The south end of the beach at Hua Hin, Thailand.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Hua Hin, Thailand.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Maldives on March 23rd.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Our flight with Jet2.com

We had the opportunity to fly with Jet2.com for our recent trip from Budapest, Hungary to Manchester, UK. There are a lot of discount airlines buzzing around the UK and Europe, so it's interesting to try one out first hand to see what some are doing differently from others. Here's our review.

Our flight was scheduled to leave at 8:05pm. Check in opened up fairly early at 5:30pm, we got in line at around 5:45, and we didn't wait very long for our turn at the counter.

And this sign is correct. It is easy to check in online, but be careful to follow the rules!

Most of these discount airlines have great prices for a reason. If you book enough in advance, and you're flexible on dates you can get some good deals. Our one way three hour flight went for €49.95 ($62.50) each, most of which is taxes. So you pay for your basic flight, and then if you want any extras, you will pay more. Including things like boarding passes. If you checked in online, then you had better print off your boarding pass and bring it with you because it will cost you more money if you don't.

I have read online complaints from people regarding these low cost airlines, but a lot of the times it's because the customer didn't follow the rules that are clearly laid out when you buy your ticket. So that makes it the customer's fault, not the airlines. Yet people will blame the airline anyhow, and I don't understand that kind of thinking.

We had no problems getting checked in. We had only our carry on bags with us, and made sure they were within the weight and size restrictions for our flight. But then the Jet2.com check in girl asked if we would like to check them for free because the flight was full and they would prefer that some of the larger bags would be stored below. So sure, we agreed to let them check our carry on bags for free.

We went through to the boarding area and figured we had some time to waste so we went and had a bite to eat. Arrived at the gate with about 45 minutes to spare and we were surprised that they were already calling our flight for boarding. No worries, so we went through the gate.

But there was no plane at the gate...only a bus!

Turns out that some of the airlines use a bus to get you to the plane. No worries, it was a two minute bus ride and we were dropped off to board the plane.

They operate Jet2.com and also Jet2holidays for when you need a package vacation. 

Flight took off about 10 minutes late, but it didn't seem to be an issue with anybody. If it was over 3 hours late then you could be eligible for claim compensation. 


The flight was very smooth and we arrived about 5 minutes ahead of schedule! Couple of things we noticed though, that are worth mentioning.

Getting ready to fly!

First, we loved the seating. There was no adjustment for reclining your seat because they've put them on a decent angle to begin with. And this way you don't have to worry about the guy in front of you putting his seat back into your already limited space. And even the regular seats have more leg and knee room than most planes we've been on, and we think that's partly because of the design of the seat material. And the seats were totally comfortable, no problem at all.

The other thing we noticed was cup holders! Okay, sounds like a minor thing, but we have been on a lot of airplanes and have never seen cup holders. Of course you normally have to put your seat back tray down in front of you and hang onto your cup most of the time that it's on the tray. This aircraft had little wire cup holders that you fold down and can then easily hold your water bottle or coffee cup. 

So overall, we have nothing bad to say. The entire flight went fine, and the people we met who work for the airline were helpful and friendly.

We wouldn't hesitate to fly with Jet2.com again!



14 comments:

  1. wow good show...you two find the best deals....I've enjoyed travelling along with you..

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  2. We've toyed with the idea of doing the electronic boarding pass thnig, but there's always that nagging doubt as to whether it will work or not. Just prefer to have the paper boarding pass I suppose. Makes it a challenge though to print one out when you're without a printer.
    I think that one was the thing that a lot of people were getting a little snippy about (I think we're talking about Ryan Air?)
    I still think air travel has become hit and miss these days for the most part, whether you are travelling a discount airline, or paying top buck. You just never know what to expect. Unless of course someone writes an objective review...

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    1. We haven't used the electronic boarding pass ourselves as we don't have a cell phone or I-pad but we have booked online and printed out the copy and have never had a problem with it yet. We have definitely seen others use the electronic boarding pass with no issue.

      One thing people have to remember is that these are discount airlines and you are using them for the cheap fare so if you set your sights low then you have nothing to fear. Something like buying wine, if you pay $2 or $3 for a bottle it isn't going to taste like champagne, so prepare yourself for cheap wine and you will never be let down.

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  3. Wow, haven't walked across the tarmac and climbed them mobile steps in years and years, Oh the smell of JP-5 in the morning, just the thing to go with your coffee as a wake up.Looks like you had a great experience. Doubt all the security here in the states would allow you to walk to an airplane here today. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna..

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  4. I know in Mexico discount airlines use buses to take you out to the plane. One reason is that they don't pay for skyway and terminal charges passing on the savings to the customer.

    Is there a website you would recommend for Euro discount airlines (providing a list)? I know for Mexico you have to go directly to their website, in other words, Travelocity and other airline websites don't advertise their flights, again I am assuming to save money.

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    1. Maybe it is the same in Europe because we definitely saw planes as big as ours up at the terminal using the skyways and wondered why we weren't.

      Kevin said he didn't think there was a website that listed all the discount airlines. If anyone knows of one, please post it here or email us and let us know and we will pass the info along.

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  5. Are you still using the Olympus SZ-12 with a 24x optical zoom lens camera? Your pictures are great. We enjoy reading your blog and seeing the pictures.
    Thanks,

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    1. Yes, we are still using the Olympus SZ-12. Overall we are quite happy with it. The one think we don't like about it, is that when the sky is overcast Kevin has a huge problem with the contrast. We have had to ditch many pictures because we can't get a decent one. He has tried adjusting the settings in a number of ways and still it doesn't turn out the way it should and it drives him nuts. Other than that we really don't have any complaints, it is quite versatile for a small camera.

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  6. Iceland is amazingly beautiful. The natural beauty found out in the country is extraordinary.

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  7. We always travel on Jet 2 to Budapest from Manchester, we can't fault them, never have to queue to check in, very few delays and always good flights

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  8. Small tip for anyone who has arrived at the airport and forgotten to print their boarding pass, most airports have a place where you can get on line and print them there and then for much less than paying the airline penalty fee.
    One of the things I like about Jet 2 is that they don't have a weight limit for carry on only size.

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    1. Hi Glen...it's actually easyjet that has no weight limit for carry on. Jet2.com limit is 10 kgs.

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  9. Jet2 changed its motto some years ago. It is now "Friendly low fares".

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