[Anonymous]

[Sprouts]

For us, easyjet is now becoming more convenient that BA. BUT we hate hate HATE the rush for seats on the plane. In fact, we were on a flight from Venice to Gatwick today and people actually RAN from the bus to the plane. Surely flying hasnt come to this, it is so undignified. Why cant easyjet simply allocate seats?

[AlanReynolds1]

I agree entirely. Now that Easyjet have taken over many BA (ex GB Air) routes out of Gatwick, Easyjet ought to be convenient for me. It is the undignified rush for seats which is the one thing which stops me using the airline. As we do the airline staff work for them by checking in on line, why not give us the task of choosing our seat at the same time too? The software exists (other carriers do it) so why cannot Easyjet buy it too?

[itravelnet]

Hi Sprouts, I believe you answered your own question:

people actually RAN from the bus to the plane

Low cost airlines have a short turn around time, so when people run to the plane they can get off the ground faster. It doesn’t make it right though, it is an undignified way to travel.

[BusinessTraveller]

Business Traveller replies:

As many readers will remember, seat selection was always offered by Go (a low-cost carrier based at Stansted and owned by British Airways) which took to the skies in 1998.

Despite critics claiming that seat selection would slow down Go’s operation by extending check-in times and boarding procedures, Go managed to operate the same sort of fast airport turnarounds as achieved by Easyjet.

At the time Go’s seat selection facility was popular with readers of Business Traveller and it was one of the reasons they voted it best low-cost airline year after year.

But when Go was acquired by Easyjet in 2002 (BA sold off Easyjet claiming it didn’t form part of its core business) and the routes absorbed into its network the seat selection facility was dropped.

So seat selection ought once more to be possible. But whether Easyjet would offer the facility free of charge is a moot point.

[terminal]

but whether Easyjet would offer that facility free of charge… there’s the answer, if it can charge for it, it surely will………….

[d1rector]

Just seen these posts but the answer is obvious. You get what you pay for. Air travel for unrealistic and opportunistic prices has to be a compromise. I travelled Easyjet once. Lack of seat allocations is – so far as I can see – not something that makes sense just to save costs but is nonetheless not a civilized way to travel by air. So I have never flown budget again and do not intend to in the future. Hardly nuclear physics. Nothing is for (next to) nothing. No such thing as a free lunch.

[Sprouts]

oh itravel.net, you have a v good sense of humour and made me laugh!

[Author]

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