BA Business Class Vs EasyJet: Comparison
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 54
BA Business Class Vs EasyJet: Comparison
Yes, you read this right, I am comparing British Airways Club Europe to Easyjet for a 4-hour flight from London Heathrow to Thessaloniki, Greece and then back.
Cost
BA: Cash 70.50 + Avios 9,750 [cash price was 400+]
Easyjet: 46.76
At the airport:
BA:
Fast-Track not honoured. I had to use the standard queue for boarding. Took 30 minutes+
Lounge: Used Galleries Lounge. The staff unhelpful and rude. Could only stay for a few minutes due to the delays with security.
Boarding: Priority boarding not honoured. Free for all basically.
Easyjet:
No Fast-Track but Thessaloniki airport's security was a breeze. Cleared security in 5 minutes.
Lounge: Used SkyServ with Priority pass (this is also the same lounge BA is using for its business class). Friendly staff but limited food options.
Boarding: I didn't pay for priority boarding, but I could see there were two clearly separated lines one for priority and one for standard tickets. So if you decide to pay for it, it's honoured and worth it since it comes with free luggage on the plane.
On the plane:
BA
Seating: The usual intra-European seats for business class - i.e. Economy class seats. The usual middle empty seat NOT honoured. The passenger next to me decided to bring her son and the flight crew didn't say anything..
Food: All meat options run out, when they reached my row. I've had some very mediocre Vegetarian food. This is the third time that they run out of all the options when they reach my row. I don't even know why they bother giving menus.
Staff: As it's a true tradition for BA now, one of the crew was the best ever and one of them was the worst; full of sarcastic comments and rudeness.
Easyjet
Seating: Same pitch length as BA. Middle seat empty!!
Food: Buy on-board options. I had a reasonably tasty meal that I paid for 8 (20% discount if booked before flight).
Staff: Lovely staff throughout the flight.
Conclusion: While I understand it's not a like-for-like comparison and one flight was from the UK and the other the return leg, I think it's still fair to say that if you would like to have a premium experience, flying with EasyJet could give you a far more premium experience than flying with British Airways Business Class. In this flight, I didn't even pay for any priority seating or boarding and my experience was still better.
If you have millions of Avios to burn: BA. If you want a premium experience: EasyJet.
Cost
BA: Cash 70.50 + Avios 9,750 [cash price was 400+]
Easyjet: 46.76
At the airport:
BA:
Fast-Track not honoured. I had to use the standard queue for boarding. Took 30 minutes+
Lounge: Used Galleries Lounge. The staff unhelpful and rude. Could only stay for a few minutes due to the delays with security.
Boarding: Priority boarding not honoured. Free for all basically.
Easyjet:
No Fast-Track but Thessaloniki airport's security was a breeze. Cleared security in 5 minutes.
Lounge: Used SkyServ with Priority pass (this is also the same lounge BA is using for its business class). Friendly staff but limited food options.
Boarding: I didn't pay for priority boarding, but I could see there were two clearly separated lines one for priority and one for standard tickets. So if you decide to pay for it, it's honoured and worth it since it comes with free luggage on the plane.
On the plane:
BA
Seating: The usual intra-European seats for business class - i.e. Economy class seats. The usual middle empty seat NOT honoured. The passenger next to me decided to bring her son and the flight crew didn't say anything..
Food: All meat options run out, when they reached my row. I've had some very mediocre Vegetarian food. This is the third time that they run out of all the options when they reach my row. I don't even know why they bother giving menus.
Staff: As it's a true tradition for BA now, one of the crew was the best ever and one of them was the worst; full of sarcastic comments and rudeness.
Easyjet
Seating: Same pitch length as BA. Middle seat empty!!
Food: Buy on-board options. I had a reasonably tasty meal that I paid for 8 (20% discount if booked before flight).
Staff: Lovely staff throughout the flight.
Conclusion: While I understand it's not a like-for-like comparison and one flight was from the UK and the other the return leg, I think it's still fair to say that if you would like to have a premium experience, flying with EasyJet could give you a far more premium experience than flying with British Airways Business Class. In this flight, I didn't even pay for any priority seating or boarding and my experience was still better.
If you have millions of Avios to burn: BA. If you want a premium experience: EasyJet.
#2
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 66,119
Seems quite a poor CE trip, I can't say that collection is anything that I've experienced, and I've done quite a few CE trips. Are you able to explain a bit more why you could not use Fast Track at LHR? Were you actually connecting at LHR rather than going from landside? I'm not aware of any recent time when North and South FT have been closed, though they were at various times during the pandemic.
#3
Join Date: Aug 2023
Location: The "Ew-K"
Programs: BA, SK & ALL Gold
Posts: 155
Funnily enough, I had similar issues with the fast track at LHR T3. Fast track by virtue of status, however the scanners went red and denied me entry. I explained to the security guard manning the gate that I had access by status, they said they didn't really know what that is so just overrode the system and let me through.
It does sounds like you had a poor experience with CE, especially with the meal options and middle seat which to me is the main differentiator between CE and ET. It was very cheeky for your neighbour to use the middle seat, and I hope that they paid for the privilege of sitting at the 'pointy end'. Glad to see that there wasn't too much of a dent on your wallet, but sorry to read about your experience.
I would definitely take the opportunity to write a complaint, you may be able to recoup some of the avios lost from this.
Luckily I haven't encountered this but it's stories like this that really highlight how much a joke CE can be sometimes, especially if you have status in ET.
It does sounds like you had a poor experience with CE, especially with the meal options and middle seat which to me is the main differentiator between CE and ET. It was very cheeky for your neighbour to use the middle seat, and I hope that they paid for the privilege of sitting at the 'pointy end'. Glad to see that there wasn't too much of a dent on your wallet, but sorry to read about your experience.
I would definitely take the opportunity to write a complaint, you may be able to recoup some of the avios lost from this.
Luckily I haven't encountered this but it's stories like this that really highlight how much a joke CE can be sometimes, especially if you have status in ET.
#4
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 20,301
Middle seat can be occupied in CE? I thought it was a key differentiating feature between CE and ET.
Is the child (I am going to assume the mother upgraded her child unless corrected) entitled to CE meal?
Is the child (I am going to assume the mother upgraded her child unless corrected) entitled to CE meal?
Last edited by percysmith; Oct 24, 2023 at 11:46 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: AA, BA, Accor, Honors Diamond, IHG Diamond Elite and lots more....
Posts: 3,041
Did you say anything about the seating arrangements.
Should have spoken to the in flight manager about it.
Why didn't the security work? Did you say anything to them?
Should have spoken to the in flight manager about it.
Why didn't the security work? Did you say anything to them?
#7
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: London (mostly) & Wernstein am Inn
Programs: BAEC Gold, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 2,539
All time when in Thessaloniki I need to indeed use the standard queue as BA obviously doesn't pay there for fast track
By reading it sounds like son of pax was in Y and came into CE for most of the flight, sitting next to his mum. I wouldn't have an issue with that for a few min, but not for the whole duration of the flight (which is long from Greece). A matter for crew to sort though.
By reading it sounds like son of pax was in Y and came into CE for most of the flight, sitting next to his mum. I wouldn't have an issue with that for a few min, but not for the whole duration of the flight (which is long from Greece). A matter for crew to sort though.
#9
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 906
All time when in Thessaloniki I need to indeed use the standard queue as BA obviously doesn't pay there for fast track
By reading it sounds like son of pax was in Y and came into CE for most of the flight, sitting next to his mum. I wouldn't have an issue with that for a few min, but not for the whole duration of the flight (which is long from Greece). A matter for crew to sort though.
By reading it sounds like son of pax was in Y and came into CE for most of the flight, sitting next to his mum. I wouldn't have an issue with that for a few min, but not for the whole duration of the flight (which is long from Greece). A matter for crew to sort though.
Im guessing this was a Neo with no central console which allowed the seat to be occupied. I certainly would have complained about somebody being in the middle seat, since the extra space is a large part of the CE offer.
#10
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 3,149
On a packed flight yesterday with a Club Europe cabin of 14 rows, with the cabin crew rushed off their feet and unable to offer anything more than the bare minimum in the way of service, I found myself thinking that this is a far from premium experience, and a very long way from the impression that BA likes to project in its marketing.
Club Europe: "A bit better than being down the back."
Club Europe: "A bit better than being down the back."
#11
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Devon, UK
Programs: VS Silver; Matmid Silver, BA Bronze; Accor Plat.
Posts: 1,060
Poor CE experience, of that is no doubt, however which airport did you return to? What times were the scheduled flights? There are many factors that dictate the value for money and convenience not just the bottom line.
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,412
I really don't understand the point of those anecdotal comparisons: the OP happened to have a particularly crappy CE flight versus a U2 Y flight where everything went well. Well, fine. It is a bit llke saying: I had a lovely sunny holiday in Sardinia whereas it rained all the time when I was in Sicily. That may well be so but, to the extent that it is meant to throw light on whether the weather is nicer in Sardinia than Sicily, it fails.
#13
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci. And BA Gold previous awards - Gold 12, Silver 7, Bronze 4.
Posts: 5,249
I think the point is that BA CE is marketed (and priced) as a premium product, but that premium product/service/experience was not delivered. Whereas Easyjet did exactly what it says on the tin.
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: London, UK and Southern France
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#15
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 20,301
I'm not sure if operating as scheduled is on the Easyjet tin; if it does operate as scheduled, I considered I already got a bargain.