Budget airline Easyjet is devising ways to make its flights even more affordable, with brand new services including offering passengers pet-sitters and house-sitters when booking a flight.
The aim with these services is to help travellers save more money on flights, with 40 per cent of households owning pets.
That’s all well and good for pet owners, but what about the rest of us? Here are some hacks to help save even more money on your flight.
1. Check in early
Easyjet allows passengers to check in for free up to 30 days before a flight, with more chance of being allocated a better seat the earlier you check in.
Being allocated a specific seat does cost though, with prices ranging from £1.99 for a basic seat to £26.99 for a seat with added legroom.
You don’t have to pay to allocate seats for your children though, as they will automatically be reserved next to you on any Easyjet flight.
2. Paying for extra legroom could be a smart move…
Easyjet allows customers paying for extra legroom to take an extra bag in the cabin, meaning you won’t have to worry as much about leaving belongings behind.
Prices for extra legroom start from £9.49 each way.
3. Free luggage
When checking in, ask if you can stick your luggage in hold. If there’s space available, you’ll be able to stow your luggage away for free – without cramming everything in to the overhead lockers.
Just in case your luggage is taken on board, make sure each liquid container holds less than 100ml, and are all stored in a single transparent bag.
Also, make sure you know your hand luggage allowance. You’ll have to pay £35 for each item at the check-in desk (up to £45 at the boarding gate) if you exceed the allocated 56x45x25cm hand luggage size.
4. Take your own snacks
On an Easyjet flight, a basic ham and cheese sandwich costs £4.50. It would be ridiculous not to take food on the flight with you. Fruit, vegetables and solid foods are accepted, but foods with sauces or high liquid content are prohibited.
5. Use the express lane
Avoid the long queue at the check-on desk by opting for the express check-in option. For just £4 per person, you can sail through check-in and security while everybody else wastes precious time in the gigantic queue.
This function is currently only available in certain airports, so do your homework beforehand. The express lane consists of check-in kiosks you operate yourself following a series of instructions on-screen.
6. Avoid any extras
When travelling abroad, insurance, hotels and car hire are necessary. Just don’t book with the same company.
Always do an independent price check to make sure you’re getting the best bargain for the most important factors of any holiday.
7. Get a housesitter
Easyjet’s new initiative to offer passengers house sitters and pet sitters when booking a flight could prove to be cost effective.
A TrustedHousesitters annual membership costs £89 a year and can be used as many times as you want to look after your home and your pets. In comparison, kennels cost £50 a day, with catteries costing up to £11 a day.
Because of the savings, its estimated that TrustedHousesitters members travel three times more often than regular pet owners.
8. Compensation for delayed flights
If your flight is delayed for three or more hours you are entitled to claim up to £500 according to European Regulation No 261/2004.
After entering into force on 14 February 2005, the regulation introduced basic protection for passengers when they find themselves in situations of being denied boarding against their will, cancellations without prior warning and long delays.
How much an airline owes you depends on how long your flight was delayed and how far away your destination is.
A flight is legally considered delayed if the take-off happens at least two hours after the scheduled time.
In the event of a delay of at least two hours, passengers can expect to be offered free meals as well as refreshments.
In addition, they have the right to make phone calls free of charge or to send two faxes, telex or e-mails to inform others about the delay.
In the event of a delay lasting at least five hours, passengers can request the reimbursement of their full ticket price within seven days, regardless of flight distance.
You can keep up to date with all the latest news in and around Cambridge by downloading our free app.
