Easyjet speedy boarding - when is it worth it?
 

Unfortunately my company's travel policy for short-haul flights is LCC where possible, which tends to mean easyjet.

it seems that paying for "speedy boarding" to avoid the scrum for the best seats is only sometimes worth it. Leaving Luton, for example, we walked directly to the aircraft (ie. no bus), so it would have been useful to get on quickly. On the return journey however, we boarded onto a bus, and so the benefits of speedy boarding (which I did pay extra for this time) were lost.

So to any regular easyjet flyers - from which airports is it worth paying for SB on EZY?

My thoughts so far:
- Luton: yes
- Barcelona: no

-- Mike

You do board directly by skybridge in Madrid-Barajas MAD and Orly ORY.

I'll tell you about Marrakesh RAK in a few days! Since tickets were so cheap I took this option on both legs (I guess RAK will be another story, who knows...).

IMO if you can do online check in for the flight then the answer is always no

At Bristol, I found that sitting near the gate got me onto the plane as fast as the speedy boarders.

I am flying Cologne-Gatwick frequently and always found it worth it....

Since I do not want to be at the airport 2+ hours ahead of the flight, I would naturally be one of the last to check in and thus the last to get onboard...

Does Online-Check In really help? I thought that these are in the B or C Section but never A.....

BTW just to make you aware, there are some strong mothers outr there that won't let you board first until you really had it explained to them by the Boarding Crew that SB beats Families!!! :D

OLCI only if you don't have to check bags. Not sure if this puts you into A though (I think A is the first 50 BPs issued)

-- Mike

I was on koln gatwick this week and took great delight in being last to board and on a totally full flight and reck the plans of those last 2 passengers who hog the outside and window seat in hope they will get the middle seat free

Why do they even sell Speedy Boarding at airports where they use a bus?

At BRS I have found if you board by bus they tell the speedy boarders to sit at the back of the bus and then only open the back door when the bus arrives at the plane.
Personally I don't bother though.

Everyone just runs to get on the plane, or at least thats what happened with I flew them last may. In fact for the most part the people that got on the bus last or group C and D go the best seats since they were the last ones on the bus they were the first ones off. Good thing I was a C!

It's useful for flights to Edinburgh as it means you can sit on the left hand side to get the best views of Edinburgh on approach - assuming a normal approach

'Speedy Boarding' or the Ryanair equivalent is self-defeating since the more people who use it the less 'speedy' it becomes. In any case, these things only work if the gate agents enforce them (rarely).

It's a revenue generator for the airline - 'plane' and simple:td:

Ot?
 

Slightly OT, but why does EasyJet have unassigned seating, when some other LCCs like Vueling let you pick your seat when you buy your ticket?

CDG - MAD last week, I bought my ticket the night before my flight, and booked my seat at the same time.

BTW, Vueling has an "extra room" seat option that is €12. There wasn't a lot of room, let alone extra room, so I don't know what the regular seats are like.

And, Vueling is just about, just about out of business. Their stock has dropped 80% since April.

You pays your money and you takes your chances.

...because they generate supplementary revenue from selling Easy Boarding:D

yes, it generates more revenue(which btw is good for the stock), but is also very good at least for the routes i fly.

especially in sxf,where you are boarding when children and disabled board it takes a lot of the hassle away.i can be at the airport at the minimum check in time and still get a prefered seat(in about 90 % 1AC).

BTW-speed boarding at ryanair only gives you the right to board with the first 90-i can get the same by checking in about 1 hour prior and fighting my way to the front.

for me, i always book speedy boarding when i fly easyjet.


cheers