easyJet - any advice?
 

I'm planning to fly from MSP to London (LGW) Dec. 16 and back on Jan. 2. Once in London, I'd like to spend a day or two there and head onto Madrid. I found great fares on easyJet, but wondering what's the catch. What is your experience?

No real catch. Just that you need to pay for every little thing extra - so bring your own snacks etc

Cheers

you get what you pay for. its all cattle class. words of advice.
1. book as early as you can. always going to be cheaper.
2. make sure you know where the airport is, it maybe london, but really in luton. quite a difference.
3.sometimes they load from the front and back doors, this can be better to sit in back so you can avoid the rush when leaving.
4.bring snacks.

Watch the luggage limitation if you have a heavy bag.

no limit on hand luggage weight though as long as it goes in the overhead bin. They are a good airline.

Also out of LHR is Virgin Express.

BA and SN brussels offer really good service and low fares as well.

Easyjet are ok, DO NOT be late checking in if you want to be allowed on the flight.

A good tip:
There's no seat alocation. Try and bag the front row or emergency exit row.
Easyjet are fine for a LCC. Loads better than Ryanair.

I would choose Easyjet over Ryanair anytime.
The main difference is that Easyjet normally flies to the major airports whereas Ryanair flies to secondary airports in the middle of nowhere.
If you fly Easyjet to Paris for example you land at CDG airport which is the main airport for Paris where all full-service airlines also operate while Ryanair lands at Beauvais airport which is literally in the middle of nowhere, far far from Paris city centre.

Just be careful with the baggage allowance as mentioned, it's 20 kg and you will most likely have to pay if you have 21 or 22 kg.
No inflight service either, but at least the Easyjet staff are generally friendly and helpful.

www.skyscanner.net for european low cost airline fares
 

for those who don't know this site. doesnt cover absolutely everything but a great resource for looking at options - monthly search feature especially useful. saved me £100s over last couple of years.

for those unfamiliar with European geography (and the fact that there are no border restrictions between many continental European countries) note that there are often several airports possible for some locations, esp if you have a bit of time to travel eg for barcelona - gerona (beautiful city, lance armstrong has a house nearby), perpignan, reus all within 2-3 hours drive or train; for geneva - grenoble, lyon

baggage allowance with Ryanair is only 15KG - note

9 times out of ten they are ok but if they are delayed then they can really be delayed. Was delayed for pretty much exactly 2 hours on Friday.

As they board in groups in order of check in then it's up to you how much you want a good seat.

Me, I always arrive for check-in opening to get in group A. 9 times out of 10 I get either row 1, 12 or 13 which gives lots of extra leg room. Although once I was stuck in traffic and to be honest for the one hour flight between EDI-LTN any aisle/window seat was sufficient. Never get stuck in the middle. Very tight fit.

LL

Last time I flew ryanair (july) they had done away with weight limits and adopted an 'if it fits you're cool' policy. For last minute stuff just go ahead and check iberia, spanair and others, as easyjet will be expensive. two months out though you can't beat it. vuelting maybe. opodo.com pretty much sucks in my opinion. While there is no assigned seating, getting there early will get you in the first group onto the bus/plane, so there is a little choice. I have to say that it is at least as good as inter-european business class on Air France. I am not kidding.

I'm looking at a Ryanair CIA-BVA flight next spring. They're about the only LCC going from Rome to Paris.

Anyhow, their website still mentions the 15kg baggage weight limit. Is this "if it fits you're cool" policy official or just what they do in practice?

Also, is that carryon only or checked baggage too?

AFAIK, it's still 15kg and strictly enforced. You might be lucky at the station where Ryanair employ handling agents, but then again you might not.

All checked baggage gets weighed in Europe (not just with LCCs but with all carriers), and if you are over the limit you pay. Some airlines have an unofficial policy of turning a blind eye if you are no more than X kilos over the limit, but with Ryanair the limit is strictly enforced.

You are allowed carry-on luggage in addition to your checked luggage. Easyjet is fairly unique in Europe in not having a weight limit for carry-ons (the rule is that you have to be able to get it in the overhead locker unaided); with Ryanair the carry-on limit is 10 kg and again this is generally enforced.