Easyjet to trial allocated seating
SpringHeeledJack,
I don't remember where I read it, but the advantage of not allocating seats is a faster boarding. People tend to line up at the departure gate much earlier and take the first free seat they like hence the whole boarding procedure is much faster. In an assign seat system people know they have the seat they like so they take their time to reach the gate, go missing...
In the proposed system, I don't understand how is it going to work if a passenger who has not paid for a specific seat takes his/her chance with the current rush to get a seat only to find it has been assigned by the check in to another passenger.
I don't remember where I read it, but the advantage of not allocating seats is a faster boarding. People tend to line up at the departure gate much earlier and take the first free seat they like hence the whole boarding procedure is much faster. In an assign seat system people know they have the seat they like so they take their time to reach the gate, go missing...
In the proposed system, I don't understand how is it going to work if a passenger who has not paid for a specific seat takes his/her chance with the current rush to get a seat only to find it has been assigned by the check in to another passenger.
In the proposed system, I don't understand how is it going to work if a passenger who has not paid for a specific seat takes his/her chance with the current rush to get a seat only to find it has been assigned by the check in to another passenger.
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A Couple of Points
Having used the LCCs extensively over the last 5 years I have a couple of points to make:
1/ One of the reasons that LCCs are low cost is because of high utilisation of the aircraft. Therefore high punctuality/regularity is essential. No allocated seating makes sure that all pax are all at the gate and ready to get on to the a/c as soon as possible. I have often found that the a/c is full/ready to go a good ten minutes before departure time. So EZY must be looking to trial whether the added income from allocated seating is more than the cost of delays?
2/ One of the main benefits for me and my wife when boarding a LCC without allocated boarding is that we can see where the screaming babies and stag/hen pax are seated and can usually avoid them if you time your boarding well. Works out most times but the trick is to time your boarding.
1/ One of the reasons that LCCs are low cost is because of high utilisation of the aircraft. Therefore high punctuality/regularity is essential. No allocated seating makes sure that all pax are all at the gate and ready to get on to the a/c as soon as possible. I have often found that the a/c is full/ready to go a good ten minutes before departure time. So EZY must be looking to trial whether the added income from allocated seating is more than the cost of delays?
2/ One of the main benefits for me and my wife when boarding a LCC without allocated boarding is that we can see where the screaming babies and stag/hen pax are seated and can usually avoid them if you time your boarding well. Works out most times but the trick is to time your boarding.
Having used the LCCs extensively over the last 5 years I have a couple of points to make:
1/ One of the reasons that LCCs are low cost is because of high utilisation of the aircraft. Therefore high punctuality/regularity is essential. No allocated seating makes sure that all pax are all at the gate and ready to get on to the a/c as soon as possible. I have often found that the a/c is full/ready to go a good ten minutes before departure time. So EZY must be looking to trial whether the added income from allocated seating is more than the cost of delays?
2/ One of the main benefits for me and my wife when boarding a LCC without allocated boarding is that we can see where the screaming babies and stag/hen pax are seated and can usually avoid them if you time your boarding well. Works out most times but the trick is to time your boarding.
1/ One of the reasons that LCCs are low cost is because of high utilisation of the aircraft. Therefore high punctuality/regularity is essential. No allocated seating makes sure that all pax are all at the gate and ready to get on to the a/c as soon as possible. I have often found that the a/c is full/ready to go a good ten minutes before departure time. So EZY must be looking to trial whether the added income from allocated seating is more than the cost of delays?
2/ One of the main benefits for me and my wife when boarding a LCC without allocated boarding is that we can see where the screaming babies and stag/hen pax are seated and can usually avoid them if you time your boarding well. Works out most times but the trick is to time your boarding.
However, Easyjet will not accept any real damage to it's OTP which is why this is strictly a trial
I'm of the opinion that allocated seating is the way forward and with a pro-active crew onboard, seating passengers shouldn't be an issue.
IMHO Speedy Boarding should be discontinued, and replaced by pre-allocated xtra leg-room seats for those who are prepared to pay for them. These seats will be specifically reserved for those paying pax, so there will be no need for different queues at the gates, special buses etc. Only those with the necessary proof of purchase will be allowed to sit in them. The rest of us plebs will take our chance and try and keep the middle seat free!
I have no problem with their current system and never bother with speedy boarding. Looks like they are changing stance on hand luggage though: last flight they were telling us that small bags and coats should be on the floor, to leave room for the bigger bags in the overheads. I guess fast turnaround means they wish to discourage hold luggage but I have no wish for the overheads to be rationed with preference to the over-packers !
It's always been the case regarding hand baggage but in recent months there has been a concerted effort to stick to policy. Therefore especially on busy flights you will be asked to place small items and large jackets under the seat and even if you have placed such items in the lockers already there is a good chance you will be asked to place them under your seat still. Once boarding is complete place them in the locker if you so wish provided there is space.
Isn't there a safety angle to this ? Anyhow, I don't like to stand on my coat/bag or whatever. Odd that I have never heard this before, on any airline, not even EZY. You sure ? Instead of speedy boarding, why not segregate into order of size of luggage and let the overpackers on first 
Size does matter.
Size does matter.
No there's no safety angle to it. As with all carriers the bag must be fit under the seat and not cause obstruction and the only exception of course is at the exits.
With the odd exception who gets past the gate staff, people don't over pack if they are within the dimensions set out by the airline. As crew we ask for consideration by allowing pax with roller bags and large holdalls to place them in the locker ( oh and please place them side ways ). I'm usually at the front being a CM but occasionally like to stand in the cabin for boarding and I don't mind admitting that on busy flights I apply the policy strictly. I take out small items and politely ask pax to place under the seat... At least until boarding s complete then they can place the items in the overhead provided there is space.
But yes to answer your question it is policy and several months ago boarding PA's were adapted to include it. In any case many of the smaller items don't impede on legroom. I.e carrier bags, hand bags and even rucksacks.
With the odd exception who gets past the gate staff, people don't over pack if they are within the dimensions set out by the airline. As crew we ask for consideration by allowing pax with roller bags and large holdalls to place them in the locker ( oh and please place them side ways ). I'm usually at the front being a CM but occasionally like to stand in the cabin for boarding and I don't mind admitting that on busy flights I apply the policy strictly. I take out small items and politely ask pax to place under the seat... At least until boarding s complete then they can place the items in the overhead provided there is space.
But yes to answer your question it is policy and several months ago boarding PA's were adapted to include it. In any case many of the smaller items don't impede on legroom. I.e carrier bags, hand bags and even rucksacks.
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If you've overpacked; it's a £40 charge at the gate and your bags going in the hold!
Stick to the rules or check it in!
Stick to the rules or check it in!
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So I pay £1,800 for five of us to go Faro and back. Low cost? To who? "Speedy Boarding" would have added an additional £135 to our holiday. Stuff that. I sent my seven year old on first with all of the boarding passes, followed by her slightly elder brothers (one at a time) and let the cabin crew sort out the mess. I really don't care if this causes a delay. No problem for me. They can sit next to whomever they want. But if EasyJet would like to make my experience of expensive air travel more agreeable, they can allocate seats to my family for free, like real airlines.
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Mr Optimistic
Ah, yes ... it just depends what allocation is left for you. Perhaps 12 cubic inches? Whilst manufacturers have expanded and toughened the lockers, there is rarely enough space for what pax want to bring on these days.
Piltdown Man if I may (very politely) suggest, EZY have the same license of carriage as any other scheduled carrier, which makes them 'real'. If you don't like their prices, then don't book on them.
Whilst not knowing where you are travelling from, London to Faro is about 1,500 as the crow flies when it's sober. That's 3,000 miles each and 15,000 seat miles for five. So £1,800 is about 8.3 pence per mile? Not bad.
After growing up in a family of five, I saw what my parents had to organise and pay for and am not unsympathetic. Also, as always, I sit to be corrected on the maths.
Perhaps in my mind, having bought a ticket, I have also bought some alloacation of overhead storage. kind of a fairness thing.
Piltdown Man if I may (very politely) suggest, EZY have the same license of carriage as any other scheduled carrier, which makes them 'real'. If you don't like their prices, then don't book on them.
Whilst not knowing where you are travelling from, London to Faro is about 1,500 as the crow flies when it's sober. That's 3,000 miles each and 15,000 seat miles for five. So £1,800 is about 8.3 pence per mile? Not bad.
After growing up in a family of five, I saw what my parents had to organise and pay for and am not unsympathetic. Also, as always, I sit to be corrected on the maths.
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Piltdown man, you don't care if you delay the other 150 people with your slightly childish and petulant antics? How honourable of you. I might even suggest that attitudes like that are a sign of what’s wrong with our society nowadays.
Well as already politely suggested if it bothers maybe you should pay more and fly with a "real" airline. Let me know when you find one more "real" than EZY. Maybe just fly with your own airline?
As a fellow crew member I just hoped you would have had more empathy and respect for your fellow professionals. Maybe you work for a "real" airline and you don't deem us worthy of that respect?
Have a good day.
Well as already politely suggested if it bothers maybe you should pay more and fly with a "real" airline. Let me know when you find one more "real" than EZY. Maybe just fly with your own airline?
As a fellow crew member I just hoped you would have had more empathy and respect for your fellow professionals. Maybe you work for a "real" airline and you don't deem us worthy of that respect?
Have a good day.
Last edited by one post only!; 21st Nov 2011 at 09:01.
So I pay £1,800 for five of us to go Faro and back. Low cost? To who? "Speedy Boarding" would have added an additional £135 to our holiday. Stuff that. I sent my seven year old on first with all of the boarding passes, followed by her slightly elder brothers (one at a time) and let the cabin crew sort out the mess. I really don't care if this causes a delay. No problem for me. They can sit next to whomever they want. But if EasyJet would like to make my experience of expensive air travel more agreeable, they can allocate seats to my family for free, like real airlines.
. Crew will always get a young child sat with their parent full stop but we wouldn't get the whole family sat together. Most crew would bend over backwards to accomodate passengers such as yourself but it wouldn't be our mess to sort out if you didn't arrive at the gate in good time knowing that you were travelling as a family. And you would have been cutting it fine because any family on a very busy flight boarding last (which you would have to have done if you encountered seating problems) has left it pretty late.You would have got your children sat with one of you but with that attitude, it would have been purely for the childrens sake.
Whilst not knowing where you are travelling from, London to Faro is about 1,500 as the crow flies when it's sober. That's 3,000 miles each and 15,000 seat miles for five. So £1,800 is about 8.3 pence per mile? Not bad.
Thanks, not a big issue. Perhaps in my mind, having bought a ticket, I have also bought some alloacation of overhead storage. kind of a fairness thing.
[quoteAh, yes ... it just depends what allocation is left for you. Perhaps 12 cubic inches? Whilst manufacturers have expanded and toughened the lockers, there is rarely enough space for what pax want to bring on these days.][/quote]
That is the case on a relative few (mainly some of the intra-continentals)routes. However, on the vast majority of flights there is space provided passengers follow a few simple steps.
1) small items such as handbags and small rucksacks-under the seat.
2) Jackets and coats. Place these under seat or, once boarding complete, in the overhead lockers ontop of the bags where it won't get dirty from trolley bag wheels
3) For heavens sake, show courtesy to your fellow passengers and don't sling your trolley bag in length ways.
Nearly all, if not all bags on a busy flight can be accommodated by following these simple steps. It's like a jigsaw puzzle but it's amazing how much you can fit in those lockers.
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Easyflyer
I think you are being a little hard on PM. PM is expressing his concerns over what could happen on a flight, not what has happened on a flight.
While I'm sure that on one of your flights this will not happen, but having travelled plenty on Squeezy (and CHeezy) I don't think you can give a guaranteed assurance that this wouldn't happen. Most flights have pleasant, hard working crews, but not all. If you are late all courtesy seems to disappear as you struggle to get the aircraft out. While Sq/Cheezy has improved dramatically over last year, many of us remember how really bad it was.
While I thank you for your input, please remember that this is a passenger's forum (of which I thank PPrune very much for providing) and your condescending comments are perhaps better made on the CC forum. We are the customers, please remember.
I think you are being a little hard on PM. PM is expressing his concerns over what could happen on a flight, not what has happened on a flight.
While I'm sure that on one of your flights this will not happen, but having travelled plenty on Squeezy (and CHeezy) I don't think you can give a guaranteed assurance that this wouldn't happen. Most flights have pleasant, hard working crews, but not all. If you are late all courtesy seems to disappear as you struggle to get the aircraft out. While Sq/Cheezy has improved dramatically over last year, many of us remember how really bad it was.
While I thank you for your input, please remember that this is a passenger's forum (of which I thank PPrune very much for providing) and your condescending comments are perhaps better made on the CC forum. We are the customers, please remember.
They weren't condescending they are in response to a very arsy post by said contributor.
Like all airlines, Easyjet has a mixture of crew and there are certainly bad apples amongst us. However, there would never be an instance where crew would not assist in sitting children with atleast one parent. In fact, it is Easyjet policy to make sure this happens as otherwise it can have negative impact on evacuation. So I can pretty much guarantee that any children of primary school age at least will not be sat alone.
Easyjet places a huge emphasis on OTP, they always have spoilt only last year by the huge cock up, particularly in LGW and SXF. OTP is now exceptionally high (generally mid 80% for departures within 15 mins, higher for arrivals). This August was Easy's best OTP in August in it's 15 year history.
Not on here you're not. We're all equals mate.
Like all airlines, Easyjet has a mixture of crew and there are certainly bad apples amongst us. However, there would never be an instance where crew would not assist in sitting children with atleast one parent. In fact, it is Easyjet policy to make sure this happens as otherwise it can have negative impact on evacuation. So I can pretty much guarantee that any children of primary school age at least will not be sat alone.
Easyjet places a huge emphasis on OTP, they always have spoilt only last year by the huge cock up, particularly in LGW and SXF. OTP is now exceptionally high (generally mid 80% for departures within 15 mins, higher for arrivals). This August was Easy's best OTP in August in it's 15 year history.
We are the customers, please remember. We are the customers, please remember.
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So I pay £1,800 for five of us to go Faro and back. Low cost? To who? "Speedy Boarding" would have added an additional £135 to our holiday. Stuff that. I sent my seven year old on first with all of the boarding passes, followed by her slightly elder brothers (one at a time) and let the cabin crew sort out the mess. I really don't care if this causes a delay. No problem for me. They can sit next to whomever they want. But if EasyJet would like to make my experience of expensive air travel more agreeable, they can allocate seats to my family for free, like real airlines.
You also make reference to obscure things which wouldn't happen on any airline, let alone EZY.
Gate Staff wouldn't let a 7 year old through on her own, so why sending her first with all the boarding cards is a good idea is beyond me. You would be better off just getting to the gate early. If you're so annoyed at having spent £1500 on flights then surely you won't want to waste more money at the airport shopping mall?
Also, and this is the main issue I have with your post, IF you bothered to read the details on the EZY website then it also says that bookings made with several people will be allocated seats next to one another automatically, provided this is possible...which is what every airline which offers allocated seating does. I know it doesn't always work in practice but you can be certain that when that plane takes off your children will be seated next to you or an adult in your party. Gate staff sort all of this out before the boarding commences when they see a problem...or if a problem is brought to their attention.
If you say nothing out of spite and just leave it to the cabin crew then that is just bad form as they are already busy trying to get your £1500 flight out on time so you can enjoy your holiday.
As for "proper airlines" whatever that is, then why do BA want £70 extra off of me to pick my seats for a set of flights next May?
Why do United Airlines want an extra £80-£100, per sector for an exit row seat?
Why does KLM not even let you choose a seat on a short haul flight?
Why does Aer Lingus charge for refreshments and baggage?
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Getting back on topic... :)
Off the top of my head, the only loco airlines in Europe who do not currently offer allocated seating are Easyjet, Ryanair and Wizzair. There may be more (BMIbaby?) but I've never flown with them. In some respects it's relatively rare not to offer it. It's just that the large volume of passengers they collectively carry make 'the scrum' seem more normal than it actually is.
Air Asia made the move to allocated seating on their short haul operations a few years ago. It didn't make that much of a difference to the length of time boarding takes, but it did make the process much less stressful. Personally I feel that this makes good business sense. Less stress equals more happiness, which equals more repeat custom, which equals fatter bottom lines. It could also be argued that happy passengers are more likely to part with cash once the aircraft is airbourne. Allocated seating is also a unique selling point which would distinguish Easyjet from several of its competitors.
Moving to allocated seating allowed Air Asia to start exploiting other ancilliary revenue streams. Apart form the obvious (charging pax to select seats), Air Asia started offering extras such as hot meals, tax free shopping and inflight entertainment during the booking process. Such a move would be difficult without allocated seating as cabin crew would not know who had ordered what and where they were sat.
Hypothetically, if Easyjet were to go down this path I feel that it would compliment their business model perfectly. They mainly fly between principal airports and have been increasingly innovative in their approach to competing with the old legacy carriers for business customers. Following their acquisition of GB Airways they have also penetrated the old 'bucket and spade' market. Loco airlines became as successful as they are by unbundling all unnecessary costs in order to make the basic ticket price as cheap as possible. The next logical step would surely be to allow passengers to pay to rebundle some of these extras if they so wish...
Imagine how full circle the market would have come if the only short haul airline in Europe which offered a full three course meal with champagne and hot towels was Easyjet! Granted, you'd have paid for it, but isn't that what loco airlines are all about? Even I'd shell out a small fortune every now and again if it meant experiencing air travel the way some of you old timers here on PPRUNE keep telling me it used to be!!
Air Asia made the move to allocated seating on their short haul operations a few years ago. It didn't make that much of a difference to the length of time boarding takes, but it did make the process much less stressful. Personally I feel that this makes good business sense. Less stress equals more happiness, which equals more repeat custom, which equals fatter bottom lines. It could also be argued that happy passengers are more likely to part with cash once the aircraft is airbourne. Allocated seating is also a unique selling point which would distinguish Easyjet from several of its competitors.
Moving to allocated seating allowed Air Asia to start exploiting other ancilliary revenue streams. Apart form the obvious (charging pax to select seats), Air Asia started offering extras such as hot meals, tax free shopping and inflight entertainment during the booking process. Such a move would be difficult without allocated seating as cabin crew would not know who had ordered what and where they were sat.
Hypothetically, if Easyjet were to go down this path I feel that it would compliment their business model perfectly. They mainly fly between principal airports and have been increasingly innovative in their approach to competing with the old legacy carriers for business customers. Following their acquisition of GB Airways they have also penetrated the old 'bucket and spade' market. Loco airlines became as successful as they are by unbundling all unnecessary costs in order to make the basic ticket price as cheap as possible. The next logical step would surely be to allow passengers to pay to rebundle some of these extras if they so wish...
Imagine how full circle the market would have come if the only short haul airline in Europe which offered a full three course meal with champagne and hot towels was Easyjet! Granted, you'd have paid for it, but isn't that what loco airlines are all about? Even I'd shell out a small fortune every now and again if it meant experiencing air travel the way some of you old timers here on PPRUNE keep telling me it used to be!!