The Easyjet "Piggy in the Middle" Lottery

[Butts]

Can't believe my luck I've just checked in for a couple of Flights EDI-BHX on Thursday and BHX-GLA on Monday and avoided being piggy in the middle without paying a bean !!

25A on the first and 26A on the second.

It really is exciting waiting to see what comes out when you check in online.

Last time I had 2 piggies.

There seems no rhyme or reason to the way it works - just pot luck and the chance to save £15 in the process.

 

[Cloud Strife]

There seems no rhyme or reason to the way it works

With Easyjet, they generally don't put people in middle seats first unless there's nothing else available, as they know that people won't pay to be split up. With other LCCs, the check-in window is so short that anyone who wants to sit together will have already paid, so therefore they place people all over the place at random.

 

[Butts]

Just checked in for a £16.49 Flight on Friday from Birmingham to Edinburgh and got 14 C !!

My luck is holding

 

[Ted633]

Don't know how common it actually is, but I have observed couples booking both the aisle and window seat, leaving the middle seat free, and hoping no one sits there so they can have more space. Not sure how well that works with a lot of easyJet flights seeing as most of the ones I go on are rammed!

 

[edwin_m]

Don't know how common it actually is, but I have observed couples booking both the aisle and window seat, leaving the middle seat free, and hoping no one sits there so they can have more space. Not sure how well that works with a lot of easyJet flights seeing as most of the ones I go on are rammed!

I guess if someone occupies it they can be "generous" and offer to swap them the window or aisle instead.

There was a "generation EasyJet" ad on TV a few years ago where it showed a couple meeting and growing old together, all while travelling on successive EasyJet flights. I had to laugh that in many or all of the scenes they were in aisle and window seats and the middle one was free.

 

[rg177]

I suppose the stickler with easyJet is that once you're thrown in a seat, you can't buy your way out of it.

Meanwhile, Ryanair will give you a naff seat and then wave a carrot in the form of paying money for a better one.

On most of my easyJet flights, they've chucked me in the aisle seat. Ryanair seems to be about 75% window, 12.5% aisle and 12.5% middle. In my two most recent cases of a middle seat, I had the row to myself

 

[AdamWW]

I guess if someone occupies it they can be "generous" and offer to swap them the window or aisle instead.

Makes sense - I can't think that many people would turn down such an offer.

 

[richw]

Just looked at my expired passes in my Apple wallet.
This year we’ve had:
12A and 12B
14A and 14B
12E and 12F
14E and 14F
24A and 24B

I’ve not paid for picking seats. Seems I mostly get put somewhere near the middle. We’ve yet to be separated

 

[Tetchytyke]

I’ve had a good long run but lost the lottery this week and got 22B.

It was only Liverpool-IOM though. For a 25 minute flight I don’t care.

 

[Mag_seven]

EasyJet tend to allocate your seat if you haven't chosen it about 6 hours before the flight so you can change it and check in if the allocated seat does not suit you at that point (for a fee of course).

 

[Butts]

Perhaps not quite so lucky......

Flight was delayed and got into Edinburgh at Midnight rather than 2235, hence I missed the last train back to Falkirk and had to get a £76 Taxi home.

Last time this happened with BA they refunded the cost, hoping Easyjet will replicate after dumping me into Edinburgh after all Public Transport to Falkirk had ceased.

 

[philosopher]

Just looked at my expired passes in my Apple wallet.
This year we’ve had:
12A and 12B
14A and 14B
12E and 12F
14E and 14F
24A and 24B

I’ve not paid for picking seats. Seems I mostly get put somewhere near the middle. We’ve yet to be separated

Every airline will have to ensure the aircraft is balanced in terms of weight for safety reasons. If the aircraft is unbalanced, in that there is far more weight either at the front or rear of the plane then the plane could be unsafe to fly.

So this will be a big determining factor in where those who have not paid to select their seat end up sitting, putting passengers in the middle generally results in a more balanced aircraft.

 

[edwin_m]

Every airline will have to ensure the aircraft is balanced in terms of weight for safety reasons. If the aircraft is unbalanced, in that there is far more weight either at the front or rear of the plane then the plane could be unsafe to fly.

So this will be a big determining factor in where those who have not paid to select their seat end up sitting, putting passengers in the middle generally results in a more balanced aircraft.

I take it that's the middle front to back not the middle seat as such. Although using the middle seats in the middle of the plane would help with that.

 

[lachlan]

Perhaps not quite so lucky......

Flight was delayed and got into Edinburgh at Midnight rather than 2235, hence I missed the last train back to Falkirk and had to get a £76 Taxi home.

Last time this happened with BA they refunded the cost, hoping Easyjet will replicate after dumping me into Edinburgh after all Public Transport to Falkirk had ceased.

An advantage to taking the train all the way - delay repay and they would cover your taxi home

 

[richw]

Every airline will have to ensure the aircraft is balanced in terms of weight for safety reasons. If the aircraft is unbalanced, in that there is far more weight either at the front or rear of the plane then the plane could be unsafe to fly.

So this will be a big determining factor in where those who have not paid to select their seat end up sitting, putting passengers in the middle generally results in a more balanced aircraft.

I imagine those who pay pick front or back for quick exits?

 

[Ken X]

I imagine those who pay pick front or back for quick exits?

Before EasyJet had allocated seating, the present Mrs X (swiss national) regularly commuted from Gatport Airwick to Zurich and preferred a window seat. She said it was never a problem as everyone else seemed to prefer an aisle seat in order to sprint off the plane as fast as possible at Zurich. Caused her much amusement and a nice window to admire the Alps.

 

[bspahh]

Before EasyJet had allocated seating, the present Mrs X (swiss national) regularly commuted from Gatport Airwick to Zurich and preferred a window seat. She said it was never a problem as everyone else seemed to prefer an aisle seat in order to sprint off the plane as fast as possible at Zurich. Caused her much amusement and a nice window to admire the Alps.

I pay to pick a window seat, so I can stay in place without having to get up to let someone get to the toilet, and also to have a window. I'd rather not have a seat on the front row or exit ailse, as I don't need the leg room, and I'd rather have my bag to hand. I go for one 2/3rds of the way back to maximise the chance of getting an empty middle seat.

 

[zero]

On my recent easyjet flights I was in seat B but both A and C were remained free...

 

[nlogax]

Don't know how common it actually is, but I have observed couples booking both the aisle and window seat, leaving the middle seat free, and hoping no one sits there so they can have more space. Not sure how well that works with a lot of easyJet flights seeing as most of the ones I go on are rammed!

This tactic used by couples has been well publicised in domestic US air travel and naturally it's raised the ire of many. Particularly those who use it and are then thwarted by other passengers who are happy to remain in those middle seats on fuller flights. Makes for some awkward journeys.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2022/12/29/aisle-window-flight-booking-hack-couples/

This airline booking hack is dividing the internet
Some couples book a window and aisle seat to try to get their own row. Some travelers hate it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2022/12/10/middle-seat-plane/

To the people who willingly chose the middle seat: We have questions
Defending the worst seat on the plane is a tough job

 

[Butts]

An advantage to taking the train all the way - delay repay and they would cover your taxi home

Very true, but the Plane is so much faster and normally cheaper.

Perhaps not quite so lucky......

Flight was delayed and got into Edinburgh at Midnight rather than 2235, hence I missed the last train back to Falkirk and had to get a £76 Taxi home.

Last time this happened with BA they refunded the cost, hoping Easyjet will replicate after dumping me into Edinburgh after all Public Transport to Falkirk had ceased.

Well blow me down with a feather !!

Have had an e-mail from Easyjet today agreeing to pay the £76 for my Taxi within a 7 day period.

This is most impressive compared to BA's response times and considering I only paid £16 for the Flight excellent customer service.

 

[ServerHoster]

Does anyone else find easyJet seat selection price to fluctuate wildly?

I am going to Belfast soon, and the return flight is on an A319, usually I get an extra legroom seat as your knees get crushed in a normal seat. At the time of booking, the seat selection price was £2.99 for rows 12-26, or £3.99 for rows 6-9 and something like £32.99 for an extra legroom (over wing) seat. Not paying that much so I got a row 6 seat for £3.99, with the intention of upgrading if the price went down. I've been regularly checking to see if the price changed, and it did 1 month after booking, so I paid £11 to upgrade to an over wing exit. (making it £14.99). After that it went back up to £32.99! And now looking again, it's gone down to something like £12.99!

On a different flight that I'm looking at booking, the seat selection prices are so cheap! Especially for extra legroom:
Extra Legroom (Row 1) £11.99
Up Front (Rows 2-6) £10.99
Standard (Rows 7-11) £9.99
Extra Legroom (Overwing exit) £6.99
Standard (Rows 14-31) £2.99

Is there any logic or formula to the seat selection price?

 

[scragend]

Makes sense - I can't think that many people would turn down such an offer.

I once had a middle seat, with a woman in the window and her (late teenage/young adult) son in the aisle. I offered to swap with one of them and they both turned me down flat. Then they proceeded to have a conversation with each other, across me, for the duration of the flight. Go figure.

 

[Brissle Girl]

Maybe the airlines should not allow two people in the same booking to adopt the split seat tactic. Would feel a perfectly reasonable thing to do. A bit like a lot of theatres won’t let you leave a single seat vacant when choosing your seats.

 

[Iskra]

Maybe the airlines should not allow two people in the same booking to adopt the split seat tactic. Would feel a perfectly reasonable thing to do. A bit like a lot of theatres won’t let you leave a single seat vacant when choosing your seats.

It’s hard to sympathise too much when it’s the airlines have created this situation in the first place by effectively trying to charge people extra to sit together.

 

[baz962]

Very true, but the Plane is so much faster and normally cheaper.



Well blow me down with a feather !!

Have had an e-mail from Easyjet today agreeing to pay the £76 for my Taxi within a 7 day period.

This is most impressive compared to BA's response times and considering I only paid £16 for the Flight excellent customer service.

My flight from the US was cancelled and I flew back just over 24 hours late. BA put me up in a posh hotel with a breakfast voucher a lunch voucher and a dinner voucher. I got all but £50 pounds back in just over a week.

 

[zero]

Maybe the airlines should not allow two people in the same booking to adopt the split seat tactic. Would feel a perfectly reasonable thing to do. A bit like a lot of theatres won’t let you leave a single seat vacant when choosing your seats.

Easily circumvented by making separate bookings (assuming nobody under 11 or 14 or whatever)

Apart from convenience during booking is there any actual difference between booking individually and separately?

 

[Brissle Girl]

Easily circumvented by making separate bookings (assuming nobody under 11 or 14 or whatever)

Apart from convenience during booking is there any actual difference between booking individually and separately?

I can think of one example. When travelling as a pair one of us was bumped off the flight. Because we were on the same booking the second person was rebooked too and got the compensation. So as well as still travelling together we walked away from the ticket desk with around Eur500 in compensation instead of half that.

 

[Mollman]

The only time I paid for a specific seat was to get a aslie seat as I was fed up of getting a middle seat two times before. I ended up swapping with a man who's wife and child I had been placed next to - he had a middle seat!

 

[Towers]

I imagine those who pay pick front or back for quick exits?

Earlier in the year I paid extra to sit furthest from the front or rear exits - right in the middle in the wing exit row for the extra legroom! I’d take that over the convenience of a quick disembarkation every time. Incidentally this was the return flight, on the outbound I was in the rearmost row (legroom horrendous), and upon arrival there was an issue with the rear set of steps and everyone had to disembark via the front - so, seat closest to the exit but eventually last off!

 

[Tetchytyke]

Maybe the airlines should not allow two people in the same booking to adopt the split seat tactic.

If the airlines want to make me pay to choose a seat, I will choose a seat that works best for me.

If airlines want to make people sit together, they can stop charging for seating.