Easyjet speedy boarding

[STANDTO]

Is it me or is this speedy boarding a complete waste of time? It is at LPL anyway. No organisation, people pushing in and upsetting each other. Why the hell don't they just put a fiver on the ticket and allocate seating at the desk, or let you pay extra if you want to pre book them online? Discuss.

[NUTS AND BOLTS]

I have never had any issues with speedy boarding and I travel 2 or 3 times a month with EZY.

The only issue is the idiot passengers who have not paid extra who think they can push in front of everyone else, even though the gate staff make numerous announcements about how the flight is boarded.

The problem with only a few people pre-booking seats is those people being at the gate on time to board 1st and before the rest of the non pre-booked passengers.

Not everyone wants to pay an extra £5 just to have a seat allocated - this adds a lot of extra cost to the ticket (especially for families) and moves away from the 'low cost' business model and more towards a 'traditional' scheduled airline that charge slightly more than EZY.

[ExXB]

Travelled Squeezy quite a few times to/from Geneva. In the beginning we splurged on speedy boarding but we haven't done so for quite a while.

It simply isn't worth the money as it doesn't guarantee you a better seat. Out of Geneva the better seats are often in the back rows (they board most flights only from the front here) because at the destination they unload both front and back. Mrs. & I have never failed to get two seats together.

At Geneva the process can be very messy with non-SB people arriving early and SB people arriving late and pushing to get to the front. Queue jumping (even if paid for) isn't appreciated by Anglo-saxons and even by the Swiss. (I won't mention the French - Queue jumping being part of their genes).

If Squeezy found some way of managing the queues then perhaps it would be worth it, but blaring on the tannoy (usually only in English at UK ports) isn't the way to do it.

[farci]

Is it me or is this speedy boarding a complete waste of time?Yes. It's self-defeating because the more people who buy Speedy Boarding the less,er, Speedy it becomes. We'll probably see a new product 'Priority Speedy Boarding' in due course.

In any case, if a bus to or from the aircraft is involved then Speedy Boarders are either stuck at the back of the bus or lose out in the general scrum at the aircraft steps.
SB is simply another method of reaming the passenger.

[Young Paul]

In most places, where buses are involved, the Speedy Boarders are put on the first bus, quite often on their own. The exact implementation lies beyond the direct control of easy as it is down to the handling agent, but this is certainly how they (and the crew) would like it done.

Allocated seating is something that I guess the airline is continually evaluating - it doesn't need to cost more at all: the question as far as the airline is concerned is whether the benefit (passengers like it) outweighs the tactical cost (almost certainly slower boarding, no more speedy boarding).

[PAXboy]

Also, don't waste your money on speedy boarding (ot the FR equivalent, whatever it's called) in Italy. Queuing was lost somewhere back in the days of Nero ... :p

[Ancient Observer]

I bet Nero didn't have to fight for a seat.

[frequentflyer2]

Mrs FF and I flew from Naples to Venice with easyJet. Speedy boarding was rigidly enforced at the gate. There was an area for speedy boarders, and everyone else had to wait until they were on the aircraft.

[PAXboy]

True, it would have been "Off with his head" until enough plebs had been clered out of the way.

When I came back from FCO two years ago with EZY, the scrum began long before the flight was called and the flight was then delayed (it was Sunday evening) so it was elbows out and head down! :ugh:

[Pilotinmydreams]

I fly fairly regularly with Easy and don't buy speedy boarding. It's already been mentioned that if a bus ride to the aircraft is required then it's a general waste of time as all you're buying is the priviledge of being first on the bus. Where you get directly onto the aircrat it would seem to be an advantage sometimes but personally I just ensure i'm at the airport in plenty of time and then when the gate is called make sure i'm there quickly and sitting near to where the que will form to make sure i'm at or near the front.

Admittedly I ususally travel alone so it's never been that much of a problem finding a seat.-, it may be harder for families.

I've coined the term 'Easyjet Shuffle' to describe everyone trying desperately to get to the front of the non-speedy boardingque (and yes, that's me as well :-)

[easyflyer83]

Speedy Boarding isn't a great product.....not because it doesn't work (it does work nearly all the time) but because it's just not worth it IMO.

Certainly all Easyjet base airports have speedy boarding off to a fine art and so do most other stations. Apart from one or two places, the complaints about bussing are unfounded as it's usually a speedy boarders bus or speedy boarders are placed at the front and just the front doors are used initially.

Where speedy boarding does fail, as someone else has mentioned, it's usually down to one or two idiots in the main queue who don't grasp the concept or who resent the fact that they aren't first. That said, from my experience, it is usually orderly.

Unalloacted seating is still being reviewed and as Easyjet continues to seek to "add value" then there is a very real possibility that allocated seating will be introduced. Having worked for an alloacted seating carrier before, it won't mean that everyone will be happy with where they are sat but it's what many passengers want.

[ExXB]

Easyflyer - Isn't Geneva one of your 'base airports'? I do appreciate that EasyJet Switzerland is a separate company (49% owned by Squeezy UK) but I see no 'fine art' when boarding here. It is a scrum, nothing else describes it. Paying for SB might get you out of the scrum, if you can get to the front, but that isn't something we should be paying for.

In the UK announcements are only made in English (or at least in my experience) often on poor equipment (not Squeezy's fault, but they should be aware they can't be heard properly.)

When they are boarding A passengers, why can't someone hold up a sign with an A on it. Or flash it on the display, or .... !!!! Same goes for all the other categories.

[k3lvc]

I'm with ExXB as a regular through GVA to MAN/LPL/LBA and an Easyjet plus card holder - the system sucks on any of the non-schengen flights departing from B gates where everyone is funnelled before they even anounce the flight.

I've voted with my feet though - LX flight via ZRH takes me 50-60mins longer but at better times of the day, I board at my leisure, enjoy a drink and free choccie and generally arrive on time - all for less than the equivalent EZY flight (exc SB but with a bag) over the past 4 months.

[Sunnyjohn]

When I fly with my wife - about for times a year - with Easyjet, we always buy Speedy Boarding and have no problem with it. We always get the seats we want. When I fly solo I never buy speedy boarding because I can almost always get the seat I want. Many three-block seats are occupied by couples who sit near the aisle and leave the window seat free. One reason is that many people don't like looking out when they're flying - the other is that they keep the seat for their hand bags!

[STANDTO]

Not much better at Mahon today. Two queues on desks 9 and 10 prior to them opening. Fortunately I picked the right one, when they opened it and whacked the Speedy Boarding sign above it! there were 20 in front of me that weren't SB who quite rightly refused to move. The check in girl protested but was overruled by people power.

When I got to the desk, I was a kilo over. I politely suggested I wouldn't make a fuss about the SB debacle if she didn't about my one kilo! She was spot on in fairness. I think the bottom line is that the current EZY set up creates an awful lot of tension that is unnecessary and makes handling staffs job that bit harder.

Flybe has the system almost right. If you want to reserve a seat, then pay for it at the time of booking - though it is a bit dear IMHO. Check in online on the day, then you will get some decent seat allocation. Turn up and check in and take your chances! The EZY model is currently flawed as you can only check in online if you have no hold bags.

if EZY got this right, they would clean up I reckon. Other than this, they were spot on slick. Only slight annoyance is that 'one cabin bag' nonsense. Knackers airport shopping!

[jb5000]

2 things:

The EZY model is currently flawed as you can only check in online if you have no hold bags.

Not quite true, there are dedicated 'bag drop' areas in most airports for people who have checked in online.

Only slight annoyance is that 'one cabin bag' nonsense. Knackers airport shopping!

You can take duty free on board on top of your one cabin bag allowance.

[easyflyer83]

Yep jb5000 is spot on. Back in the day online check in was only available for hand baggage only but has since changed to include hold bags too. And the hand baggage allowance curiously allows one duty free bag.

[easyflyer83]

When I got to the desk, I was a kilo over. I politely suggested I wouldn't make a fuss about the SB debacle if she didn't about my one kilo! She was spot on in fairness. I think the bottom line is that the current EZY set up creates an awful lot of tension that is unnecessary and makes handling staffs job that bit harder.

To be honest, I really don't think your bargaining had any effect on the situation. 1kilo over weight would never incur an excess charge. Check in staff use their discretion and anyone charging you for 1 extra kilo really are on a power trip.

[STANDTO]

Yep jb5000 is spot on. Back in the day online check in was only available for hand baggage only but has since changed to include hold bags too. And the hand baggage allowance curiously allows one duty free bag.

I've learned something there. That isn't what it said on my confirmation notice.

As for the kilo over - I've had it elsewhere. Didn't help on the outward leg that there was 1.3kg difference in the scales at Ronaldsway and Liverpool :ugh:

Anyway - IMHO if Ezy ditch speedy boarding and allow you to purchase your seat in advance IF YOU WISH, then that will go a long way to making them the best of the best.

[Captivep]

As I understand it, the reason for locos not generally allocating seats is not to do with costs; it rather exerts psychological pressure on passengers to be at the gate early thus allowing speedier turnrounds.

[lowcostdolly]

As I understand it, the reason for locos not generally allocating seats is not to do with costs; it rather exerts psychological pressure on passengers to be at the gate early thus allowing speedier turnrounds.

SSSHH......Don't tell everyone!!!:oh:

Here's the gold standard on speedy boarding, all at the gate and making money ;)


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