Not unless I can help it ... updated (easyJet)

Member Name: sidneygee

Product:	easyJet
Date:	28/07/02 (3414 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap if booked at the right time, Incited British Airways to reduce prices substantially

Disadvantages: Can be Expensive if not., Surly check-in at Edinburgh, Last departures in day often late.

See end for latest Update

Having been critical of the proposed take-over of the 'Go' airline, last year I tried the 'Easyjet' service to and from Belfast from Edinburgh.

For some reason, I have never really been attracted to 'Easyjet'. Perhaps it is because the owner (Stelios Haji-Ioannou) seems to me to have a shifty appearance ? like some of those people I meet in my business, where I instinctively count my fingers and check that I still have my watch and my wallet whenever I shake hands with them. I had hitherto only experienced a return flight to Stanstead - uncomfortable, but little worse than the other Edinburgh - London flight experiences

Anyway, I now have 4 clients in Belfast, and most visits are made well in advance, so that very low prices are now usually available. Thus, I was asked to go over for a visit to carry out some auditing and documentation that would normally take 3 days. Problem was that in the time scale envisaged, I only had two days' available. So a bargain was agreed ? I would fly out on a Wednesday morning and return to Edinburgh on the Thursday evening, working through Wednesday evening and completing any remaining documentation in Edinburgh over the following weekend - using a telephone/email link with the Laboratory manager who would be at the Laboratory, if required. A 'special price' was also agreed. I do not have to offer a three days' work for the price of two deal yet !

So, for this trip, the 'Go' flights were not suitable, getting me into the laboratory after 11 am, and needing me to leave on the 4 pm airport bus. I looked at the British Airways (BA) service, through British Regional Airlines, but the price was still £274 (!!!). So what about Easyjet. Well, the times were better than 'Go', with the early morning flight getting in at 9 am ? possible just in time to get the 9.10 bus to the City ? and a later return, with the pl
ane leaving
at 19.35 ? so I could stay at the Laboratory easily until the 17.30 bus. The price ? A comforting £50 return, paying by debit card over the internet? this compared with a price of £38.20 quoted by ?Go? ? so a bargain indeed for being able to work an extra possible 3 hours on site.....

Booking by telephone is also possible, for an extra £2.50 per flight

So, the booking was made on line, and I duly turned up at Edinburgh Airport at 07.10, over one hour before the flight was due to depart. Initial impressions were good ? a specific check-in for the Belfast flight (rather than the 3 or 4 composite 'all fights' check-in desks favoured by 'Go' where tempers can get frayed when they suspend checking-in your flight and all the late-comers for the Stanstead flight turn up with about 30 minutes before their departure. There was just one person in front of me .. with two bags ? one of which he wanted to take as hand-luggage. The (completely humourless) dragon on the check in insisted that he weighed both bags separately. The hand-luggage bag weighed 6.5 kilograms. ?You cannot take on board any hand-luggage item more that 5 kilograms? she said with triumph in her voice. Naturally, the guy, mumbling that he didn?t want his lap-top computer bounced on the tarmac, unloaded several files from the one bag into the other getting it down to 5.1 kilograms 9which with ill-grace, he was allowed to take away. Whilst she was completing the booking details, I sneaked my hand-luggage bag onto the belt .... 6.6 kilograms ... Rapidly I unzipped it and removed a large file, which I held under my arm. The bluddy *itch had actually seen me do this... out of her third eye, perhaps ? So when I placed my bag on the belt (at her insistence) she commented ?what about that binder??.

I lied, saying that it was to read on the plane, and "surely if a woman can take a handbag
and a book in addition to the hand luggage then s
urely I could take this binder". ?O.K., but remember, you are not allowed to put it into your hand-luggage?, she said (I kid you not !). Needless to say, I walked away from the check-in, stopped, unzipped the bag, and placed the binder in, carefully and slowly zipping it up again. I was safe ... and no hoards of security guards jumped on my back ...

Those of you who have used Easyjet will know that apart from not issuing tickets (in common with all budget airlines), but they also dispense with seat reservation numbers. Whilst relaxing in the departure lounge, I noted that the number on my check-in pass was ?89?. Must be a busy flight I thought .... but the significance of this only hit me when the boarding call came. First asked to board obviously were those with young children and requiring 'extra time' or assistance. Then those with boarding passes numbered up to 30 ... the those with passes up to ?90?. No prizes for guessing who had boarding card ?No. 90?.....

The 'entertainment' had not finished though. The Steward on the aircraft was 'brilliant'. He may go far. He did his best to 'out-camp' Graham Norton. A tall guy got on and was having great difficulty sorting out his seat belt. ?Do you need any help Sir ?? he trilled ... ?Er no thank you, I can manage? was the reply ?Ooooh it would be no trouble for youuu Sir ? What's the matter don't you trust me .... (eye lashes fluttering)??. Gales of laughter from everyone in the vicinity, of course ... and the tall guy blushed heavily. Steward fained his feelings being ?deeply hurt? before smirking.

The safety procedure needless to say was similarly hilarious (not words, but plenty of 'action' whilst the young lady stewardess spoke the instructions.

When we landed (on
time), this steward urged us to remain in our seats with our seat belts TIGHTLY fastened ..."No one has yet reached the airport buildin
gs before the plane door has been opened". "Please do not smoke or use your mobile phones before entering the airport building. Anyone who does not obey this instruction will be set upon by the security guards and soundly beaten" ; ?Please ensure that you take all your belongings with you. Anything you leave on the plane is shared out between the staff?; ?Oh, and if you are going to leave anything, please make sure it is something worth having. It's my turn for pick of the goodies?. OK, hackneyed humour perhaps, but better than 'misery', and he was certainly more entertaining that some of the efforts I have seen on TV.

Unfortunately, the return flight was a nightmare. The plane arrived very late ? and we departed at 21.25 (almost 2 hours later than scheduled), and the plane smelled awful. Perhaps someone had been sick on an earlier flight. The flight staff were so obviously tired and I felt a little nervous. I wondered if the pilot/co-pilot felt similar to the cabin crew ....


The fares to Belfast on Easyjet are extremely variable, depending on when you book and the demand (or perhaps anticipated demand). Each fare quoted on the web is plus airport tax of £5 and £1.60 insurance & security charge. The most expensive quote for each leg was £65.90, totalling £72.50 each way, but fares of £35.90/£25.90/£20.90/£15.90/£10.90/£8.40/£5.90/£3. 40 and £0.00 (!) are also quoted. Thus it is possible to travel for as little as £13.20 return (paying only the tax and insurance/security charge).

One significant problem for business travellers is that whereas 'Go' allows you book fully flexible business fares (at £97.20), this is not possible with Easyjet. Travel bookings can be changed by telephoning and paying a transfer fee of £10
per person per flight, plus any difference in cost. In the case of either 'Go' or 'Easyjet', the very best option when booking well in advance, is t
o book more than one flight. For example, I have just booked a flight with Easyjet for late September, with the return flight booked on both Go and Easyjet. Thus I have a choice of either the 18.15 Go return flight ? or the 19.35 Easyjet return. This flexibility cost me just £6.60, and I shall always try to give myself this flexibility. Be good to arrive just too late for the 'Go' flight, but still have the Easyjet booking in hand ....

So whereas I rated 'Go' as 5 stars, Easyjet get no higher than 3 stars. British Airways, unfortunately, would get barely 2 stars, if I were not paying my own fare and one star if I were.

I now have 4 clients in Belfast. If I were still charging for British Airways full fares (at £273 a pop), I reckon I would now have none ....

Update (1). Today (29 July), I have been asked to visit one of my new Belfast clients next Wednesday (7 August) for just the day, to discuss agreement on a longer term contract. Booking on line was again easy, at a total cost of £32.50. I shall report on the experience .....

That was 'O.K.'

Update (2) (1 February 2003)
I tried booking on Easy jet again a little over a week ago, for Belfast next Tuesday to Friday. BIG problem! the flight now does not leave until 10.25am. NO GOOD!, Cost would now be £75 return(!). British Airways got my business for £68.80 return - going out at 07.20 on Tuesday, returning 19.40 on Friday ... with 'snacks' ... and better service ... They got my business last trip too. I shall have to write a Review on BA .....

A friend of our son is from Belfast. He has used his student card for ID (has his photograph and his signature). On Thurday he was REFUSED access on the Edinburgh - Belfast flight, the Easyjet Gestapo-frau insisiting on a passport !!!!!!!!

© Sidneygee 2002

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