EasyJet - Well Known and Popular Budget Airline
Low Cost Airline Serving 103 Destinations in 27 Countries
Jul 8, 2009
Easy Jet’s orange and white planes, and its staff with their orange uniforms, are becoming familiar at airports across the globe. The airline specializes in low cost flights, but also sometimes offers full service charter flights on behalf of other companies.
History of EasyJet
EasyJet was launched on 18th October 1995, and started operations on 10th November 1995. It was launched with two Boeing 737-200 aircraft, and initially operated only two routes – London Luton to Glasgow and London Luton to Edinburgh.
From these small beginnings EasyJet grew rapidly. It was floated on the London Stock Exchange on 5th November 2000. Now it carries the most passengers of any UK airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 387 routes between 104 European and North African airports. EasyJet has nearly 5000 employees, and is well known throughout the United Kingdom.
Easy Jet Destinations
EasyJet’s home base is at London Luton, but its largest base is London Gatwick, which offers 63 destinations. EasyJet maintains other bases throughout Europe, at Belfast, Berlin, Bristol, Nottinghma, Edinburgh, Mulhouse, Geneva, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Stansted, Lyons, Madrid, Milan, Manchester, Newcastle, and Paris. The airline now operates over 180 aircraft.
Flights With EasyJet
Initially booking with EasyJet was by telephone only, with all Easy Jet aircraft painted with the booking telephone number. However, from 1998 it has been possible to book EasyJet flights on-line; they were the first low cost airline to offer this service.
Internet prices were originally cheaper than booking the same flight over the phone, to reflect the reduced costs for EasyJet. The aircraft began to be painted with the company’s web address. Within a year over 50% of bookings were made using the website, and by 2004 the figure had jumped to 98%. Nowadays, flights can only be booked through the internet except during the three months immediately before the flight, when telephone booking is also available.
EasyJet Flight Services
The airline paved the way for the boom in cheap air travel in the late 1990s and early 2000s, although they were no the first low cost airline carrier. Along with its competitors Ryanair, BMI Baby, and Flybe, EasyJet offers a ‘no-frills’ flight service, with meals, luggage, and booked seating all being optional extras. Onboard sales are important for EasyJet, which also sells gifts and fragrances, as well as Easy Jet branded items.
Along with other Budget airlines, Easy Jet has been accused of being inflexible with regard to customer service, and of contributing to global warming through the high carbon emissions of aircraft. However, the company continues to satisfy the public’s desire for low cost flights and a cheap means of airline travel, and looks set to continue and grow.
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