Lower cost airlines have a bad rap for making up for cheap tickets in sneaky ways including baggage charges, drinks, food, newspapers, even using the bathroom. And it's now time to add a new hidden cost to that growing shopping list.
easyJet have begun a new scheme at London Gatwick that will mean passengers arriving less than 30 minutes before a flight's departure will be prevented from getting through to boarding and may have to pay an £80 fine, according to The Telegraph.
A spokesperson for easyJet explained that the measurements have now been put in place to prevent the hassle of late arrivals coming all the way through customs and bag check, through to 'air side' only to find out that they're too late and have to work their way back to the 'land side' of the airport, before making their way to an easyJet desk to try and sort out getting onto the next flight. What will now be available is a £7.50 cushion that will act as insurance if you do miss your flight: you can either get a full-refund or be put on the next flight free of charge. People who choose not to buy the "missed flight cover" will be charged the £80 "rescue fee" to get on another flight.
It's only on the occasion that the flight is delayed that exceptions will be made, with barriers now being re-programmed to process the boarding passes of passengers arriving within the 30 minute time bracket to be rejected.
An easyJet spokesman was quoted in MailOnline saying: “Punctuality is important to our passengers and that is why we ask passengers to be at the gate no later than 30 minutes before the flight departs.
“This means that if passengers are still yet to clear security less than 30 minutes before the flight they will be unable to achieve this – particularly at larger airports like Gatwick when walks to some gates can take up to 20 minutes.
“We are implementing this, based on a proven model at Heathrow's Terminal 5, to eliminate unnecessary journeys for passengers who then need to be escorted land side. The vast majority of our passengers arrive as we suggest at the gate.”
While this system is already in place for British Airways at Heathrow Terminals 3 and 5, and is a bid to stop people rushing through departure halls and security checks, this introduction might raise issues for people who take flights to complete short-haul journeys as an alternative to catching a train or driving, as it will add a potential extra half-hour onto their commute. The Independent has suggested that flyers will be alerted to these big changes in small print on their boarding passes.
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