Speedy boarding a rip off?
Jul 30, 2008, 7:32 am
#17
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Not sure why some found the your post offensive, the only offensive part to me is paying for priority boarding only to have the hoardes cut in front of you
Maybe I too wish to be rich and travel in style, which of course would leave out EasyJet, Ryan Air and their ilk
Oh, and welcome to FlyerTalk.
EmailKid
Jul 30, 2008, 9:37 am
#18
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: DC Metro Area
Posts: 407
We use EasyJet from time to time based on timing and routing. We pay for all the extras which will make it a more pleasant experience, but SB only makes sense for those airports which enforce it. It's very annoying to pay and have the privilege of being "first on the bus" rather than on the plane, and I noticed that in recent confirmations it is careful to note that SB will get you "first through the gate" rather than onto the plane. The budget forum could usefully maintain a sticky with which airports really do offer a SB benefit, in which case, it really can be worth it.
Jul 30, 2008, 11:16 am
#20
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 55
As someone who will be soon flying EasyJet and RyanAir for the first time and has been trying to decide if SpeedyBoarding is truly worth it, I whole-heartedly agree with this suggestion!
Jul 30, 2008, 1:01 pm
#21
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: retired from SFO Terminal 3
Posts: 7,437
I just flew RyanAir for the first time from Gothenberg Sweden to Dublin Ireland. Didn't pay for speedy boarding since this was only a 2hour flight. When the gate area doors were open, we had a choice of boarding from the front of the plane or the back. Not many were using the back stairs so I proceeded to head in that direction, not knowing if I would have to fight a crowd to sit in the front. Much to my surprise, there were two FA's standing at the center exit row, to make sure that the front boarders remained in the front and the back boarders were sitted in the rear and I got to sit in the exit row aisle.
Jul 30, 2008, 2:43 pm
#22
Join Date: Jun 2007
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Why should you have to pay for speedy boarding? If anything, they should charge people more for slow boarding as it's slow boarders who cause planes to miss their slots.
Jul 31, 2008, 12:17 pm
#24
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A lady with a wheelchair and her companion were allowed on first. Then all the 'speedy boarders' were called. A lady with MS using crutches who had not requested (or it seems been offered) assistance was sternly told to wait her turn until all those with purchased speedy boarding privileges had got on*.
I've flown Easyjet, Ryanair and Clickair to Spain this year, both as an able bodied passenger and as someone who requested (and never paid for) varying levels of assistance. From ALC and MJV both EasyJet and Ryanair honoured priority boarding passes and boarding was certainly 'ordered' (Clickair has assigned seating).
Perhaps this doesn't happen at BCN, but that doesn't reflect everyone's experience of Spanish Airports.
*On EZ flights where I actually requested help my own treatment was excellent.
For a chance at finding an overhead bin for your luggage, the opportunity to actually sit next to your travelling companions, and to sit at the front of the plane - a privilege that comes very pricey on other airlines.
Aug 1, 2008, 6:30 am
#25
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Malaga, Spain
Posts: 1,077
May I apologise for the lack of tact and irony bypasses of some contributors.
Eventually priority boarding is self-defeating. When more than about, say, 20% of passengers use it - in my experience about 50% do - then there is, ergo, no priority. The airlines know this so wait for the new product soon - SUPER PRIORITY!!
Eventually priority boarding is self-defeating. When more than about, say, 20% of passengers use it - in my experience about 50% do - then there is, ergo, no priority. The airlines know this so wait for the new product soon - SUPER PRIORITY!!
Aug 1, 2008, 9:43 am
#26
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Toronto
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Get off your high horse...
May I apologise for the lack of tact and irony bypasses of some contributors.
Eventually priority boarding is self-defeating. When more than about, say, 20% of passengers use it - in my experience about 50% do - then there is, ergo, no priority. The airlines know this so wait for the new product soon - SUPER PRIORITY!!
Eventually priority boarding is self-defeating. When more than about, say, 20% of passengers use it - in my experience about 50% do - then there is, ergo, no priority. The airlines know this so wait for the new product soon - SUPER PRIORITY!!
There was no irony in the OP's statement just a lack of tact.
Aug 2, 2008, 4:26 am
#27
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London
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When few people used priority boarding, you still had a good choice of seats, but now without it, you are getting pushed futher and further down to the back of the boarding scrum and pretty much guaranteed the choice of worst seats on the plane.
Aug 5, 2008, 8:18 pm
#28
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Aug 6, 2008, 12:20 am
#29
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As for the OP, I've used SB at Toulouse and found it to be useful although I would rather pay a few pounds more for seat assignments. I can't see why it's so hard to implement or why Easyjet won't implement it.
Aug 6, 2008, 4:21 pm
#30
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NYC
Programs: UA, AA, AGR
Posts: 327
Quit hyperventilating and take some deep breaths. There are worse things happening in the world than this.
As for the OP, I've used SB at Toulouse and found it to be useful although I would rather pay a few pounds more for seat assignments. I can't see why it's so hard to implement or why Easyjet won't implement it.
As for the OP, I've used SB at Toulouse and found it to be useful although I would rather pay a few pounds more for seat assignments. I can't see why it's so hard to implement or why Easyjet won't implement it.