EZY8511 LGW-KRK 30 JUN 14 (Y)

The purpose of this short break is primarily to meet up with our friends from Dallas whom we first met last year in Vancouver and holidayed with in Prague over Christmas. This is our second visit to this beautiful city, the last time was a couple of years ago when we came to the Christmas market.

So our journey starts with the train trip from Lincolnshire down to LGW the day before our flight, all very smooth and pleasant; apart from the Gatwick Express which seems to lack any kind of air-con - not even any window vents and it was baking! Plus for an airport commuter train they lack sufficient luggage storage, but hey ho...

We arrived at LGW around 5pm. We had a room booked at the Hilton, although as a "secret hotel" on lastminute.com the description matched word for word the Sofitel and was nothing like the description for the Hilton, so I thought I was getting the Sofitel! Anyway, a few v-flyers put me straight and told me it was a good hotel, and it is, we had a lovely room no doubt.

We headed over to the North Terminal just before 8pm for twilight check-in, rocked up with our cases proudly bearing our V-Flyer tags, then decided to grab a bite in the terminal rather than eat at the hotel, for which there were queues when we passed on our way out. We had a nice supper and then craving something sweet stopped at the M&S on the way back and bought biscuits and strawberry tarts etc to gorge with a mug of tea in the room, nom nom!

Didn't sleep very well but managed a little, and alarm at 4:15am to give me time to come round before having to make our way over to the NT and departures. We'd got premium security with our EasyJet flexi ticket and with our No1 Traveller Lounge access (booked through FC to get my miles!). We were through security reasonably fast, had a quick browse around Dixons, (realised having checked prices of a couple of things before arriving that the prices airside in Dixons are not "duty free"' just a few quid cheaper!). Anyway, didn't bother spending and trolled off to the lounge and was in by 6am and contemplating breakfast and a little drinkette after first logging on and giving the obligatory royal wave from the lounge.

After a nice breakfast, some juice, some coffee, and some very nice grape juice of the Pinot variety, it was soon time to head off to the gate for boarding. We arrived to very long queues and and after a couple of minutes they called speedy boarding and so we marched past the long line of folks and were told to head straight downstairs to begin boarding.

We were greeted cheerfully and very professionally by the EasyJet Cabin Manager, with a cheerful "morning boys" and a cheeky smile. We had got seats in the pointy end of course, row 2. Anyway boarding took a while as it was a full flight and people seemed to take forever, although there had been an earlier holdup whilst they boarded a young man with special needs. The CC greeted everyone with the same charm, she was lovely. Push back was therefore late, as was take off, but it seemed they had built in flexibility as the flight arrived on schedule at the other end! Flight time 2 hours.

The flight itself was pleasant enough, with a lovely young crew in their very smart uniforms who gave a cracking service, spot on throughout. This was my third flight with EasyJet in 6 months, and before that it had been a couple of years, before they smartened up their image. They've really upped their game and it was a pleasure to fly with them, which I ever thought I'd find myself saying.

We arrived to pouring rain, stepped briefly onto the Tarmac and then onto a bus to the terminal, quickly through passport control and within only a few minutes the bags arrived on the conveyor, and off we headed to find our driver to bring us to the Hotel Puro in central Krakow opposite the Galeria shopping centre. Nice hotel, room "compact and bijou" but with some nice touches. Everything is operated via a Samsung tablet, including lighting and heat, there's no phone, but there's an app on the tablet to ring the desk etc.

Anyway, we darted out shortly after arrival to get some lunch and buy some brollies! I might even have to buy shoes as the 3 pairs (ahem Imelda) I brought with me are not really suitable for wet weather!

So that's it. EasyJet are on form and the service is good. We're here for 5 nights and I'll do a return TR later on. Thanks for reading, it's time for my bed I think, been a long day.

John

Thanks for a great TR. Always interesting to hear others' experiences.

Have a great time.

Dan

Great TR john, we did easy jet back in November and were pleasantly surprised...we always use Ryanair for our Portugal trips, it was nice to see how much easy jet have come on since the last time we used them.
Enjoy krakow!

Great! A reassuring TR. We are off to Milan, flying with Easyjet for the first time in about 8 years. Glad to know we have a friendly and professional service to look forward to.

[buns]

Bretty

Thanks for a super TR

In the words of the comedy duo Little & Large "Steps back in amazement" to see Easyjet now offer Twilight Check In

You can well see why BA is having to look at its offerings nd why the propsed moves at LGW have everything to do with Easyjet's increasing commercial clout.

Thanks once again

buns

Great TR and have to admit service on Easyjet has well improved. speedy Boarding a must enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Thank you for the enjoyable TR. Interesting to read how well Easyjet performed.

Everything in your hotel room worked by a Samsung Tablet ! ?
I have difficulty in just working out how to turn the taps on in some hotels when at least there are light switches .
Oh I feel old ....

Fab trip report thanks so much! We're big EZY fans too, never had a poor flight - virtually always on time or early - and a fresh & young fleet of 319's/320's . Speedy boarding with the assigned seats is the best thing they ever introduced too!

Thanks for the TR, Bretty. EasyJet served me well over a few years commuting to Edinnburgh, and I never did understand people's aversion to them, save for the non-allocated seating, and now of course...

Speedy boarding with the assigned seats is the best thing they ever introduced too!

So presumably Speedy Boarding is now really there to support first dibs on overhead locker space?

Another entertaining and informative report from one of V-flyers most accomplished authors.
Three pairs of shoes! Are you planning to stay a month?

Did you come through St Pancras on the way down? If so, it's easier and cheaper to get off there, and get a direct train to LGW from there. Half the price of Gatwick express, 45 minutes and no lumbering the suitcase through the underground (I remember victoria being particularly unpleasant and lacking escalators too).

Thanks for the TR Bretty. I too am shocked at EZY having Twilight Checkin…sounds like you had a great flight.

Enjoy your time there and I will look forward to the return TR, might just give me something to read next week from the LGW CH.

Thanks for a super TR Bretty. We've never flown Easyjet, I was looking a few weeks ago for a possible trip to see friends in France and Easyjet was the toe-stubber for me but perhaps no longer.
How did you manage to get THREE pairs of shoes in the famed packing cubes?

Hi guys, thanks for your responses, just having a siesta after a day out walking the town, and of course... shopping. We said we weren't going to shop this trip and we've already gone mad with some glassware we're having shipped, and some more that's in a box almost as big as my OH's case. Don't know what we're going to do...

I agree with vegascrazy, speedy boarding and assigned seats is the best thing they introduced. You can add speedy boarding to a basic ticket, and seat assignment, at a cost. For pjh I've no doubt it is to bag locker space as they are very relaxed about cabin baggage guaranteeing space for bags upto 50x40x20. If you have a standard 56x45x25 bag it might have to go in the hold. There's no weight restriction on cabin baggage but you must be able to lift it without assistance.

If you get a flexi fare like we have, which is a little more expensive you get all those things included as standard - speedy boarding, pre-check in assigned seats, 1 x 20kg bag per pax, and the ticket being flexible means that if your plans change the ticket is at least transferable. Also the flexi seats guarantees your cabin baggage at the larger size providing you make use of speedy boarding to store it.

I was as surprised as some of you about twilight check- in, but it applies for all flights leaving before 8:30aml

Somebody mentioned my shoes - 3 pairs is travelling light for me. One pair to travel and 2 pair in my case, simples. Shoes are my weakness, I've been looking at shoes today and seen 2 pairs I like but don't need. So far I've resisted but I bet I buy one pair before the week is out...

Superb TR and a great read, thank you for posting Bretty. Went to Krakow for the first time in March and had a fantastic time in a very beautiful and friendly City. Have a great stay and don't the resist that urge for shoes

great TR as always bretty.
and glad to hear about easy jet. tbh i have only flown with them twice and actually no complaints. they does what it says on the tin lol cheap and easy.
and only 3 pairs of shoes omg lol poor you,did you get the short straw lol

Well it's wet and horrid again today, where it was glorious sunshine yesterday.

Anyway, I succumbed, and bought myself a nice pair of Tommy Hilfiger dark blue suede moccasins. They're lovely, but also not wet weather shoes! Happy days...