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Post by daisy on Aug 1, 2011 8:23:54 GMT
Anyone have any views on wether its worth paying the extra for Speedy Boarding please
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Post by carol on Aug 1, 2011 9:00:37 GMT
Emma will know, I will message her ;D
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Post by muriman on Aug 1, 2011 9:22:47 GMT
Seems to me to be very much a matter of personal preference depending on cost, numbers in party and how important it is to get desired seat position or to be virtually certain of sitting together etc. Personally I reckon it's not usually worth the extra cost, bearing in mind the possibility that at least for the return leg, transfer to plane may be by bus and speedy boarding may only get you on to the bus early.
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emma
New Member
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Post by emma on Aug 1, 2011 9:38:59 GMT
Hi Daisy
Muriman's right... it's personal preference...
I pay for speedy boarding to Rhodes, and have done for a couple of years... And I do it because at 4am I'm not the happiest bunny in the world, and would rather not stand in a queue of a couple of hundred (Easyjet has a fair few planes leaving Gatwick at that time of day), and prefer to stand in a far smaller queue. Last year it took me 3 mins to check in. The year before it was maybe 10 mins.
The first year I did it, people laughed and said exactly what Muriman's said - that at Rhodes you'd only be the first on the bus... BUT this turned out not to be the case. Last year and the year before there was a bus JUST for Speedy Boarders.
Check-in at Rhodes can be a bit haphazard and they may not have the SB check-in desk open, or they may just check anyone in there. But there was definitely a bus just for SBers.
The first time I did it, there weren't many speedy boarders, but last year, it seemed half the plane had opted for it, so a typical Easyjet queue formed even for speedy boarding!
It's worth it because you'll definitely be sitting together - even if you're mid to back of plane.
I know there's someone else who uses this board who DOESN'T pay for SB, and just goes straight to the back of the plane and gets seats together.
Unrelated, but last year Easyjet got vv tough on luggage weight - half a kilo over and you had to pay or transfer something to hand luggage. They also looked at your hand luggage to check it wasn't too large in size.
Hope that's of use... and yes, I'm doing it again this year.
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Post by kathy on Aug 1, 2011 10:49:04 GMT
When we went to Halki, via Leeds-Bradford a couple of years ago, we paid the extra for the V.I.P. lounge package. It was about £25 each I think. When we got to the airport, we asked a Jet2 staff member where we should be to check in. He took us to a closed check in desk, got it opened, and we were checked in straight away. Meanwhile, the queue for other boarders grew longer and longer and was still not open. We were taken to the V.I.P. lounge ( there were only a few others in there at the time) and found huge comfy armchairs, free newspapers, and could help ourselves to as much fresh coffee, juices, cereal, toast, cakes etc as we wanted. We boarded the plane first, a flight meal and one alcoholic drink was also included.
We thought it was fantastic value, (we certainly got our moneys worth!) and was a great and very relaxing way to start our holiday!
I Having experienced it, I would do the same in future every time!
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Post by daisy on Aug 1, 2011 17:38:03 GMT
Thanks will definitely try and book SB now as standing in long queues is a defo no no and it will be a 4am check in for us too  Had heard that they were tight on baggage allowance think it was Liz who told me luckily Villa has a lot of extras this year including Washing machine so hopefully suitcases will be lighter than usual  and hand luggage kept to minimum ;D |
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Post by janeandtony on Aug 1, 2011 19:13:27 GMT
Had heard that they were tight on baggage allowance ..... so hopefully suitcases will be lighter than usual and hand luggage kept to minimum ;D We say that every time Daisy ;D ;D ;D and the cases and hand luggage never seem any different  . |
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Post by muriman on Aug 1, 2011 19:49:12 GMT
I'm not sure how paying for speedy boarding would help with check-in time or check-in queues? Do EZY have separate check-in desks for SB customers? In any case, on-line check-in should avoid check-in time and check-in queuing (though probably only at Gatwick, unless the Rhodes system has changed from last year!). I may be wrong, but take care not to confuse speedy boarding with on-line check-in. A factor to consider is also that Easyjet don't have a weight limit on cabin baggage (just a dimension limit), though the 100ml limit on liquids can be a nuisance, and for anything but light cabin baggage, a wheeled case is pretty essential for the long walks at Gatwick. Jet2 and others are different; Thomas Cook has a particularly tight 5kg limit on cabin baggage.
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Post by daisy on Aug 1, 2011 20:21:57 GMT
Had heard that they were tight on baggage allowance ..... so hopefully suitcases will be lighter than usual and hand luggage kept to minimum ;D We say that every time Daisy ;D ;D ;D and the cases and hand luggage never seem any different . ;D ;D Me too but am really gonna try this year  |
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Post by Liz on Aug 1, 2011 21:29:06 GMT
Havnt done speedy boarding but have done the priority boarding with Ryan air ( which I think is the same ) worth every penny IMHO
If it's the choice between stand in a queue for over an hour or have a g&t and amble to the gate it gets my vote every time !
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Post by bennielechat on Aug 1, 2011 22:11:09 GMT
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOrhMcqx6vw&feature=related [/youtube]  |
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Post by daisy on Aug 2, 2011 17:17:24 GMT
PMSL ;D ;D
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emma
New Member
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Post by emma on Aug 11, 2011 7:46:54 GMT
Hi Muriman
To confirm, Speedy Boarding at Gatwick is Speedy Boarding Plus which gives you dedicated check-in. At Rhodes it is just offered as Speedy Boarding which gives no guarantee of dedicated check-in.
I can confirm this both through 3 years experience on the Rhodes route and re-reading my booking email.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2011 16:22:41 GMT
Also in my experience, speedy boarding at Rhodes gives you no guarantee of anything different that the experience you would have without it. Each time I have had it, a single bus to the plane removes all benefit unless you wish to resort to bare knuckle fighting I don't know why, possibly a different supervisor, but some speedy boarders have had a special bus in Rhodes. I did get on to Easyjet and they said they were working towards an improvement there and as far as possible, a standard speedy boarding procedure in all airports. I think a pig has just flown past my window |
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Post by daisy on Aug 11, 2011 19:59:57 GMT
Well have booked Speedy Boarding so will report back after the hols |
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and hand luggage kept to minimum ;D
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