Maybe because I have travelled with Aer Lingus of late on this route that my expectations off Easyjet on this route were some what mixed. I checked in online, which is a welcome addition to Easyjet checking in process. It means that I can arrive close to the boarding time, avoiding the long waits at the check in desks.

When I approached the security desk both my friends and my own boarding passes could not be read by the computer, even though they were printed by two separate quality Laser printers. This meant that we had to return back to check in and queue for over 20 minutes to receive a boarding pass.

Free seat allocation makes boarding a very uncomfortable experience with easy jet. First off all, people hoard around the departure gate, hoping to be one of the first on the plane. This meant that people with disabilities and children who are meant to board early, found it difficult to get to the gate area. When boarding did start, which was started late by about 20 mintues, people ignore their allocation group and play dumb when they get to the door. Making the whole allocation system they have in place, redundant. Whats the point off arriving early or checking in online to receive group A, just to be one of the last on the plane.

At first it was good to see that Easyjet seem to have replaced the old B737 fleet at Belfast with a fleet of new A319’s. However my excitement quickly disappeared when I discovered that their seat pitch is also new and a lot shorter than before. The flight was rather uncomfortable, and I could not wait to get off at my destination. I was glad that my return was booked with Aer Lingus.