Easyjet A319 economy class

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Published: 28/07/2010 - Filed under: Tried & Tested » Airlines » Tried & Tested » Tried & Tested » Airlines » Easyjet »

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CHECK-IN I arrived at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen airport by taxi (NTL70/£30 plus a NTL10/£4.25 fee for the toll booth) at 1400 for my 1600 flight to London Luton. I had to pass through a quick security check (bag X-rayed/walk through metal detector) before entering the landside departure hall.

The international terminal was almost empty on this Sunday afternoon but there were a couple of people ahead of me at the check-in counters (A10 and A11) directly opposite the main entrance. My luggage was processed promptly and even though I had checked in online and had printed my boarding pass, I was issued with another one.

From here I walked to passport control a few metres away and was through within three minutes. (There were four desks open.) Once airside I perused duty-free for a bit and then took a seat and caught up on some reading.

BOARDING At 1500 my gate (203B) flashed up on the departure screens as open and by 1515 a queue had formed there. There was another security check here and even liquids purchased landside were not allowed through, which was annoying seeing as it is a 3.5-hour flight to London and onboard refreshments have to be paid for.

I had a ten-minute wait to go through security, followed by a 30-minute delay in a holding area with no seats, while the rest of the passengers waited to board. The boarding process eventually started at 1545. Although I could have arrived later and not spent that 30 minutes standing in line, it would have meant I was last to get on the plane and, consequently, as seats are not pre-assigned, I would not have had much of a choice of seats.

Speedy Boarding passengers were called first (this is an extra £15 for a return flight) but I was in my seat by 1550.

THE SEAT The A319 was configured 3-3 (A-B-C, D-E-F) across 24 rows, and I chose 16F, a window seat behind the wing. As with the outbound flight a few days before, the plane had not been cleaned and there were crumbs on my seat.

WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE? Avoid middle seats B and E, and if you want unobscured views out of the window, don’t go for seats in rows nine to 17. Exit row seats with extra legroom are in rows ten and 11, while row one also offers a greater pitch and means passengers sitting here can disembark first. If you have long legs or feel claustrophobic, opt for an aisle seat (C or D). For a seatplan of this aircraft, click here.

THE FLIGHT The plane started taxiing at 1610 after the safety demonstration, with take-off shortly after. During the flight there was the option to purchase hot and cold snacks, drinks, and train and coach tickets for onward journeys into London from Luton airport. Service was efficient and friendly, although I did not bother ordering any refreshments as I had already had lunch. The remainder of the journey was uneventful.

ARRIVAL We started descending at 1945 (1745 local time) and landed on time at 1800. There was a ten-minute wait for the aircraft doors to open, and a further eight minutes for those passengers in front of me to disembark. I was through immigration at Luton by 1830 and did not have to hang around long for my case to appear in baggage reclaim. There was a bus transfer outside the terminal to Luton airport Parkway station, from where there are frequent services into London King’s Cross.

VERDICT A punctual no-frills service with amenable crew, but my seat was dirty, as it was on the outbound flight, which lead me to believe the aircraft was not cleaned at all as the turn-around time is quite short.

PRICE Internet rates for a return flight from London Luton to Istanbul started from £234 in August. (No luggage included – £18 per case.)

CONTACT easyjet.com

Jenny Southan