Easyjet thumbs up - and down.
Discussion
So just back from an Eastjet flight, was OK. bought some food onboard and it went down OK, flight left and arrived on time, and leg room was quite a bit more than some other airlines I've traveled on.
But why oh why this no booking a seat malarky?
My thinking goes like this.
Other airlines: You check in, get given a seat, get to the plane, go "oh, there's my seat", sit down, eat/drink/sleep, get off.
Easyjet: No seat, get on, sit down, wait *forever* while people wander up and down going "Is that one taken?/Can you move along/would you swap with my (wife, husband, mistress)"
It takes longer, so can't be a speed thing - so why?
But why oh why this no booking a seat malarky?
My thinking goes like this.
Other airlines: You check in, get given a seat, get to the plane, go "oh, there's my seat", sit down, eat/drink/sleep, get off.
Easyjet: No seat, get on, sit down, wait *forever* while people wander up and down going "Is that one taken?/Can you move along/would you swap with my (wife, husband, mistress)"
It takes longer, so can't be a speed thing - so why?
Boarding is much quicker with no seat allocation and easy makes money selling speedy boarding.
People queue up at the gate before boarding to get on first, even people with speedy boarding queue up to get the seats they want. Boarding minus 30 minutes and you can feel the tension at the gate. Watch your fellow passengers as the plane pulls up to the stand, people get jumpy. If you get on a coach people stand near the doors to get off first. It's much quicker.
People queue up at the gate before boarding to get on first, even people with speedy boarding queue up to get the seats they want. Boarding minus 30 minutes and you can feel the tension at the gate. Watch your fellow passengers as the plane pulls up to the stand, people get jumpy. If you get on a coach people stand near the doors to get off first. It's much quicker.
Mark. said:
I could have got a BA flight for not a lot more. OK, it was dearer, but by the time I'd paid the Easyjet 'speedy boarding' upgrade for 3 people, it would have worked out the same to drive to London City for the BA flight.
You're thinking too rationally to be representative of the EJ target audience... Comparing the total cost of the journey means having to do a bit of thinking in advance, whereas just comparing the headline prices - EJ without any of the extras vs BA with everything included - puts EJ off to a flying start.Even if they then start adding up the boarding upgrades, hold baggage allowances, onboard food/drink etc, they'll still have the "EJ is much cheaper" thought running around the back of their mind. The final price might be nearasdamnit the same, but chances are they still think it's a bargain because that was the first impression. And even if they do realise it's not a bargain, chances then are they'll have spent so long getting that far through the booking process they won't want to start all over again with another carrier.
Once you've got them on the hook with the prospect of a good deal, keeping them on the hook as you reel them in past all the price hikes is much easier than trying to hook them using a higher starting price as bait...
el stovey said:
Boarding is much quicker with no seat allocation and easy makes money selling speedy boarding.
People queue up at the gate before boarding to get on first, even people with speedy boarding queue up to get the seats they want. Boarding minus 30 minutes and you can feel the tension at the gate. Watch your fellow passengers as the plane pulls up to the stand, people get jumpy. If you get on a coach people stand near the doors to get off first. It's much quicker.
OK I get your point, but at an airport I don't 'do' the shopping, online is much cheaper. so getting to the gate and waiting for the call isn't an issue.People queue up at the gate before boarding to get on first, even people with speedy boarding queue up to get the seats they want. Boarding minus 30 minutes and you can feel the tension at the gate. Watch your fellow passengers as the plane pulls up to the stand, people get jumpy. If you get on a coach people stand near the doors to get off first. It's much quicker.
to be fair, last nights flight was pretty full, but even as a party of 3 we would have been very unlucky to have seats apart.
Tension at the gate/bus thing is true though, got to love the British queuing mentality. Everyone rush off and make for the stairs. Daughter gets off bus last, wanders to rear steps of the plane and gets on immediately.
But do perople really buy this cheaper fallacy?
twister said:
Mark. said:
I could have got a BA flight for not a lot more. OK, it was dearer, but by the time I'd paid the Easyjet 'speedy boarding' upgrade for 3 people, it would have worked out the same to drive to London City for the BA flight.
You're thinking too rationally to be representative of the EJ target audience... 
As a regular user of Sleazy I reckon you could do a psychology degree about crowd behaviour at boarding. People seem convinced that if they push forward they will actually get to their final destination more quickly. At Nice I tried to explain to one bloke nudging me from behind (oo ..er) that we'd all get to the passport queue at Luton the same time.
twister said:
Even if they then start adding up the boarding upgrades, hold baggage allowances, onboard food/drink etc, they'll still have the "EJ is much cheaper" thought running around the back of their mind.
Even if it's a lot cheaper, the extra charges just make me feel like I'm being ripped off.RedWhiteMonkey said:
I've never had a problem with Easyjet, you just need to have expectations that match their prices.
I didn't have a problem either, and the experience beat the expectation set by price. I was really curious as to why they don't give allocated seats when I see no benefit to not doing it.Regardless of airline or business model it seems the biggest issue these days which slows down boarding, and disembarking (why is it now called deplaning?) is the sheer amount of carry on crap which people take on board.
At least the budget mob try to limit the size and quantity people carry on, possibly so they can bang an extra charge, but I get frustrated on full service flights seeing someone trying to ram a wheelie bag into an overhead where the bag is clearly way way too effing big! Then there's the shuffling up and down while they try and find some space, then the cabin crew try and find a space for them.
FFS bring on a reasonable amount of stuff, spot your seat, bung it in the over head sharpish, don't stand there fannying about with coat on/off take it out fold it a bit more carefully, remember you've forgotten your book, get your bag down again, rinse and repeat.
Just sit down and f
k off out of the way will you!!!!
At least the budget mob try to limit the size and quantity people carry on, possibly so they can bang an extra charge, but I get frustrated on full service flights seeing someone trying to ram a wheelie bag into an overhead where the bag is clearly way way too effing big! Then there's the shuffling up and down while they try and find some space, then the cabin crew try and find a space for them.
FFS bring on a reasonable amount of stuff, spot your seat, bung it in the over head sharpish, don't stand there fannying about with coat on/off take it out fold it a bit more carefully, remember you've forgotten your book, get your bag down again, rinse and repeat.
Just sit down and f
k off out of the way will you!!!!I have to laugh at the queuing also. I wait until it's gone down, stroll on board and then ask a member of the crew to find me three seats together. They take a look at my kids and ask if they can sit by themselves at which point I point out that no they can't as in EJ's own terms they are unable to fly by themselves as they are too young.
What really makes me laugh is that as soon as the plane taxis in and stops everyone jumps out of seat, get luggage down and queues to get of the plane. Why? You're going nowhere for the next five mins. Sit down and chill
What really makes me laugh is that as soon as the plane taxis in and stops everyone jumps out of seat, get luggage down and queues to get of the plane. Why? You're going nowhere for the next five mins. Sit down and chill
Mark. said:
I didn't have a problem either, and the experience beat the expectation set by price. I was really curious as to why they don't give allocated seats when I see no benefit to not doing it.
No benefit to the consumer, granted. See above for answer to "cui bono".hyperblue said:
The queuing for EasyJet flight amuses me. I prefer just to sit down and read a book until the queue's gone, then stroll on. Last time I flew with them there was a seat in the front row on the way out, and a seat in the exit aisle on my return, despite being last to board both times.
And this is why I travelled scheduled with the brood up until tonight (including a memorable Alitalia return journey) until I read this...Sir Bagalot said:
I have to laugh at the queuing also. I wait until it's gone down, stroll on board and then ask a member of the crew to find me three seats together. They take a look at my kids and ask if they can sit by themselves at which point I point out that no they can't as in EJ's own terms they are unable to fly by themselves as they are too young.
Sir, I doff my cap to cunning not seen since Rufus, the Professor of Cunning at Oxford reminded his undergrads of the Leicester Square Gambit counter-move.Mark. said:
I didn't have a problem either, and the experience beat the expectation set by price. I was really curious as to why they don't give allocated seats when I see no benefit to not doing it.
If you sit at an airport long enough, you'll hear calls on the PA system for people to get to their plane. You will very, very, rarely hear that for Easyjet (or any other airline that doesn't allocate seats). Every minute that plane is on the ground is costing money, so turning it around a minute quicker makes them more money. The way it works is that people who have a big group that need to sit together get to the gate early, people who aren't so bothered get there later and fill in the gaps around those groups. It's really rather efficient. They wouldn't do it if it cost them money.
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