Hi Malone
Merry Xmas to you, too, from a windy and mild Malta.
I don't like free seating either, but over the years I've got used to it and accept it as part of the deal.
As a personal opinion (and this is only my view) the experience of flying with easyJet is a lot nicer than with Ryanair, which is strange as both companies offer a similar service.
Although I have nothing against Ryanair crew, who work hard for their money, the easyJet CC seem a little more polished and friendly (although I did take a Ryanair flight yesterday, as well and the Pisa based crew were nice - well above average.)
It is interesting to contrast these flights (driven by scheduling constraints) with my normal type of business flights.
Orly was a bit of a bunfight, as a lot of the pax were arguing over luggage allowance (not a usual experience), but Pisa was a delight to use, a breath of fresh air after the big hubs I usually fly to.