A Salutary Lesson [arrived at gate too late to board EasyJet flight]
Aug 5, 2019, 7:09 am
#31
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GVA
Programs: BA Gold, LH FTL, KL/AF Ivory
Posts: 1,878
At a number of outstations Easyjet use the same staff to carry out all the tasks, check-in, boarding, receive incoming pax, one way they keep their costs down, but it does mean that they have to be ultra-strict on timing. That's why you often end up boarding just as the incoming plane turns up (well not really boarding, but have your BP scanned) and wait in a corridor whilst the staff deal with offloading the arriving passengers.
Aug 5, 2019, 7:14 am
#32
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,155
I don’t understand this part. They wouldn’t let you check in car seats at a check-in counter until every other passenger on the same flight had checked their bags? How could they possibly know that every passenger that was going to check a bag had done so? Not everyone pays for hold baggage in advance.
We’ve flown easyJet a handful of times and have checked our car seats at the same time and place as we checked our regular hold bags. What is the point of making you wait?
We’ve flown easyJet a handful of times and have checked our car seats at the same time and place as we checked our regular hold bags. What is the point of making you wait?
Aug 5, 2019, 1:57 pm
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Dorchester, Dorset UK
Programs: BA Gold, BMI, ANA, HH Blue, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,063
I don’t understand this part. They wouldn’t let you check in car seats at a check-in counter until every other passenger on the same flight had checked their bags? How could they possibly know that every passenger that was going to check a bag had done so? Not everyone pays for hold baggage in advance.
We’ve flown easyJet a handful of times and have checked our car seats at the same time and place as we checked our regular hold bags. What is the point of making you wait?
I was working as a volunteer at Bristol Airport today and asked the easyJet team what the rules were, which is why I have this new information .
I am sorry that some of your party missed their flight, which must have been a very stressful experience. However, the responsibility for this lies solely with your party.
EasyJet's (and other airlines') policies on check-in and boarding times are well publicised and easy to understand - and they apply to everyone, including you.
I am sorry to have to say this, but your complaint sounds very much like a classic case of: "I understand the rules. I just don't think they should apply to me".
This is nothing to do with EasyJet. I am certain you would be saying exactly the same thing about BA, Lufthansa or anyone else, had you missed one of their flights.
There are two expensive lessons to be learned here - and neither of them has anything to do with your choice of airline:
1. Don't be late.
2. Take responsibility for your mistakes.
I wish you luck in your future travels.
EasyJet's (and other airlines') policies on check-in and boarding times are well publicised and easy to understand - and they apply to everyone, including you.
I am sorry to have to say this, but your complaint sounds very much like a classic case of: "I understand the rules. I just don't think they should apply to me".
This is nothing to do with EasyJet. I am certain you would be saying exactly the same thing about BA, Lufthansa or anyone else, had you missed one of their flights.
There are two expensive lessons to be learned here - and neither of them has anything to do with your choice of airline:
1. Don't be late.
2. Take responsibility for your mistakes.
I wish you luck in your future travels.
Aug 5, 2019, 10:28 pm
#34
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,307
Do I understand the bit I bolded correctly and you expect some kind of refund? You're entitled to APD and nothing more. My experience is the APD will be refunded without a murmur.
Aug 6, 2019, 2:22 am
#35
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Bregenz, Austria
Programs: AA, BAEC, Alaska, Flying Blue, United, IHG, Hilton
Posts: 2,950
This is correct. You will not receive any refund on the fares paid. This is in line with the vast majority of airlines which sell non-flexible tickets.
Aug 6, 2019, 3:45 am
#36
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 247
Judging by your responses, there won't be next time, however if you do decided to fly with EZY again and have pushchairs/car seats... these can be all gate checked, so if you have an issue with your party being late to check in, take them with you and check them in at the gate. It does somewhat surprise me that LGW team did not just print manual bag tags and checked your pushchair and car seat as extra baggage which is what is normally done as neither is part of you baggage allowance when it comes to the weight restriction.
Regarding refund... you are entitled to airport tax and APD refund but you do have to call customer service team and request it. There is no refund fee for APD but there will be for airport taxes. Considering you were a party of 12 this could result in some money back.
Aug 6, 2019, 8:55 am
#37
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 413
Aug 6, 2019, 9:16 am
#38
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 247
Aug 6, 2019, 11:59 am
#39
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: UK. BAEC AAdvantage
Programs: Mucci Des Oeufs Brouilles et des Canards
Posts: 3,671
Air Passenger Duty was supposed to be a nudge tax to make people fly less, but all it's done is made flights more expensive and become a revenue earner for the government. For long haul passengers (over 2,000 miles) it's £78 in Y and £172 for any premium cabin. Some people are taking cheap flights to other ports in Europe to avoid these taxes.
Aug 7, 2019, 12:12 pm
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Dorchester, Dorset UK
Programs: BA Gold, BMI, ANA, HH Blue, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,063
Slightly confused with this... Rest of your party were 2 minutes behind you (28 minutes before departure time) or 2 minutes past the gate closure time? I have never heard of anyone being denied travel for being at the gate at -28. On first wave departures boarding process starts at -40 and seeing that your flight departure rather full it is quite hard to believe that the gate staff managed to process over 140 passengers in 12 minutes and close the gate.
Judging by your responses, there won't be next time, however if you do decided to fly with EZY again and have pushchairs/car seats... these can be all gate checked, so if you have an issue with your party being late to check in, take them with you and check them in at the gate. It does somewhat surprise me that LGW team did not just print manual bag tags and checked your pushchair and car seat as extra baggage which is what is normally done as neither is part of you baggage allowance when it comes to the weight restriction.
Regarding refund... you are entitled to airport tax and APD refund but you do have to call customer service team and request it. There is no refund fee for APD but there will be for airport taxes. Considering you were a party of 12 this could result in some money back.
Judging by your responses, there won't be next time, however if you do decided to fly with EZY again and have pushchairs/car seats... these can be all gate checked, so if you have an issue with your party being late to check in, take them with you and check them in at the gate. It does somewhat surprise me that LGW team did not just print manual bag tags and checked your pushchair and car seat as extra baggage which is what is normally done as neither is part of you baggage allowance when it comes to the weight restriction.
Regarding refund... you are entitled to airport tax and APD refund but you do have to call customer service team and request it. There is no refund fee for APD but there will be for airport taxes. Considering you were a party of 12 this could result in some money back.
Re the allowance against another ticket, when I was working at BRS on Monday, EasyJet staff told me that their policy in such circumstances was to offer a replacement flight if a same day nearby destination was available.
I await a reply from EasyJet and will post accordingly.
Aug 9, 2019, 4:10 am
#41
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 247
I believe this was different as we were all bussed to the aircraft which was on a remote stand. I would guess that once the three buses had left, there was no facility to transfer anyone else.
Re the allowance against another ticket, when I was working at BRS on Monday, EasyJet staff told me that their policy in such circumstances was to offer a replacement flight if a same day nearby destination was available.
I await a reply from EasyJet and will post accordingly.
Aug 9, 2019, 9:24 am
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Dorchester, Dorset UK
Programs: BA Gold, BMI, ANA, HH Blue, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,063
I fear that the outcome will not be positive in regards to refund of any unused fare (as mentioned before, you will definitely get APD + (tax - refund fee) back. When it comes to the replacement flight, in case pax is late they do offer rescue fare (only to the same city on the next available flight) but this is not FOC, it is charged at £99 per pax. There is no nearby destination provision available; it has to be the same destination (e.g... LGW, LTN, STN and SEN or CDG and ORY or MXP and LIN) so in your case the only available alternative would have been catching later STN-LJU.
Easyjet make it very difficult to find out exactly what can be done.
Aug 9, 2019, 12:24 pm
#43
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Programs: Hilton Gold, Priority Club Blue, SPG Gold, Sofitel Gold, FB Ivory, BA Blue
Posts: 8,478
Expect the unexpected. Turn up early, especially if with a large party. Always buy fast trash security, if available. Above all else, get to the gate on time. All LCCs make a big thing of being strict on the little things. Sorry, I’m sure there are extenuating circumstances, but when out there you have to think of everything (and then some).
Aug 27, 2019, 5:42 am
#44
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 14
When our family travels together, 8 of us, we make it a point to arrive very early. I’m surprised that you didn’t think of that considering you do this often. There are a lot of things that can happen to make you late at the gate. I hope you learned your lesson.
Aug 27, 2019, 8:44 am
#45
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: perth
Programs: SPG(LTG), QANTAS gold, Korean, Accor Plat
Posts: 1,500
Most airlines don’t require pax to be at gate 30 minutes before departure, to be allowed on flight. Some even call missing pax by name. At least most flights are called.
Easyjet made it harder for my grandchildren by getting them to check in buggy, rather than take it to gate and as car seats etc cannot be checked in until last bag has been dropped, we all had to wait for last person to arrive on delayed train, then dash to gate.
I guess delays in security were caused by school holiday traffic.