Easyjet ends fee-free bookings as it now charges for Visa Electron

Ames

jayok wrote: »

So if you already have one, it is still unavoidable then?

NFH wrote: »

In many cases, yes, unavoidable, particularly in the case of Visa Electron being the only free option, because there is a significant lead time to obtain a Visa Electron card, during which time the fare will almost certainly rise.

I wouldn't call an hour significant. I got mine as a cash passport from Tesco. Admittedly I'd ordered currency so it was a day before I got it but I'm pretty sure they do them on demand there and then.

Personally I'm annoyed at the charge, as it makes the cost of a flight so much more expensive. At the end of the day though it just makes a price comparison more time consuming as you have to know the charges for each airline. I'd prefer it if they just upped the prices instead.

NFH

Ames wrote: »

I wouldn't call an hour significant. I got mine as a cash passport from Tesco.

Isn't that a MasterCard (not Visa Electron) and issued by Travelex?

Ames

Sorry, could be - I wasn't charged by Easyjet for using it to book a flight just before xmas though.

Just checked and no, it's a visa electron. It is through Travelex though, not sure why that makes a difference?

cashbag

Just getting back to the question of credit card charges. I work for a small business who take very few credit card payments - for which we have to pay to the card service provider 2% of the transaction value (for normal VISA & Mastercard, not fancy premium business cards which can be a lot more plus extra fees on top). With a company the size of EasyJet it is unlikely therefore that they pay 2.5% - percentage charged by the provider of the service certainly used to be based on expected turnover. So when (if) the new regs come in they will be making excessive profit by charging 2.5%. And the current minimum fee of £4.95 means you need to spend £198 to "break even". Of course in the pre-plastic days every business had bank charges (for paying in money & writing cheques etc). This cost went on their accounts as bank charges, set against gross profit. Now WE are expected to pay not only our own bank charges/credit card fees etc, but also those of the companies we decide to buy stuff from so they ca make more profit on which to avoid paying tax! If I buy goods by cheque I am not asked for an extra £4.95 to cover the costs of banking that cheque. Progress??

thisisace

callum9999 wrote: »

Just like the concerts etc. that charge booking fees for events where booking is compulsory!

Concerts are slightly different. The ticket price goes to the performer etc, so the booking company themselves only get the booking fee.

NFH

thisisace wrote: »

Concerts are slightly different. The ticket price goes to the performer etc, so the booking company themselves only get the booking fee.

The other difference is that the tickets tend to have a face value printed on them.

thisisace

2010 wrote: »

The same way theatre tickets, national express coaches and all the rest that add a "booking fee" after the initial price.

Theatre tickets are slightly different. The ticket price goes to the performer / visiting company etc, so the booking company / host themselves only get the booking fee.

RhondaBend

I have just booked a return flight with Easyjet. When it came to payment, I tried 8 times, yes 8 times!, to pay by Maestro debit card and it came up with an error each time. I then, reluctantly, used a credit card as I did not want to lose the fights and it was accepted straght away and so I then faced extra charges. How very convenient for Easyjet! There is nothing wrong with my debit card or the details I was entering as I checked them carefully each time. I shall be reporting this to the appropriate watchdog.:(

NFH

RhondaBend wrote: »

I have just booked a return flight with Easyjet. When it came to payment, I tried 8 times, yes 8 times!, to pay by Maestro debit card and it came up with an error each time. I then, reluctantly, used a credit card as I did not want to lose the fights and it was accepted straght away and so I then faced extra charges. How very convenient for Easyjet! There is nothing wrong with my debit card or the details I was entering as I checked them carefully each time. I shall be reporting this to the appropriate watchdog.:(

Get your bank to check whether Easyjet presented a charge request on your card. You need to establish whether the fault was with Easyjet or your bank. You can then ask either Easyjet or your bank to reimburse the extra fees that you paid as a result of their error.

sjdm

Whilst it is correct that you can book multiple flights for one EJ booking fee it is not possible to book different numbers of people on different flights.

I am trying to book my partner's outward flight a week before mine but the return flight is on the same day for us both. That used to be possible but is no longer on EasyJet. If you do one flight for 2 passengers it makes all additional flights for two passengers and there is no way to adjust the number of passengers. Try to do it another way and make two outbound one-way flights for one person each and then you cannot add two inbound one-way flights for the same day each with one passenger. I even tried to do two return flights each for one adult with different outgoing dates and the same incoming dates but it just cancels the second inbound flight. Hence I will be forced to make two bookings and pay two fees.
Cheers EasyJet!