 Poster: A snowHead
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| adithorp wrote: |
| @BertieG, I think its just how the algorithm works. It selects "random" seats based on which are least likely to sell. Empty rows are more likely to sell. Singles next to 2 occupied ones won't. Sometimes going late you might get lucky and get a row it's saved but hasn't sold. It's a lottery which ever way you go just slightly different odds |
Yep - if there's 2 of you and you pre-select a window and an aisle seat near the back, there's a chance that you'll get the whole row to yourself.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| johnE wrote: |
| On a flight to Kos last May my wife and I were allocates seats a few rows apart which wasn’t a problem as I can be comfortably away from my wife for 4 hours but what really surprised me was that there was someone sat in my seat. It turned out that they didn’t know that they were assigned seats on the plane. They thought you just got on and sat where you liked. And this wasn’t the first time it had happened to me. |
That's like the old days of Easyjet, when speedy boarding actually made sense to pay for!
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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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| Legend. wrote: |
| SnoodyMcFlude wrote: |
| Specialman wrote: |
| Isn't playing last-minute check-in part of the whole holiday experience? |
Does it not have the risk of back firing given how often airlines oversell their flights? |
Does that happen with the budget airlines? |
It happened to me on my last easyjet flight. I tried to check in about a day before the flight and the online check in wasn't working and it said to go to the desk in the airport. When i got to the desk they told me they'd oversold it and everyone had checked in so there wasn't a seat for me. They gave me a reserve sort of boarding pass and said to go to the departure gate anyway in the hope someone wouldnt turn up. Which lucky enough happened so i did get on. But it was an unpleasant 2 hours looking into how i would manage to get transfers to catch up with the rest of my group. i would never do it again.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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Usually want to be stood and ready in the aisle because you don't want to have to fight your way into traffic once it is actually moving.
Anyway on Sleasy when using stairs there is often embarkation/ disembarkation at both ends of the plane.
Obviously you can alpha it if you're a frequent flyer on a particular route but for most leisure travellers it probably doesn't amount to a whole lot of difference and unless you are renting a car you are probably pretty reckless if you've booked a supertight transfer regardless of where you sit on the plane.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
Usually want to be stood and ready in the aisle because you don't want to have to fight your way into traffic once it is actually moving.
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Most people are quite polite and wait to let you get out of your row if you are ahead. I don’t see the point of jumping up and standing in the aisle as soon as you can, its not going to get you out much faster. Just sit and wait.
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@monkey, thanks. I’d read this happens on Ryanair but not EJ. At least I know it can happen and won’t leave it this time. It’s a pity as, in summer, before I had read about these airlines bumping people off flights, I tried a late check in on Ryanair and got seat 1C. The best legroom on the whole plane!
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| Quote: |
they told me they'd oversold it and everyone had checked in so there wasn't a seat for me.
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It's fairly common for commercial airlines to oversell. The odds of you being the one effected are fairly small, and as in the case above someone didn't turn up (the reason why they oversell!) and you still got on. For people with time it's sometimes even worth asking at desk if flight is oversold and you might get a free night in a hotel and maybe even upgrade/points for deferring to a later flight.
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I don’t see the point of jumping up and standing in the aisle as soon as you can, its not going to get you out much faster. Just sit and wait.
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It's even more pointless when you have to transfer on a bus from the plane to the terminal anyway. All the people stressing and standing up crouched over for 15mins end up on the same bus as those of us just chilling out. Not unusual that last on the bus also means first off too!
Let's be beyond optimistic and say running off the plane saves you a whole hour. So what? Unless you have a tight transfer to make, it's probably going to have zero real impact on your trip 99% of the time.
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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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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
Usually want to be stood and ready in the aisle because you don't want to have to fight your way into traffic once it is actually moving.
Anyway on Sleasy when using stairs there is often embarkation/ disembarkation at both ends of the plane.
Obviously you can alpha it if you're a frequent flyer on a particular route but for most leisure travellers it probably doesn't amount to a whole lot of difference and unless you are renting a car you are probably pretty reckless if you've booked a supertight transfer regardless of where you sit on the plane. |
Nowadays Im more concerned about getting to immigration asap as the queues can take ages at some airports.
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| Scarlet wrote: |
| @NickyJ, If you don't mind, would you be able to make a mental note of how strict they are being on the hand luggage sizes at the moment? I have a flight next month, and we've booked a hold bag, but the hand luggage policy has changed since we last flew Easyjet. I don't think we'll need larger wheely hand luggage as well, which now seem to cost almost as much as a hold bag anyway, but the back length on the free allowance backpacks is shorter than anything we have in, so I was wondering how bothered they are if they're a bit longer? Thanks |
We took Easyjet flights in September. Very strict. All done quietly, anyone breaching either of the two case size thresholds even slightly, were immediately picked up by staff at LGW and Geneva. Made to pay their extra fee on the spot. Trying to subtly shuffling over sized cases along at feet level failed.
Staff are paid commission for every spot of a wrong sized case.
We were caught out on a Prague trip just after they introduced the two size cabin bag criteria.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm all for strict enforcement of these rules - fairest to everybody. My last two easyJet flights have been with just a bag which fits the "under the seat in front" dimensions - it cost very little money (in the context of a holiday) to buy on Amazon.
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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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@Snow&skifan, so they’re interested in cases, not backpacks? The daft thing is that mine has a lower volume, ergo, is smaller, than the max size, it’s just the wrong shape… Normally, nobody gives a second glance at a backpack.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Scarlet, I've found that also - we flew to Grenoble recently on a cycling trip; the entire group had backpacks with helmets on, all irregular sizes although no-one took a bag that was massive. No questions asked at all.
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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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But they do for a suit in a suit over!!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Even worse when you mix airlines - I’m just on the way back from a break in Italy, i flew out to Rome on ITA, and back from Naples on Ryanair. Two different sets of case sizes for the small and large carryon bags - it means you have to pick the smallest dimension from each to comply with both legs.
I know they were talking about standardizing a month or two ago, but presumably that’s a long way off if the luggage bins on each airline have to be changed.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Pejoli wrote: |
Even worse when you mix airlines - I’m just on the way back from a break in Italy, i flew out to Rome on ITA, and back from Naples on Ryanair. Two different sets of case sizes for the small and large carryon bags - it means you have to pick the smallest dimension from each to comply with both legs.
I know they were talking about standardizing a month or two ago, but presumably that’s a long way off if the luggage bins on each airline have to be changed. |
We’ve done that for quite a few years, affected by airlines such as EJ changing their criteria. My parents simply owned two cases. Whereas our garage contains an ever growing collection of cases for different types of holiday.
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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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I have Patagonia MLC that's the size for a large carry on but a soft backpack. Last few times I've flown EJ or RA I've just had the free carry on so just under packed it. Last time they asked me to put it in the sizer and I just rolled it down and stuck it in, the guy just laughed.
I'm pretty certain I got my ski boots salopettes, socks and a base layer in the free carry on size for EJ a year or so back. When I rammed it in the sizer I'm not sure who was more surprised it fitted, me or the EJ desk guy.
Everything else was in my ski roller thing. It's not much more to bring skis in a roller than it is to bring a hold bag. Or probably cheaper than a carry on at this point.
Regarding the original point, I never pay for reserved seats. EJ always seat us (family, kids are a bit older now) together. RA always scatter us, because it's RA. I just tell everyone there were no seats left together. No one seems to care, flights are generally quite short.
Giving RA as little cash as possible seems very in the spirit of the RA brand (giving as little as possible to the party on the other end of the deal) so I like to play along.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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As the thread has become mostly about luggage, can I ask if it is ok to wrap clothes around my skis to reduce the amount I need in my suitcase. I can’t believe there would be any check that would stop that. ( my ski bag is a cheap shell covering.)
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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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| boggyjo wrote: |
| As the thread has become mostly about luggage, can I ask if it is ok to wrap clothes around my skis to reduce the amount I need in my suitcase. I can’t believe there would be any check that would stop that. ( my ski bag is a cheap shell covering.) |
I've always done this when transporting skis, as much to protect the skis as to save space. Watch out for sharp ski edges tho'!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Maybe I should have paid up for a booked seat last night?
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I flew last night from Munich to Bristol. I ended up checking in to the flight about 4-5 hours before take off, as I was working on the train to the airport and when I got to the airport, so didn't want to risk forgetting. I actually chose to do it just after crossing in to Germany after Kufstein, which if anyone has used that route will know was a bad idea as signal is terrible there.
I got seat 9F and there was just 1 over in the aisle seat. The plane wasn't full so I knew I wouldn't get a great seat without paying.
In Munich airport Easyjet didn't have the bag size checker out for use, so they didn't check a single bag as we boarded.
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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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| Scarlet wrote: |
| swskier wrote: |
| I'll be on EJ Munich to Bristol in 2 weeks time, so can also let you know how it goes. |
Yeah, nice one, thanks. My touring bag is 30L, so bigger than my preferred choice, and I'd have to figure out how to remove all the airbag gubbins. My normal ski bag and hiking bag are both around 14L and wierdly shaped, so a bit small and not that great for travelling.
I have the previous version of this: https://eu.cotopaxi.com/en/products/rucksack-allpa-28l-travel-pack-del-dia which is about the right volume, but at 49 x 28 x 23 cm annoyingly doesn't match Easyjet's 45 x 36 x 20 cm. I don't really want to buy yet another bag  |
If it is that close, you won't have an issue.
We've flown twice this year with EJ - to Sardinia in Jly, then to Geneva (returning from Marseille) last month. All flying out from Bristol.
In all four cases, they only seemed to care about luggage that was obviously oversize. My Rucksack is slightly bigger than yours, and they didn't bat an eyelid at any of the four gates. And yours looks soft enough to squish down that extra 2 inches if you have to.
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| LaForet wrote: |
Re easyJet - be aware they've recently changed their charging framework and you can't change a seat once you've done an online check-in. On my LGW>GVA boking in December, they have removed the cabin bag and Speedy Boarding that came inclusive with Rows 1-6. You now pay separately to choose a seat; add a cabin bag; and add a hold bag. And once you've chosen your seats, as I mentioned, they can only be changed by contacting them on a chat, not online.
Apologies if everyone already knows this, but I only discovered it today when checking-in for my December trip out to Geneva.
And I can't see any mention of Speedy Boarding anywhere. If it's disappeared, it'll be no bad thing - it had got ridiculous. Hopefully, they'll now be boarding by row numbers á là BA and most other carriers. |
You always get the one (small) cabin bag. You are allowed the larger one if you book it separately, or if you book speedy boarding (which certainly still existed when we flew last month, though we didn't use it).
Most of my EJ flights have been from Bristol, which doesn't have air bridges, so speedy boarding as such makes even less sense there.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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BA do not , and haven’t for a long while, boarded by row numbers. They use that stupid group system, the more you pay or better BA member the earlier you get on.
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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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| brianatab wrote: |
| Log in and choose your seat just before leaving for the airport. Should get a bit of choice ahead of those leaving it to the checkin desk. |
You always have to pay to choose a seat. IME the cheapest ones have been about £12. If you don't pay, they will allocate one, with no choice.
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| anneleyskiing wrote: |
I’m not going to leave it too late. I’m going with easyJet too and have heard that there is only so much capacity for a paid cabin bag. In fact once, we were at the bottom on the stairs of the plane and told by cabin staff there was no more room for our carry on’s and they would have to go in the hold. Fortunately, at the other end, they were offloaded first so we didn’t have to wait at the carrossel.
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We had the opposite experience a few years ago with Easyjet. They were asking for volunteers to put cabin bags in the hold, and my wife agreed. That bag then only finally appeared on the carousel while I was at the desk filling out a form for lost baggage, well after all the rest.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
You always have to pay to choose a seat.
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This. The point has repeatedly been made before in this thread but people don't seem to have been paying attention.
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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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| Legend. wrote: |
| SnoodyMcFlude wrote: |
| Specialman wrote: |
| Isn't playing last-minute check-in part of the whole holiday experience? |
Does it not have the risk of back firing given how often airlines oversell their flights? |
Does that happen with the budget airlines? |
Never known it happen, in over 30 years of regular holiday flying, though most of those until the last 15 years or so were technically charter flights rather than scheduled.
But I've flown with Easyjet probably a couple of dozen times, Ryanair a bit less, and a couple of other budget airlines (Germanwings, Norwegian), and never known one overbooked.
We did have an isue last year with one EJ flight where the intended aircraft developed a fault, and the only replacement they could get had 30 fewer seats, so they had to bump some passengers to the next flight, but that wasn't due to initial overbooking.
I don't think the budget airlines tend to do it much, because if they have to deny boarding, the compensation is way more than the ticket cost.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| johnE wrote: |
| On a flight to Kos last May my wife and I were allocates seats a few rows apart which wasn’t a problem as I can be comfortably away from my wife for 4 hours but what really surprised me was that there was someone sat in my seat. It turned out that they didn’t know that they were assigned seats on the plane. They thought you just got on and sat where you liked. And this wasn’t the first time it had happened to me. |
There was a short period when EJ actually tried that - no seat allocation, you just sat in whatever unoccupied seat you could find. I flew with them on business once during that period, from Schipol to Bristol.
I don't think it lasted long, probably because it caused boarding to take longer as everybody tried to grab the front seats and blocked the aisle.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| boggyjo wrote: |
| As the thread has become mostly about luggage, can I ask if it is ok to wrap clothes around my skis to reduce the amount I need in my suitcase. I can’t believe there would be any check that would stop that. ( my ski bag is a cheap shell covering.) |
I don't know about Easyjet, but I'm flying with TUI in January, and they specifically say this is OK, so long as the total weight of the ski bag is under 15Kg.
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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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Book a seat you would like but get on last. Then wander slowly down the cabin and grab any empty seat that takes your fancy. Even if it's 1A!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
Book a seat you would like but get on last
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I usually get on last, as I hate standing in those shuffling queues in the terminals, which some people seem to do for AGES. I sit in the seat I've been allocated. I couldn't be bothered to get seated, stow my bag and then be asked to move. The last few easyJet flights I've been on (Geneva, Milan and Marseille, not peak times) have been very full.
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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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| Origen wrote: |
| The last few easyJet flights I've been on (Geneva, Milan and Marseille, not peak times) have been very full. |
Comparing to the “good old days” (whenever that was), airlines had figured out how to fill the seats with creative pricing. It’s now rare to be able to find half empty plane these days.
Imagine my surprise on my last Heathrow->JFK flight that I could actually lay down on the middle 4 seat row and have a proper sleep! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Origen wrote: |
| Quote: |
Book a seat you would like but get on last
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I usually get on last, as I hate standing in those shuffling queues in the terminals, which some people seem to do for AGES. I sit in the seat I've been allocated. I couldn't be bothered to get seated, stow my bag and then be asked to move. The last few easyJet flights I've been on (Geneva, Milan and Marseille, not peak times) have been very full. |
Our return from Marseille to Bristol on 9th of October was only half full at most. We had our entire row to ourselves, there was one person in the row behind us, and three people (the other side of the aisle) in the row ahead of us. And lots of other empty seats around the plane.
The outward flight to Geneva on 2nd was busier, but still not completely full.
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@NickyJ, I used to fly easy jet often for work and left it very late to check-in, just before online check-in closed. I was often assigned an emergency seat with extra legroom.
However, this does come with the risk that you end up on the stand-by list with no seat at all. EasyJet overbook their flights, a shameful, chiseling practice. Happened to me twice. The first I was first stand-by, the second I was sixth. I made it both times but was reliant on people not turning up. Since the second I've chosen a seat when booking.
If it is a busy flight, I'd say it's bold not to book a seat or check-in in good time, especially a skiing flight which few people are likely to miss.
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@sean1967, thankyou! All really useful info.
Very rarely I am not peak season but not sure how busy going out on 6th December, back on 13th
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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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@NickyJ, ah, you should be fine then. 
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| Quote: |
a shameful, chiseling practice.
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I thought this was for many years quite routine for airlines. Is that not so? People who worked for, say, British Airways could get very cheap "standby" flights for themselves and their families but they'd have to be waiting at the airport and if everybody booked on the flight turned up, they'd not get on. There was a time when cheap "standby" flights were routine, especially trans-Atlantic. Was it Laker airways? I once went up to London early in the morning to queue for a cheap ticket to Washington for my husband. No means of hovering over a keyboard and doing it online!
We live at a time when there is some genuine competition in the industry. Most of us have benefited enormously from this. But there are downsides to competition and using emotive language like "chiseling" or "gouging" when we find ourselves on the wrong side of competitive practices is maybe sour grapes?
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FAQ
Even on long haul flights sat at the back, I've never had to wait 20 minutes to get off a plane once doors are opened.
