We flew from Gatwick & I did check in on-line first but in our case it didnt really seem to save much time if you were still dropping bags .

It does depend on how many others have checked in on line. The last twice I've done it, there was nobody in the bag drop queue but a huge queue at the normal check-in desks so we gained a lot of time but the first time I checked in on line the bag drop had a lot more people in the queue than the ordinary check-in desks. I just joined the small queue for the normal check in and there wasn't a problem. So at least if you've checked in on line you get two options

Invariably there are hardly any queues at bag drop desks. One good reason for me not to arrive at the airport so early.

When we flew from Gatwick at Easter the drop off queue was huge, so we joined the one at a normal check in -no problem. As Shirley said - if you check in online then you have the option of joining either queue

Cheers Dazbo, would that be go straight to the bag drop then (assuming they label it there) or would I still have to queue up at the desk to get my suitcase weighed and tagged?

Edit: Having read the few posts above it seems I can do either.

The bag drop desk is for those people who have checked-in online and printed boarding cards but need to leave their bags for the hold. They will be weighed, tagged and you will be given a receipt. You will need to show your printed boarding card(s) and passport(s).

Hi dj, as AHV said- the bag drop is where you get them weighed and tagged and you'll also have to show your boarding passes. You're correct however that if that queue is too large you can join the normal check-in queue. So you have the choice

Hi,

We are due to fly to Rome with Easyjet on
Wednesday 30 May Bristol To Rome Fiumicino
flight 6185 ; dep. 12:15; arr. 15:45

I havent yet booked speedy boarding and as I've never flown with Easyjet before I am just wondering in people's experiences whether it is worth it or not. There is 1 adult and 1 child, and they have quoted us £21 total for speedy boarding. I don't want to face not sitting with my son, and as I have no way of knowing how busy the flight is, I have no way of knowing whether it is worth paying it or not. . .does anyone have any experiences of such?

Also, am not sure of the seat configuration and wondered if anyone knew what this may be.

TIA, Karen x

IMHO not worth it. Just make sure you are early to the boarding gate and after the Speedy Boarders have gone you'll be next. For two of you I doubt very much you'll have a problem sitting together, the problem arises if you are late to the gate on a full flight. Seat configurations are 3+3.

Karen_uk wrote:

Also, am not sure of the seat configuration and wondered if anyone knew what this may be.

You'll find extensive aircraft information on our What Aircraft? guide (link below).

Darren

I agree with AHV. I don't think you'll have much trouble sitting by your son as long as you're not late at the gate. Can I ask how old your son is? If he's young, even if you were a bit late at the boarding gate, I can't see people letting you sit apart. I'm sure some kind passenger would move so you could be together.

I moved seat once so a kid could sit next to its mother.

Unfortunately I moved to the seat in front and the little darling kicked the back of my seat all the way to Gatwick

Hello all.

1. Easyjet are having a sale, some reasonable flights to Turkey now which had shot through the roof previously. Still more than I paid but not too bad. Thinking of booking for 3 weeks after we come back!!

2. I have flown a few times with ej just me and a child and have never had any problem. When my daughter was 5 and under they would let us board after the speedy boarders, but this year she is 6 so I will just take my chances and join hopefully after speedy boarders depending on the hussle in line! I think I will start practicing with her in the living room the ''stand up and dash game'' get her with the programme!!!

Happy hol's

Hi, we are flying to Tenerife on 29th June from Manchester, I believe the flights now depart from Terminal One? Are the check-in desks at ground level?
Thanks

http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/Content/Termin1

Thankyou

A general question to our fellow forum members who may have experienced similar.

We flew from Palma recently with our 2 young children, and as you would expect "awarded" special assistance status at the boarding gate. After being hoarded into a pen outside the boarding gate we where all huddled around, with the speedy boarders waiting for our bus to come to take us to the aircraft. The problem is they continued to allow through the gate the standard boarders into an already full waiting area. There was no organisation, no orderly queue was formed, just a poor agent on her own to try to control the masses. When the bus turned up, the rear doors opened first, allowing all the standard boarders to push past everybody who had no doubt paid a fortune to get on first, and our fellow families with young kids. The bus quickly filled up, doors shut and we were left standing around. It was another 15 mins before the bus came back for us. When we spoke to the handing agents at the gate we were told to calm douwn and there was enough seats on the aircraft to accomodate us. This wasn't the issue, we were trying to get accross that as families with young children, (under 5 ) there was the possibility of us all being seperated on the plane.

In the end along with the speedy boarders we ended up getting on last, when I asked a cabin crew member if they could help us find a seat together she simply said, not my problem, we don't organise boarding! As it happened a couple did move and we ended up on a row together, but I had to ask them myself and put them out (who incidently were the only speedy borders to get on first) without any help from the cabin crew.

My question is do Easyjet answer complaints, becuase I am fuming about this and want answers. I don't want to come across as somebody who deserves special treatment just because I have kids, but I do expect some help with young children as a minimum requirement with most airlines, and I don't expect to be put in a situation that felt unsafe, partly down to the disgraceful behavior of the passengers, but the complete inability of the handling agents to form a line, or at least stop people coming through the gate.

I'm sure at some point you have all experienced this, but did you let it go or push it with lousyjet. (I must say though the outbound journey was proof that with organisation the free for all can be safe).

I think it would be worth writing to them, even if it's for your own peace of mind as then you feel you have at least done your bit to bring it to there attention, and it is less likely to rankle with you. You never know if enough people put in similar complaints they may do something about it . They are experimenting with seat numbers on certain routes which would do away with what you experienced.

Unfortunately the EJ boarding system seems to vary from airport to airport. Some places they seem to be able to handle it better than others, which I know is no consolation to others when they experience a bad scrum. I have seen what happened to you happen on other flights and it isn't a pretty sight. Other times the gates have just been open and people wandered through at their leisure almost, although that has been at airports where EJ haven't been so tight and have forked out for an air bridge. The coaches seem to bring out the herd mentality in many folk unfortunately.

Doe

I have recently contacted easyjet through their feedback/ customer services email facility and they sent an automated reply and then a " proper" email the next day, however my reason for contacting them was to compliment them on the 4 cabin crew who were excellent and really professional and offered outstanding customer service .
I have flown with them 3 times this year to Munich , Tenerife and Egypt and had speedy boarding on all flights , all of them handled speedy boarding effectively even when we were taken by bus in Egypt , the first bus was only speedy boarders and assistance and we were on the plane before the next bus arrived.
As you say the poor agent was trying to control the masses , and theres the problem , the totally disgusting behaviour of the other passengers , and yes you do see it fairly often . Easyjet offer extremely low prices because they run on the minimum amount of staff in all areas and also process passengers as quick as poss to ensure fast turnarounds , and if passengers behave in this way then perhaps they do lose control to some degree .
When we're waiting in the dep. gate area the agent got up and called speedy boarders first and you guessed it there was a stampede to the gate with everyone pushing and shoving , I've seen better behaviour and respect for young and old from people leaving football stadiums and they have been given a bad name over the years .
I thought well not everyone can be speedy boarders ? So either they didn't understand the announcement in English , or they were just thick or they have become sheep and followed everyone else . I suppose the main issue is partly easyjets policy of basically a bun fight to get t the front first and get a good seat because they don't allocate , perhaps it creates a siege mentality , and other passengers think that you are no different to them just because you have children with you and rightly or wrongly in reality you're not .
As Doe said they are experimenting with seat allocation and perhaps this is the way forward to a more civilised boarding of the plane , but that is going to have a cost attached and many people fly easyjet because it's a more affordable way for them and/or their family to have a holiday and they want to pay as little as possible .

It's very difficult as you say Andy. Easy jet are dammed if they do and dammed if they dont. People want really cheap fares and the thing that cuts that to the minimum is using very few staff. As a company they can't legislate on bad behaviour by passengers. The extra couple of staff put the extra £10 or £20 on the flight x 4 for a family all adds up. I flew easy at least twice last year it varys from destination to destination and the demographic of the passengers Geneva was pretty civilised, Alicante much less so. Infact as you say I saw better behaviour at Stamford Bridge at a Champions League match a few months back than in the Easyjet line. But in fairness the ticket cost more than the flight lol

The answer is to give people seat numbers as that probably won't increase the need for staff on the ground if they can come up with decent software.

I think I would still be tempted to write anyway.

Doe