My easyJet Review: What It’s Really Like to Fly with one of Europe’s Largest Budget Airlines (2026)

TLDR — Is easyJet Worth It?

easyJet is one of Europe’s biggest budget airlines, flying to over 150 destinations across the continent. I’ve flown with them multiple times and my overall verdict is positive. Value-wise is hard to beat for short-haul travel. That said, the hidden costs around baggage, seat selection, and food can catch you off guard if you don’t know what to expect. This review covers everything from booking and the airport experience through to onboard comfort, crew, and your passenger rights. The idea is that you know exactly what you’re signing up for before you book.

Who Is easyJet Best For?

In theory, easyJet is for everyone, but in practice it is not. To understand whether or not easyJet is for you, you first need to understand how ‘budget’ services work. easyJet offers lower priced fares for long-haul flights. This is great, that is, if you don’t require much. easyJet still has to make money right? Yes. So how? Like other budget services, easyJet, makes money off of additional charges, services and upsells. Therefore, if you are traveling light, easyJet might be great for you. Alternatively, if you are traveling heavy, avoid it like the plague.

The Budget-Conscious Traveler

Traveling around Europe as a budget conscious and even shoestring budget traveler, cheap or budget flights can be a great way to still make the distance without losing time. Occasionally, you can find cheaper flights than the ground transit. For example, taking a budget flight from Rome to Paris is likely much cheaper than taking the train. A bus could be cheaper but might take you 3-4 times long. My take easyJet is for backpackers – just make sure your luggage fits within the requirements. You’ll most certainly need Standard Plus over Standard.

Short-Haul and City Break Flyers

If you are having a quick city break or jetting away for a weekend trip, easyJet is likely a great tool in your box. You can book nearly last minute trips to via easyJet while carrying very little luggage. If you can just get away with a small personal carry-on then you are in luck!

Families and Groups

I would say that families and groups will struggle to find the true benefit of a budget airline. After adding luggage and additional services for children or even elders, then you might as well have purchased a non-budget flight with a larger airline. It always depends on the nature of your trip of course, but it is something to keep in mind.

Business Travelers on a Budget

Business travelers might be one of the most unexpected benefactors of easyJet. Why? Well simply because for a business trip you may need very little clothing or additional carry on luggage. Let’s say you are traveling between Paris and Berlin or London and Madrid. You can potentially make that trip within 1-2 days and save big by using Standard.

Booking the Flight — First Impressions of the easyJet Website and App

I have predominately relied on the easyJet website to book my flights. The main reason for this is because I cannot be bothered to have a new travel app for every single airline that I fly with annually. It has simply become too much. For the airlines that force their apps upon you, I usually just download it for what I need and delete it after.

How Easy Is It to Book?

Booking a flight with easyJet is straight forward yet somewhat cumbersome. Personally I find their interface slightly bulky or minimally unorganized. There are basically 8 steps to booking a flight with easyJet. 4 of those 8 steps are mostly useless for the average flight booking.

Understanding the Fare Tiers (Light, Smart, Smart+, Extra)

When booking a flight, easyJet offers various tiers or bundles as they are referenced. These flight bundles offer different packages for different travelers.

Light

This is the lowest-cost entry tier, designed for travelers who need only the essentials. 

• Includes: One small underseat bag (45 x 36 x 20 cm). 
• Excludes: Seat selection (random assignment), large cabin bag, checked baggage, and speed boarding. These must be purchased separately if needed. 

Smart

A mid-level bundle for travelers who need a bit more convenience without paying for premium flexibility.

• Includes: One small underseat bag, one large cabin bag (56 x 45 x 25 cm), and standard seat selection. 
• Excludes: Speedy boarding, checked baggage, and flexible change policies.

Smart+

This tier focuses on speed and convenience at the airport, ideal for those traveling with carry-on only who want to save time. 

• Includes: Everything in Smart (underseat bag, large cabin bag, seat selection) plus Speedy Boarding and an extra legroom seat (or upfront seating). 
• Excludes: Checked baggage and free flight changes.

Extra

The most comprehensive tier, offering maximum flexibility and baggage allowance. 

• Includes: Everything in Smart+ (underseat bag, large cabin bag, extra legroom seat, Speedy Boarding) plus a 23 kg checked hold bag, fast-track security (at select airports), an onboard meal, and free flight changes (including date and route changes up to departure). 
• Note: This fare was previously known as “FLEXI” or “Inclusive Plus” in earlier years but is now branded as Extra on the consumer website. 

The Add-Ons — What’s Worth Paying For and What Isn’t

Add-ons are always personal. I won’t pretend to figure out what you need for your flight. You know best. However, I will say that there are a lot of unnecessary add-ons or upsells that try to get you to spend more money than you need to. Just keep this in mind when booking.

Tips for Getting the Best Price

There is no mega secret hack for booking a cheap flight with easyJet. Yet, there are standard ways to increase the likeliness of landing yourself a good teal.

Book early

It goes without say, but booking early is usually a good idea. Give yourself at least 3-6 weeks advance notice for flight bookings when possible. You can sometimes find last minute deals, but I wouldn’t rely on them.

Travel during the week

Traveling during the week is inherently cheaper than the weekend. Weekends are packed with getaways, business travelers, and people who can only travel on the weekend. If you can travel during the week, then do.

Carry on your luggage

Assuming your baggage meets the size requirements of easyJet, opt to carry your bag on the flight rather than check it. You will save some money if you can do Smart instead of Extra.

Pro tip: try wearing some of your heavier clothes to reduce baggage weight.

Baggage — What You Can Bring and What It’ll Cost You

Baggage is one of the most frequently considered options when taking a budget airline. In fact, it is one of the ways that budget airlines make their money. You should pay careful attention to the baggage that you will need before flying with easyJet. The short answer is that if you are flying light, then easyJet could be a great option; alternatively, if you are flying heavy, then you may need to look elsewhere. Keep up to date with the latest easyJet baggage allowances by checking their website or the booking wizard when organizing your flight.

The Free Under Seat Cabin Bag

The free under seat bag for easyJet can be thought of as your day pack, your computer pack or purse. Essentially, it is a small personal item. It must be 45 x 36 x 20 cm (including any handles and wheels) and no greater than 15kg (33lbs). And you must be able to lift and carry the bag yourself.

Keep in mind that per the easyJet website, you are allowed bring some extra things into the cabin which are not included as your personal item. For example, an umbrella, overcoat, crutches, walking stick, one standard bag of goods bought at the airport. These are technically given items so keep that in mind.

Adding a Large Cabin Bag

When booking your flight, you will have the opportunity to book additional luggage. At this time, you can purchase luggage to store in the overhead compartment. For easyJet, this is referred to as your ‘large cabin bag’ or your true carry on. It must be no greater than 56 x 45 x 25 cm (including any handles and wheels) and cannot exceed 15kg (33lbs) in weight. By purchasing a large cabin bag, you usually get speedy boarding which allows you to be one of the first people onboard.

Adding a Hold Luggage or other equipment

Alternatively, if you bag exceeds 15kg, then you will likely need to purchase hold luggage and check your bag. The hold luggage price may vary depending on your destination, but it usually allows 1 bag which is up to 23kg. You can verify with their pricing chart here.

Further, if needed, you are able to purchase luggage space for sports equipment. So if you are traveling team then that could be an option.

What about baggage for children

Children over 2 years old or infants with booked seats have the same cabin bag and hold luggage allowance as adults. One thing that may be helpful to traveling parents who have a newborn is that an additional baby changing bag is allowed for the infant (max. 45 x 36 x 20 cm) and this needs to fit under the seat in front of you. Note: this seems to only apply for infants who will be seated on your lap.

My Personal Baggage Experience

I traveled with a small personal bag and medium sized backpack. Therefore, I purchased the Smart package. None of the attendants checked the weight or bag size of my bags. That being said, I believe that they would have if I only purchased the Light package. Personally, I believe that the budget airlines will be more stringent on checking these things if you pay less.

What Happens If Your Bag Is Over the Limit at the Gate

Officially, easyJet will charge you extra at the gate if your bag is over the limit. For example, if you show up at the gate with a bag that is too heavy (above 15kg), then it is likely that they would make you pay to check the bag. Additionally, if your checked bag is above the 23kg limit, then easyJet may charge you additional fees for oversized luggage.

Unofficially, no one really knows what will happen because most airlines aren’t consistent. In my experience, it really comes down to the specific attendant.

Therefore, do your best to stay within easyJet’s guidelines so that you don’t have any issues.

The Airport Experience

Let’s face it, my airport experience and yours will likely be quite different. Every airport is somewhat unique and can be different. On this particular flight, I flew from Figari, Corsica after taking the ferry from Sardegna. I landed in Luton airport, which I later learned was the official headquarters of easyJet.

Checking In Online — What to Do and When

The check-in process starts 30 days before your flight. You can check in between the window of 30 days and 2 hours before your flight’s scheduled departure time. You can download to your digital wallet and/or print your boarding passes for all your flights. Alternatively, you could use the easyJet app.

Give yourself a few minutes to check-in. It does not take very long but you will need a good internet connection and enough patience to fill in your identity card or passport details depending on your flight’s trajectory.

Bag Drop and How Long It Takes

The bag drop process will likely vary from airport to airport and flight to flight. Most bag drops open 2-3 hours before the scheduled flight departure and they usually end roughly 1 hour before the flight’s departure. You can check easyJet’s bag drop times here.

If you want to avoid lines, then arrive early so that you increase your chances of being first in line. Alternatively, if you pay for easyJet membership and have easyJet Plus Bag drop, then you may be able to save time.

Priority Boarding — Is It Worth the Extra Cost?

Priority boarding with easyJet is called Speedy Boarding. Speedy boarding is included with Smart, Smart+ and easyJet Plus membership.

The Gate Experience and Boarding Process

Overall, my gate experience was normal and efficient. I had a particularly annoying time with my UK ETA travel authorization application though – make sure you do that in advance. In the end, I was able to resolve it and got to take my flight.

Onboard — A Seat-by-Seat Look at the easyJet Experience

Seat Comfort and Legroom — The Honest Truth

The seats on easyJet are pretty standard. They are not luxurious but everyone basically has the same seats with some small exceptions. The seats DO NOT recline, so I would not expect to get a great nap in.

Seat Selection — Standard, Up Front, and Extra Legroom

When flying with easyJet, you basically have 3 options for seat selection: Standard seats, Up Front and seats with Extra Legroom. As you might expect, when you buy a ticket, you may select from the available options for whichever standard seats are available. If you’d like convenience (earlier time on and off the plane) as well as potentially extra room then you can purchase a seat with Extra Legroom. Flyers under the Light plan, have no seat selection included, so if you are purchasing a Light fare package then keep in mind that you could be in any seat if you don’t purchase one.

Standard seats

This option is the most basic. Starting with Smart fares, you can choose your preferred seat location, be it window, middle, or an aisle seat.

Up Front seating

Starting with Smart+ flight fares OR just an additional purchase from another fare, you may decide to purchase an seat in the front of the plant. If you do this, you will usually be sitting in rows 2-6 (or rows 2-5 on some aircraft). This can be a nice option if you would like to be getting on and off the flight quickly or if you have a tight connection. easyJet Plus cardholders can also choose an Up Front seat.

Extra Legroom

Tall individuals or those who just desire more space may opt of a seat with extra legroom. The Extra Legroom seats are perfect upgrades for those flyers with long legs or who might get antsy on the flight.

Cabin Cleanliness and Condition

Overall I have no complaints about the cleanliness and conditions of the cabin. I would rate the seats, floor and flying experience as standard or average.

What the Wi-Fi and Entertainment Options Are Actually Like

At this time, easyJet does not seem to offer any WiFi onboard. Thus, you will not be able to scroll the internet on your flight. It is not a service they offer yet.

Food, Drink, and the Buy-on-Board Menu

What’s Available and How Much It Costs

Available inflight options will vary depending on the duration, locations of departure and destination of your flights. It’s also likely that easyJet has a seasonal menu of sorts. If you’d like to check the latest offerings, then I recommend you visit this cafe site here for an idea.

Allergies and Onboard Restrictions

If you travel with allergies, such as nuts allergies, it seems that easyJet does take some measures to protecting you. On their website, they mention some of the steps to take for your allergy. This includes alerting the staff of your allergy prior to the flight. easyJet requires that you “let us know, no later than 48 hours before the scheduled flight departure whether you need assistance in the airport, and aircraft or suffer from a nut allergy so that we can inform our crew prior to your airport arrival.”

I can confirm and say that on my flight the staff made an announcement saying something to the extent of: we have a passenger onboard with a peanut and nut allergy, please avoid opening or consuming nuts on this flight. I thought that was considerate and nice.

My Order — What I Had and Whether It Was Worth It

On my last flight, I did not order anything so I cannot comment on the process, but I will update this post after I make a purchase on a future easyJet flight.

Can You Bring Your Own Food?

Yes, you can bring food onboard. To be honest, if you have a long flight and are hungry, then it is probably a good idea.

Can You Bring Alcohol Onboard?

You can bring alcohol onboard, but it comes with some restrictions. The easyJet website specifically states: You can bring alcohol bought in the airside departure lounge into the cabin, as long as it’s unopened. Alcohol must be lower than 70% abv, and packed either in an airport shopping bag or in your cabin bag. It’s strictly forbidden to drink any alcohol that has not been purchased on board the aircraft and those found consuming their own alcohol may face prosecution.

The Cashless Cabin — What Payment Methods Are Accepted

Onboard purchases with easyJet are cashless. You can only pay via one of their accepted methods. You can pay with major credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, AmericanExpress, Maestro, Discover and Diner’s Club International. You can also pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.

The Crew — Service, Attitude, and Professionalism

Friendliness and Helpfulness

Before arriving at my gate I only had one interaction with staff. The staff were friendly and helpful. Once I arrived at the gate though, I found the staff to be slightly abrupt in regards to the travel authorization (ETA) for traveling to the United Kingdom. In truth, it wasn’t holistically their fault because it is a governmental regulation. However, I do think that they should share more information before arriving at the gate for boarding. I found very little information about it online (which is why I wrote an article about it).

In fact, the woman at the counter told me to purchase another ETA pass. When I asked her about the money, she said, you will just need to call them. I found out later that all purchases with the ETA visa are final, so no refunds.

How They Handle Difficult Situations Onboard

Outside of the allergies mentioned before, there were no particularly difficult situations on our flight. No newsworthy information to share here. That’s probably a good thing right?

A Note on Language and International Routes

My most recent flight was between Paris (CDG) and Luton. All of the attendants were English-speaking. If I fly on a non-English route in the future, then I will update this post. I would imagine that since easyJet is inherently British, then most flights would have attendants which are native English speakers.

Punctuality and Reliability — Did We Take Off and Land on Time?

My Flight’s On-Time Performance

My flight took off by its scheduled time. The staff made efforts to get the flight out on time.

What easyJet’s Wider Punctuality Record Looks Like

There are many factors which could affect your specific flight. However, overall easyJet seems to be quite punctual and functional. On their website, they boast the following states:

• On-time performance: easyJet improved their punctuality by a significant 5%, jumping from 67% to 72%.
• Last-minute cancellations: easyJet successfully reduced their cancellation rate by 0.16%, dropping from 0.90% to 0.74%.
• Overall Customer Score: easyJet’s overall score went up by 6%, climbing from 61% to 67%.

Source: easyJet

Know Your Rights — Delays, Cancellations, and Being Bumped

What UK261 and EU Regulation 261/2004 Mean for You

EU Regulation 261/2004 — and its UK equivalent, UK261 — is the law that protects you when things go wrong at the airport. It applies to you if your flight departs from a UK or EU airport, or if you’re flying into the UK or EU on a UK or EU carrier like easyJet, provided you checked in on time with a confirmed booking.

In plain terms: if easyJet delays, cancels, or bumps you involuntarily, this regulation is your legal safety net — covering your right to care, rerouting, and financial compensation. You can read easyJet’s full notice of rights at their notice of rights for flight delays and cancelations.

What to Do If Your Flight Is Delayed or Cancelled

Stay calm and act quickly. If your flight is delayed by two hours or more (on short-haul routes up to 1,500 km) or three hours or more (on longer routes), easyJet must provide meals and refreshments, two free communications such as phone calls or emails, and hotel accommodation with transport if an overnight stay becomes necessary. If your delay exceeds five hours and you choose not to travel, you are entitled to a full reimbursement of your ticket.

Keep all receipts for any expenses you incur — food, drinks, transport — as easyJet will reimburse reasonable costs if they’re unable to provide care directly. Submit expense claims at easyJet expenses.

How Much Compensation You Could Be Owed

The amount depends entirely on your flight distance. If your flight arrives more than three hours late, is cancelled without adequate notice, or you are involuntarily denied boarding, you may be entitled to £220 for flights up to 1,500 km, £350 for European routes over 1,500 km and all other flights between 1,500–3,500 km, or £520 for any flight over 3,500 km.

These amounts can be halved if easyJet successfully reroutes you to your destination within two, three, or four hours of your original arrival time depending on the route.

Compensation is not owed when the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather, air traffic control restrictions, or security threats. Check your entitlement at the delays and cancelations page.

How to Make a Claim Against easyJet

Start your claim directly through easyJet’s website with the link above. It is the fastest and most direct route. Visit the delays and cancelations section of their Help Center, complete the contact form at easyjet.com/en/help/contact, and submit any supporting documents including receipts and your booking confirmation.

If easyJet fails to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you can escalate to Aviation ADR — an independent dispute resolution service approved by the Civil Aviation Authority — within 12 months of easyJet’s final response. Their website is aviationadr.org.uk.

As a last resort, EU passengers can also use the European Commission’s online dispute platform at ec.europa.eu/odr.

easyJet vs the Competition — How Does It Stack Up?

easyJet vs Ryanair

If you know budget flights, then you know Ryanair. It seems like just about every European has a ‘Ryanair story’. What’s yours?

I’ve flown with both easyJet and Ryanair multiple times. In my review of Ryanair, I describe the experience as similar to easyJet.

easyJet vs Jet2

Jet2 has become a meme in recent times. Take a ‘Jet2 holiday’, which has become almost synonymous with a budget vacation terribly gone wrong. Yet it is in fact a real airline.

Here are a few ways in which easyJet and Jet2 are distinguished:

• Baggage and inclusions: Jet2 includes a full-size overhead cabin bag as standard for all passengers; with easyJet you’ll pay extra for the same privilege unless you’ve booked a specific fare or seat type.
• Onboard experience: Jet2 consistently scores higher for customer service and cabin crew warmth; easyJet is more functional and stripped back, reflecting its no-frills low-cost model.
• Price vs. value: easyJet typically wins on base fare, especially if you travel light and book early; however once you add bags and extras, Jet2’s overall value can be comparable, with a more inclusive feel from the start.

easyJet vs British Airways (Short-Haul)

easyJet and British Airways are not a fair comparison in some ways. British Airways, or BA, is not a budget airline. BA is part of the OneWorld Alliance which includes other airlines like Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, and SriLankan Airlines. That said, you may consider either one on short-haul flights.

When you are making that decision, here are a few things to consider:

• Price and inclusions: easyJet typically undercuts British Airways (BA) on base fares for short-haul routes, but the gap narrows once you add bags and seat selection. BA’s Euro Traveller fare includes a complimentary cabin bag, a snack, and water as standard as well as extras that cost extra with easyJet, which makes a like-for-like comparison less clear-cut than the headline price suggests.
• Loyalty and flexibility: BA holds a clear edge if you’re an Avios collector or a frequent business traveler. That privilege grants you lounge access, tier points, and flexible fare options add genuine value. For leisure travelers with no loyalty tie, easyJet’s broader European network and lower entry-level fares make it the more practical choice the majority of the time.
• The experience gap is smaller than you’d expect: In reality, distances in Europe are quite short. The longest likely flight that you would take would only be 1-3 hours. For a two-hour hop to another European city, most passengers would likely report little meaningful difference in comfort or onboard quality. Is a business flight really worth one hour of inconvenience? I’d rather spend the money on a nice meal personally.

The Sustainability Question — How Green Is easyJet?

easyJet’s Current Environmental Commitments

easyJet has committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with their roadmap built around three pillars:

1. reduce (newer fuel-efficient aircraft, smarter operational techniques);
2. replace (scaling up Sustainable Aviation Fuel and investing in hydrogen-powered engine technology with Rolls-Royce); and
3. remove (becoming the first airline to sign up to Airbus’s Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage initiative).

Whether those ambitions translate into meaningful change at pace remains to be seen, but the framework is seems more structured than greenwashing and the hydrogen engine milestone is among the first pledges in the industry.

What Eco-Conscious Travelers Should Know

Let’s be honest, in some ways, it is hard to be environmentally friendly while you travel. That being said, look for companies like easyJet that have real pledges and take meaningful steps towards being more green.

My Final Verdict — The Pros, the Cons, and Whether I’d Fly Again

What easyJet Does Really Well

easyJet has been around for a while now, they continue to offer reasonably priced flights to travel around Europe. This makes them a great option for flying.

Where There’s Room for Improvement

I don’t have any specific feedback for my flight, though I do think it would have been helpful if they had more information about the UK ETA visa beforehand. I felt that it was a miss for me to arrive at the gate without having everything in order. The ETA questions should be handled during the check-in phase online.

My Rating Breakdown

I’d give easyJet a 4 out of 5.

Who I’d Recommend easyJet To

Budget travelers, jet setters and weekend getaways will find that easyJet is a great part of their travel toolkit.

Share Your Experience

Have you flown with easyJet recently? Whether your trip was seamless from gate to gate or didn’t quite go to plan, I’d love to hear from you. Drop your thoughts in the comments below. The experiences that you share could help a fellow traveler or backpacker make a more informed decision before they book a flight.

No experience is too small. Whether it’s a tip that saved you money, a crew member who went above and beyond, or a cautionary tale about gate baggage fees, it all helps. Leave a comment below and let’s keep the conversation going.

Frequently Asked Questions About Flying with easyJet

Last updated June 1st 2026