SAS EuroBonus - EasyJet vs SAS

Thought I'd share my recent experience of my first time flying EasyJet, compared to my countless experiences with SAS (as EBG for many years). Comparing apples to apples, EZY is compared to SAS Economy.

Total ticket price: (2 pax, purchased 2 months in advance)
SAS to MAN/LHR: Approx. DKK 4.000 + price of rental car for 2 days
EZY to STN: DKK 2.600 incl. 2 days rental car

Check-in: (1 pc of checked luggage)
SAS: Online for seat allocation, usually long and slow queues for baggage drop regardless of location
EZY: Airport check-in 2 hours before departure, quite fast service in both CPH and STN

Boarding
SAS: Despite claiming priority boarding for EBGs, this happens very rarely resulting in the usual boarding rush chaos
EZY: Section boarding, divided into 3-4 groups.

Inflight Service
SAS: Pay for everything in Econ, rushed and ineffective service, rare smiles and often grumpy crew when flight is full
EZY: Pay for everything, effective service and happy crew even when packed full

Inflight comfort
SAS: A319/320 seats have very little legroom and backs are hard and uncomfy. Slight pitch. Often dirty seats, pocket or tray table.
EZY: A319 same (percievevd) legroom as SAS. No pitch. Clean seats etc.

Overall I must admit I was pretty impressed with my first trip with EZY when comparing to SAS Economy Class. Maybe I was lucky as everything went fine, there were no delays, cancellations or other hickups during my flights.

Impressed but I must admit I still prefer SAS as long as I'm EBG :)

Impressed but I must admit I still prefer SAS as long as I'm EBG :)

Hi laksko,

I don't quite understand how you can prefere SAS when all your points on your list gives EZY the edge, even though you hold a EEB G card?

The only thing I have against LCC is that you have to fight for your prefered seat and don't have the opertunity to choose this on before hand... :)

I don't quite understand how you can prefere SAS when all your points on your list gives EZY the edge, even though you hold a EEB G card?

Despite my positive rating of EZY this time, SAS and others do provide a better overall experience, but for a short & spontaneous trip the no-frills/get-what-you-pay-for concept of EZY is quite good I think.

The EBG does provide some perks such as:
* FastTrack - although this was not relevant on the EZY flight as this was early Saturday morning during holiday season.
* Lounge Access - staff at the CPH lounges are very kind and lounges are great, but the company of Mrs. Laksko on the EZY flight more than made up for lounge access :D

Even tough EZY was good this time, I'd hate to fly them when something goes haywire.

I see what you mean.

What's funny here is that one changes perception. It took me 6 years to book with SAS again after having been very negative about the product, but after last weekend's trip I was happy as Larry. Why? Maybe because I have spent time on carriers even worse (don't know) and expected nothing from SAS after what I had read in the media etc.

Yes, you are dead right that flying LCC on short segments is great. One reason is that they do what they can to leave on time, and arrive in a timely manner, not caring if missing pax makes it or not :D BUT, if something goes wrong it usually goes VERY wrong and as you know yourself being an elite FF you know what your rights are, something LCC don't honor without a fight...

EZY's service is ok (apart from not allocated seats), it's the kind of people that fly with them that make it stink.
You get a better class of passenger on full price carriers. Stansted is full of tourists on £10 tickets going to get drunk in Spain. Not a pleasant experience (just as Ryanair have ruined BHX T2).

I used to be happy flying EZY but after experiencing one cancellation and the total chaos that followed I will never do this again. What ever I had saved on 10 trips with EZY was lost on this trip as I had to buy new tickets.

I have also experienced cancellations with SK but they always did their best to get me and my fellow pax rerouted in a calm manner and good order.

Inflight Service
SAS: Pay for everything in Econ, rushed and ineffective service, rare smiles and often grumpy crew when flight is full
EZY: Pay for everything, effective service and happy crew even when packed full

I fly EZY alot (Copenhagen-Berlin), and I'm always with no exceptions met by a smiling, attentive crew who even has time for serving (when paying of course) a hot meal to passengers on a full flight of 40 mins. My last trip to Berlin was on SK with max 25 pax onboard a MD80, and the crew (4 attendants) refused to serve anything, not even payed coffee due to the short flight! I'll definately choose EZY over SK on these short flights.

It's not a straightforward comparison. If you had SK and Ezy at exactly the same price point, with the same schedule I would go with SK for the assigned seating, luggage allowance and at least a few miles as well. On the other hand SK is often MUCH more expensive, which is much harder to justify.

One definitive advantage SK enjoys is that there often are much more and better timed frequencies, suiting especially the business traveler far better than the often single daily Ezy flights at awkward times. If this is not an issue and you have some flexibility, then by all means pick up the cheapest one. Just use some of the savings to buy a decent annual insurance policy that also applies for low cost carriers to cover for irrops.

BTW Ezy is starting CPH-MAN this autumn.

Just use some of the savings to buy a decent annual insurance policy that also applies for low cost carriers to cover for irrops.
Hehe, right :)



BTW Ezy is starting CPH-MAN this autumn.
...and CPH-GVA
...and an extra frequency to SXF