Some days, it might just have been better not to have got out of bed.

0750 - Join the queue at check in for the 0855 flight. There are about 20 people in front of me at the desk, and while I wait another 20 arrive in the queue behind me. Looks like the flight will be full today.

0805 - Check in is straightforward, I go through security, and wait in departures, looking out over an empty ramp area and runway.

0825 - The incoming flight arrives (Boeing 737 G-EZYJ) and parks right beside the departure lounge.

0845 - Priority passengers are called to the gate for boarding.

0850 - We have a problem. The Captain comes on the public address in departures to report a fault with one of the engines. An engineer is being despatched from Aberdeen, but will take about 2 hours to get here. I have a closer look at the aircraft - some ground crew are standing looking at the starboard engine. There is much shaking of heads and pointing of fingers. Not sure if the puddle under the engine is last night's rain or this morning's hydraulic oil.

0910 - Captain comes on the public address again. A spare aircraft is available at Stansted and will be sent up as a replacement - ETA about 1100.

0915 - Cabin crew announce that a £3 refreshment voucher will be issued to each passenger. (This buys a cup of coffee and either a sandwich or several chocolate biscuits. The small refreshment counter at Departures has to put out a call for extra supplies - this is the best business they have had all week).

1130 - Another announcement - replacement aircraft has now departed Stansted and is expected about 1230. Groans all round the lounge.

1225 - Lots of people in Hi-Viz jackets suddenly appear on the ramp area. Fire tender does a high speed run to the west end of the runway, other fire crews and operations head for the east threshold. Everyone in departures starts to get interested - this does not look or feel like an exercise.

About 5 minutes later a Cessna 172 makes what looks like a perfectly normal landing, and taxis down runway, followed by fire tenders. Cessna turns off runway and heads for flying club. No crisis, no drama. Passengers in departures return to seats.

While all this is going on, an Easyjet 737 is flying high over the airport, presumably having been told to keep out of the way until the emergency is sorted out.

1235 - Engineer appears on ramp and starts looking at the engine on G-EZYJ.

1240 - Replacement aircraft G-OHAJ Boeing 737 lands and taxis up to departures.

1245 - Priority passengers are called for boarding.

1250 - Remaining passengers are called.

1315 - The head count is wrong. We are one passenger short. Captain tries a joke while the hold gets searched and the bags sorted out.

1329 - Push back. As we taxi out, I notice the engineer is lying flat on his back on the ramp and poking a long socket wrench into the engine of G-EZYJ. Hope engines can feel pain!

1420 - In flight announcement - Captain advises all that due to the delay, we can claim a refund for the flight - log on to Easyjet website and follow instructions.

1441 - Nose in and engines off at Luton - a perfectly routine, normal, no problems flight.

1500 - Bags arrive on the conveyor belt.

The Verdict.

Aircraft do go faulty, so the test is how the airline handles it. On the whole I felt Easyjet did well. There is no Easyjet base at Inverness - the flight comes in, stays on the ground an hour and departs. The only Easyjet people are the check in staff and the aircraft crew.

We got kept informed, fairly accurately I would judge, as to what the fault was, and what was being done about it, although the aircraft from Stansted arrived an hour and a half later than originally stated.

I was surprised, given this is a budget airline, that without any prompting refreshment vouchers were handed out immediately, and even more surprised that passengers were advised how to claim a refund.

Anyone with a flight connection or time critical business would certainly have a problem, but that will happen with any delay. For all other passengers, the delay was not too bad, and we did have the emergency landing entertainment thrown in while waiting!