Speedy Boarding Warning

[frequentflyer2]

I assume boardingpass's base is Venice. We flew back to the UK from there on November 8 and the bus had a retractable barrier in it which was only removed once speedy boarders and special assistance passengers were on the aircraft. We flew from Naples to Venice during our holiday and the Neapolitanos had it well organised as well.

[Doors to Automatic]

Why on earth this airline can't pull its finger out and allocate seats (for a £5-6 premium) the way Jet Blue, bmi baby, flybe and Norwegian do is beyond me.

It would solve so many problems and actually make travelling with them a pleasant experience. And I bet they would double their ancillary revenue from this source as well.

[Sark]

We are family Speedy Boarder Plus cardholders. We must compliment the transfer bus drivers from terminal to aircraft at Gatwick who usher us to the front of the bus and open front doors before middle doors.

At check in it is a bit of a lottery as Speedy Boarders think they are entitled to use the Speedy Boarder Plus check in desk. This is annoying as they take as much time to find out that they are in the wrong queue than they would to check in so are often allowed to do so.

Travel should not be like this.

Flying used to be a fun experience but it has become so stressful and a bit of a cash cow for the doomed Labour Government in your country. Very sad.

[Rusland 17]

Originally Posted by Sark

Flying used to be a fun experience but it has become so stressful and a bit of a cash cow for the doomed Labour Government in your country.

While no-one can deny that flying has become a "cash cow", much of the deterioration of the flying experience, including the whole "speedy boarding" nonsense, is due entirely to the airlines and airport operators. The long, chaotic queues at check-in and security, the herding of passengers like cattle at the gate, the undignified stampede for "the best seats" and the flogging of poor-quality refreshments at absurd prices once you're on board is nothing to do with the government, and to introduce gratuitous political point-scoring in this way only undermines your post.

[k3lvc]

At check in it is a bit of a lottery as Speedy Boarders think they are entitled to use the Speedy Boarder Plus check in desk. This is annoying as they take as much time to find out that they are in the wrong queue than they would to check in so are often allowed to do so.

And maybe if there wasn't such a variation of terms used by the different airports people may not be quite so confused. At some airports I can use SB plus, at others a dedicated SB desk and at others there's no check in/bag drop benefit at all.

I wish when I was travelling all I had to worry about was whether mere 'Speedy Boarders' were in my 'Speedy Boarder Plus' queue.

[jb5000]

Speedy Boarders are of course allowed to use the Speedy Boarding Plus check in desk!

[Mr Optimistic]

Puzzled

If getting a marginally better seat, or being at the front of a queue, matters so much, aren't you using the wrong carrier or want something (special treatment) that you are not actually prepared to pay for ? It's only a flight, shorthaul, does it really matter ? As for the food, don't understand why anyone expects a flight also to be a memorable gastronomic occasion (despite the current adds for Quatar or whoever it is). However a promise is a promise and despite crafty small print and legalistic interpretations you should get what you pay for so I'll be interested to know how you get on as it is a matter of corporate integrity. Lets see if EZY stands by its own words (as interpreted by passengers, not lawyers).

[kingston_toon]

I much prefer the easyJet and Ryanair system when it comes to emergency exit row seating (i.e. legroom) rather than, say Wizz. I'm tall, and yes, sure, you can say I should pay extra to guarantee myself space, but with free seating, being at the front of the "normals" queue and walking / running to the aircraft pretty much guarantees me an exit row seat every time. With Wizz, it doesn't. In fact, the best strategy with Wizz is to be the very last person on the plane, since there will usually be a few overwing seats left, and the crew have never failed to let me sit in them after asking politely (knowing that it's unlikely there's anyone behind me who has paid for them).

Back OT, I find most Speedy Boarders want to sit at the front of the a/c, so it's never a problem getting the overwing exits. And even if people do go there, there's usually at least one middle seat free right up to the last handful of people to board. That'll do me!

[nivsy]

Just a note to commend EasyJet and their ground handlers at Gibraltar regarding the SB process on Sunday...

Ground crew ensured that SB holders passed the gate first and boarded the coach towards the front and when arrived at the A319 the driver only opened up the front door ensuring that all SB holders boarded first. I secured Emergeny Exit seat without any trouble under the watchful eye of cabin crew in the centre of the aircraft to made sure that those pax sitting in these were appearing to be of an adequate nature to deal with any emergency situation.

It seemed to work like clock work - fast boarding throughout (airplane full) on time departure and early into Gatwick. Nice crew who were efficient and smiling and not short of banter. Good trip with Easy....


Nivsy