Ryanair and Easyjet

[edwin_m]

Do Easyjet and Wizz require, like Ryanair, that groups of passengers who want to be guaranteed seats together have to pay to reserve specific seats? Although some of the former rip-off charges have gone this is one that remains, basically charging extra for something that costs them nothing and that most people would expect not to have to pay for.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes, unless they are on the same booking in which case they are likely to be together.

 

[richw]

we've never been separated yet with any of the carriers, I guess it's a risk if you do your check in later. I always check in at earliest opportunity.

Also with easyjet, if travelling with children under 5, don't waste your money on speedy boarding. I have learnt passengers with children under 5 get to board with the speedy boarders with easyjet.

 

[miami]

Do Easyjet and Wizz require, like Ryanair, that groups of passengers who want to be guaranteed seats together have to pay to reserve specific seats? Although some of the former rip-off charges have gone this is one that remains, basically charging extra for something that costs them nothing and that most people would expect not to have to pay for.

Ba do the same.

To be honest you can never guarentee it. I'm as high up in the Ba food chain as it goes, and I've ended up in middle seats with nothing else available for a variety of reasons.

 

[Bletchleyite]

we've never been separated yet with any of the carriers, I guess it's a risk if you do your check in later. I always check in at earliest opportunity.

Also with easyjet, if travelling with children under 5, don't waste your money on speedy boarding. I have learnt passengers with children under 5 get to board with the speedy boarders with easyjet.

You can't buy speedy boarding any more, you get it free with premium seats.

 

[WestCoast]

Do Easyjet and Wizz require, like Ryanair, that groups of passengers who want to be guaranteed seats together have to pay to reserve specific seats? Although some of the former rip-off charges have gone this is one that remains, basically charging extra for something that costs them nothing and that most people would expect not to have to pay for.

I think most airlines do this nowadays, at least on short-haul routes. However, as other members have pointed out, the airlines try and seat passengers on the same booking together.

Wizz Air actually allocates seats at booking to all passengers, which I haven't seen before. They show you what seat(s) they've allocated you, and if they're not to your satisfaction you can change them against a fee. The fees were lower than Ryanair/easyJet/Flybe/BA.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

You can't buy speedy boarding any more, you get it free with premium seats.

If I'm travelling alone, I sometimes book the premium seats (under £10) that the budget airlines now offer. Every time I have, the middle seat was free (or even the whole row of three seats). No guarantee whatsoever, but the booking systems seem to try and not allocate those seats to people who haven't paid for them. So it's kind of like a poor (betting) man's upgrade

 

[jon0844]

If I travel alone I really don't care where I sit if the flight is relatively short (2 hours or so). I always take hand luggage that is flexible enough to go under the seat in front, so that's one less problem.

But I do like a gamble every now and then!

 

[WestCoast]

If I travel alone I really don't care where I sit if the flight is relatively short (2 hours or so). I always take hand luggage that is flexible enough to go under the seat in front, so that's one less problem.

But I do like a gamble every now and then!

I do quite like having a window seat and having priority boarding to ensure my cabin case travels with me, but I won't pay the extra for a premium seat if the flight is under 70 minutes or so. Also if I suspect the flight will be 100% full, like on Friday afternoon or Monday morning, then there's no point betting on that free middle seat.

However, I travel most years once or twice alone from the UK down to Tenerife South to visit family, usually on Ryanair, easyJet, Monarch or Norwegian and the flight is around the 4 hours mark. I won't go without a premium/exit seat, as I quite like the option to be seated somewhere away from families and groups. Nothing against them, but I quite like to relax and read my book in peace..

 

[edwin_m]

If I'm travelling alone, I sometimes book the premium seats (under £10) that the budget airlines now offer. Every time I have, the middle seat was free (or even the whole row of three seats). No guarantee whatsoever, but the booking systems seem to try and not allocate those seats to people who haven't paid for them. So it's kind of like a poor (betting) man's upgrade

One time on Wizz I was sat in the row in front of the exit row and the crew asked me to move back as there was nobody in that row. Presumably nobody had paid for the extra legroom and there is some sort of safety regulation about having someong there to open the exit if necessary.

 

[ivanhoe]

I do quite like having a window seat and having priority boarding to ensure my cabin case travels with me, but I won't pay the extra for a premium seat if the flight is under 70 minutes or so. Also if I suspect the flight will be 100% full, like on Friday afternoon or Monday morning, then there's no point betting on that free middle seat.

However, I travel most years once or twice alone from the UK down to Tenerife South to visit family, usually on Ryanair, easyJet, Monarch or Norwegian and the flight is around the 4 hours mark. I won't go without a premium/exit seat, as I quite like the option to be seated somewhere away from families and groups. Nothing against them, but I quite like to relax and read my book in peace..

Nothing wrong with that mate. TFS is a long flight on a Boeing 737 with a full or nearly full cabin.

 

[Bletchleyite]

One time on Wizz I was sat in the row in front of the exit row and the crew asked me to move back as there was nobody in that row. Presumably nobody had paid for the extra legroom and there is some sort of safety regulation about having someong there to open the exit if necessary.

easyJet used to do that until they started charging for it. Once they did, they changed to being happy for it to be left empty.

 

[cactustwirly]

Just flown with easyJet from LGW (Gatwick) to CPH (Copenhagen) and I was impressed with the legroom. But the stand wasn't brilliant as we had to be bussed from the gate at Gatwick, the airplane was delayed in its preparation, so everyone was let on at the same time, therefore speedy boarding wasn't needed.

I'll be returning on Friday with Norwegian, so we'll see how they compare.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Speedy is itself relatively moot now, it's more about pre-boarding for those with premium seats in order to ensure they have space for their second luggage item they are now allowed. A bit more like business class in a way.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I saw Ryanair play an interesting trick last week at Stansted, though. A luggage trolley was placed near the terminal exit with (presumably) a few people having been requested to put their hand luggage on it. After that, just about every inexperienced flyer simply walked up and voluntarily checked their hand luggage into the hold, assuming that that was just what you did. A clever if slightly devious approach.

 

[northwichcat]

Speedy is itself relatively moot now, it's more about pre-boarding for those with premium seats in order to ensure they have space for their second luggage item they are now allowed. A bit more like business class in a way.

I've heard many people ask why would they want to pay extra to be first on the plane opposed to first off the plane if there's reserved seating.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've heard many people ask why would they want to pay extra to be first on the plane opposed to first off the plane if there's reserved seating.

You can of course pay to be first off, it's called the front few rows.

 

[miami]

You can of course pay to be first off, it's called the front few rows.

Until you fly BA on a domestic and land at an international gate at T5 (or vice versa)

 

[northwichcat]

You can of course pay to be first off, it's called the front few rows.

Although, when they use steps at both the front and rear, the steps at the rear could be ready to use first.

 

[ivanhoe]

Recently travelled Manchester to Lisbon on TAP. Given that nearly all of my flights within Europe are low cost, it was something of a shock to get food and a rather large class of red wine. Ticket was cheap because it was booked 6 months in advance. Impressed with Lisbon Airport. Modern, loads of e gates for passport checks without being hassled. It was a pleasure to travel on this occasion.

 

[northwichcat]

Recently travelled Manchester to Lisbon on TAP. Given that nearly all of my flights within Europe are low cost, it was something of a shock to get food and a rather large class of red wine. Ticket was cheap because it was booked 6 months in advance. Impressed with Lisbon Airport. Modern, loads of e gates for passport checks without being hassled. It was a pleasure to travel on this occasion.

I travelled on the same route with TAP in May. I think a number of passengers on board were used to travelling on budget airlines as they didn't want to take anything without first verifying that it was complimentary.

Ryanair also operate on the same route but have less good flight times and you don't save that much by travelling Ryanair if you book early.

 

[fowler9]

Am flying to Riga with Ryanair in Feb. £37 return. Not really complaining.

 

[WestCoast]

Recently travelled Manchester to Lisbon on TAP. Given that nearly all of my flights within Europe are low cost, it was something of a shock to get food and a rather large class of red wine. Ticket was cheap because it was booked 6 months in advance.

It's becoming something of a rarity to get decent complimentary refreshments even among the "non low-cost airlines". Flying Iberia from Gatwick to Madrid, everything had to be paid for. Scandinavian Airlines provide free tea/coffee, but anything else comes at a cost. However these two airlines seem to often match or even beat the fares offered on low-cost airlines.

I do like the Aer Lingus Full Irish Breakfast you can book for about an extra £5/£6, it's enough to persuade me to pay a little extra over Ryanair when that's the choice.

 

[DelW]

Until you fly BA on a domestic and land at an international gate at T5 (or vice versa)

I've had that happen several times at LGW as well. On at least one occasion, no-one spotted the problem until we all rocked up at passport control. Those without passports, or with hold bags, had to be corralled and escorted through some off-limits corridors to domestic arrivals.

Some of North Terminal's gates can (or at least could then, before the latest rebuild) be configured for domestic or international by using different doorways, but usually these days when a domestic inbound will become an international outbound, you get bussed to domestic arrivals, which also negates any benefit from being first off the plane.

 

[radamfi]

Complimentary refreshments are only good if you actually want them. I don't want to pay for other people's food and drink.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Although, when they use steps at both the front and rear, the steps at the rear could be ready to use first.

Could be, but as a very frequent flyer I've found this is almost never the case. Especially on Ryanair, where the front steps are built into the aircraft so you don't have to wait for them to be brought into place.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Complimentary refreshments are only good if you actually want them. I don't want to pay for other people's food and drink.

Ryanair's range of paid-for food and drink seems to be unmatched in terms of variety, and it isn't terrible quality either. I really quite like, for instance, the filter coffee cups with a filter lid - the railway could pack in using bean to cup machines and consider these instead, particularly on trolleys.

I remember when KLM cut theirs to a tiny cup of coffee and a packet of nuts. I made a comment that Ryanair now had better catering, and this was with some embarrassment acknowledged as true.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Until you fly BA on a domestic and land at an international gate at T5 (or vice versa)

Whoops. Does that happen often?

 

[ivanhoe]

Complimentary refreshments are only good if you actually want them. I don't want to pay for other people's food and drink.

The general point being made is that you can fly on legacy airlines at similar prices or even cheaper than low cost airlines, if you are lucky enough to get the timing right at booking. The fact that complimentary food and drink is also included, is indeed a bonus.

 

[WestCoast]

The general point being made is that you can fly on legacy airlines at similar prices or even cheaper than low cost airlines, if you are lucky enough to get the timing right at booking. The fact that complimentary food and drink is also included, is indeed a bonus.

Yes, on some short-haul routes in Europe with competition it's definitely the case. I've been looking at Gatwick to Amsterdam in December and easyJet's fares which start at £30 are countered by BA offering hand baggage only fares starting at £39. On many departures easyJet undercut BA by £9 or so, but there are quite a few departures where BA is the same or cheaper. On a few dates, both are undercut by Garuda Indonesia.

I'd simply pick the cheapest suitable date/time as all carriers have their pros and cons, both statistical like punctuality and subjective like service. Plus, flying from a UK airport you can buy a Boots meal deal at £3.79 or so and enjoy onboard.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
On an unrelated but interesting note, Ryanair have just announced the relaunch of flights from Newquay to Alicante and slightly unusually, a new route to Frankfurt Hahn (aimed at the inbound tourist market presumably)

http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/Ry...wall-Airport/story-28078376-detail/story.html

 

[radamfi]

The general point being made is that you can fly on legacy airlines at similar prices or even cheaper than low cost airlines, if you are lucky enough to get the timing right at booking. The fact that complimentary food and drink is also included, is indeed a bonus.

Yes, but if the legacy airlines didn't give free food and drink, they could charge less for the ticket, so you would save even more money over the low cost airlines.

 

[me123]

... then they'd lose their USP.

If we consider domestic routes, BA set themselves apart from easyJet by offering full service (everything aside hold luggage, although the supplement you'll pay is cheaper than on a budget carrier). Some people will pay for BA's service over a budget carrier.

If BA and all other legacy carriers were to model themselves after easyJet and Ryanair, we're going to be left with a race to the bottom with no real differentiation between carriers.

 

[richw]

On an unrelated but interesting note, Ryanair have just announced the relaunch of flights from Newquay to Alicante and slightly unusually, a new route to Frankfurt Hahn (aimed at the inbound tourist market presumably)

http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/Ry...wall-Airport/story-28078376-detail/story.html

They pulled out of Newquay when the council introduced the airport development tax thing, Cornwall Council announced earlier this week they are scrapping the tax from April.

Cornwall is overrun with German tourists is recent years thanks to the Rosamund Pilcher TV series that has been very popular in Germany, probably explaining the German route.

 

[radamfi]

If BA and all other legacy carriers were to model themselves after easyJet and Ryanair, we're going to be left with a race to the bottom with no real differentiation between carriers.

You still get the advantage of travelling to expensive and congested airports like Heathrow, use of airport lounges and connections to long haul destinations.

Do you sometimes end up on a bus when arriving at Heathrow T5, despite paying the premium for travelling on BA?