Is it first come, first seated ala Southwest in the old days? Does having paid for a seat mean anything as to order of seating?

I am guessing it is first come, first seated...

Easyjet board in 2 groups.

Priority boarding if you:
Are an easyJet Plus! cardholder
Have a Flexi booking
Have purchased an Extra Legroom or Up Front seat
and for passengers requiring special assistance / young families

Then everyone else boards on a first come / first served basis.

See www.easyjet.com/EN/Flying/boarding

Note that Easyjet provide you with an assigned seat number at check in, so it is less of a scrum than it used to be!

Thanks for the info. I had already paid for seats and just upped it now to the Up Front Seat. A small price not to be part of the scrum!

As outoftheblue said, it's rather less of a scrum these days as there's no rush to 'get the best seats', or all sit together, what with each passenger now having an allocated seat.

Of course, there's still the issue of passengers wanting to try and ensure their cabin baggage does indeed stay with them in the cabin (rather than getting put in the hold), in light of easyjet's new cabin baggage policy - that said, I'm only guessing that boarding earlier rather than later means you're more likely to keep hold of your cabin bag on busy flights.

(Obviously, as the easyjet policy makes clear, if you've got a smaller cabin bag - 50x40x20cm - then it'll definitely stay with you.)

I never understand why people join "the scrum" when you already have an assigned seat. I find it much more pleasant to relax in the departure lounge next to the gate until the queue is almost all gone, then just stroll onto the plane.

Less time spent in the crowd getting on and less time spent in the crampt seats!

It's the overhead space/carryon thing...

I don't believe this would be the case, they have the possibility to check the people at the gates as there is always a queue to board (in my experience) and they have time to check luggage before the boarding starts (they used to do this before the new hand luggage rule, so I guess that they still do).

Well I recently flew LGW - Berlin return.
The flight was full both ways. I had been assigned 17d at check-in and took my time to board. Out bound- Not enough overhead space for bags and coats and there was a lot o f scrambling around. As I had a small carry on I was asked by crew if I could put it at my feet, which is a joke as I have long legs and already had a winter coat on my lap.
On the way back from Berlin it was better policed and excess carry ons were being checked at the gate, making for a much better return flight.

I tend to agree, though I do see some potential benefit. At airports where the terminal layout allows (e.g. CPH where I recently flew) easyJet seems to make a habit of scanning boarding passes and queuing up all the passengers before the plane even arrives. They push you into a tight space and you stand there for 45 minutes or more. The people who paid a pretty penny for the "privilege" to board first stood for the entire 45 minutes until we all basically instantaneously boarded the plane once the arriving passengers deplaned. Doesn't seem like they we're getting much return on their investment.

Best way to take advantage of this, IME would be to sit in the terminal, relax, with one eye out the window and then a few minutes after the plane arrives walk into the priority boarding line. This will guarantee you getting your bag in no problem, without having to stand in this terrible queue. ^ YMMV...

If they have to take your cabin bag off due to lack of room and put it in the hold, do they charge you to do so? Does this vary if it is the smaller sized or slightly larger allowed size?

No.

If you pay for one of the more expensive seats then you are guaranteed to keep your baggage with you as long as it fits normaly carry-on size (as opposed to Easyjet's new "guaranteed" smaller size). So it's worth paying for a premium seat for that reason.