Home > Jet2 > 2005 > Review

Taken November 2005 from Manchester, England (Ringway International Airport) - MAN to London, England (Gatwick Airport) - LGW

Flew down to London for a weekend. Jet2 offered the cheapest fare to Gatwick, so I opted to fly them instead of BA (saving £28). I was booked on LS905 outbound, and LS906 for the return.

I checked in early, as Jet2 don't have flight-specific desks at Manchester, thus I was checked in 3 hours before departure - despite this, I was 9th to check in! The agent assigned me 5D, however I saw this and asked for a window. The boarding pass was changed with a smile and a 'no problem!'.

The flight boarded on time at gate 2. I entered via the front door, and was 5th on board. The crew made plenty of announcements about baggage stowing and safety on board.

The aircraft was a little tatty, and was certainly showing its age. The seat was comfortable, and while legroom was low it was certainly no worse than any other low-cost carrier.

We were soon departing, for an uneventful flight over a clear UK, offering excellent views despite it being night time. Hot drinks and snacks were offered by a chirpy crew. We landed at Gatwick, and had a short taxi to the South terminal. The terminal is an embarrassment. It is clean, but shows its age, with a lack of natural light and general agedness. Not Jet2's fault though!

The return flight was much the same - friendly crew, short flight time, grotty south terminal.

I was first to check in after connecting from a BA flight, and got seat 2A. We boarded at a bus gate (Gate 6) for the very short journey to the aircraft, which was parked on a jetbridge stand, and was connected. Pointless; though presumably due to a need to separate inbound and outbound passengers (again, not Jet2s fault!).

We pushed back on time, and held short of the runway. The captain announced over the PA that there were problems with the door seal at the back of the aircraft - the first officer was sent to the door to check it out, along with an off duty captain who was a passenger on the flight. 10 minutes later it was decided that we were safe to depart, though we would have to wait as we had missed our departure slot.

The flight was over in no time, with service similar to the outbound. We landed 20 minutes late at Manchester, and parked on a remote stand (next to the aircraft Coldplay were touring on). We were bused to the terminal, and my bag was reclaimed in minutes - no complaints there!

In conclusion, Jet2 is a professionally run and friendly airline. My only problem is that the aircraft were a little worse for wear. Nonetheless, I would happily fly Jet2 again.