Customs at Luton - estimating how long

It is not customs that is the problem. Customs takes no time, just walk through the green channel. But the time needed to get through passport control can vary from 5 minutes to over 30 on the "EU passport" queue. The "non-EU" queue could be even slower.

For Easyjet flights:

• You have to be at the gate waiting to board at least 30 minutes before departure. This is an absolute limit, if you break it you will not be allowed on the plane.
• You must print out your boarding pass in advance. You will need this to get throught security.
• You are limited to one piece of hand luggage, literally!
• If you have hold baggage, you must pay for this when you make your booking, and drop it off at the "bag drop off" point before going through security. There is no luggage transfer from other flights, you have to collect your bags, and then hand them in again at the "bag drop off". -Then you must go through security, and find your gate, and get there at least 30 minutes before the flight.
• If you miss your flight there is no transfer to the next, you have to buy a new ticket. Hard luck!

With the above restrictions, there is no way you could make the 12:05.

Agree with everything Chris said. Take the 13:40, no question.

Chris, Thank you so much! Just all the information I was hoping for and then some!! Mike, thanks for chiming in as well.

I don't think the situation is not quite as dire as the other posters suggest. But I am breaking with my principle that you only post what you know from experience and not what you think you know from reading the internet. Don't have any experience with easyJet other than what I read on their web site. We are doing the same flight in May and want to end in Edinburgh so our only choice is the 1.40 or a 4.30. You might want to do a trial run at making a reservation on easyJet. There are two fare levels. While the flexfare is more expensive it does provide some additional options and conveniences that are worth considering. Second, and most important IMO, is the $9 insurance that you can buy to cover a ticket change. I think the insurance said for any reason. My biggest concern with LaCompagnie is a one plane operation. There are no alternatives if for some reason the plane is delayed for any reason. Haven't booked it yet but I think we will take the flexifare and insurance to cover any situation.

Since you are going in April, would love to hear of your experience after you return.

Sorry, but there is absolutely no way that you will make the 12.05 unless your incoming flight is early. You will never get through the non-EU passport section at Luton in 5 minutes at that time of day.

I allow 1.5 hours before departure time for Easyjet flights at any London airport when landside plus you will also have to disembark which can take up to an hour including baggage pick up. london airports are the slowest in the world!

Note that Luton is one of the airports that Easyjet have just started accepting non printed out boarding passes so long as you have a smartphone or ipad with the Easyjet app downloaded with your online booking pass saved on this. I used this last month and it worked well.

Note that easyjet Fast track is not available at Luton. Easyjet flexi tickets are not completely flexible as it means that they only allow you to move to an EARLIER flight and it has to be for the return leg, having already used the outward bound portion.

You should make the Edinburgh flight so long as your incoming flight is not late.

I hope you have a pleasant trip. I was just watching last night's local news which showed the maiden flight. It is a spacious comfy looking plane.

We are back and just wanted to say that we were through Passport Control in 3 minutes at Luton. Wait for bags about 15 minutes. Check into our flight to EasyJet roughly 20 minutes as we had our confirmation printed out. This was a huge time saver, even though we still had 2 hours to wait. Security took a lot longer.

I hope we didn't give you bad advice to take the later flight, better safe than sorry I always say.

Hope you enjoyed your trip.