 Poster: A snowHead
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Just booked a Birmingham/Geneva flight for January and the confirmation email says both legs are "check in French Sector". Apart from the fact that there was no French sector last time I was at Birmingham, I've only used the French sector at Geneva for French domestic flights up to now.
I've fought my way through their system to send an email asking for clarification. Has anyone else come across this?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yes and it made no difference whatsoever. Everything was the same as normal, check in & exit through Swiss side.
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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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ssnowman, you mean what it said on confirmation was just plain wrong then? How odd.
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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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I had it on ticket from Stansted last Easter, but it was exactly the same procedure as usual.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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In my experience you can check in either side.
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I believe the only time you need the "French Sector" at Geneva Airport is when you have booked a French Hire Car. There's a small door near the non airside shops in the airport that leads to the Fench Sector. The difficult task was finding your way back to return the hire car because it's not the main entrance but hidden around the back of the airport.
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If your ticket says check in, in the Fench Sector at Geneva Airport does that mean you are in the EU and therefore you don't have the duty free allowance you would from the Swiss Sector?
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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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welshflyer, I think the point is that - irrespective of any car hire bookings - EasyJet have suddenly taken to referring to the French sector on their confirmatory paperwork.
Within the last week, I have booked EasyJet March flights - without any associated car hire - for Gatwick/Geneva and the confirmation says 'check-in French sector' for both airports. Obviously there is no French sector at Gatwick North Terminal and, assuming we are not decanted into the French sector of Geneva on arrival (which would be a bit of a surprise) I shall make my way to Swiss check-in on the return journey as usual.
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pam w, a few seasons ago we had guests from the Ukraine without Swiss visas, and it is awkward having to avoid Switzerland to get to Geneva airport. For everyone else it is no problem to pass between the 2 sectors within the airport itself - if that is even necessary.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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sideslip1,
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it is no problem to pass between the 2 sectors within the airport itself
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The only problem is that it's not very well signposted!
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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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welshflyer, no, you have same allowance but why bother, in my experience duty free at Geneva is as expensive and often more expensive than French hypermarches and certainly more expensive than Italian resorts in the Aosta valley, where the entire valley was given freedom from taxes centuries ago because of their remoteness, it carries on today as tax free liquor and tobacco. I don't know why posters here have such a problem with Geneva airport having 2 sectors. The French sector is much quieter, departure check in is easy, when arriving it's very easy to get baggage, just ask the Swissport porters on duty and they fetch it for you while you have a coffee, the car park is within 50 metres of the airport and it's very easy to get to, you don't even have to drive through Switzerland if you don't want to. I'd go that way every time, beats the scrum in the International sector every time, especially on peak weekends
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a few seasons ago we had guests from the Ukraine without Swiss visas, and it is awkward having to avoid Switzerland to get to Geneva airport.
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sideslip1, having done that several times with guests without British passports, I have to agree!
Having had some useful responses from Snowheads agreeing that this is a rather strange and recent change in the easyJet documentation I wonder whether, and when, I shall get a response from easyJet?
It also certainly CAN be a problem to pass between the two sectors of the airport - for example late in the evening. It can also be a major problem checking in on the French side for an international flight, as I did the only time I travelled BA (because I was parking my car on the French side). They had nobody on their desk - just a phone to call someone across - but there was no answer. When we eventually decided to whizz through to the Swiss side (not necessarily a dead cinch with baggage, as you are passing through an international frontier) the woman on the BA desk said she was very sorry - they'd left their phone off the hook. 
I have a fair numberof experiences of passing between those two sectors of that airport, and getting people and baggage from one part of it to another, some of them best forgotten.
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w, we have checked in at the French side for an Easyjet flight 2 seasons ago. The flight was cancelled, the ladies on the French side knew nothing, we had to walk over to the Swiss side to find out what was going on, find an Easyjet rep etc etc.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
It also certainly CAN be a problem to pass between the two sectors of the airport ... |
Not sure what it's like now that Switzerland is within Schengen area. Maybe someone more local knows?
Certainly road border crossings are just a chicane now between Germany and Switzerland in both directions.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Also, there are some signs up at the (not very obvious) Alice through the Looking Glass passage suggesting that people with baggage, or without boarding passes, or something of the sort, would not be allowed through. I can't remember the exact details. I once had to check with the (Swiss) airport information desk as I was on that side, waiting for passengers arriving on the French side, and I was concerned that they might not be allowed through. She just did the shrug thing and said they'd be OK. They were, but the whole thing is a bit shambolic.
What defeats me is why easyJet have started adding this confusing information to their documentation - it's bound to give rise to more enquiries.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, just been discussing this with my husband as it rang some bells - and it was on his paperwork from Easyjet when he flew from Geneva back to Gatwick just for a day for a meeting back in either March or April. He thinks he just ignored it, thought it was an error on the part of Easyjet, and checked in as normal on one of the serve yourself machines.
I wonder if it is because they have flights to places like Nice and Toulouse - and from recollection do they perhaps say on the Departures board - Check-in French Sector.
Expect you will report back if and when you hear from Easyjet.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I don't understand why they're putting this on their paperwork at all. Their operation on the Swiss side is vast, but on the French side it's pretty much one desk!!
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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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Last month I had been corresponding with Easyjet about this for a few weeks and had dealt with 3 different "Customer Service Champions"! Have I got a sensible reply - well, not really. Credit to them for replying within 24 hours at one point  buts other replies took 2 weeks. I have booked the same flight with two other families - my booking refers to check in French Sector at both Bristol airport and GVA. Obviously there is no French Sector at Bristol (or there wasn't the last time I looked) I have cut and pasted a small snippet of my thread with them, but we seem to be going round in circles, with them finally insisting that I MUST check-in French Sector.
I finally had to clarify what I was asking along the points made below:
1. Are there separate EasyJet check-in desks in both the French Sector and the Swiss side, or just one set of desks for everyone in the Swiss Side before departure?
2. Why does my flight confirmation say check-in French Side, when I am on an international flight to the UK. French side is only for 'local' French flights.
3. There are two other families flying on the same flight who are NOT required to check-in French Side for the same flight according to their flight confirmations.
Their replies:
I would also like to confirm that inline with airline industry, Geneva is considered a part of French sector. This is why your confirmation e-mail says check-in French sector. So, please check in from the french sector.
(OK - not very helpful, so I tried again)
Thank you for contacting us.
I would like to confirm to you that there are separate check-in desks for the French side and the Swiss side.
The International Sector(or the Swiss side) is for all flights departing, except the ones to a French Destination and The French Sector for all flights to France.
Also, there is a road leading to this Sector inside French Territory. So, the passengers driving to the Airport from this side HAVE to do their check-in for the flights to France, but CAN also do the check-in for all other destinations outside of France.
(Right - partly answered, so I tried again)
Thank you for contacting easyJet.
I would like to apologize for the long delay in responding to your query.I understand that you would like to check-in Swiss sector with your friends.
would also like to confirm that inline with airline industry, Geneva is considered a part of French sector. This is why your confirmation e-mail says check-in French sector. So, please check in from the french sector.
I would like to inform you that our check-in desks open two hours before the Scheduled Time of Departure. Passengers who present themselves later than 40 minutes prior to Scheduled Time of Departure will not be accepted for travel, and will forfeit their seats. It is recommended that you check-in two hours before the Scheduled Time of Departure. I have included the link for more information on check-in:
Right - at this stage I decided that I was going to ignore it all and just check in as normal as suggested by others on this site in previous threads.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Tatty, More and more bizarre. easyJet are usually pretty clear in their communications but those you've quoted are about as clear as mud. Have they told you where to find the French sector at Bristol? Anyway, the upshot is fairly clear - it's all as normal. Not good business practice to confuse the customer, though, especially as he is then likely to bombard you with emails. I've had no response yet.
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pam w, I did ask them for directions to the French sector from the Swiss side car drop off point, but they couldn't help me. I had a quick look here: http://www.gva.ch/en/Desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-60/
To be fair to them, most of my questions were answered fairly promptly, some within hours, but not quite the answers I was after! As you say, I will just do what I normally do and see what happens - as ssnowman says, it doesn't seem to make any difference, but things can change in the meantime I suppose!
One thing that I did notice that may have a bearing on this - when I booked my flights, I seemed to go through a new web interface - it seemed to be upgraded and the layout seemed a lot neater. When my friends booked the same day for the same flight, they seemed to go through the old web interface - I noticed the web addresses were slightly different, although I can't replicate it just now. Their bookings had no reference to check-in sectors, whereas mine was writ large all over it! All for the same flight! This again was discussed with EasyJet, and although I sent a screen shot of the booking, they didn't really answer why that was the case.
PS - I asked twice about the French sector check-in at Bristol but I think they chose to ignore that one!
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Maybe there's a Welsh sector. 
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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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well easyJet have sent me a straightforward answer, apologizing for the incorrect information on the confirming email and assuring me that the flight is in and out of the Swiss sector at Geneva. I reckon that's progress, compared to the gobblegook reported by Tatty. Let's hope they correct whatever bit of their computer system has started adding the incorrect information.
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pam w, ah...! I thought it was a mistake - simply down to using a different web interface. I did ask them that question directly but did not get a sensible answer, so maybe they have been working on a correct reply finally!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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pam w, hooray! Thanks - once again a problem solved on snowHeads! 
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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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I would reiterate Pam's answer. ALL INTERNATIONAL EasyJet flights from Geneva Airport depart from the SWISS International Sector... (we shall look forward to lots of confused customers this winter)
Cheers.
Andrew
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FAQ
He now has a British passport and has had no problems coming in the usual route, on the international side. Just seems a bit bizarre that EJ have it on their tickets. 
