EasyJet to cut A319 to 150 Seats

[EddyCurr]

EasyJet to take out seats so it can fly with fewer crew (https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61370175)
By Simon Browning
BBC News 2022.05.09

"By taking out the back row of seating on its A319 fleet, EasyJet said it will be able to fly with three cabin crew instead of four."

[nicolai]

They did that a few years ago on a trial from STN (maybe other bases too). They blocked the centre seats in the first three rows, then had the SCCM on their own up front. Easy crews don't slack at the best of times but the poor SCCM on the flights I saw was at it non stop the whole flight - boarding pax, pre departure checks, handling the ground staff, announcements, then setup of the buffet, run the buffet down the front of the aircraft on their own, take down the buffet, prepare for landing... very very busy the whole time.

The trial didn't last long. As far as I know the crew weren't very happy with it (and crew then could seek other opportunities if they wanted, and now they can seek them even faster). I also think it hit the boarding and therefore turnaround time, and the F&B revenues because it took longer for one crew to serve than two.

At least taking out the rear row is removing the worst seats in the aircraft - each seat is 5cm narrower than the usual seats.

I appreciate Easy are pretty desperate for crew (who isn't?), but they're going to have to be careful not to burn out the existing crew. This might be a better idea for longer flights, where there's a no-service mid-section of the flight, rather than the short ones like intra-UK, Amsterdam, Ireland, etc.

[The AvgasDinosaur]

I suspect this is the difference between redundancy and furlough policy showing through ?

[bnt]

I heard something related on a podcast the other day: Betty In the Sky (https://www.bettyinthesky.net/) talked about how her airline may reduce cabin service on international flights, so that they can reduce staff to the minimum required by FAA regulations.

[DaveReidUK]

At least taking out the rear row is removing the worst seats in the aircraft - each seat is 5cm narrower than the usual seats.

Presumably you mean that the overall width of the rearmost triple is 2 inches less, rather than each individual passenger's seat ?

[WHBM]

Somewhat of a non-story whipped up by know-nothing BBC journalists. Where's Raymond Baxter when you need him ?

Easyjet have not added any A319s to the fleet for some years, only A320s. So the larger aircraft are not involved in this. The A319s are now I believe the minority fleet.

I always thought it bizarre for Easy to specify a 156-seat A319, with the further added cost of the double overwing exit. The chances of selling those last six seats are only a fraction of flights they make, possibly less than 20% of flights, yet the added costs of an extra FA are required on every flight, because the cabin crew requirement is based on seats fitted, not sat in, and every other A319 operator I'm aware of only fits up to 149 seats. In fact I wonder why Easy did not do this long ago.

If you are short of crew then going for a step which reduces crew requirements seems sensible.

If, like most LCCs, the cabin crew are on incentive commission for cabin sales, which is then divided among the crew on board, dividing the commission three ways instead of four will appeal to some.

[EddyCurr]

EasyJet Fleet Matrix:
A319: 55 (3 parked) - 34%
A320: 97 (2 parked) - 60%
A321: 10 - 6%.
as per PlaneSpotters.net (https://www.planespotters.net/airline/easyjet) (last update: 2022.05.08)

[A319]

That would be UK only. For EZY as a group the numbers would be:

319: 92 -29%
320: 214 -67%
321: 15 -4%



EasyJet Fleet Matrix:
A319: 55 (3 parked) - 34%
A320: 97 (2 parked) - 60%
A321: 10 - 6%.
as per PlaneSpotters.net (https://www.planespotters.net/airline/easyjet) (last update: 2022.05.08)

[EddyCurr]

That would be UK only. For EZY as a group the numbers would be:

319: 92 (5 parked) -29%
320: 214 (4 parked) -67%
321: 15 -4%

Thank you.

A319's adjusted numbers for EasyJet (Group) Fleet Matrix as per PlaneSpotters.Net (https://www.planespotters.net/airline/easyJet-Group#:~:text=Fleet%20Matrix%20%20%20%20Aircraft%20Type%20,% 207.5%20Years%20%2015%20more%20rows%20?msclkid=33ca6080cf281 1eca6d75fb902d881d6) (last update 2022.05.08)

[DaveReidUK]

I always thought it bizarre for Easy to specify a 156-seat A319, with the further added cost of the double overwing exit. The chances of selling those last six seats are only a fraction of flights they make, possibly less than 20% of flights, yet the added costs of an extra FA are required on every flight, because the cabin crew requirement is based on seats fitted, not sat in, and every other A319 operator I'm aware of only fits up to 149 seats. In fact I wonder why Easy did not do this long ago.

IIRC, at the time EasyJet ordered the A319 the aircraft was limited to 145 seats with the single E/E, so the ability to fit 156 seats generated almost 8% more ASKs per flight. I would be very surprised if the 4th F/A increased DOCs by that amount - presumably EZY's bean-counters had sharpened their pencils.

[meleagertoo]

I seem to recall that when Easy were purchasing the Airbuses they proposed doing this but the legal requirement for cabin crew was based on seats certificated not seats fitted and thus had to employ a fourth crew member much against their will.
Or is this senility setting in?

[Alan Baker]

I seem to recall that when Easy were purchasing the Airbuses they proposed doing this but the legal requirement for cabin crew was based on seats certificated not seats fitted and thus had to employ a fourth crew member much against their will.
Or is this senility setting in?
What is "seats certificated"? So every A380 operator would have to carry crew for 800 passengers? It is the number of seats installed that determines crew requirements, you could install 19 seats and not have any flight attendants.

[Brian Pern]

Or worse, I used to fly a BBJ2, we had 19 seats, bedroom etc...... and only One Cabin Crew, I am sure she would have liked the extra help 3 others would have brought though.

[DaveReidUK]

So leaving ezy with A319’s sporting unnecessary twin overrwing exits and still needing 4 crew.

Surely it's the presence of the twin E/Es that has permitted EZY to carry 156 pax ?

[krismiler]

So basically 1/3 of the fleet is A319. My previous employer had a couple in 144 configuration which was tight enough. Ended up getting rid of them as the operating cost wasn't that far enough below the A320 to justify losing 36 seats, and it couldn't cover a swap when a full A320 went AOG.

Customised aircraft tend to have lower value on the second hand market as potential buyers are put off adding something which requires different training or spares holding compared to the rest of their fleet. Bog standard is much easier to sell.

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[EddyCurr]

... I used to fly a BBJ2, we had 19 seats, bedroom etc...... and only One Cabin Crew, ...

BBJ2 (aka 737-800).

Hmph. So someone configured a BBJ2 for 19 seats, then only provisioned it with one Cabin Crew ?

So nouveau riche ...

[kriskross]

No, mealeagertoo, you are absolutely correct. Virtually none of the flight deck were involved in the 737 or A319 decision, but it took a couple of senior flight deck to point out once the spec was finalised that with 156 seats you had to have 4 cabin crew. But rarely are the full 156 seats sold was the reply. To which we said it was number of seats, not number of passengers.
The twin overwings were a result of wanting to pack in 156 passengers.

[Repos]

Considering this was in the news only a couple of days ago, Mrs R came home on an Easyjet A319 today. She had been allocated seat 26B. you can guess the rest.

[rotorwills]

BBJ2 (aka 737-800).

Hmph. So someone configured a BBJ2 for 19 seats, then only provisioned it with one Cabin Crew ?

So nouveau riche ...


If only you knew. How about a G650 out in front to check for turbulence. Now that's true.

Not me, but a good mate who was following on the BBJ.

That's style.

[DaveReidUK]

Considering this was in the news only a couple of days ago, Mrs R came home on an Easyjet A319 today. She had been allocated seat 26B. you can guess the rest.

She had to stand ?

[Repos]

She had to stand ?
OK, I admit that was an unfai assumptionr:)

Mrs R standing next to the R26 tag laughing "Do I sit on the floor?"
CC "Sit in 25B"
Passengers for R25 arrive.
Mrs R "What to I do now?"
CC " Are you Ok with row 18?"
Mrs R "As long as I have a seat somewhere"
CC " Well row 18 is empty"
Fortunately It was - completely.

[EddyCurr]

If only you knew. How about a G650 out in front to check for turbulence. Now that's true.

Not me, but a good mate who was following on the BBJ.

That's style.

And THAT is old money ...

[Expo737]

The main issue is that new recruits can't get online quick enough, mainly because the company that the reference checks was outsourced to is beyond useless. There are around 150-200 crew who are waiting for their clearance to come through - I'm one, graduated 6 weeks ago and still stuck on the ground :(

Speaking to an instructor, he did say that the redundancies were oversubscribed so they had to have an extra push this year. Heck, they are still recruiting now for this summer.

[Dannyboy39]

Considering this was in the news only a couple of days ago, Mrs R came home on an Easyjet A319 today. She had been allocated seat 26B. you can guess the rest.
That they'd taken row 13 out?

[Expo737]

Row 26 is being removed, a result being that as 25 becomes the last row 25 C/D will become ABP seats. There are still a lot of A319s flying around unmodified, as long as they have 4CCs it should be ok, though having a mix is bound to cause trouble which as we all know will end up being left to the folks on the day to fix :/

[Nightstop]

When an easyJet aircraft is changed from A321 to A320, or A320 to A319, or A319 (156) to A319 (150), passengers are informed (using the email address on their booking) that the aircraft operating their flight has changed (or it’s configuration has changed). If the passenger can’t be bothered to read the instructions in that email (i.e. check your allocated seat for possible changes, and download their revised Boarding Pass), I’ve no sympathy. It’s not rocket science for most people, unless they’re on Mars with no Space X connection.

[AirportPlanner1]

I recall it being said at the time of the order or introduction that crews didn’t want the extra six seats and colleague because their individual sales and bonuses/commission would fall. I remember because it was compared to the attitude difference at BA where they were complaining about crews being reduced.

[Expo737]

No they are using Adecco, the emails go to a shared email address so you never speak to the same person twice and the phone number doesn't accept incoming calls (it's used by all the outsourcing departments from debt collectors onwards). I did all of my referencing paperwork the same day I was asked to, they've had it since January and only sent it to the airline last week. One girl on my course told me yesterday that she was told yesterday that Adecco hadn't even sent her former employer a reference request yet, we graduated 7 weeks ago! At this rate I doubt I will see the inside of an aircraft until next year :(

I had planned on staying with them for quite a while, you know make a career of it and go for instructor (I was on course for instructor at XLA before they went bust) but right now I'm tempted to take my attestation and find somewhere else though of course the problem is there are now too few airlines and it's too late for summer :/

[Repos]

When an easyJet aircraft is changed from A321 to A320, or A320 to A319, or A319 (156) to A319 (150), passengers are informed (using the email address on their booking) that the aircraft operating their flight has changed (or it’s configuration has changed). If the passenger can’t be bothered to read the instructions in that email (i.e. check your allocated seat for possible changes, and download their revised Boarding Pass), I’ve no sympathy. It’s not rocket science for most people, unless they’re on Mars with no Space X connection.

This didn't happen on Mrs R's flight. We got two emails, one to warn to advise to get to LGW 2.5 hours before the flight. The other was the usual to say "it's almost time to fly etc" which confirmed the seat numer as row 26.
As Expo737 (https://www.pprune.org/members/491023-expo737) said, left to the CC to deal with on the day.