 Poster: A snowHead
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Low-cost airline easyJet has combined with ski accommodation specialist Iglu in setting up a new website - www.easyjet4ski.com - to enable people to package their own ski trips.
The arrangement is specially geared for flexibility away from the standard week-long Saturday-Saturday package. One third of the accommodation on offer is claimed to be available for short trips.
This report from SnowboardClub.co.uk.
Any comments - or experiences of booking - on easyjet4ski?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Goldsmith,
surprised to see you falling for their puff. They quite often charge more than BA or other carriers.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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No experience of them, but I would have thoguht this sort of thing is almost entirely last minute bookings.
I have a main week with the family then sneak off for a 4 day trip in late March. We've booked flights to Grenoble and a car, cost so far is £55 each. We'll wait until nearer the time but if the snow is good we'll head for Villard, if not great then Deux Alpes or Alpe D'Huez.
I used to work in the Travel Industry (not ski-ing) and I know that the hardest bookings to process are the last minute ones, people forget to advise hotels or book transfers. If they can fully automate a last minute type system then they could be onto a winner.
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| Steve Sparks wrote: |
David Goldsmith,
surprised to see you falling for their puff. They quite often charge more than BA or other carriers. |
I've always assumed that the phrase "low-cost" meant the airline minimising its costs, but do people really pay more to fly easyJet when a national carrier will transport them with food and reserved seats etc.?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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David Goldsmith, i think the accepted term is "no frills" as opposed to "low cost". Fact is, if you're close enough to Heathrow or Gatwick, you'll often find BA, Swiss, Lufthansa way cheaper than easyJet... and, a real bonus here, the plane actually exists!
I've been through lots of hoops booking trips and I'm sure you can't beat doing the lot yourself (more fun anyway). Book the flight, go direct to the hotel or the tourist office, hire a car. Two years ago I took 3 of us to Soll over new year. Booked Lufthansa flights direct, booked hotel (4 star) via www.tiscover.com, hired a car via holiday autos. £1k all in. Met a family on an Airtours package staying in a 3 star, charter flight (delayed), bus transfer... they paid £800 each! Oh yeah, and we didn't pay 90% of the hotel bill til the day we left for our comfortable lunchtime flight. That's New Year and tour operators cashing in for you.
The easyjet4ski thing isn't new. Started about 3 seasons ago with another partner providing hotels etc. Let's see if it works this time.
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| Steve Sparks wrote: |
David Goldsmith,
surprised to see you falling for their puff. They quite often charge more than BA or other carriers. |
I've always assumed that the phrase "low-cost" meant the airline minimising its costs, but do people really pay more to fly easyJet when a national carrier will transport them with food and reserved seats etc.? |
3 quotes in a quote! Anyway, I always use EasyJet from London area, never experienced a problem and it's always been far chaper than major operators, and I'm pretty sure the plane did exist!!
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Chizz5056, OK the plane does exist, just not always where you want it to.
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never experienced a problem
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Nor me until I did and then it was a humdinger just like on the telly, crowds of angry passengers everywhere, no plane, no hotel etc etc. I always give them the chance though and look for a quote. It's just that I normally find the "full fat" airlines at a better price, better times.
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JohnHill, I've probably jinxed myself for Jan 7th take off from Luton now, along with my 3 companions travelling from Liverpool also on easyJet. Think that's where the TV show drama is usually filmed with the hundred or so Scousers who've had their flight cancelled. Can think of numerous better jobs than an easyJet check-in clerk at LPL!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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JohnHill, I'm surprised you often find airlines such as BA cheaper than Easyjet. The kind of flying I do usually costs between £100 - £300 with Easyjet, but ususally more like £400 - £600 with BA or BMI. Mind you, most of my flying is out one day, back the next. Maybe if you travel over the weekend things are cheaper.
This week, for example, I have been on a business trip to Munich, flew out Tuesday, flew back yesterday. Easyjet price from Stansted was £190. BA from Heathrow £450.
In 5 years of travelling about once a month, I've never had a problem. The biggest delay I've ever had was with BA at about an hour. A collegue however has had BA flight cancelled once, and another where the plane broke down on the runway and was subsequently cancelled.
All in all, I personally think Easyjet provide a great service. However, maybe I am yet to feel the sting in their tail!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Paul Holland, Dan, Ok here's my homework being handed in...
Take a typical ski week-end say Thurs 2/2 - Sun 5/2. For Munich I'm getting Lufthansa at £77, BA at £118 and easyJet at £70 (excluding ski carriage, food on board). For Geneva I'm getting Swiss at £101, BA at £143 and easy at £204.
I accept that one day mid week business trips cost loads more on full fat carriers but for the skiers' needs they work our cheaper and you don't get silly arguments about skis. Last year I turned up at Munich Airport a whole day late for my flight (a genuine error) and the check in lady smiled and let me on for no extra fee. Just try and imagine doing the same at the easyJet check-in!
Dan is dead right about better flight times on BA etc. I reckon you can save a hotel night if you plan it right.
Also, don't forget, BA Exec Club is free to join. Once a member you can select your seat online, print out your own boarding card and go straight to the fast bag drop. Frankly, the no frills lot have to be way cheaper before I'd consider them over and above the "value" I feel I get from the likes of BA.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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JohnHill, Dan, Blimey, I didn't realise BA could be so cheap. Most of my travelling is booked last minute (this weeks trip was booked on Monday!) so my experience of BA/BMI has always been expensive. I do prefer flying 'Full fat' BA, but Easyjet do provide a good service for us in some circumstances.
However, most of my travel is on Business, and I've only ever been skiing as part of a package holiday, so my experience is probably irrelevant 
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In the name of science I have just conducted an experiment, Gatwick to Geneva return Dec 10th to Dec 17th, both departing and returning at around midday, is £114.98 with easyJet and £380.70 with BA, fair bit of difference there!
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You know it makes sense.
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Price all depends on departure point the northern airports are all cheap with easy jet , Jet2 and the other bargain airlines except Manchester I always find flying from Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester more expensive than from other airports for the same destination I'm flying Easyjet to Geneva from Newcastle depart Saturday return a week later on a Sunday for £66.00 including ski carriage.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Chizz5056, easyJet would be £144 with skis... Same dates, lunchtime flights, Swiss are £209... assigned seat, free food and alcohol and no brawling. The BA price is high but most people would book a little further out than this.
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Poster: A snowHead
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JohnHill, where did you get £144 from? To get the £380 I went to www.ba.com and did an online purchase/quote.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Chizz5056, Think I might have got confused. Ryan Air's ski carriage charge is £15 each way including a free argument. easyJet is free provided your equipment is included in your lugge allowance, otherwise it is extra (I assume it must nearly always mean extra unless you wear all your gear... but again you do get a free punch up).
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brian
brian
Guest
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JohnHill, easyjet have started charging as well, £15 per flight.
For us up North it's no contest though, easy go direct from EDI or NCL to Geneva, all the full fats* have to connect through London. Schiphol, CDG etc.
* apart from the new and tempting BMI flight, EDI to Munich, starts late March 06
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Have seen Fly Globe Span on the tube the other day, they have pretty reasonable prices too, flying from Stanstead, Glasgow and Edinburgh to Geneva.
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brian
brian
Guest
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Chizz5056, yes, I always forget about globespan. In my experience, their prices tend to go up faster and further even than easyjet's though, and they also charge £15/flight for skis.
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My worst ever experience flying was with BA - 29 hours delay on the way out on a flight to San Fran (including 2 emergency landings back at Heathrow and an overnight stay in a hotel while they tried to find a 3rd plane that actually worked - the BA flunky at the hotel also threatened to have me arrested when I refused to pay my bar bill). Thank God that I had a Virgin Flying Club gold card at the time so could spend my 7 hours waiting at the airport in a nice lounge with free beer, rather than trying to work out how to spend the £8 of food vouchers that the "nice" people at BA reluctantly handed over.
For this reason I would much prefer a common or garden fight for a budget flight rather than using the "Worlds Favourite Airline"
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Chizz5056, but that's the point, when you go to book the flight..............shop around.
Just make sure you add in the ski extras (~£30) round trip on Ryan Air/Easyjet/BMI etc, and the added costs in getting to the airport for whichever is the cheaper option if they don't go from the same place. For example Ryan Air do some great priced flights but it's a complete pain to get to Stansted (or can be) from where i am, the extra cost in getting there, time lost, parking etc can mount up to make it more feasible to pay for the seemingly more expensive flight using BA from Gatwick. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Anyone ever hired a private jet to go skiing? I'm told it costs around £3k per hour so a return from Farnborough or Biggin Hill to Geneva (or to an airport even closer to the snow) might cost £7.5k. That's about a grand a head but... no 2hr check-in, no delays, no having to sit next to weirdos, free champagne, no waiting for luggage at the other end, more time on the snow, people will think you're Bill Gates etc etc. Just a thought. The day you die there'll probably be an unspent grand washing around so you might as well spend it now before Gordon gets his hands on it. I think what I'm saying here is that there's not much point agonising over saving £30 here and there. Just book a flight.
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Michelle, who do you fly for?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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JohnHill, easyJet!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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JohnHill, better be quick cause if the Tories get in they'll probably close the airport down !
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You know it makes sense.
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Michelle, OK, you can come on my private jet to make up for my go at your employer.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Paul Mason, once they've taken away all the unnecessary public spending and given me my tax back I'll be able to build my own!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| JohnHill wrote: |
| Michelle, OK, you can come on my private jet to make up for my go at your employer. |
as a passenger, or would I be expected to work 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Why do the no-frills carriers advertise these ridiculously low prices as "one-way" ? Don't they think that we don't want to "come back"? And they never include taxes. The return leg is often the one that hikes the price up (outrageous generalisation I know). If you're going last minute its often a waste of time going no-frills especially when the no-frills carrier is f***-off jet. I think LPL gets a raw deal out of easyjet, they cancel flights at the drop of a fart!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Good evening to you, too halfhand
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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JohnHill, Yes you might but you will have to drive your rubbish to the tip every week because all the bin men will have been sacked.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Why do the no-frills carriers advertise these ridiculously low prices as "one-way" ? |
Some poeple don't want to come back. And by pricing each flight separately, they can offer a price more reasonably suited to the conditions (eg demand). Also, in my opinion, it's less hassle.
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| I think LPL gets a raw deal out of easyjet, they cancel flights at the drop of a fart! |
Would you rather they operate unsafe aircraft? I'm sorry, but I have absolutely no patience for poeple who complain about cancelled flights. Things do go wrong, and I'd much rather be waiting safely on the ground than panicking in the air when they do go wrong. Aviation is not an area where you can take risks, especially when you are carrying several hundred passengers.
Edit
Didn't mean to sound a bit inconsiderate or forceful in my viewpoint there, sorry 
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Michelle, think we'll manage to serve ourselves. No room for a trolley anyway. Just please don't wear that uniform.
chrisb, they're local authority employed. I have no prob with my council tax. Anyway, all refuse collectors in Surrey are keen skiers so we all get along.
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halfhand, sounds like you've had one or two or more of those "tv documentary moments". I agree about their presentation of prices though (in the hope that we actually believe they are low cost). In any other retail scenario traders have to quote prices inclusive of taxes. At least BA's website now quotes prices including all taxes.
mark_s,
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Would you rather they operate unsafe aircraft?
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Obviously the answer to that is "no". Cancellations are more likely due to crew working hours, permitted landing times at destination etc etc. All the result of stretching resources as far as they can go to save money.
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| Cancellations are more likely due to crew working hours, permitted landing times at destination etc etc. |
As they operate the same schedule for extended periods, then surely you'd always have that flight cancelled due to 'permitted landing times'? Unless of course the flight is delayed. Crew working hours is more likely, but again I don't see how that can occur without either very stupid management, or a delay of some form.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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mark_s, it's the knock-on effect. A series of small delays adds up to one biggie towards the end of the day. Only takes a few missed take off slots. I can see you're warming to the private jet idea.
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JohnHill, depending on how the future goes, I won't need a private jet. I'll be flying for easyJet (or at least, hopefully, flying) 
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FAQ
