Having not flown with easyJet for some time, it was a surprise to find out that to put a bag in the overhead locker was now chargeable. However, as we were travelling to Spain for several weeks and needed to check in cases, we opted for the no-cost option of a bag under the seat.
Flying from Gatwick North to Malaga, we arrived earlier than the time the bag drop was scheduled to open at 6.50am, but this wasn’t a problem. After a quick manual passport check, we joined a short queue for what looked like a slightly daunting self-service check in. Two girls in front had a 15kg allowance, but a bag of 16.6kg and having tried taking things out, were told it wouldn’t make any difference as ‘once it was weighed, it was weighed’. Fortunately we were well within our 23kg allowance.
Our allocated gate wasn’t open immediately and we formed a queue down the corridor. Eventually, it opened, but just before we got to the front, we were told that the gate number had changed to one a 10-minute walk away. Having got to our new gate, an announcement told us the flight would be delayed until the very precise time of 9.38am, because of the late gate change and change of cabin crew. However, five minutes later boarding commenced, but another queue formed on the tarmac: fortunately, it wasn’t raining.
We had seats across the aisle which were reasonable, and eventually we took off 1 hour and 20 minutes late. However as the flight took 30 minutes less than the three hours scheduled, we made some of this up. There were no peanuts available due to a passenger with a severe allergy, no sandwiches either hot or cold, no ice and no chilled cold drinks – all due seemingly to the change of plane.
Whilst a boarding announcement suggested masks should be worn as it was a requirement of the country we were flying to, only around half the passengers complied and nothing was said.
Not the best of experiences, but probably normal for easyJet.
