Easyjet Speedy Boarding - Worth It?

Trembling_Turnip

Just got back from a trip to Krakow with Easyjet 'speedy boarding' (a pair of nervous flyers who like to minimise the stress!)

Flying from Liverpool was a dream - got checked in very quick through speedy plus (i think it's called) and were first on the plane.

Flying back from Krakow airport was a nightmare. No proper queue system in place, speedy boarders, group A and those with young children all called at the same time. It turned into a mass scrum of panic and pushing. people were pushing me out of the way when i was trying to make way for someone with a pushchair. Also we were then all put onto a shuttle bus to get to the plane, and as soon as the doors opened there was another scrum. So a complete waste of money. I don't think they should offer speedy boarding at all if there is going to be a shuttle bus.

I've found in general that on the way out from Liverpool airport, speedy boarding is great, but on the way back, they just don't care. I won't waste that money again.

hammy_the_hammer

Trembling_Turnip wrote: »

Just got back from a trip to Krakow with Easyjet 'speedy boarding' (a pair of nervous flyers who like to minimise the stress!)

Flying from Liverpool was a dream - got checked in very quick through speedy plus (i think it's called) and were first on the plane.

Flying back from Krakow airport was a nightmare. No proper queue system in place, speedy boarders, group A and those with young children all called at the same time. It turned into a mass scrum of panic and pushing. people were pushing me out of the way when i was trying to make way for someone with a pushchair. Also we were then all put onto a shuttle bus to get to the plane, and as soon as the doors opened there was another scrum. So a complete waste of money. I don't think they should offer speedy boarding at all if there is going to be a shuttle bus.

I've found in general that on the way out from Liverpool airport, speedy boarding is great, but on the way back, they just don't care. I won't waste that money again.

you have generalised ....in your experience it may not be advisable to book speedy boarding from krakow airport
you should also contact easyjet and inform them that you weren't called for the flight as per their boarding procedure....there's nothing you can do if you end up on the bus (which again is in their terms and conditions)

lynneth_2

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/news/article3988283.ece

am flying with ryanair in august and haven't yet booked priority boarding, may see how it goes (or may bottle it at airport and cough up)

Trembling_Turnip

hammy_the_hammer wrote: »

you have generalised ....in your experience it may not be advisable to book speedy boarding from krakow airport
you should also contact easyjet and inform them that you weren't called for the flight as per their boarding procedure....there's nothing you can do if you end up on the bus (which again is in their terms and conditions)

I have generalised yes, hence why I said in general - but I should probably add that I have also found speedy boarding to be pointless when flying back from other destinations, such as Barcelona.

Speedy boarders should be called before group A (regardless of there being a bus or not) and there would not have been so many people pushing to get down a tiny corridor.

The letter is in the post :cool:

janinem1974

shebanjoed wrote: »

I am travelling with my partner and 18 month old daughter in May with Easyjet. I noticed their new Speedy Boarding which would cost me an extra £22 - is it worth paying for this to get on the flight first?

Apparently the speedy boarders get called first and then I am PRESUMING folk with babies will go next so it may not be worth it for me.

Can anyone advise?

your right with the boarding procedure, but we returned from Barcelona with them on Saturday and there were only 14 of us passengers in total on the plane so we had open boarding and choice of seats galore.

ryanair operate the same boarding procedure (we flew out with them) but still managed to get the 3rd seat empty. there were about 25-30 'priority' passengers on this flight and it was 90%full.

we really considered this option as my fella is 6ft 5 but we thought we would take the risk and it saved us £ but its that risk.

good luck

RedBern

travelled back from Venice - Bristol last night - we were delayed in Venice for 2 hours and so things were getting a bit stressed at check-in. The 'speedy boarders' were called and shown through check in - then sat on the bus waiting for the 'cattle class' to join them. Once the bus stopped at the plane there was an almighty scrum and people ran across to get on the plane. Not surprisingly the 'speedy boarders' who were generally older and a bit slower on their pins, were left stranded on the bus!! I was so glad I'd not wasted my money on the 'speedy boarder'.

BTW - if you're travelling from Marco Polo in the next couple of months take plenty to drink - they are doing major rebuilding and we couldn't find a soft drink after 8pm!

RachelD

I regularly used Easyjet out of Bristol when I had severe mobility problems. People with disabilities used to get priority boarding- ie they got on first. At Bristol the interval between this priority boarding and the rest of the crowd getting let loose was so short I would get overtaken and jostled when I was slow on the steps.
With the advent of speedy boarding, speedy bees go first followed by the disabled and those with children.
I think this is all wrong and shows Easyjet's disregard for the disabled.
I've had 2 ops and am more mobile now but not very speedy. I still pay for SB but it rankles.

Rachel

boldaslove

i've never used speedy boarding but i have used priority boarding with easyjet when flying with my mum (she has arthiritis and walks with a stick, and for the person who asked about priority boarding for disabled passangers - yes, you can have priority boarding but you need to arrive when the check in opens and tell them). one of these occasions resulted in the most atrocious display of manners i have ever seen. we were flying liverpool - paris and got there nice and early, checked in, had breakfast, pottered around. when the time got near to take off you could see all the gathering passengers were getting impatient and pushy. we confirmed with the staff at the gate that we had to go through first and could feel these red hot glares on our backs from the other passengers. when the gate opened and we were beckoned forward, there was this HUGE rush of about 100 people (many with children and prams), they hurled themselves right in front of us, no regard for my mum with her stick, barging her out of the way. the gate staff were practically bellowing at these people, trying to move them back. we eventually got to the front and the staff kindly gave us (and 2 elderly passengers, looking equally nervous!) a 2 minute head start as we had to struggle down this narrow flight of stairs leading to the tarmac. blimey, when the gate staff started letting people through it was like waiting for a stampede of elephants. as the stairs led onto the tarmac we found ourselves waiting next to all the taxiing planes, no staff in sight to show us to our plane. couple this with a few hundred angry and impatient passangers mounting up behind us, already resentful that we'd got through first, but now getting furious as we had no info on why we were waiting around for the plane. i was actually pretty scared by this point (i'm a nervous flyer which didn't help!) at the prospect of being trampled by a load of angry people with pushchairs.
eventually a member of staff realised no passengers had got on the plane and found us shivering on the tarmac looking confused and scared! we had to endure more huffing and tutting as we got onto the plane, and more evil looks as we'd got the front seats with the most legroom. i don't think it was an accident that we were made to wait to get off the plane last. perhaps the staff were trying to stop another near riot, but what they'd forgotten was that at CDG airport you have to get on a bus and drive to passport control. my god, the looks on people's faces when we got on that bus! we made sure we got the seats reserved on the way back and waited till last! nightmare!

hammy_the_hammer

your mother shouldn't have been sat in the seats with the most legroom ...i sincerely hope that she was actually sat at the front with the bulkhead in front of her and not anything to do with the row next to the exit door at the front

boldaslove

good grief! you weren't one of those passengers that day were you? :rolleyes: