iahphx

I have some specific dates next fall that I will need to fly my family around Europe. Looking at the route maps, it looks like easyjet will work well for me. So I've got lots of time to plan, but since I'm flying a bunch of people, I want to get the best price. I'm not that familiar with the current state of discounting by the budget European carriers. What's the BEST sale I'm likely to get that I should jump on?

My recollection from years past is that Easyjet doesn't get as "crazy" with their pricing as, say, Ryanair. Do they ever do something as good as 10 Euro fares? Is there a certain day each week I should remember to look, or are the sale dates pretty random?

Also, how reliable are their schedules? It's possible I may book a "connection" for an int'l departure or arrival. If I do so, and Easyjet changes the flight time by a couple of hours, could I get my money back?

Thanks for the help!

Roger

Rarely. I have used 'free' flights, but they were some years ago.Not that I'm aware of. Others may know better.I believe so.Pretty good. For a LCC, delays cost ��� (or $$$) which tends to concentrate their minds.Be aware that easyJet is a point-to-point airline and does not guarantee 'connections'. You wouldn't get your money back if you missed a 'connecting' flight because of a late arrival. Remember that you would need to collect your bags and recheck them, so allow plenty of time.

I'd say book as far ahead as you can, remembering that it is difficult/costly to change flights once you have booked. If connections are important, best to use a legacy carrier, I guess.

alanR

Best way to score a cheap fare is NOT to have specific dates, don't go to popular places at popular times and book as soon as you feel you've a good fare

As for making connections - it's your problem, so plan accordingly, Easyjet (nor any other airline on the planet) will give you a refund because you can't make your connection unless it's a major change like 12 hours or more. And knowing your airline is the most reliable on the planet is useless if your flight is the exception.

jb831

I second that. You should also be able to find cheap fares easily since you'll be traveling in the fall. And just like any other air travel, the fares will be higher for travel on weekends (however, the fare difference for weekend travel on these European budget airlines is normally only about 10-15 quid).

angelsgirl85

Depends on the route. The only time I flew EasyJet, I was going Amsterdam to London, and they are your only LCC choice, with maybe 2 flights a day, so they charge whatever they darn well want knowing you'll pay it. More popular routes, be prepared to fly super early/late if you want to save a few bucks. But no, they really don't have sales like RyanAir or SkyEurope or most other LCC.

farci

The Easyjet website has a '3 day' and a '14 day' feature which means you can check the lowest fare in a period by being flexible on dates.

They also claim these fares won't fall. Maybe - but typically LCCs also discount about 2-3 months before travel date to stimulate loads.

On the other hand, if there's a bunch of people travelling together, your choice of seats may be limited.

That's a politician's answer but that's the name of the game right now. One more thing, if you're talking continental Europe also consider train for shorter distances - up to about 300km. Advice can be had on the European Rail Forum on this site or check schedules on the DB website

iahphx

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I'm flying from Paris to Spain, so the train isn't a great option. I guess I'll just watch for sales every few days. At least I won't have much "competition" for the cheap seats for quite some time -- it would seem WAY far in advance to book fall for an internal European flight.

stewardo

Its not to everyone's taste, but the sleeper trains between Paris and Madrid or Barcelona can be an interesting way to travel - and saves the cost of a night in a hotel. The pricing is not too much more than flights, particularly if you are a group of four.

iahphx

Thanks. This is interesting, but it still seems a tad too aexpensive at 65 Euros a person. Also, we've 5 people, so that complicates things! Nobody wants to share a sleeper compartment.

alanR

How much would you be paying for hotel rooms that night?

iahphx

About 90 Euros for the family.

canadian98765

Does Easyjet ever offer promo codes? There is a spot to enter one when you are booking your flight. This would definitely help get a cheaper fare.

Although I can't find any current promo codes.. anyone have any to share?

bizclassboy

use skyscanner.net they often show good fares with BA FlyBE BMI and they will take care of you if it goes pear shaped

Roger

I don't think so, but they currently have a 'Save up to 50%' sale with genuine availability.

LGW-ZRH is available for �9.95 all-in if you have hand baggage and pay by Electron Visa. Curiously - or not - EI will commence flights LGW-ZRH at the same lead-in proce.

Seat64A

You may wish to bear in mind that at some airports you'd need to leave the secure area and go through security again even though you were only transiting.

My experience of easyJet's punctuality isn't good, certainly in comparison with Ryanair.

As someone else has noted, the really low fares of a year or two ago disappeared during this last low season.

With easyJet the best deals seem to be, generally speaking, when fares first become available - such as recently for flights from London Stansted this coming winter, for example. My perception is that even if easyJet has a "sale" on these fares later in the year the prices will not match those currently available.