How to Avoid Disappointment with SquEasyJet (easyJet)

Member Name: Good_Guy

Product:	easyJet
Date:	29/04/09 (93 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good prices and easy to use booking on website.

Disadvantages: Extra costs for checking-in, luggage and in flight snacks

"Squeasy" Jet is a low cost air carrier and, as a previous reviewer commented, seating pitch is a bit tight, thus the nickname! Do you get it? Easy, Squeasy, if you are not with me by now forget it!!!
I have used Easyjet for both domestic flights, London, Edinburgh, etc, and for holiday flights to Spain, Malaga for example. On most of these routes they have been in competition with other airlines so I must have reason for choosing to fly with them and I'll explain.
In the first instance their website provides a useful search for flights; especially if you are flexible on dates, you select the "flexible" option and the search results shows a couple of weeks worth of fares; for example you usually find its cheaper to fly on a weekday rather than Saturday or Sunday. They call this a "14 day view". It does the same for your return journey which is great and makes it easy to get the best fare to match your dates. For instance last year I was able to stay an extra night because the saving in airfare paid for an extra night in the hotel! There is a little table of lowest fares available in each month for the next six months in advance. Very useful!
Like all the budget airlines the best and cheapest way to travel is to travel with hand luggage only; no queues at check-in, no waiting at the carousel in arrivals and no extra charges for the hold luggage. If you only have hand luggage you can avail of the online check-in which is hugely beneficial avoiding those long interminable queues. And, indeed, this is one area I would criticise Easyjet, there must be a better way of handling flight check in! The scenario is you arrive at the airport with plenty of time to check-in, typically two hours plus ahead of your flight departure, only to find absolutely ginormous queues at all the desks. You spend the next hour and half slowly shuffling forward becoming ever more concerned about making your flight, then they start to make announcements for your flight number calling you forward to an desk they have allocated to expedite check-in for your particular flight. Result no duty free, no quiet cup of coffee (or, much needed after your ordeal, something stronger) and, as happened to me, no breakfast that I'd planned having left the hotel early in the morning.
Talking about breakfast brings me to another topic of flying with Easyjet, the morning I missed breakfast, at he hotel left too early then at the airport too long in checking-in, I was sitting six rows from the back galley and I got the last breakfast roll, bacon and stuff, you know the type of thing. Six Rows only and not many were ordering the breakfast, by this time it was nearer lunch time but I you may appreciate I was close to passing out from hunger and caffeine deficiency! So the moral is don't depend on cabin service, get something before you go on board which brings us back to the check-in problem. Grrrrr, you can't win!!!
Seriously though Easyjet are a low cost carrier don't expect too much of the creature comforts just enjoy the fact that you got a flight at a good price and as likely as not it gets you where you wanted to go pretty much on time. You know what they say; "Blessed are they who expect nothing for they will not be disappointed!

Summary: Worthwhile savings and reasonable on time record