Reply to: Commute from London to Dundee ?

[Boo]

Thanks to all for the replies, the contract fell through in the end but the info is all stored for next time...

Boo

[Boo]

Simples.

Please don't do that.

Boo

[dezze]

They all have online check-in too. In fact they let you choose your seat so that you don't have a frenzied scrummage to get the seat you want.

With the better airlines having a 31 or 32 inch seat pitch as opposed to easyjets 29" you don't really need an upgrade. The extra space also means you can avoid the exit rows and have a seat that reclines, and you can recline it without pissing the person behind you off. Throw in a couple of free beers and it's money well spent IMO. Especially when it's cheaper anyway

Totally agree. I try to avoid Easyjet if I can as even buying a priority boarding pass doesn't always work out - one flight I was on had about 50 priority boarders! You're right in that the normal seats on BA have much more room than Easyjet flights.

[doodab]

Try doing that on BA et al.

They all have online check-in too. In fact they let you choose your seat so that you don't have a frenzied scrummage to get the seat you want.

With the better airlines having a 31 or 32 inch seat pitch as opposed to easyjets 29" you don't really need an upgrade. The extra space also means you can avoid the exit rows and have a seat that reclines, and you can recline it without pissing the person behind you off. Throw in a couple of free beers and it's money well spent IMO. Especially when it's cheaper anyway

[Wanderer]

Another hint if you fly a lot. Try to pick one airline for your flights and make sure you get the reward card. Regardless of what other people say, waggling your non-basic reward card at check-in while smiling and asking nicely is the most likely thing to get you a freebie seat upgrade.

What is this "check-in" you speak of queueing up for in the vain hope of an upgrade?

Just fly on one of the low cost airlines, online check-in (skipping the queues) pay an extra fiver for priority boarding and you can bag an exit row or seat 1a-1c probably 80% of the time and failing that you can get a seat in the first few rows for a quick exit. Simples.

Try doing that on BA et al.

[craig1]

If you do a lot of flying, it's worth making the whole palaver as painless as possible. For me personally, BA is cheapest, usually the least hassle and offers the best choice of airport eateries en route. Lufthansa planes have more legroom and are generally less busy but cost a bit more. Easyjet cost about the same as BA to go via gatwick (bit more hassle than heathrow for me to get to) and it would need a lot more than a £30 saving to persuade me to go via stanstead and get home at gone 1am after two hours of knee squishing.

Another hint if you fly a lot. Try to pick one airline for your flights and make sure you get the reward card. Regardless of what other people say, waggling your non-basic reward card at check-in while smiling and asking nicely is the most likely thing to get you a freebie seat upgrade.

[monobrow]

If you do a lot of flying, it's worth making the whole palaver as painless as possible. For me personally, BA is cheapest, usually the least hassle and offers the best choice of airport eateries en route. Lufthansa planes have more legroom and are generally less busy but cost a bit more. Easyjet cost about the same as BA to go via gatwick (bit more hassle than heathrow for me to get to) and it would need a lot more than a £30 saving to persuade me to go via stanstead and get home at gone 1am after two hours of knee squishing.

+1 for Lufthansa

[doodab]

If you are doing a lot of flying, then it's worth looking at the statistics for airline cancellations and doing the numbers for the different airlines. If you fly enough to be a gold card holder with BA and you're on a busy route then they might get you on a standby, otherwise you're stranded.

It always amazes me when you hear about people getting stuck and moaning about how much it cost them. Do they not have travel insurance?? Personally, I'll take the cheapest option and using the money I save, buy some gold plated travel insurance to cover me if it all goes tits up.

If you do a lot of flying, it's worth making the whole palaver as painless as possible. For me personally, BA is cheapest, usually the least hassle and offers the best choice of airport eateries en route. Lufthansa planes have more legroom and are generally less busy but cost a bit more. Easyjet cost about the same as BA to go via gatwick (bit more hassle than heathrow for me to get to) and it would need a lot more than a £30 saving to persuade me to go via stanstead and get home at gone 1am after two hours of knee squishing.

[Lumiere]

It always amazes me when you hear about people getting stuck and moaning about how much it cost them. Do they not have travel insurance?? Personally, I'll take the cheapest option and using the money I save, buy some gold plated travel insurance to cover me if it all goes tits up.

Having a travel insurance cover does not equal to being paid in case of delays/cancellations. Their list of excuses for not paying out goes beyond imagination (speaking from experience)

[Wanderer]

WSS. The orange chav bus will cancel the flight at a drop of a hat because it means they only have to refund or rebook. The better airlines will generally try and get you to your destination. I've had compensation from BA before as well, although I don't know if it extends to weather related delays that aren't their fault. They do like to go on strike though, which is a PITA.

If you are doing a lot of flying, then it's worth looking at the statistics for airline cancellations and doing the numbers for the different airlines. If you fly enough to be a gold card holder with BA and you're on a busy route then they might get you on a standby, otherwise you're stranded.

It always amazes me when you hear about people getting stuck and moaning about how much it cost them. Do they not have travel insurance?? Personally, I'll take the cheapest option and using the money I save, buy some gold plated travel insurance to cover me if it all goes tits up.

[Ignis Fatuus]

WSS. The orange chav bus will cancel the flight at a drop of a hat because it means they only have to refund or rebook. The better airlines will generally try and get you to your destination. I've had compensation from BA before as well, although I don't know if it extends to weather related delays that aren't their fault. They do like to go on strike though, which is a PITA.

Personally I would look to negotiate working from home with a 2 day visit every second week.

I've had compensation from Easyjet. I wouldn't say they exactly offered it, in fact if my memory serves, they explicitly said that all they could do (after cancelling a flight) was rebook me on the next day or refund the fare. It took quite a bit if correspondence but I eventually got the airport hotel paid plus 250EUR compensation. It was sweet.

Know your rights!

[doodab]

BA give you meal vouchers if your flight is delayed and arrange for you to go on the next flight.

Easyjet cancel the flight asap and tell you to sort it out yourself with a lot of hassle.

WSS. The orange chav bus will cancel the flight at a drop of a hat because it means they only have to refund or rebook. The better airlines will generally try and get you to your destination. I've had compensation from BA before as well, although I don't know if it extends to weather related delays that aren't their fault. They do like to go on strike though, which is a PITA.

Personally I would look to negotiate working from home with a 2 day visit every second week.

[Lumiere]

I remember on a particular day last winter when Easyjet hasn't cancelled a single flight from Luton to Scotland, but all BA flights from Heathrow were grounded because of snow. Most of the other flights from Luton were also grounded. BA can also be affected by strikes.

[SueEllen]

EasyJet plane can't fly or breaks down = flight cancelled and you're on your own
BA plane breaks down = they warm up a standby plane and you get away with a 30 mins - 1 hour delay.

BA give you meal vouchers if your flight is delayed and arrange for you to go on the next flight.

Easyjet cancel the flight asap and tell you to sort it out yourself with a lot of hassle.

[craig1]

makes you wonder if its worth paying the extra 25 quid for BA.

EasyJet plane can't fly or breaks down = flight cancelled and you're on your own
BA plane breaks down = they warm up a standby plane and you get away with a 30 mins - 1 hour delay.

If you're going at commuter times of the week (Sunday evening/Monday morning/Friday evening) then you're likely to be saving very little by going on an EasyJet flight over a "premium" scheduled airline. Edit: especially if you can't book your EasyJet flight a year in advance!