All the discount airlines have their charms. Easyjet is no exception. Just make sure you double check the weather and your flight time. One tidbit about ej- last year they were collecting funds for a charity on the flight and came around with a little plastic bag for people to throw money in. It's a great way to get rid of your extra euros or pounds that you won't be able to sell back at the exchange window.

janisj,
I think you underestimate ability of EasyJet to scheme.

They fly both ways. Even if your flight has enough passenger, if the combination of both flights would be unprofitable, they just cancel both directions. Now no problem with moving planes. They just put you on a later flight on the same aircraft you would have flown on earlier.

Larry, can you give us a specific example of an easyJet flight that was canceled because it wasn't full enough? When? What cities?

Andrew

Larry: that's only if they're flying the same aircraft continually between 2 cities, which is not always the case.

Andrew: yes, the other seats are somewhat cramped, but, hey, you get what you pay for, and for as long as the flights are, the seats are tolerable enough.

I guess "tolerable enough" depends on your perspective. I'm a pretty tall guy so I'm less willing to put up with "cramped" for two hours. I had a choice last time on one of the flights between British Airways and easyJet whose prices were not all that different as late as I booked; next time I might opt for the BA flight.

Andrew

If the prices aren't that different, I'd definitely go for the BA, it's just easier, and more security. I'm 5'11" myself, for 2 hours, I can survive (it's not as bad as a school bus, with your knees smushed against the seat, but close).

I've flown with Easyjet many times and I've never had a problem with them as far as flight schedules are concerned, and I'd love to know who has encountered an Easyjet flight endangered of cancelation due to insufficient ticket sales because their planes are always packed to the brim with backpackers and budget travelers (like me). The only thing I would caution you about is to pay special attention to the weight limitations on luggage. I've gotten caught in that trap a couple of times and I'm convinced that's where they make up the deficiency in their budget from selling passage on their flights so cheap because if you go too far over the weight limitations you'll find yourself digging pretty deep into your pockets for it. As far as flights are concerned, though, if you can handle second class quality in exchange for a significantly cheaper rate, I would definitely recommend them. And I would venture to guess that as long as you're flying to a major European destination and not someplace more obscure, there is very little chance of your flight being canceled.

Hey - do you think . . . . . maybe bobludlow's friends just wanted an extra day on the beach in Spain instead of attending a wedding in Stockholm. Blaming easyJet would have been a lot easier than just not showing up . . . . Nah

If you find the seats cramped, it's perfectly possible to book 2 seats so that you have extra leg room. The prices are so low if booked early that this should still seem like a bargain. I cannot imagine easyjet or ryanair cancelling a flight because it isn't full enough - ridiculous! As for security, it's the same with easyjet as with any other airline. The airport, not the airline (in Europe) is where any security differences lie.
Carolena

I don't see any provision on EasyJet or Ryanair for large travelers (either horizontally or vertically) to book two seats. I wouldn't count on it being possible without confirmation from the company; I've heard of various US airlines that have placed the two seats for the large person across the aisle from each other. With unassigned seats, what would the large person do if someone did persist to sit next to him? Southwest has a policy on this, but I see no evidence of any European budget airline that does.

I have "larger friends" who booked three seats for the two of them on a US airline. When the flight was overbooked, the attendants easily figured out what that extra seat was and they "bumped" the extra non existent person. So the two ended up paying for three seats and only getting two. The airline snidely offered to provide the "bumped imaginary person" a seat on a later flight.

I have flown Easyjet several times with no incidents but two years ago I had a flight booked from Edinburgh to Gatwick. When I got to the check-in I was told the flight was canceled. I didn't ask and wasn't given a reason. I stood in a long line to get on another flight, this time to Stansted.

My B&B was at Gatwick and my flight to ATL was the following morning. I took a long bus ride between airports.

It wasn't a disaster as my transatlantic flight wasn't until the following day but it was a long day.

So, in defense of bobludlow, it does happen; flights are canceled with no warning and no explanation given. That doesn't mean I will not use Easyjet in the future but I will be sure I don't have tight connections.

must agree with all those sceptical of the suggestion that easyjet would just cancel a flight for "low tickets sales".

I have been flying with easyjet since 1998 and i have never heard of such a suggestion.

As has been pointed out - in most instances planes don't fly back to their original destination. A plan may fly - london to barcelona, then on to paris, then to rome and back to london. Cancelling just one leg is not feasible.

The notion of easyjet "bumping" passengers onto a later flight goes against the pricing approach they adopt. While the first 20 seats on any flight may be priced at £20, prices gradually increase as the plane fills. Easyjet makes a good deal of money from those purchasing last minute flights where the cost of the ticket will be in the hundreds of pounds.

What can occur and which has always been a bone of contention about the budget airlines, is when a flight is cancelled due to mechanical problems etc..

Easyjet don't get you on another flight, they reimburse you the cost of the ticket you purchased. You can try and buy a ticket on a later flight, but you are expected to pay the difference. So a £20 one-way ticket purchased 3 months ago, will now cost you £240 - and you are expected to fork out the £220 difference.