Tried & Tested

Easyjet A319 economy class

20 Apr 2015 by Jenny Southan

CHECK-IN

I had checked in online before my outbound flight, selected my seats for free (I recently joined Easyjet Plus, which costs £170 a year) and printed my boarding passes, so all I had to do on arrival at Copenhagen airport was drop my suitcase off.

It was about ten minutes' walk from the train station to the two assigned Easyjet desks (153 and 154) in Terminal 2, but there was only one person ahead of me at each desk so it didn’t take long to be processed.

(Easyjet Plus members can bring one cabin bag with a maximum size of 56cm x 45cm x 25cm, as well as one small under seat bag (handbag/laptop) that must be placed under the seat in front. Checked luggage costs £26 a piece.)

I then headed upstairs to security, which was five minutes away on a mezzanine level. There were long lines so it took about 15 minutes to get through screening, with all electronic items required to come out, along with liquids.

Some people had to take shoes and belts off as well, and there was a member of security staff holding a baton and using it to direct people what do to, which seemed a little confrontational. It was crowded, hot and quite exhausting. (Easyjet Plus members can go through fast-track security at select airports but Copenhagen isn't one of them. Click here for details.)

BOARDING

Once airside, there was a good choice of duty-free shops, and nice cafés such as Joe and the Juice.

My Easyjet flight, departing at 1625, was leaving from Gate F4, right at the other end of the airport. I headed down there at 1540 – it took about 15 minutes to get there via moving walkways and down escalators.

When I got there, people had already started filing through into a ground-level waiting area but the plane hadn’t actually arrived yet. I decided to take a sit until the last moment instead of standing in a long queue for ages.

By 1615, the aircraft had appeared and inbound passengers were disembarking down steps from the front. I had my documentation checked and was directed to join the shorter Speedy Boarding queue (a benefit of Easyjet Plus) on the left.

We were allowed to exit the building first and get on the plane before anyone else. A friendly member of crew welcomed passengers and directed them to their seats, saying whether they were window, middle or aisle, and on which side of the aircraft.

THE SEAT

I promptly took my seat, 2A, and tried to make myself comfortable (it can feel quite claustrophobic when wearing bulky winter clothes and coats so an aisle might be a better choice).

The A319 aircraft is configured with arranged 3-3 (A-B-C, D-E-F) across 26 rows, with A-B-C in row one offering the most legroom. (1D-E-F has a bulkhead in front of it so is less spacious. The exit row seats were ten and 11. Unlike on some Easyjet aircraft, the seats on this flight were the older product.

Tray tables fold down and are supportive enough to type on. There were no headrest covers on the backs of seats 1A-B-C but other seats did have them and they advertised drinks (£1.80 for a Pepsi), menu deals (£6.20 for a soft drink and sandwich) and booking.com. Boutique and Bistro magazines are in the seat-back pockets, and list prices for refreshments and snacks. A bottle of still water, for example, costs £1.80.

WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE?

Avoid middle seats as they feel quite claustrophobic – if you are tall, make sure you get an aisle seat, or even better, choose to sit in row one A, B or C, or an exit row. If you are a member of Easyjet Plus, you can choose any seat for free, subject to availability. It can cost up to £15.99 each way to pre-book, otherwise.

The further back you are, the longer you will have to wait to disembark (assuming it is only from the front of the aircraft). Avoid the last row, 26, as it has no windows and the seats are cramped. They are also close to the washrooms.

THE FLIGHT

The captain came on at 1635 to say the flight time to London Gatwick was estimated to be one hour 40 minutes, with a temperature on arrival of nine degrees, plus wind and rain.

After a safety demo from crew, the plane pushed back 15 minutes late at 1640, taking off shortly after. Once at cruising altitude, after about ten minutes, a trolley service of paid-for refreshments began from the front. The crew were warm and professional.

ARRIVAL

The aircraft landed at London Gatwick’s South Terminal on time at 1730. My suitcase appeared quite quickly and it only took a few minutes to get through immigration. Annoyingly, trains from the airport weren’t running to London Bridge that Sunday night so I had to get one to Victoria.

VERDICT

Security at Copenhagen airport was quite stressful and crowded but the flight itself was fine. Having Easyjet Plus, which allowed me to sit in row two, for free, was a benefit, as was Speedy Boarding and the extra piece of hand-luggage.

FACT FILE:

  • SEAT CONFIGURATION 3-3 (A-B-C, D-E-F)
  • SEAT WIDTH 17.5in
  • SEAT RECLINE 0in
  • SEAT PITCH 29in
  • PRICE Internet rates for a return midweek flight in May started from £46.
  • CONTACT easyjet.com

Jenny Southan

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