Speedy Boarding revisited

I added Speedy Boarding to an existing Easyjet booking. There is no option to add this one way only, although it is priced separately. Total cost £10.

On departure our privileged position only meant we were first onto a bus, so the speedy boarders hung around near the front door. Which was a shame because when we reached the plane only the back door was opened, so we ended up last off.

In Murcia, at check-in in I asked the girl if my boarding card was marked for Speedy Boarding, after it hadn't been on a previous flight in Toulouse. She took it back and marked a big SB on it. The flight was called while we were eating so I was late to the gate, again. The attendant saw my boarding and said they had called Speedy boarding earlier. I agreed, but pointed out that it is unusual to call a flight 45 minutes before departure. She thought for a moment then invited me to follow her through another gate, marching me round to the very front of the boarding queue. Within minutes we were invited onto the plane, and I had a choice of every seat.

So with Easyjet's speedy boarding the moral of the story seems to be: It can be worthwhile, but there are no guarantees. Check your boarding card is marked, and keep your confirmation email to prove you have paid for it. And smile broadly if it all works out and you get four inches of extra legroom!

Low cost airline scams

OK scams is a bit harsh. Let's call it "ways they take more money off you without increasing the so-called price". Easyjet are now doing Speedy Boarding, while Ryanair have Priority Boarding. What they are doing is selling the front of the queue to get on the plane.

I tested Speedy Boarding this week on an Easyjet flight with mixed results. At Bristol they called Speedy Boarders to the gate while the departure board was showing 20 minutes top boarding (and me on the other side of the terminal). Within seconds they had called normal boarding and there was no way through the queue. £5 wasted. At Toulouse I was by the gate when they called Speedy boarding, but my boarding pass didn't show I was entitled to it. I had the booking email ready and got a Gallic shrug and permission to board. Which in turn meant I got an exit seat and some extra legroom. So £2.50 well spent (why the difference in price - I don't know).

On balance then Speedy Boarding is one to use with care. If there is a bus to the plane all it will get you is early boarding onto the bus, which is no help at all. But on balance I can't begrudge them another way of making money. The total cost for two of us was £113. Some friends flew to Toulouse 13 years ago and got a 2-for-1 deal of £180. And that was before airport tax.