Easyjet online check-in

[t1grm]

Been trying to check in since yesterday for a lunchtime EZY flight to LGW today. Website says check-in is not available and to try later or check-in at the airport.

I read on TripAdvisor that means the flight is likely overbooked? It's showing as sold out on the new booking page. Anyone had experience of this?

[Espada III]

Don't understand how an easyJet flight can be overbooked. Do they oversell the flights? But so many people pay to select their seats on booking, so how do they do this?

[t1grm]

I didn't pay for allocated seats. I assume all airlines overbook to a greater or lesser extent.

P.S. Presumably they do it by overbooking and then closing online check-in once flight is full. Overbooked passengers go to airport to wait and hope there are some no shows or else they are bumped.

[Johnny F@rt Pants]

As far as I know easyJet do overbook their flights. I read somewhere recently a post made by someone claiming to work for them, that those that haven't managed to check in online are the ones that will be selected for offload. Don't know how true this is mind.

[mockingjay]

As with many airlines, easyJet overbook flights. Getting to the airport early will likely mean you're the first on standby lists. Unlike a legacy carrier they will put people who either have status or have paid more than you. That is not the case with easyJet. Turning up early will likely improve your chances. It's unfortunate but that's the best advice I can think of. If it's any consolation getting left behind is actually exceptionally rare. I reserved seats are paid for, a refund will be due.

Good luck with it all. Its not ideal I know.

[RAT 5]

As far as I know easyJet do overbook their flights.

It's a definite change in policy, if so. Back in 2000 the business model was no overbooking, so they said, and no SBY policy. There was no way to issue a SBY ticket. They knew, back then, that many people on the main commuter routes e.g. STN-GLA/EDI booked very early and bought 2 tickets and an early & late flight. On Friday nights they had many no shows, but they had sold the seats. I wonder if this started the thinking of overbooking; but I was told the computer booking program, then, did not allow overbooking.
To add to this discussion, and considering the UAL and recent ez scenarios, I was told some years ago, before the meteoric rise of the LoCO's, that the regular airlines overbooked by 5%-ish. Indeed they were allowed to do so by the authorities. True, yes/no? there will be those who know.

[Hotel Tango]

Not an overbooking per say but perhaps a change of equipment from A320 to A319 for operational reasons? That would create a surplus of pax.

[t1grm]

As suspected flight was overbooked. Was given a boarding pass with SAG on it and no seat number (seat at gate I presume) and sent airside to wait for no shows at the gate. There were 4 of us. Interestingly 2 of them had printed pdf boarding passes so somehow they managed to check in on line and were still on standby. Not sure how that can happen. Anyway as it happens, all was well, there were enough no shows and we got allocated seats at the gate. In sunny England now :) Handy to know for future reference so I can start formulating a plan B if it happens again.

[edi_local]

Does EZY not allow online check in up to 30 days in advance? If you do that then surely you won't have this problem again?

[t1grm]

Yes if you book 30 days in advance yes. This was a last minute trip.

P.S. As stated above there were pax with online boarding basses on standby so apparently not.

[Akrotiri bad boy]

EZY most certainly do over book their flights, I speak from bitter experience.

In a previous incarnation I worked at sea and had at best an intermittent internet connection. At the end of this particular "cruise" I drove northwards to catch the LGW - EDI flight which the company administrator had booked in my name. Imagine my horror as I entered the hall on the Thursday of a Bank Holiday weekend to be faced with more humans than I thought existed, and all slowly trudging towards the orange check-in desks. After having grown old and shaved twice I finally reached the check-in desk to be told; "You haven't booked in on line therefore your seat has been re-allocated". I pointed out that I had spent the previous four weeks over the horizon and out of electronic touch. The yoof couldn't comprehend how it was possible to be without an internet connection and kept repeating the same mantra.:ugh:
Faced with a growing chorus of harrumphing from those behind me in the queue I grudgingly joined the easy queue specifically for the disenfranchised, the homeless, those who failed to book in on line and general losers. Having put a further inch on my beard I eventually reached the head of the queue to be told; "The next flight's full":{
"RIGHT!! That's it, sod you and your orange nonsense I'm off".
I had no idea where I was off to but it certainly did not involve anything remotely orange, or anything that said Fly or Airways.
Nine hours later as I swept up the gravel drive towards Akro Towers I thought to myself; "Well, that went well, just think of all those Enterprise loyalty points I can use the next time I rent a van"

To recap = EZY DO overbook.

[ExXB]

R261/2004 compensation applies to overbooking. No extraordinary circumstances event exceptions either. If you have a booking, show up on time, and are denied for any reason you are entitled to either reroute or refund AND €250, €400, €600 (depending on flight distance) compensation. Equipment changes such as A320 to A319 will result in DBC.

The regulation also requires the airline to seek volunteers. This doesn't appear to be happening (based on above two accounts). They should be very careful as failing to comply with the regulation can result in severe sanctions.

[Hotel Tango]

Just what I was thinking ExXB, which is why some of the above tales had me puzzled somewhat.

[ExXB]

I was told some years ago, before the meteoric rise of the LoCO's, that the regular airlines overbooked by 5%-ish. Indeed they were allowed to do so by the authorities. True, yes/no? there will be those who know.

Network airlines have always overbooked but not by a fixed percentage. Airline systems can accurately estimate how many no-shows each flight will experience.

For example a 07h00 Monday morning departure on a business route could have 0% oversales, while a 10h00 departure on a Wednesday, which has numerous inbound connections, could have 20~50% or even more, reflecting that some connecting passengers are not goint to make it. Time of day, day of week, day of year, proximity to holidays, connections, even road works all have different effects. Historical patterns also play a big factor: If a particular flight has been averaging no shows of 3-5% for the last 30 days then the likelihood that today's flight will have the same is very high.

Undersales also occur, for example on flights that pick up the spill from missed connections. So two flights an hour apart could have +20/-20 profiles.

Oversales has not been forbidden by any regulator for the simple reason that substantially more passengers benefit from the practice than are harmed by it. If you have ever been on a full, or almost full, flight some of the passengers are only there because of oversales. These never been quantified, but they are significant.

Consider a passenger seeking to secure a booking for an apparently full first flight Monday morning and the flight has a history of 20 no-shows. By overselling the flight by 10~15 seats the airline can accomodate this passenger. If overbooking wasn't permitted the customer will suffer additional consequential costs. i.e. Having to leave Sunday afternoon, disrupting weekend plans, and paying for a hotel and meals.

The real answer is that the airlines get it right almost every time, when they get it wrong they seek volunteers and, only if they can't find a volunteer the bumped customer is entitled to care, refund or reroute and compensation.

It really is a win-win situation, with very few losers.

While the LCC and ULCC models suggest they don't need to overbook, but even they will experience no-shows for whatever reason. If a flight always has a 2~3 seat no show factor, why shouldn't they accept a couple of extra bookings? They are happy and their extra customers are happy too.

[farci]

EZY most certainly do over book their flights, I speak from bitter experience.

To recap = EZY DO overbook.
...as recounted in this article by Simon Calder (http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/easyjet-overbooking-luton-airport-catania-sicily-denied-boarding-ordered-off-plane-a7686471.html)

[Hotel Tango]

Years ago I was travelling on an industry stand-by ticket with Capitol Airways from JFK to SJU on a DC-10. Reservations showed it to be overbooked by some 40 plus seats. Even after all the stand-by pax were accepted there were still more than 70 vacant seats remaining on departure. Of course this was in the days when a booking could be made by phone without any advance payment. Overbooking had to be (and was) rampant.

[Akrotiri bad boy]

I can gaurantee you that at no point during the check-in debacle was the "C" word or its monetary value mentioned. The staff created an atmosphere in which I felt a little stupid and naive at not having first checked in on line before heading for the airport and the whole sorry affair was of my own doing. Having spent a significant amount of time away from home and with celebrations planned I was very disappointed that my stupidity in not checking in on line also precluded me from travelling on the next flight. I approached another carrier who was also fully booked but did have the facility to take cash payments at the desk had there been a spare seat. I eventually drove LGW - EDI and resolved never to let the orange oompa loompa muppets ever get the upper hand again.

Be careful with Lo Co booking procedures:=

[ExXB]

... and know your rights before you leave for the airport. Take a copy of the regulation with you. Read the airlines conditions of carriage/contract.

[Akrotiri bad boy]

Knock me down with a feather if I don't fall foul of squeezyjet again! This time it's a delayed return fllight from Alicante. First offering was a E4.50 ticket for the inconvenience, which nicely covered the cost of a bottle of San Pellegrino. Unfortunately the clock continued to tick on long past when I should have been tucked up back at Akro Towers. The flight eventually touched down some 6 1/2 hours late leaving me facing an excess hours parking surcharge of £23.00.

Following on from advice given here (ExXB "know your rights") I thought I'd submit an expenses claim to cover the £23 quid. This was duly bounced with a template response that included the phrase "you may be eligible for compensation". Well if you ain't gonna pay me my £23 quid I'll try for some compo. I sent in the proffered form and lo and behold I have been awarded £351.00, I'd have settled for £23.00 but beggars can't be choosers.

A win for the little guy:ok:

[Espada III]

Well done. Just had our Manchester-Berlin flight cancelled by EZY. The plane didn't leave Berlin as the return would arrive after the curfew closed down the airport. Can't seem to claim a refund online (despite lots of emails showing me a non-existent button to click), so will have to ring in the morning.

Apparently, lots of delays during the day caused by weather over Europe?

[Akrotiri bad boy]

And a win for the little gal:ok: Mrs Akro also now in receipt of £351. That's the week in Benidorm paid for courtesy of the orange oompah loopahs