This trip report ties into this topic by @MaksimFerguson about low cost carriers and since it was my first flight aboard EasyJet, I decided to make a trip report!
General flight information:
Aircraft: a319 (G-EZAJ)
Flight time: 2 hours 14 minutes
Scheduled departure time: 6:30 am local time
Actual departure time: 6:29 am local time
Ticket price: 30 Euros (One way ticket)
Pre-departure:
In Hamburg, EasyJet use remote aprons at the far end of the airport, which means that we had about a 7-10 minute walk (didn’t time it, going off gut instinct here). When we arrived, there was already a long line of passengers. The issue was that when we had gotten our tickets checked, we then had to step outside into the pouring rain to get to the aircraft (Not EasyJet’s fault, but still frustrating). Boarding was done very quickly and we departed a few minutes before the scheduled departure time (No dilly dallying on EasyJet, either you show up or tough luck!)
The cabin attendants were friendly, although there was some room for improvement. When we first got on the aircraft, there was no hello or welcome aboard, but considering it was 6 in the morning and it was pouring rain, I let that one slide.
After departure:
The departure itself was very well executed considering that it was raining cats and dogs and the winds were still blowing strongly after a storm had passed through the night before. Not much more to say on this area of the flight.
Onboard comfort:
Now we get to the important part, the comfort on board!
Seat width and leg room:
I was a disappointed with this to be completely honest. There was barely any leg room and the seat width was also not great. Stowing the arm rest made this a little better, however the cabin crew alerted us that these had to be down for departure and arrival. I have a picture to help you visualize it:
I am approx. 184cm tall (6 foot) and have pretty long legs, leg room experience may vary!
Food options:
Being a low-cost carrier, EasyJet charges fees for their catering options, the prices were quite fair however and the selection looked very detailed and diverse. On EasyJet’s website, you can find all the menu cards:
http://www.easyjet.com/en/bistro-boutique
The cabin crew came through twice (May vary upon flight length) and was very friendly when serving the meals.
On this flight I got myself a coffee, which was served in an illy’s cup, and at 3 Euros, it was a fair price (I find). Along with the coffee, I was handed two small packets of semi-skim milk (I expected only one) which was generous:
In-Flight Entertainment:
EasyJet offer a pretty good in-flight magazine. The magazine consists of 146 pages and has a lot of interesting articles about the most diverse topics, including topics such as travel tips for a trip to Pisa, or an interesting article about the business world. It was incredible how much effort went into making the magazine and I was thoroughly impressed by the sheer amount of material.
However, there was not a route map, which I thought was disappointing and the section on where they introduce the fleet was also a little lack luster (As an aviation fanatic, I was a little let down).
This is the cover of the January edition:
They even offer coupons for the passengers, which is unusual but appreciated:
Arrival:
The arrival, just like the departure was a tad bumpy due to high winds, but the first officer was very good about communicating the planned descent time, and arrival time to the passengers.
After arrival, passengers exited the aircraft from both ends of the aircraft, greatly stream lining the de-boarding process (Greatly appreciated).
My opinion:
I had marginal hopes before boarding EasyJet for the first time, but I was pleasantly surprised in most areas of the flight. The crew was friendly, considering the early departure time and there was no unnecessary hassle (I appreciate a no-frills airline). The departure was ahead of schedule, which is great if you are on-board but not so great if you were caught napping and are still running through the terminal with final boarding calls blasting at you. The catering was well planned and executed and the price to quality ratio was decent. Leg room however, is where I was most unsatisfied! I understand that low-cost carriers make their money from cramming passengers into their aircraft like sardines, however I am a medium sized 17 year old and the leg room was far below par (especially compared to other low cost carriers I have flown with such as Germanwings). The cabin was clean however and the seats were comfortable enough to endure a 2 hour flight.
Verdict:
EasyJet offers a solid product. Considering the price to quality ratio, it is definitely worth traveling with them. The crew was friendly, the catering was decent and the in-flight entertainment was well put together. The one major issue for me was the lack of leg room and the seat width.
It must be said however, that I did not experience any complications such as delays or other factors that could affect the flight, so take my review with a grain of salt.
Source for stars: http://thenewswheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/4-out-of-5-stars-rating.png
Thanks for reading this long thread.
If you have any experiences on EasyJet, I would love to hear about them.
