BA vs easyjet - 2.5 hr flight (to Rome)

[Hobosapien]

If my recent airport experiences are now the norm I'd consider forking out for fast track security rather than worry about the flight itself, which for short haul are all similar in my experience other than some charge up front in the ticket price rather than as extras.

Bristol Airport last time was a complete shambles with massive queue to get through security and then on returning a massive queue to get through passport control. When the flight itself (Easyjet) was the best part of the experience you know they have some sorting out to do.

[WTFH]

Just checked on Kayak. The Iberian flights are operated by Vueling (also part of IAG), not BA.

[northernladyuk]

Iberian will definitely be a codeshare. I'm guessing Alitalia will be the only other direct scheduled option, and I properly filled my trousers last time I flew with them (aborted take-off after a loud bang from the engine). BA will be a slightly more pleasant experience than Easyjet, but as others have pointed out, BA is effectively a budget airline in all but name. There's really not much in it, I'd go with the departure time that suits you best.

At least they aborted the take-off.

[sasguru]

When I go to Switzerland, I try and go through City airport, which is as good as airports get.
Dunno if you can go to Rome from there, prob not.
And Swiss is probably the last of the decent flag carriers - till they too succumb.

[Mordac]

At least they aborted the take-off.

Well, quite. I'd only chosen the Alitalia flight over BA because one could still smoke on Alitalia in those days, I wasn't expecting to be actually about to properly smoke - we were kept on the plane (fully fuelled ) for 2 hours while an ape with a spanner fiddled with the engine, before we were finally turfed off and bussed to Milan for an alternative flight home. I did have to buy some new pants though...

[Bluenose]

Just booking a last minute hol for next month and considering options. Mrs doesn't want to fly easyjet and reviews of BA are saying that they should just call themselves a budget airline already...

Other option is Iberia who have terrible reviews...

I'm slanting toward BA as I have better personal experience with them than easyjet and it's only about £60 more (for both of us both ways)...

What would You do?

*edit* - as it's only 2.5 hours not too fussed about in flight entertainment or food

it depends on your 'status' in terms of loyalty points.

With no status I would sooner fly easyjet in row 1 and spend the saving on fast-track and immigration fast-track tickets.

I fly with easyjet out of Liverpool the other week and back into Gatwick and it was so slick and efficient it was ridiculous.

I flew BA business class to spain last month, food aside, the seats are near identical to economy class. A sign of the times.

If you have lots of status i.e. Oneworld super duper platinum then I would not use Easyjet and stick with BA/Iberia.

[d000hg]

I doubt they (you didn't specify an airline) are "punishing" non-payers, besides for party of 2 you can easily get fellow travelers to swap and/or ask the cabin crew to help you in that regard.

It would be quite scurrilous - you'd normally except them to seat people in booking order or check-in order if they didn't pay to pick seats so typically you'd get seats together. If they are genuinely deliberately making sure you don't get seated together to entice you to pay for seat choice, I'd rather not just to make a point... actively making their service worse!

I've not had good luck asking the flight crew to hep us sit together even though my wife is a bad flyer. When we flew to Japan there was a screwup and we weren't able to check in on the main leg until we reached Germany... clearly meaning we were the last to do so just before departure. At the thought of a 14 hour (or whatever it was) flight on her own, my wife was in tears but neither the check-in crew or the flight crew were interested. In fact neither were most of the passengers, though we eventually found someone to swap. I was surprised how hard it was to sort out, and this was on proper airlines.

[DS23]

whichever has the most suitable flight times. i've flown the best part of a 1000 times with easyjet and find their operation very slick.

[MarillionFan]

Great MF buys redundant First Class ticket to get access to the Concorde Room even when he flies short haul

HTH

Got a gold card. Get the lounge anyway.

Though in danger of it running out in Nov :-(

[AtW]

Got a gold card. Get the lounge anyway.

Lounge, but not the Concorde room?