EZY online check in - why put in group D?

[*Zwitter*]

I checked in online weeks ago, still ended up in boarding group D

Is it because it takes longer to enter my boarding pass details at the gate?

just curious

cheers chaps

Zwit

[manintheback]

If you are a single traveller theres your answer. They go last to fill up the gaps.

[Cahlibahn]

Sorry Manintheback, that simply is not the case at Easyjet. All online check-in pax are in group D, no matter how early or late they check-in.

Single travellers checking in at the airport will be allocated to A, B, C or D depending on when they check in. The fact they are travelling alone has no bearing on group allocation.

[RevMan2]

Cahlibahn
If that's true, then EZY needs to take a serious look at their strategy. Shouldn't they be incenting pax to steer clear of departure procedures at the airport by checking in online and shouldn't the incentive be to provide them with a tangible benefit. Such as priority boarding? Group D would appear to be the exact opposite.
Sometimes I just dunno.....

[Cahlibahn]

I couldn't agree more, Revman. It is a very bizarre policy.

What boarding group will I be assigned? You will be assigned boarding group D. If you would like a different boarding group you should check in normally.

I'd happily pay a few quid per sector to pre-select my seat. I dare say others would too, a handy revenue stream?

[Tudor]

I think this was discussed on another thread elsewhere recently and seem to remember the answer was something along the lines of "you can't have your cake AND eat it"...

Your choices are:-

a) Check-in online thus enabling you to turn up 30 minutes before the flight and cutting out the hassle of check-in queues BUT ending up with whatever seats are left and if travelling with companions being split up.

OR

b) Turn up two hours or more before the flight is due to depart, queue up for however long and then hang around the airport BUT you get the best choice of seats particularly if you require leg room or are travelling with family etc

I'm not saying I neccesarily agree with that but I believe that is the reasoning behind the situation - either way they're never going to please everyone. Having worked for EZY in the past my beliefs are that they should finally bite the bullet and offer allocated seating especially as half of the out-stations ignore the priority boarding system anyway. I know there's arguments for and against but one look at Skytrax (or similair) will tell you that the stampede for seats is easyJet passenger's main bugbear.

[Final 3 Greens]

"you can't have your cake AND eat it"...

But you can with BA, LH etc.

[eastern wiseguy]

Originally Posted by Final 3 Greens

"you can't have your cake AND eat it"...
But you can with BA, LH etc.

If.......they are an alternative.BA are a distant memory in certain parts of the UK

Can't for the life of me see why they don't just allocate seats..Baby do it..Air Berlin do it(GO did it...a superior product in every respect IMHO). I truly loathe the scrabbling that goes on.

[lexxity]

Fly bmibaby then, you can pay extra to allocate your seat and also check in on line.

[Cahlibahn]

I would, Lexxity, but LHR is such a drag these days. Far easier in my circumstances to take my chances with the Orange mob at LTN.

[fyrefli]

Originally Posted by *Zwitter*

I checked in online weeks ago, still ended up in boarding group D
Is it because it takes longer to enter my boarding pass details at the gate?
just curious

I imagine you'll find it's a very simple of which "window" into the check-in system database has "authority" - the online one or the one at the physical check-in.

One could write all sorts of complex logic to arbitrate but it's orders of magnitude simpler to simply put all online check-ins in group D.

And, of course, as a new addition, the online system may simply tell the local one who has checked in online; there is no reason to suppose that it has any access to the numbering system at all, or vice-versa. If one were to be allowed to check in to groups other than D online, the boarding system would have to a) talk back to the online system (which it currently has no reason to do) and b) the early groups could get filled up online, leaving people turning up two hours early and still being in C or D.

Cheers,

Rich.

[flybhx]

Online check in with Ryanair puts you in the zone commensurate with how early you check in. On that basis Easy could do exactly the same.

[fyrefli]

Originally Posted by flybhx

Online check in with Ryanair puts you in the zone commensurate with how early you check in. On that basis Easy could do exactly the same.

I'm not saying they "couldn't" - as an experienced programmer and architect of a pretty substantial online insurance system I'm postulating that this is probably a choice between the very simple current solution and a potentially far more complicated one.

Cheers,

Rich.

[Cahlibahn]

I think Tudor may have revealed the thinking behind this. EZY have made an assumption that those who check-in online will be those intending to turn up at the airport at the last minute. I can think of no other explanation.

[Dryce]

Originally Posted by Cahlibahn

I think Tudor may have revealed the thinking behind this. EZY have made an assumption that those who check-in online will be those intending to turn up at the airport at the last minute. I can think of no other explanation.

Possibly.

But there's also another couple of aspects.

The priority boarding system provides an incentive for some passengers
to check in early. If you remove that because they have the online
bookers ahead of them then more passengers will hit the check-ins late.
Passengers booking late tend to pay the highest prices. Bit of a bummer
if that always means they get the worst seats. It means that once the
prices top out an EZY fare would be perceived as preferable to the same
level of fare from another carrier.

I check in online when going EZY. I get to choose who I sit with. It
also means I don't have to factor in checkin queues particularly on
at busy times which saves about 30-45 minutes.