comfortable, courteous, and organized than BA, not to mention a small fraction of the price.

Thank you all for the information and the smiles! I feel like I should quickly grab those tickets!

It's a pity you didn't ask yesterday they had a marathon of Airline UK on A&E from 8am til 5pm - the episodes are filmed using Easyjet.

Don't know if they'll be on again

I just want to say that you did not indicate if you are carrying a lot of luggage. Beware, the penalities for extra poundage is "big" "big"

Sure EasyJet keeps weight down. Heavily loaded planes use more fuel and require more maintenance. EasyJet is successful financially because they have economy rules, effective cost cutting measures, and they stick to them.

For example, last summer EasyJet quit flying from Luton to Zürich because the Zürich airport raised gate fees so high that Basel became a better alternative.
(Other EasyJet flights are between Geneva and Gatwick.)

There is a good story from Easy Jet maintenance. The pilot reported a pounding under the floor of the cockpit that sounded like a midget beating with a hammer. The maintenance crew reported that they had disarmed the midget.
(Was it the front landing gear thumping?)
Just buy your water before you board.
And remember, the price of the ticket varies inversely with the number of days before your flight. The earlier the cheaper.

Mid week flights are cheaper than weekends and mid day times are more expensive than late and early departures.

The EasyJet yield management software has been finely tuned for maximum yield and it is constantly being tweaked with new data. I don't know if the algorithm is constantly tuned or refined, but the airline is making money in contrast to most of the US carriers.

I flew EasyJet from London (Luton) to Aberdeen and back. I actually thought the boarding process made more sense than any other airline I'd ever flown with, because they let people board through both the front and rear doors of the aircraft. Very efficient, and overall, I would say a fairly pleasant experience.

BC

I fly with EasyJet frequently and have not had any problems. Most of the planes are Boeing 737s, they might have a few Airbus as well. If you have kids or "need more time to board" you get to jump to the front of the queue and board first. Ryanair is a similar airline and sometimes a good alternative to EasyJet when comparing fares.

I think low cost airlines offer a great service!
The airplanes are just as good as the other airlines and they offer a great occasion to fly to very beautiful cities for few euros.

We are going to Berlin in July, flying out of Pisa and back for 140 euros (the two of us, including airport taxes).

Highly recommended!!!

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