Been a while since I updated... Been away, you see. But first up and most importantly, a trip report on my latest flight. This time with
Easyjet.
I have only taken 1 budget carrier so far, and it was with Ryan-bloody-air. This is my 2nd, with Easyjet. Easyjet's website was easy to use, though they try to add in optional extras, which you have to opt out off other than opt in, hence have to be careful with that. I opted for the online check-in which means that you actually bypass check-in and print ur own boarding pass and proceed straight to security. Fantastic. I love the fact that I do not have to pick up a boarding pass at the airport. I reached Gatwick at 0930 and was through security check into duty free shopping by 0940. V. V. Good!! More time for shopping!! Hahah, there is a duty-free Next in Gatwick Airport! How cool is that?! And also a duty free Body Shop!! How come they don't have this in Heathrow?? But did not get anything though.
One thing about Easyjet is that there is no allocated seats and you are assigned a boarding group. I find it a little irritating that those that printed their own boarding passes are allocated the last boarding group, which is group D! Why?? It doesn't make sense, because by printing our own boarding pass, we are actually carrying out some of the service provision ourselves rather than making use of the service providers! This helps to save and optimise the use of Easyjet's resources and there should be an incentive for doing that!! None at all. Definitely not an incentive when you are made to board last, just because you printed your own boarding pass. If I am allocated group D again next time when i try to print off my own boarding pass, I rather go to the airport and check in to get an earlier boarding group.
The aircraft was extremely clean, and looks absolutely new, unlike Ryan-bloody-air. I went ALL the way to the back, and was rewarded with an entire row to myself. Service was good and prompt and the cabin crew, though "are here primarily for your safety", provided very very good service. They looked passionate, rather than just going through the motions. I can say, they are even better than BMI!! Thumbs up for that. Food is payable on board, of course I did not buy any, but they do not allow you to consume your own food on board either. Hence either eat before you board, or buy the extremely overpriced food.
Flight departed late, but landed on time. Good. I was out of the airport within 10 minutes of landing. Throughout the outboard trip I only spent 1 hour in the airport terminal!!
Return flight I think was not as good and the outbound. The flight was completely full, and there was no space to put my bag. The cabin crew was just sitting behind reading trashy gossip magazines (same thing with BA the last time back from Dublin), and was reluctant to help, though she did stow my bag for me in the end. For some reason, they had one more person on the flight than the number of boarding passes collected, so there was a problem and they had to sort that out. They ended up reading all the names of one particular boarding group, and asked ppl to press the cabin crew button to identify themselves! Almost the entire aircraft had blinking lights, like Christmas fairy lights! hahaha, quite funny.
Service was still prompt, though not as friendly and no smiley faces. There was this particular cabin crew, I just kept on looking at her though, just something about her, that make me look at her you know. She's not strikingly beautiful or anything like that. Oh, she totally reminds me of
Jennifer Garner, the Mrs Ben Affleck, or Sydney in Alias. That's who she reminds me of, especially the dimples and the face shape and the hair colour!! Yes. She just have this such approachable look, and among the 4 cabin crew, i thought she was the only one that was smiling and "into the job" if you know what i mean.
Flight arrived in Gatwick on time, and this time, as I was disembarking, the pilot came out to say thanks and everything, and OMG, he is so cute! He must be at least 1.80m. Also with dimples, and looked totally buffed up and suave in his pilot's uniform!! haha, I sound mad. But he is cute.
New rules in UK airports mean that your photos will be taken at the security gates and checked at the boarding gate and at arrival and at customs, following US' initiatives. This is to ensure that no identities are swapped within the airport, but would delay your arrival as such, rather than departure, but it wasnt that long to be honest. I was out of the airport within half an hour of arriving. Now if only I did not have to wait 45 minutes for the 45-minute train back to Guildford.
Easyjet is good, their aircrafts look new and clean. They have a friendly and professional service, and most of all, I think their tickets are cheap. I paid about 45quid for my tickets to Edinburgh. Wouldn't mind flying with them again in future.
