EasyJet to cut A319 to 150 Seats
EasyJet to take out seats so it can fly with fewer crew
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." |
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. |
I suspect this is the difference between redundancy and furlough policy showing through ?
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I heard something related on a podcast the other day: Betty In the Sky 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.
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Originally Posted by nicolai
(Post 11227012)
At least taking out the rear row is removing the worst seats in the aircraft - each seat is 5cm narrower than the usual seats.
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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. |
EasyJet Fleet Matrix:
A319: 55 (3 parked) - 34% A320: 97 (2 parked) - 60% A321: 10 - 6% as per PlaneSpotters.net (last update: 2022.05.08) |
That would be UK only. For EZY as a group the numbers would be:
319: 92 -29% 320: 214 -67% 321: 15 -4%
Originally Posted by EddyCurr
(Post 11227230)
EasyJet Fleet Matrix:
A319: 55 (3 parked) - 34% A320: 97 (2 parked) - 60% A321: 10 - 6% as per PlaneSpotters.net (last update: 2022.05.08) |
Originally Posted by A319
(Post 11227248)
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% A319's adjusted numbers for EasyJet (Group) Fleet Matrix as per PlaneSpotters.Net (last update 2022.05.08) |
Originally Posted by WHBM
(Post 11227223)
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.
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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? |
Originally Posted by meleagertoo
(Post 11227357)
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? |
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.
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Originally Posted by Dct_Mopas
(Post 11227442)
So leaving ezy with A319’s sporting unnecessary twin overrwing exits and still needing 4 crew.
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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. |
Originally Posted by Brian Pern
(Post 11227419)
... I used to fly a BBJ2, we had 19 seats, bedroom etc...... and only One Cabin Crew, ...
Hmph. So someone configured a BBJ2 for 19 seats, then only provisioned it with one Cabin Crew ? So nouveau riche ... |
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. |
Well that didn't take long
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.
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Originally Posted by EddyCurr
(Post 11227755)
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. |
Originally Posted by Repos
(Post 11228149)
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.
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