This Budget European Airline Has An Arguably Undeserved Bad Reputation

When people say things like, "the journey is half the fun," they usually don't mean the part of the journey that involves flying on a plane. Even before the flight begins, trying to find the best deal and hoping the flights alone won't take too much of your total budget makes trip planning pretty stressful. Those who want to get rid of at least some of this hassle sometimes turn to budget airlines.

Budget airlines all over the world often get negative feedback from customers, which could make some travelers want to spend more on legacy carriers like United to get better peace of mind. The England-based easyJet is one of these budget airlines that had a widely unfavorable reputation. Some have given it the unfortunate nickname "SleazyJet" as well. However, plenty of travelers who have given this airline a chance came away with a positive opinion on the company, citing quick boarding, nonstop options, fewer cancellations than its competitors, and of course cost as reasons to take a chance on easyJet.

Airlines of all types try to make flights enjoyable, like providing as much leg room and luggage room as possible, offering in-flight food and drinks, or other amenities. But at the end of the day, you're likely still sitting in an uncomfortably cramped cabin at the mercy of your seatmates and staff to make it enjoyable. So why not at least save some money by using a budget airline? For easyJet in particular, you might only be on the plane for a few hours anyway because most of this airline's routes are between destinations in Europe.

EasyJet flights are basic, point A to point B operations — and so is the flight check-in process. Frequent easyJet flyers love how easy it is to check in for your flight. Some airlines, including the well-known Spirit Airlines, want printed boarding passes and will charge you a fee if you need to print them at the airport. But easyJet lets you keep boarding passes on the easyJet app. Staff can simply scan your phone screen and away you go.

Where the flights actually go and how quickly is another big perk with easyJet. They operate a plethora of nonstop routes. To name just a few, there is Milan to Santorini, Budapest to London, and multiple cities in the United Kingdom connected directly to resort towns in Egypt and Greece. Additionally, easyJet goes to major airports rather than ones outside of town. Travel expert Rick Steves calls this the "name game" — airlines advertising a flight to London but not making it clear that it lands 40 miles from the city at Stansted, not Heathrow. This really makes easyJet stand out among other budget airlines.

Budget airlines advertise their cheap fares, but the catch is you'll usually have to avoid airline "junk fees," which include add-ons like luggage, seat selection, and priority boarding. EasyJet is no exception. Like Ryanair, easyJet charges fees for any bag that cannot fit under the seat in front of you. Fans of the budget airline often use it for country-hopping and backpacking trips that would make traveling with just one carry-on bag a tough ask. Thankfully, fewer passengers fussing with overhead luggage does speed up boarding and de-boarding processes. If you know the ins and outs of how to make the most of this budget airline, easyJet could take you to memorable destinations across Europe and beyond.