EasyJet survival guide: six simple steps

by Tom Johansmeyer on
The name is seductive: EasyJet. This low-cost airline boasts occasional fares of below €10 (one way) and can get you almost anywhere in Europe. What’s not to love? Of course, entering the experience, you know deep down that there has to be some unpleasantness involved, but you accept that as a condition for cheap travel. After all, you’re only inconvenienced for a few hours at the most – it’s not like you’re crossing the Atlantic. These are short, easy flights that would be called “regional” back home.

Nonetheless, the whole gig can be an absolute drag.

The most difficult part of the EasyJet excursion is the rush of the crowd … which you’ll endure more than once. At some point, the line at the gate descends into chaos, as boarding “zones” decompose from a single line to several crowds of travelers jockeying for position. Then, the bus from the gate to the airport is little more than a cattle car and sets the scene for another crowded push in which any semblance of order is but a wish. By the time you get to your seat, aisle, window or middle no longer matters. You’re just happy that the uncertainty (as well as the shoving) is finished.

Fortunately, here are ways to make your EasyJet flight a bit easier (and, for those of you bouncing along the northeastern United States [LINK:tag], you can apply some of this to the Delta Shuttle). It’ll never be a first-class experience, but you’ll be able to avoid some of the stress involved in this form of air travel.

[Photos thanks to EasyJet]

1. Get to the gate early, and sit as close to it as possible
Since there is no assigned seating, preparation has its rewards. By arriving at the gate early, you can find a seat as close as possible to the gate itself. When it is time to get in line for boarding, you’ll be among the first to know.

2. Help start the line rather than join it
Once you see a few people start to hover around the gate (not necessarily forming a line but signaling their intentions to do so), join them.

3. Stand near the door on the bus
Those at the front of the line, naturally, will be the first to board the bus that takes you to the plane. The common mistake is to go as deep into the bus as possible, to make it easier for those who follow. Don’t do this. Step through the door and move immediately to one side or the other. You’ll be out of everyone’s way but will still be among the first to step off the bus when you arrive at the plane.

4. Move quickly to the plane
If you think a line forms somewhere between the bus and the plane’s door, you’re out of your mind. Movement continues to be by crowd. Step off the bus as quickly as possible and find your way into the plane. Hesitate, and you will find yourself jostled and (worse) passed en route to the best seats in the house. You’ll be reduced to the same primal urges as your fellow travelers – instead of watching this animalistic drama unfold from the comfort of your seat … which happens to be both bulkhead and aisle!

5. Use your overhead storage
Getting onto the plane early means that you can take advantage of the overhead storage, which does fill quickly. Miss this opportunity, and you will lose that precious legroom under the seat in front of you (as I did). I measured the space from the front of my seat’s cushion to the back of the one in front of me. I can’t give you an exact number of inches, but I can confirm that it’s less than the length of a size 9 ½ shoe. The floor-space, of course, is a bit larger, but not much. Every inch counts. If you can recapture some space under the seat in front of you by tossing your bag above your head, don’t give it a second thought.

6. Bring your own nourishment
If you thought domestic airlines in the United States were stingy, EasyJet will change your perspective. Even the basics start at €1, and shooting a desperate look will only get you a shrug or an apology – neither of which will address your thirst. Eat before you board, and bring a bottle of water. If you have a longer flight, maybe grab a small snack. Remember: this is not long-haul. I brought neither water nor food on my two-hour flight from Madrid to Marrakech and was fine. But, if the thought of even a short period of time without some sort of refreshment is akin to unchecked brutality, pay either before you board or on the plane. The price will be about the same.

Onboard V Australia’s Boeing 777

by Grant Martin on

This past Friday, Gadling got a special invitation to tour V Australia‘s new Boeing 777 jumbo jet, the aircraft that will soon fly routes between California and Australia on the world’s newest airline.
We’ll get to into all of the hobknobbery of the event in a forthcoming post, but for now, lets take a look through the aircraft.

Each Boeing 777-300 has three classes of service: Business, Premium Economy and Economy.

Like most other transpacific products, economy is fairly cramped with 3 x 3 x 3 seating (32″ of leg room and 6″ seat pitch,) cloth seats and rows upon rows of cattle. Sections are fairly compartmentalized among rows 20-25, 26-38 and 40-52, with each cabin separated by lavs and galleys respectively, so you can bet that the smaller sub-cabin is going to be quieter.

Exit rows have plenty of space, and if you’re going to pitch for a set, I would recommend row 26, because row 20 has bassinets and row 39 has a galley nearby.

Thankfully, each seat has an LCD running the Panasonic RED system with an additional USB port, so you can stay entertained with movies, games and music or charge your iPod. Bulkhead seats have video screens in the armrests. Contrary to other reports, however, there is no in-seat power. Alternatively, a flight attendant that we spoke with said that there is AC power in the rear galley, so you can always wander back and plug in.

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Premium Economy is much more posh, with leather seats in a 2 x 4 x 2 configuration, so if you and a mate want some privacy you can book a window pair. LCD screens are a bit larger, seat pitch (9″) is more generous and leg room (38″) is more available, so your overall experience should be an order of magnitude better. There are only 5 rows of Premium Economy for a total of 30 seats, and each row is equipped with A/C power.

Finally, Business class is sectioned into two compartments with row 5 separated from rows 1-4 by the forward bar. The fully flat seats are in a standard 2 x 3 x 2 configuration and offer small privacy screens that you can raise between each. Given that each seat can recline fully, there is an astounding 77″ of leg room for each person, which means that you can basically play a small game of flag football with the space you have. Additionally, the front cabin offers bed turn down service, pajamas and the ability to eat your meals whenever you want, affording those who want to sleep or be left alone the flexibility to still have a hot meal.

Naturally, those up for a chat in Business class can also slip back to the front bar for a free beverage. Above the front bar there is a raised motif where one can look up at a (simulated) northern cross constellation — apparently the brass wanted a window up to the sky, but Boeing couldn’t fit that into the design.

Throughout the entire cabin, Virgin’s trademark “mood lighting” is prevalent, and even if you are off put by the pink and green seats, the purple and blue overhead lights can be remarkably calming. In some areas, a simulated starscape pattern also broods from the ceiling (pictured).

Overall, the best part about the aircraft is the clean, crisp aesthetic. Straight from the factory floor, this 777-300 has a solid, comfortable feel about it, and we’re sure that any transoceanic trip in this bird that’s in Premium Economy or Business will be outstanding. Coach might be comparable to the competition, but where V Australia could really excel is in the service. We’ll see how that performs in March.

The Air New Zealand Pink Party Plane is back for 2009!

by Scott Carmichael on

Air New Zealand is once again flying their pink party plane for the 2009 Sydney Mardi Gras. We’ve covered the party plane before, but it is clearly a success, as they keep bringing it back for more fun!

Tickets for the flight start at $978, and include the flight from San Francisco to Auckland, and a 3 1/2 hour party flight from Auckland to Sydney.

The party flight includes cocktails, canapes, entertainment and a little “beauty rest”. Before departure the airline gets the party started with a glamor gate event.

If $978 is a little out of reach, why not try your luck in the Air New Zealand party flight sweepstakes, which includes the flight for two, and three nights in a Sydney hotel!

If you want an idea just how insane this flight is – check out this Youtube clip of the 2008 party plane. The Pink Party Plane booking site is here.

Other tales from the skies
Amazing and insane stories from a real-life flight attendant and co-pilot

Jetstar charges passengers by the pound

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The debate has gone on for years. Larger people have had to deal with shrinking plane seats. We all complain, with the svelte arguing that the not-so-trim should have to purchase an extra seat. I have to be honest, here. I believe that you should pay for what you consume. If you take two seats pay for them. Apparently, low-cost Australian airline Jetstar agrees, with much more zeal than I would have ever imagined.

For some, airfare must be purchased by the pound … and I’m not talking about the British currency.

Samantha Scafe, a 350 pound transgender passenger on Jetstar, was forced to pay for a second seat “for other people’s comfort” after twice being assured that this would not be necessary. Jetstar later apologized for the debacle, saying that it doesn’t provide overweight customers with “two-for-one deals.”

Obviously, she’s filing a lawsuit over this.

Now, let’s give Jetstar credit for follow-through. Not only do they offend a passenger, but the two seats they gave her had a slight problem: they were separated by the aisle. If she occupied them, she’d have had the flight attendants all over her for not getting out of the way of the drink cart!

These women should’ve been charged for their “crimes”!


[Via news.com.au, Blackbook]

Richard Branson christens the new V Australia 777 in LAX

by Grant Martin on

V Australia‘s new Boeing 777 aircraft arrived in Los Angeles on its way down to Sydney yesterday. Onboard were Richard Branson, the mayor of Los Angeles and a few other dignitaries, and when the aircraft rolled onto the Imperial Highway tarmac they naturally had to pop a bottle of Champagne.

So after the creature came to a halt in front of the eager crowd, a red carpet was unrolled on the wing and out popped Branson and a few hotties. Take a look at how it unfolded below, and stay tuned for official and unoffical reports from the aircraft early next week.