Easy Jet

I've flown EasyJet many times, no problems. It will get you from A to B with no frills for minimum cost.

• For the cheapest prices, book early (3+ months in advance), and be flexible over dates and times.
• If you intend to take any hold luggage, make sure you select this option when booking. You pay per case, and it cost more if you add a case at check-in.
• Print out your boarding passes ASAP and make sure you take these with you. You can print them out as soon as you have booked, unlike other airlines.
• Make sure you get to the airport early enough, and get to the gate early enough. The check-in times are strictly enforced.
• Only one piece of hand luggage allowed. If you have hand luggage only, there is no need to check in, just go with your boarding 'card' and ID (passport) straight to security.
• They sell food and drink on board, but you can bring your own food and eat it on the plane.

razorclams, in 2013 we flew EasyJet from Pisa to Paris Orly, it was great, no problem at all. The key, as Chris has shown, is knowing how they operate and being on time-early-and within luggage rules.

Ditto the experiences as above. I did Paris to Venice this fall and found the Flight Attendants very professional when dealing with a child who would not stay seated as we prepared for taxi and take off and a Mom who was not able to control her. I paid extra to choose a seat and paid for luggage so I didn't stress over how much my bag weighed by that point in my trip. With the payment for seat choice I also got Speedy Boarding which meant you went to a shorter bag drop line, a shorter security line (in Paris, at least) and lined up in a different queue to board first. I will fly them again.

Many of us in this office use and recommend EasyJet quite happily. I have also pre-paid for a checked bag, rather than worrying about the weight of my main bag and/or worrying about liquids.Tickets are generally not changeable or refundable. When I checked last year, the "exchange fee" they offered for my ticket was the same price as buying a new one. See also http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/budget-flights.

I flew Easyjet a couple of times. I usually (never) check a bag, but did on Easyjet. By the time I got to the baggage carousel at my destination my bag was there. I grabbed it and off I went. Do pay for the checked bag when you buy your ticket. It's cheaper then, and saves you from the idiocy of scurrying around the airport to pay for it when you are getting ready to board. Been there, done that. When I used Easyjet there was a stern person telling me my bag was too big for carry-on. They are serious about the rules. The planes are not huge, so the space onboard for luggage is more limited that on the jumbo jets. The rule makes sense. And boarding is quicker when most people are able to board without having to find an overhead bin for luggage. Very good airline that could lose the bright orange decor.

We flew Gatwick to Pisa--2 hr. flight. There were no problems with them. I couldn't believe I could put two bags in one--but somehow it fit overhead. And yes, they're serious about only one carryon--including computers and purses.

The European budget air carriers have really opened up travel throughout the continent. From Gatwick, you can get just about anywhere you want to go on EasyJet--cheap, cheap. It's a great way to see one region and fly to a different region for another completely different travel experience.

clams,

EasyJet is my preferred budget airline in Europe, and I've flown with them many times on various routes. Like many others, it's a "no frills" service but I've always found that travelling with them is "easy".

A few comments to add to those already posted here.....

• Booking early usually gets the best prices. You might consider paying a bit extra for Speedy Boarding and seat selection, as I've found that makes the experience a bit easier.
• If you'll have any "hold luggage", if you think the weight might be slightly over what they allow for one bag, pay for the next weight tier at the time of booking. It will be more expensive if they find your bag overweight at the gate!
• Be sure to read their Terms & Conditions carefully, especially related to luggage. Also, the cheapest tickets are usually non-refundable and non-changeable, so choose carefully!
• They have a strict rule of ONE carry-on item per passenger, and in my experience they almost always enforce that. It doesn't mean "one plus a personal item, it means ONE ONLY of the approved size!
• As mentioned by Chris, you can print your boarding pass well in advance. They don't have check-in at most airports any longer, but just a bag drop.
• As I recall, boarding in Rome will involve a trip in one of the "kneeling buses" and then a trip out to the tarmac. When you arrive at the aircraft, boarding is usually done at both front and back doors, so it doesn't take long. Again as I recall, they use Terminal 2 at FCO. Amsterdam is a single terminal airport, so nothing to note there.
• The EJ food on-board is not what would be considered "gourment quality", but it's better than some of the other budgets (I've had some dreadful food on European airlines). Airline coffee is usually "instant", which I detest with a passion!!! I'd suggest buying a sandwich or whatever in the airport, and while these are also not "gourmet they will likely be better than the airline food.
• EJ has a smartphone app, if that's something that will be useful for you.

Happy travels!

probably 5 flights over a few years (they have good 1-way fares, so often we just use 1 flight on a trip). Like others have said, no problems. You get what you pay for. Its a budget service, understand all the terms and rules, they will check bag size. Crews are professional, plane is similar to a US carrier like Southwest (eg no movies, music, etc). Given the fares are cheap you might want to consider paying for the flexi-fare that lets you board earlier and includes a piece of checked luggage. You might also want to do a web search for "flexi fare loophole" to see how it is perfectly legit to buy a flexi fare on a more heavily discounted day and the switch to the day you want (provided seats are available, of course).

I've flown Easyjet 3 times and have had problems with delayed flights twice. First time was London to Paris in 2010 ( learned my lesson and have done Eurostar since) when the flight was delayed 3 hours! Got into CDG close to midnight and RER closed or so we were told which left a planeful of passengers panicked on how to get into Paris. Second time was Paris to Barcelona in 2013 and the flight was delayed 5 hours!! My bad, I shouldve checked before heading to CDG. They did comp us with a free drink coupon, yippee! We had to wait for a plane coming in from Morocco because ours was broken. At least our terminal had lounge chairs and electric outlets. The third time was Paris to Rome again in 2013 and this time the plane left and arrived on time! Yay!! The problem was it was a Sunday and there werent alot of baggage handlers working and we had to wait 2 hrs for our luggage to come out. Theyre very strict about the 1 carry on rule so we had to check in our carry on size luggage so we can bring our carry on bags onto the plane. The delay was not Easyjet's fault that time but it was annoying anyway.

Hi

easyjet, along with Ryanair, are (I believe) the two largest budget airlines in Europe. easyjet is a British company, but flies across the continent to numerous locations. Generally, given their historic legacy as a spin-off from BA years ago, their destinations are more often 'main' airports than Ryanair, although that position has converged slowly over the years. A good safety record, and less bad press than Ryanair, for irritating 'add-on' costs - although they have a similar business model to Ryanair. Well worth considering.