EasyJet Review - Reputable Low-cost Airline
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Easyjet is a low-cost airline from the UK. The airline has a low-cost business model and it operates short-haul routes between popular destinations. Now and then, we board one of the airline's Airbus aircraft. Read our review and know what is easyJet's service like.
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EasyJet - Group of Low-cost Airlines
EasyJet plc is a British low-cost airline group founded in 1995. It is headquartered at London Luton Airport where easyJet started its first routes to Glasgow and Edinburgh in 1995. EasyJet is not a single airline but a group of airlines. The group consists of London-based easyJet UK, Vienna-based easyJet Europe and Geneva-based easyJet Switzerland.
EasyJet Europe was founded to overcome traffic restrictions caused by Brexit. EasyJet Switzerland started its operations already in 1988 as TEA Switzerland but after easyJet bought 40% of its shares in 1998, the company started to franchise for easyJet. All easyJet subsidiaries fly under the same brand and customers rarely know with which airline they are flying.
Business Model
EasyJet is a pure low-cost operator offering cheap flights but extras are expensive. The airline's main competitor is an Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair. Easyjet flies domestic flights in the UK and many routes between European cities. Some destinations are outside Europe but easyJet does not have long-haul connections. The airline flies mainly to major airports instead of the small secondary airports which Ryanair prefers. The airports at better locations make easyJet a compelling choice for travellers who appreciate smooth travelling.
Fleet
Easyjet operates only with the Airbus A320 family. The aircraft is suitable for short- and medium-haul connections. The range of the new Airbus A321 aircraft is so long that the airline can fly between any two cities in Europe.
Safety
Based on statistics, low-cost airlines are as safe as traditional airlines. EasyJet has a good safety record without any fatal accidents. There have been some minor incidents like fuel emergencies and too-long take-off runs. We feel that easyJet is a safe option to fly but there is always room for improvement.
Our EasyJet Flights
We like flying with easyJet but unfortunately, easyJet does not have many routes from Helsinki. Now and then, an easyJet flight is the best match for us and that is why we have some easyJet experiences.
In March 2019, we flew from Helsinki to Berlin with easyJet Europe. The flight was extremely cheap costing less than 20 euros oneway. It departed from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and landed at Berlin-Tegel which was the biggest airport in the Berlin area. Tegel Airport was located close to the city centre which made it an attractive option. Low-cost airlines often have unpleasant flight schedules because they avoid airports' expensive busy hours. Our flight departed from Helsinki at 9 pm and landed in Berlin at 10 pm. This schedule was perfect because we were able to work the whole day before flying to Berlin.
The Berlin area has now a new big airport: Berlin-Brandenburg.
In December 2019, we flew with easyJet from Helsinki to Cologne via Berlin-Tegel. EasyJet does not normally sell connecting flights so we had two different bookings: a return flight to Berlin and from Berlin a return flight to Cologne. When booking two separate connections, there is always a risk to miss the connecting flight and the airline won't then be responsible. That is why we had reserved a long layover at Berlin-Tegel. It is also wise to have travel insurance to cover the possible extra costs of a missed connection.
In August 2022, we had a flight from Tivat, Montenegro to London-Gatwick. The flight was operated by easyJet UK. Tivat is a small, summer holiday destination and Gatwick is one of the biggest airports in the London area. This route carries mainly UK-based holidaymakers to Montenegro.
In this article, we review easyJet based on our latest experience with them.
EasyJet Experience
EasyJet provides travellers with a typical low-cost experience. You get what you pay for. In this review, we describe here our very own easyJet experiences based on our previous flights with easyJet.
Booking
Tickets for easyJet flights can be bought via an online travel agency (OTA) or directly from easyJet's website. We have noticed that the price level on easyJet's website is competitive so we have always booked flights directly from the website of easyJet. However, we still recommend comparing the prices of other airlines on Skyscanner which is an excellent tool to understand the market fast.
Easyjet's booking system is simple to use. As with all low-cost airlines, only the flight is included and you need to pay more for every extra service. For budget travellers, avoid buying anything that you don't need to keep the costs low.
Luggage
You are allowed to take only a small handbag under the seat in front of you without buying extras. If you wish to put standard-sized cabin luggage into an overhead bin or check luggage in as cargo, you have to pay more. Having the larger cabin luggage service bought entitles you also to Speedy Boarding. The price of check-in luggage depends on its weight. With the recent upsurge in fuel costs, especially low-cost airlines charge a lot for luggage so we recommend travelling as lightly as possible. That is good for your wallet and the environment.
We travelled with a small handbag and standard-sized cabin luggage. Two cabin items per person were enough to carry everything we needed.
Check-in
It is possible to check in online even 30 days before the flight. We did check in through the easyJet app which is simple to use. You can store the boarding pass in the app, Google Wallet or as a screenshot.
It is also free to check in at the airport.
Even though we had completed the check-in online and had a mobile boarding pass, it was not accepted at the airport security. We had to check in again at the counter to get a paper boarding pass. Luckily, we were not in a hurry so we didn't miss the flight. Easyjet had not communicated to us anything about the need for a paper boarding pass for this flight.
Travellers in the same group get usually adjacent seats without extra charges.
Flight
As a low-cost airline, there are no free services during the flight on easyJet. Aircraft do not have Wi-Fi or entertainment systems. Luckily, you can order food, snacks and drinks from the cart sale.
You can pay with a debit card. Also, Google Pay worked well.
On our flight, we were sitting in row 1 so we were the first to buy snacks and drinks. The service was friendly but not cautious. The flight attendant continued to the next row before all passengers in the row had ordered and we had to call her back multiple times. We also noticed that already in the second row, many warm meal options were sold out so the majority of the passengers in the aircraft were unable to buy warm meals.
The aircraft didn't have Wi-Fi or any kind of entertainment system. Neither magazine was provided.
Is easyJet a Good Airline?
Many people keep asking if easyJet is a good airline or if it is reliable at all. Based on our easyJet experiences, easyJet is a good airline. You do not get luxus service but the overall flight experience is decent. Easyjet is one of the oldest and most reliable low-cost carriers in Europe.
Rating
Booking
The booking process on the easyJet website is simple but as all low-cost airlines do, also easyJet tries aggressively to sell extra services. The majority of the extras are unneeded. We recommend not buying expensive extras. The saved money can be spent more wisely, for instance buying a lounge pass for a relaxing airport lounge visit. Also, purchasing travel insurance is a good idea while travelling, though instead of buying an airline's expensive insurance services, consider buying it more affordably from SafetyWing.
Cabin
Our flight was operated with Airbus A320 aircraft. The cabin was clean but seats were tightly packed - only 29 inches between seats. The aircraft was not the newest one and it looked a little worn. As we were sitting in the first row, we had plenty of legroom.
Onboard Services
EasyJet as a low-cost airline does not offer any complimentary snacks but you can buy products from the in-flight bar. Items are moderately priced but the selection is typical. It included pizzas, sandwiches, wraps and light snacks. Drink + meal combos were available. All the products were priced in British Pounds.
Crew
The cabin crew were friendly. They were cautious with all the small safety details. The pilots gave announcements informatively and clear speeches during the flight. The flight was comfortable from taxiing to landing.
We have also something to complain about. The flight attendant serving us was not concentrating on her cart sale and she was missing customers. The crew were not wearing face masks even though easyJet communicated multiple times that the masks on the route were mandatory.
Ticket Price
EasyJet tickets are not that cheap as Ryanair's but the price level is still affordable. For example, we booked this easyJet flight because the price and schedule were good. As we were flying during the peak season, the prices were not super cheap.
Overall Rating
EasyJet offers a more relaxed travelling experience compared to many other low-cost airlines. Even though the prices may be slightly higher, the overall price-to-quality ratio in the low-cost class is excellent.
Travellers in the same booking can usually sit together without extra charges on easyJet's flights. Ryanair loves separating passengers on the same booking who have not paid for the seats.
Invalid format in FAQ Data.Bottom Line
EasyJet is a low-cost airline with an excellent price-to-quality ratio. Compared to Ryanair which makes aggressive in-flight marketing, easyJet makes passengers feel more comfortable. You get what you pay for and there are fewer tricks and penalties. Based on our easyJet experiences, we feel that the airline is a great choice for budget travellers but never expect more than you have paid for.
Do you fly often with easyJet? Comment about your experiences below.
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Comments (5)
Avoid this company. Read other reviews as well. You will regret if you choose this for less 10-20 Eur. It can be one of your worst flight experiences. Because: flights will get delayed (no relevant justification or communication). They will obligate you to pay 30EUR extra before letting you in the airplane due to small baggage that doesn't fit in their iron tool. Guess what: the same small baggage tested and fit in other 3 iron tools from different airlines, it is just easy jet that has the narrowest measure tool. Delays (50 min) in both ways, when you leave and come back. Choose another company and be on time.
Thank you for the comment.
These kind of baggage problems are nowadays quite common with low-cost airlines. But the problems are really annoying. It is always possible to complain but the path will be long.
We are booked to go to Portugal on 29th May. REF EXXCRCX from Liverpool. We are both over 70 and dont feel comfortable flying at this particular time, can I get a refund, or travel voucher to use maybe next year.
Hi Richard,
Thank you for sharing your experience and also for the great tips. These may help many travellers especially if having some concerns about adequate leg rooms. Happy travelling! :)
I have flown easyjet a few times and they have always been good. It might be worth you getting a upfront seat (i always do) that gives you a lot more legroom, priority boarding, and lets you take a suitcase as well as a small rucksack type bag for your hand luggage. It cost me £30 euros each way to go from malaga to berlin this year plus £25 each way for the upfront seat so £110 in total. You cal also take on sandwiches and snacks (but no drinks) if you want to save a bit of money on food. The staff have always been great on the flights i have been on previously and for a budget airline i really cant fault them.
We flew on EasyJet last year and really enjoyed it. Would do it again for sure!!
Hi Jenn,
Thanks for the comment and safe travels! One question, is EasyJet one of your favourite airlines so far? :)