Pros and Cons of Flying With easyJet, the Low-Cost European Airline

Every airline has positives and negatives. And while many people seem to think there are only negatives when it comes to flying low-cost airlines, I don’t think that’s accurate.

I hadn’t flown easyJet in over 10 years, and I recently had the opportunity to fly the carrier again on a round-trip itinerary between Barcelona and Lisbon — including 2 different plane types for the trip.

Positives included clear information at check-in and boarding and stylish seats on one of the planes. However, the space at my knees felt cramped on one of my flights, and the lack of entertainment required preplanning.

These are the positives and negatives of flying with easyJet so you know what to expect if you’re eyeing a ticket with this carrier.

Understanding easyJet Ticket Types and Fees

Europe’s easyJet is a low-cost airline, flying as far north as Iceland and northern Norway down to the Canary Islands and Egypt, plus as far east as Tbilisi, Georgia. It’s a major player in the low-cost scene on the continent, offering cheap base fares but charging for pretty much everything other than permission to get on the plane.

Luckily, fees are clear when the airline offers these add-ons during the booking process. If you’re booking a round-trip ticket, the fees you see cover the entire reservation — meaning you don’t have to double this fee or pay again to bring a checked bag on the return flight.

You also see messaging about adding checked luggage to your flight early, offering up to 15% savings if you do so during booking rather than waiting until the last minute.

There are multiple options for adding checked luggage with higher or lower weight limits, and those who book the cheapest fares can pay to choose their seat or accept a random seat assignment if they don’t want to pay. The fees for the various seats are abundantly clear when you look at the seat map.

You can book a more expensive fare to get more inclusions. EasyJet offers 3 fare types:

• Light fare (cheapest): Includes only a personal item that fits under the seat in front of you.
• Extra: Includes a personal item, checked suitcase, and complimentary seat selection.
• Smart+: Includes a personal item, a large cabin bag, complimentary seat selection (including Upfront Seats), and Speedy Boarding.

Things I Liked About Flying With easyJet

Let’s start with the positives. There are several.

Good Signs at Check-In and Bag Drop

The airport has clear signs telling you where to drop your bags. You can also head straight to the gate if you don’t have any bags to check in, which is nice, saving you from waiting in line if you don’t need to.

There are also separate signs for those needing special assistance or those who have Speedy Boarding, giving them access to a shorter line.

Clear Signs for Boarding Lanes and Groups

The clear signage continues in the boarding area, with a stanchion separating the Speedy Boarding passengers to one side and everyone else to the other. The sign also has a bag sizer, which is convenient for ensuring your personal item or paid carry-on bag is the right size.

Staff members also move through the lines to ensure guests are in the right line and to keep the lines organized, preparing everyone for the time boarding starts.

And once boarding starts, it’s very obvious who’s boarding right now, thanks to overhead signs and announcements from staff.

Modern, Sleek Seats on the A320neo

The seats on easyJet’s Airbus A320neo aircraft are very clean and stylish. The black leather without logos and designs is attractive.

Seat Pitch on the A319

EasyJet’s Airbus A319 planes have 28.5 inches of seat pitch — the space between rows — in all but the exit rows (where you’ll find 35 inches of pitch).

I’m 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and seeing space between my knees and the seat in front of me is always nice on a low-cost carrier.

Abundant Options for Inflight Purchases

Say what you will about low-cost airlines that don’t offer passengers even a complimentary cup of water during the flight, but if you have to buy your drinks and snacks, having a ton of options is good news. The information page of the inflight magazine provides clear information about allergens in the food.

Along with options for salads, dishes, chips, and drinks, easyJet also offers combinations to save a few bucks when buying more than 1 item at a time.

Beyond just chips and sodas, easyJet offers lots of wines, beers, and other alcoholic drinks. The inflight shopping magazine also offers duty-free shopping.

I’ve had better inflight food — yes, including paid meals from low-cost carriers — but easyJet’s food is acceptable and priced at a tolerable level. It’s not a ripoff.

Hot Tip:

Check out our complete guide to booking low-cost airlines with points and miles, including carriers like easyJet, Frontier, Ryanair, and more.

Things I Disliked About Flying With easyJet

After naming 5 things I like about flying with easyJet, here’s a look at 6 things that aren’t ideal.

Disorganized Elements in the Boarding Process

While signs for the Speedy Boarding versus standard boarding line are clear, the use of a single line for boarding everyone else isn’t great. It creates a long line and an inefficient boarding process because passengers are not boarding in an organized manner, such as back to front, which leads to a lot of shuffling around inside the plane.

This also means passengers feel like they need to show up at the gate and get in line early, rather than sitting around comfortably or grabbing a bite to eat — which they could do in a system with numbered boarding groups. Plus, the inefficient boarding process means lines form quickly, leaving passengers standing around in the jet bridge unnecessarily.

Dated Seats on the A319

The seats on easyJet’s A319 planes look outdated with their patterned, rough cloth and flimsy antimacassars (the small cloth placed over the headrest). Fabric like this is also more prone to stains, which is one of the reasons so many airlines are moving away from this type of seat.

Seat Pitch on the A320

Somehow, the pitch between rows on easyJet’s A320neo planes is listed at 29 inches — a half inch more than what the A319 offers. The technical specs and reality don’t match, though.

There’s somehow less space at the knees on this plane model, and anyone who’s my height or taller needs to spread their legs to avoid smashing them into the back of the seat in front.

Tray Table Size on the A320neo

The tray table on the A320 is smaller than my 14-inch laptop, and it’s shaky to use a large laptop on during the flight.

No Entertainment

It is expensive to install inflight entertainment screens at every seat, so many airlines are doing without them — especially on short-haul flights. Along with its lack of screens, easyJet also doesn’t offer inflight Wi-Fi or even a network with TV and movies to watch from your own device.

Instead of screens, you find advertisements on the back of the seats.

Inconsistent Cleaning

Finding paper shreds at my feet and in the seat pocket during boarding on 1 of 2 flights means there were some issues with cleaning. Yes, it’s an admittedly small sample size, but it’s an area for improvement.

Final Thoughts

Some people try to avoid flying with low-cost airlines. I’m not opposed to it. However, it pays (literally) to know what you’re getting into with each airline and how its fees work.

Flying with easyJet in Europe has both positives and negatives. Space at your knees is better on some planes than others, and the same can be said about the seats themselves.