I tend to avoid the ultra low cost carriers in the U.S. If an airline doesn’t participate in PreCheck I’m going to have to spend more time in transit, getting to the airport earlier. If they don’t have inflight internet I won’t be as productive. And without a redundant route network, it can be difficult ensuring I get where I’m going in the event something goes wrong.
One other unique feature of low cost carrier life, though, is that it enables people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to fly to travel more efficiently. That’s great from a societal standpoint, but it can also create culture clash. The profile of an ultra low cost carrier traveler isn’t the same as that of a business traveler.
I didn’t even need to read all the way through this story to know exactly where it was going. I could predict the ending from two data points alone.
- A discount airline
- Flying to Scotland
A Jet2 flight from Prague to Glasgow was delayed two hours in order to remove a group of 25 Scottish men due to disruptive behavior.
SCOTS holidaymakers suffered an airport nightmare in Prague yesterday thanks to a group of drunken fellow Scots.
Scores of people, including families with young children, were delayed at Prague International Airport (Václav Havel Airport) when the flight they were supposed to get on was held up by stag party revellers.
Jet2 Boeing 737
Normally the rest of the passengers would be angry over bad behavior that causes a delay. However in this case, some of the passengers onboard had sympathy for their Scottish brethren — finding it unreasonable that two were removed over unopened beer cans they had brought onboard. I mean, surely they should have first had the chance to drink them!
‘Absolute joke. Totally over the top on Jet2’s behalf and all that resulted is 26 boys left stranded and all the rest of us three and a half hours delayed.’
And Alan Peacock added: ‘Blown out of proportion. She kicked two guys off for having an unopened can. Air hostess dealt with the situation abysmally.’
UK low cost carrier Jet2 operates Boeing 737 and 757 aircraft. A United, Delta, or American 757 will carry between 180 and 185 passengers. Jet2 crams 235 onboard. If you’re going to put that many passengers in close proximity, you’re going to have to maintain order. And Jet2 has a zero tolerance policy.
50 passengers have received lifetime bans. At Jet2 they’re serious. You can even get in trouble for snapping your phone’s SIM card and flushing it down the lavatory toilet.
Wow— Jet2’s tail logo and colors are almost an *exact* copy of Allegiant Airlines’ tail logo and colors.
Gary,
Why don’t you highlight low cost carriers that do participate in TSA precheck? I know Allegiant does if your known traveler id is placed on the ticket at time of booking. Are there others?
I think the airline was quite right to remove this group, stag and hen parties can get very rowdy and I wouldn’t like to be stuck with a bunch of them at 35,000 ft.
Sooo glad I wasn’t on that flight. Ugh.. 25 drunk people on board? No, thank you. The airline did exactly what it needed to do. Good for them.
I am actually a pretty big fan of Jet2. The photo shows one of their planes in their package vacation colors. Their “official” colors can be seen here: https://www.planespotters.net/photo/465293/g-gdfc-jet2-boeing-737-8k2wl
I am a fan of Jet2 because they are cheap (duh) but no cheapskates like Ryanair. They allow (for payment) upto 23kg’s of luggage and do not charge for hand luggage as long as it fits within the rules set. Their planes are mostly refurbished 737’s and 757’s with decent seat width and legroom (no recline). Everything you want you pay for (extra legroom, seats reserved, food, drink, luggage checked, etc.). But they are pretty decent overall.
I have used them between LBA and CDG and especially AMS where they handsomely beat KLM on fares. And for a 50 minute flight I don’t care about much apart getting me there on time.