Originally Posted by
AJCNL
I use Easyjet 4 times a year AMS-LGW, generally speaking as you experienced, on-time, pleasant enough, and bargain fares, I have no complaints. As for Speedy Boarding, I don't quite understand what you are saying. At the AMS H/M pier the Speedy Boarding 'pen' is released first, so you are on the plane with access to the lockers before the non-speedy boarders. At Gatwick, it is also well monitored so you get to board first. Again with Speedy boarding you are permitted 2 items one in the overhead locker, and one under the seat, and your larger item will never be taken off you at the gate which is not the case for non speedy boarders with a full size piece. The one bag policy is common on budget airlines. I find Easyjet with speedy boarding a superior experience to BA unless you have status.
My situation was a little different. In Berlin, the speedy boarding pen boarded the first section of a bus. They did not depart without filling the bus, of course, so the rest of us boarded the back of the bus. The first section got off first and they did not open the rear doors, which is fine, but some of us plebs had to board via the rear door so technically I (I was seated in row 19) got to my seat almost at exactly the same time as someone with speedy boarding.
I just don't think the bag policy made all that much sense to me personally. I carried the exact same amount of weight and the under-seat space ahead of me was open the whole flight. I of course understand what they're trying to do-- it makes sense to want to limit the delays that get associated with people lugging 90 bags on board-- I just don't think it necessarily changed my behavior, just forced me to stick via some miracle by personal item into my carry-on.
Originally Posted by
AlienInTheFatherland
This makes me wonder which other airports you have frequented...
I'm not a frequent traveler to some of the great airports in Asia, but in the last 12 months or so I've been all over the US (my home base is EWR but for work I regularly travel to ORD, SFO, ATL, and BOS), FCO, CDG, TXL, AMS (obviously), DUB, LHR, ORY, BCN, VCE, and a few other European hotspots. I've been to NRT but never to HKG. I would say that I don't really care about things like lounges or restaurants all that much and I've never bought anything at an airport store ever (like who goes to Hermes at the airport). I care about layout of the airport, convenience of public transportation options and link into the airport, speed through security, and what the gate experience is like (is there space to hold people queuing? Do they spill into the concourse? That kinda thing). For those reasons I was pretty happy with it. Like I said I'd appreciate more seating, though I just sat on my suitcase. I'm young I guess, it's fine.