easyJet allocated seating
 

Can any easyJet crew tell me what effect allocated seating is having on boarding times. Are they quicker or slower and is it saving you hassle (or indeed causing more)?

It is actually a little quicker by some 3 mins!!! At LGW anyway. There are teething problems as regulars are unaware of allocated seating and sit in wrong seats, but generally it's all good. Will be hassle free in a month or so when people get used to it!

As a frequent passenger on EZY, my view on this is that it removes the last remaining objection that anyone might have had to travelling with this already excellent airline.

Thank you for listening, and thank you for implementing this. Wonderful.

Just out of interest, if I am one of the first to check-in/bag drop at the desk, will I be offered a choice of seat? Or will I be "allocated" a middle seat and then asked if I would like to change it for £10? (or whatever the correct price is)

good question, the public need to know
 

I am glad that the allocated seating works, and a little surprised.....how is the boarding sequenced, same pens, but for allocated seats rather than zones.????

I'm guessing: priority boarding and families with little children first, everybody else second regardless of allocated seat? Structured boardings have always failed on account of most passenger not paying any attention whatsoever and showing up when they shouldn't. It is generally quicker to let them sort themselves out on board than trying to herd them at the gate.
There have been scientific studies (with actual tests and everything) on which is the best way to board a plane, but they all have the same inherent defect in that they assume that people will actually do as requested. Experience shows that this is completely unrealistic, and the time savings with the best method didn't amount to much anyway.

Just sharing an experience in case anyone is interested here.

I have an EZY flight on Thursday. I checked in online last night to see what seat it allocated me, and I got 'D'. An aisle. I wanted a window and I wondered in what order they would allocate seats, logically the least desirable (middle?) first in order to encourage people to pay for an allocated seat. I was a little surprised to get an aisle as although I hate the aisle, it seems most people want that.

There is obviously some algorythm determing how seats are allocated in the DCS. On conventional DCSs, generally it starts at the front, allocates the window seats down both sides, then the aisles, then the middle seats. Groups/families are of course seated in the same row.

Having got my boarding pass, I cannot now change that seat on line, but only when I check in at the airport, and by paying for the selected seat. I am wondering how that will work in practice.

Don't forget that weight and balance constraints need to be taken into account too. Not an issue as long as a flight is fully booked, if it's half empty than allocating seats simply either by starting at the front or at the back might not be a good idea as it might cause W&B to go out of limits.
Somebody's most undesirable seat might also be somebody else's most desirable, there really is no way to know that.

No, if you don't pay anything at all, you have no option to change your seat. The system allocates one for you, and that is what you will have. This can only be changed without charge by the airline for operational or safety reasons.

This is the best thing Easyjet management could have done - turns a great airline into an unbeatable one.

If there are any senior management on this thread - thank you! :ok:

Yep, I second Doors to Automatic and Tableview's similar post further up the page. I've only had two flights with allocated seating so far and I exercised no preference for any seat - I was with my wife and we just sat where we were told at no extra charge. The flights were booked early and on both we were in row 17. Perhaps they start allocating around that point for the balance considerations mentioned above by Dg800. easyJet has always (touch wood!) been great for me.

As a regular user of Easy Jet I think the new seating system has been a success and has stopped the worst of the boarding problems, I don't however share some of the other contributors enthusiasm for Easy jet, I always seem to be held in the air bridge for an age and the amount of cabin baggage that comes aboard is excessive.

Next year at LGW will be interesting with more another low cost but quality operator basing aircraft at Gatwick and going head to head with the likes of Easy Jet on routes to Southern Europe

I flew once with easyJet two years ago, unaware that they used Pikeyair boarding until I arrived at the gate with my family. I have never flown with them since, and will not fly with any airline that does not allocate seating. I imagine I am not the only one with that proviso.

Well my experience seems to be different to everyone else!!!

I have taken about 4 flights so far, when I am travelling onmy own I couldn’t care less where I sit so there is no problem. I have thoughtaken a couple of flights with colleagues where we have booked separately and we wouldlike to sit together. there is no way to achieve this, even by paying, unlessone person checks in for the entire group at the same time. The sooner Easyoffer the chance to link PNR’s (even for a fee) the better.

Another point is that there is still a queue for boarding asthere is often insufficient space to store the hand luggage and the last oneson the aircraft will end up with their hand luggage in the hold.

Passengers complain about the airline when other passengers carry "too much hand baggage" as if the airline had made them do it.

Passengers complain if hand baggage is restricted.

Passengers complain they have to pay to put bags in the hold despite it being done to reduce their ticket cost.

Passengers complain when their bag is put in the hold f.o.c.

Passengers complain that are held in a queue too long.

Passengers complain that boarding takes too long because they weren't processed through the gate fast enough.

Passengers complain they can't book seperately and sit together (ho the hell could any airline do that???)

Passengers complain they don't like where they are seated when they were offered the chance to choose but decided not to bother.

Passengers seem to think that the front of the aeroplane arrives sooner than the back.

In all the above cases the flight almost certainly left on time and arrived early.

I expect there were passengers complaining about that too.:ugh:

But the silent majority (over 90% I'd venture to suggest) thought they'd had a pleasant, good-value flight in comfortable seats that ran to schedule and were well looked after by superbly Professional crew. Whose opinion should Easyjet act upon?

Succintly summarized, Agaricus! 50 million passengers= 50 million opinions. And some of them believe that their opinion is THE valid one, and, of course, that they, and only they, know best.

Here's my experience today. As mentioned I was automatically allocated a 'D' (aisle) and couldn't change it online. The check in agent said I could change it at the ticket desk, who said it would cost €24 - a bit different from the €4 on the website, but that I could change on board for €4. I suspect that the latter was just to fob me off.

On board, predictably, I was told it was a full flight and couldn't change. Not surprising.

So, lesson learnt, don't rely on the automatic allocation to give you what you want, pay the £3 in advance.

easyJet have done everything they possibly can to provide a better service and to explain the new procedures to SLF. Unforunately, you can't fix stupid!

Last night I boarded an EZY from LGW, I had paid for an allocated seat and SB. 10 minutes before they'd even called for boarding, the sheeple are crowding round the gate, pushing and shoving. Why? As they call for for Speedy Boarding to commence the scrum thickens and the SB people, who had been sitting waiting, couldn't get through. So the agent asks everybody who is not SB to sit down. Nobody takes a blind bit of notice. She asks twice. Same result.

The guy in front of me is politely asking the morons blocking the way to move, but they don't, so I asked a little less politely, three times, was ignored, so I rudely pushed through the idiots to much protest, asking them which part of 'sit down' they didn't understand. Got sworn at - fine.

Asked the lady at the gate if they could do something about the idiots blocking the exit, she said : "You just did it!". Then some tw@t has a go at me for calling him an idiot even though he'd proved he was one.

Flight was further delayed because there was too much hand baggage to fit in the overheads. A mess. It could all have been avoided by proper control at the gate.

If you think it's bad on an EZY flight, you should have tried going through the old Baneasa airport in Romania and tried to get on one of the 4 Whiz Air flights leaving at the same time in an airport with only 4 gates! Never seen anything like it

I think some routes suffer from cultural differences, often some folk won't understand whilst others, usually the majority, simply choose not to listen. From your discription, the gate staff did all they could to control passengers. Short of having cattle prods and tazer's, what else could they be expected to do. Many people complain of being 'herded like cattle', some would argue that it is required.

Baggage is a separate issue and "generally" speaking the gate staff do a good job at dealing with baggage. Passengers can always assist by stowing the luggage correctly and not stuff large jackets into parts of the lockers that could and should accommodate an extra bag.

..... and the problem with that is what exactly?

I am about to book my first flight with EZY since the new allocated seating rule came into effect. I have 2 companions and will book the flights in 1 booking . From reading the thread am i right in thinking that if i dont choose allocated seating that i will have the 3 seated together automatically
providing there are seats available at the time?

Yes, Getonitt, you will be allocated seats together in one of the non-premium rows, probably behind the overwings, even if you choose not to pay.

I work for ezy and in my experience the system allocates seats for flights that are not full in such a way that blocks of seats remain available for last-minute bookers.

Enjoy your flight!

Thats why I go to Devon these days! :p

Thanks for your reply bondim :ok:. i don't mind where on the aircraft i sit so long as it was one row.

easy jet allocated seating
 

flew out last saturday to alicante what a mess people walking up and down not knowing seat numbers came back monday same mess again lucky i was on speedy boarding then round it off arrived back at gatwick to be parked in the south terminal what fun?

The airline does everything possible to make SLF understand. When you check in, they tell you you have an allocated seat and here's the number .... as you board the attendant at the door tells you your seat is in row 12 on the left hand side ..... they constantly announce that you should go the seat shown on your boarding pass.

AND STILL THE WUCKFITS GET IT WRONG! I do wonder if they've travelled on cvonventional airlines before.

Tableview, why would you need speedy boarding if you already have a seat allocated?

The new allocated seat system has one big problem in that EZY let far too much hand baggage on to the aircraft, when you mix that with a bunch of geriatrics who first have difficulty lifting the bag into the locker, then remember that they need something so urgently that they have to get the bag down and so block the isle for the second time and then have to put something back in the bag so blocking the isle for the third time. And now they find they are in the wrong seat so the bag comes down for the fourth time because of course if they move from 22A to 22D the bag has to be above their head in the locker.

And this is just added to the confusion at the gate because dispite the very large notices that EZY have put to uptell peope about the allocated seating some of the numptys think that because they have an allocated seat they have speedy boarding and get pissed when they are sent to the back of the standard boarding line.

It is no wonder it takes so long to board the aircraft but I can see little more that EZY can do to inform the truly stupid about the new system as they are too thick to absorb the information.

The only thing I would recomend is much tighter linmits on the size of hand baggage enforced at check in and those who have bags that exceed the permitted size at the gate are charged double the standard hold baggage rate when it is put in the hold.

I'm guessing to avoid having to push past 20 or so passengers who think they have all the time in the world to actually sit down and stop blocking the center aisle? :ok: After all, it's not like there are 160 or so more people who are trying to do the same, preferably before the plane actually starts rolling? :E

I had paid for a legroom seat and SB is included. The only benefit I can see is that boarding first guarantees space in the overhead bins.

ezy perceptions
 

Plenty of interesting comments raised about allocated seating which without doubt has improved the customer experience.

However, people being people (and SLF being SLF) will never be happy unless they've got something to whinge, ridicule, moan or complain about. ezy may not have an unblemished past and despite it being publicity that awful 'Airline' programme did very little other than create a perception of a low quality airline which still lives on to this day.

Flying home from ALC (need I say more) on Christmas Eve, a SLF 'jokes' about flying with 'Sleazyjet'. I ask her what is sleazy about the airline but she finds it hard to answer. I suggest to her that majority of hard working crew who go to great lengths to create a good customer experience would be offended by those sorts of comments, myself included.

And yes, Im a hard working crew member and I go to great lengths to create a good customer experience. I applaud the company for introducing allocated seating; it makes my job easier but more importantly makes the customer's experience more enjoyable.

Sadly, people's perception of easyjet (unless they have flown with us regularly) still belies the reality of a quality and highly successful airline.

I frequently hear people referring to 'SleazyJet' and it annoys me. I invariably challenge them and they have no argument to support calling it 'sleazy' other than possibly the fact that 'last time I flew with them my flight was 20 minutes late and the captain didn't come and lick my boots'.

I have been flying with EZY since its inception in 1996 or thereabouts and have had one or two differences of opinion but overall I find it an outstanding airline in every way, and this is largely thanks to the attitude and pride of the staff in the way they do their job.

Hats off!

I always reply "I'm not familiar with that airline, don't you mean easyJet?" Whenever I hear squeezy/sleazy/cheesy Jet remarks. It's really childish. And people always think they're hard done by. If you push back five minutes late but land fifteen minutes early people still bitch that they left five minutes late. You cannot win and some people are professional complainers who will never be happy.

I also find people very short sighted. Yes there is a charge foI always reply "I'm not familiar with that airline, don't you mean easyJet?" Whenever I hear squeezy/sleazy/cheesy Jet remarks. It's really childish. And people always think they're hard done by. If you push back five minutes late but land fifteen minutes early people still bitch that they left five minutes late. You cannot win and some people are professional complainers who will never be happy. I also find people very short sighted. Yes there is a charge for booking assigned seats but its quite reasonable compared to some. Unless you have EC status with BA it's quite difficult and/or expensive to get a good choice of seats. With eJ if you want a seat you can pay for it and the earlier you book the more chance you have of getting your seat. Last time I flew BA I didn't want to r booking assigned seats but its quite reasonable compared to some. Unless you have EC status with BA it's quite difficult and/or expensive to get a good choice of seats. With eJ if you want a seat you can pay for it and the earlier you book the more chance you have of getting your seat. Last time I flew BA I didn't want to she'll put the extra £40 or so it would cost for the two of us. We left it until T-24 hours and got really bad seats apart but some people simply don't believe it.

People just love low cost bashing and you will never win. And they're welcome to paying a fortune (when travelling from the regions) and having the hassle of connecting in London. Let them enjoy their "free" G&T and delicious bird seed.

Generally, I have historically had a high regard for ezy and their crews. However, I have been dumped by ezy twice with last minute cancellations - one time After check-in, one time at check in.
The After check in one was awful. At lgw, no announcement, just a screen change. No customer service, no-one to get us back through security and a 3 hour wait for our bags. Beyond awful customer service, and a cancelled holiday.
Not a jot of an apology from anyone.

I will always try to avoid them as no-one ever bothered to apologise in any way whatsoever. At least BA acknowledge their cock-ups.

Yes and BA will cancel the entire domestic network at the first sign of snow in LHR. I've had this happen twice. The first time it was handled well as I luckily checked before I left home and got the refund within a few weeks as I was just travelling for a day trip to see friends. The second time they dumped me in EDI and cancelled the flight last minute despite it snowing in LHR all day without let up despite that flight showing as operating ok. I didn't have web access on my phone and the queue for the service desk was ghastly. I did get a voucher which got me a snack and they changed my connecting flight but the start was very badly handled. But like you describe you had a really bad experience with easyJet. But when things go wrong they go wrong, LCC or full service.

One thing I will say is that baggage delays will be caused by the airport not the airline. It's down to the handling agent to organise this. Was any explanation given for the delay to the bags? Three hours is a long time to wait!

Can't Count!
 

Jst got bumped of the AGP-LGW because of overbooking, I guess they can't add up !

I would tell the whole story but I think it is only fair to let them respond to my email, if they sell my seat tomorrow then the press can have the story.

Spicejetter
 

Compensation €250 and hotel......

No good to me wth a wife at home with terminal cancer and having to sort out people to be with her overnight because easy sold the seat from under me.

This has cost me far more than the €250 just in getting the overnight care for my wife put in place..............

Oh ! And I am told by the Easyjet staff to be at the airport 2hrs 45 min before the flight to be sure to get on, I guess that is why I purchased the Easyjet Plus card with the speedy boarding?????

From this evidence it would seem that they expect to be offloading some other unfortunate today.

This was a full fare ticket, not a staff deal in case you are wondering.

Have they told you if the flight has space or is full?

Is it the evening flight?