Brawl forces easyJet flight to divert

© easyJet

A brawl between rival football fans forced an easyJet plane to make an emergency landing in Germany on Friday (November 6).

The flight, from Manchester to Munich, was diverted to Frankfurt Airport amid fears that a fight between the two English men was getting out of hand.

They were members of a group of 12 fans travelling to see Bayern Munich and Schalke 04 play in a Bundesliga match on Saturday.

The inebriated men were aged 24 and 36 and could not be restrained by cabin crew after they started fighting.

22 new winter routes from easyJet

EasyJet has unveiled its new flights for winter including popular sunny destinations such as Marrakech, Tel Aviv, Porto and Lanzarote.

The first flight will take off from Manchester to Marrakech this Thursday October 29 from only £34.99 one-way including taxes.

EasyJet sounds alarm bells over Gatwick sale

The sale of Gatwick Airport may have been billed as good news for passengers, but one no-frills airline has already begun voicing concerns about the deal.

Within hours of the agreement being reached, easyJet, Gatwick's largest carrier, went public with a warning over excessively high charges at the airport.

The airline cautioned new owner GIP that a previously approved 50 per cent hike in operator fees is likely to have negative consequences for passengers.

EasyJet to switch Luton flights from Belfast Int'l to George Best

EasyJet will move one of its routes to George Best Belfast City Airport from the city's other airport - Belfast International Airport - early next year.

The twice-daily flight to London Luton will switch airports on January 7, 2010.

In a company statement, the low-cost airline said that most of its operations would remain at Belfast International, but moving the route to George Best would give the carrier an opportunity to see if passengers prefer to use an airport closer to Belfast city centre on short hops.

EasyJet to offer Kosher snacks on Tel Aviv service

Passengers on easyJet's new service from London Luton to Tel Aviv, on Israel's Mediterranean coast, will be able to have a Kosher snack on board the flights.

The low-cost airline has announced that Hermolis, a Jewish company based in north-west London, will provide the fare, which will include an egg mayonnaise with tomato and cress bloomer, smoked salmon and cream-cheese bagel, mozzarella and tomato panini and chocolate-orange mini-cake.

EasyJet adds new Gatwick service to Düsseldorf

EasyJet has confirmed that from next February it will operate a new daily service linking London Gatwick Airport with the city of Düsseldorf.

The new German connection will be launched on February 2, 2010, giving UK passengers an affordable way of visiting the popular business destination.

Ski deals from easyJet - fly from £23.99 ow with taxes

EasyJet has launched a new ski site (ski.easyjet.com) for the winter season and is offering flights to the slopes from £23.99 one-way including taxes.

Here's a sample of the deals easyJet is offering, all from £23.99 one-way with taxes and charges:

Basel, Switzerland (fly from London Gatwick)
Geneva (departure airports include London Gatwick, Luton and Stansted, Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle)
Grenoble, France, (from London Gatwick and Luton, Birmingham, Bristol)

EasyJet hits back over Ryanair punctuality jibe

EasyJet has hit back at low-cost rival Ryanair after the Irish carrier accused it of withholding information about its punctuality performance.

Ryanair issued a combative press release last week lambasting its rival for "[r]efusing to publish its weekly on-time performance for over four months".

But easyJet has now responded to the allegation, defending its 95 per cent on-time record and accusing Ryanair of flying to "obscure" destinations.

EasyJet 'still selling tickets for axed flights'

People planning to fly out of East Midlands Airport are being urged to exercise caution when booking flights with soon-to-be departed carrier easyJet.

The no-frills airline this month announced that it would be withdrawing from the regional base, promising only that services up to the New Year would go ahead.

But owing to legal complications it has emerged that the carrier is still selling tickets for well beyond that period – and will have to continue doing so for several weeks.

EasyJet cuts Luton flights, closes East Midlands base

EasyJet has announced plans to reduce services at Luton Airport by 20 per cent in addition to completely closing its base at East Midlands Airport.

The no-frills airline is blaming its Luton cutbacks on a continuing dispute with Abertis, the Spanish operator of the gateway, over recent increases to airport fees.

It is also said to be looking at reducing services at several other UK airports, with possible job cuts slated for Belfast, Bristol, Newcastle and Stansted airports.

easyJet, Luton Airport in talks about higher charges

EasyJet could move its operations from Luton Airport to another airport in the London area, according to a report in today's Daily Mail.

The newspaper reports that the airline and the airport are still trying to hammer out a deal on airport charges. If the talks fail, the airline could follow Ryanair and switch its aircraft to another airport rather than pay higher charges (see last week's article: Ryanair to axe flights from Manchester Airport).

easyJet to trial check-in with handheld devices

Following in Air Canada's wake (see related story: Air Canada online check-in now available at London Heathrow), easyJet is to start trialling check-in via handheld devices.

The trial may start at a UK airport in October, according to a report in The Times.

The newspaper also reports that easyJet will give a presentation on its plans at a conference in Las Vegas next month.

EasyJet passengers brace for Spanish strikes

Three 24-hour strikes by easyJet staff in Spain will cause severe disruption for passengers heading to Palma, Tenerife, Malaga and Alicante this month.

Ground workers will stage the walkouts on August 15, 22 and 29, following the breakdown of 18-month-old negotiations over working conditions.

easyJet's cheap flights - 25% off every seat, every route, every day

Sale ends at midnight on Wednesday, July 15: easyJet, the low-cost pioneer, is offering a whacking great discount of 25 per cent off every seat on every route every day between September 1 and October 22.

To secure the cheap flights, book as usual on the easyJet website (www.easyJet.com). Flights from London Luton to Faro on September 24, returning on October 1 are currently selling for £25.99 one-way including taxes.

EasyJet adds Luton to Tel Aviv flights

Low-cost carrier easyJet has announced that it will start running a new direct service between London Luton Airport and Israel's second city, Tel Aviv.

The airline will become the first no-frills carier to operate flights between the British capital and Tel Aviv – a route dominated by full-fare outfits such as bmi.

EasyJet passengers in Facebook compensation bid

Passengers who were left stranded at Corfu Airport after their easyJet plane suffered a technical fault are launching a lawsuit with the help of Facebook.

The disgruntled holidaymakers set up a group on the social networking site and have been coordinating efforts to secure compensation from the low-cost carrier.

More than 100 of them were stuck in Corfu on June 21 when a technical fault stopped their flight, bound for London Gatwick, from taking off at the scheduled time of 11.45am.

To fly or not to fly? easyJet forecasts the summer weather

While more and more Britons will be choosing to stay on the Costa del Backyard this summer, easyJet has joined forces with John Kettley, the weatherman, to produce a chart so travellers seeking cheap flights can rest assured that they won't be missing the best of the sunshine at home.

According to Kettley, the weekends to pack your bags and head to the airport will be July 11-12, July 18-19 and August 8-9.

easyJet to offer Canary Islands flights from Liverpool Airport

easyJet is to launch new services to the Canary Islands from Liverpool John Lennon Airport this winter.

Flights to Fuerteventura and Lanzarote will take off in November, just in time for the winter-sun season.

Fuerteventura flights will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and  flights to Lanzarote will run on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.  One-way fares, including taxes and charges, will start from £29.99.

EasyJet adds new routes from Liverpool Airport

Three new routes operated by easyJet have been launched following the low-cost carrier's delivery of a ninth plane to Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Services to Naples, Dubrovnik and Bordeaux all took to the skies this week after the airline added an additional Airbus 320 to its fleet at the regional airport.

'I don't' - council says no to weddings on easyJet aircraft

Lovebirds flying with easyJet will not get the chance to marry in the air after all. The airline's application to Luton Borough Council for pilots to be authorised to conduct civil partnership and marriage ceremonies was turned down.

As reported by Cheapflights on May 6, the low-cost carrier believed that the recession has created a market for wedding ceremonies en route to honeymoons.

EasyJet faces backlash over teddy bear fiasco

EasyJet has attracted criticism after one of its check-in attendants barred a six-year-old girl from bringing her teddy bear on board a flight.

A spokesperson for the airline said the blunder, in which the check-in clerk deemed the bear to be excess baggage, was down to a lack of common sense.

Six-year-old Alba Apreciado-Peris had been due to fly from Glasgow Airport to London Stansted on May 4, after enjoying a weekend break with her mother.

EasyJet boosts winter services from Gatwick

EasyJet will increase the frequency of flights from London Gatwick Airport this winter as part of its newly unveiled schedule for the festive season.

Additional European services will be operated under the new timetable, which is on sale now and features one-way fares from just £22.99, including taxes.

EasyJet plans sky-high wedding ceremonies

Lovebirds flying with easyJet could soon be saying "I do" in the skies if the no-frills airline presses ahead with its latest revenue-raising scheme.

Hot on the heels of Ryanair's consideration of a 'fat tax', easyJet now says it is investigating the prospect of conducting marriages on-board its flights.

The low-cost carrier believes that the difficult economic climate has created a market for quickie wedding ceremonies en route to honeymoons.

EasyJet readies in-flight Starbucks service

Low-cost carrier easyJet has announced a deal with Starbucks that will see it serving the coffee retailer’s drinks onboard flights from several of its UK bases.

As of May 1, the airline will offer Starbucks VIA Ready Brew and selected other drinks on services from London Gatwick, London Stansted and Newcastle airports.

easyJet: 3 new destinations from Luton Airport

easyJet is to fly three new routes from London Luton Airport this summer. The low-cost pioneer will start flying to Milan and Mahon on July 6 and to Montpellier on July 7.

The new routes will take the airline's tally of destinations served from Luton Airport to 34.

New easyJet route to Vienna

A new easyJet service from London Gatwick to Vienna is set to take off today (April 2 2009).

The new route was launched due to an increasing demand for flights to Austria’s capital city.

EasyJet increases Majorca service

EasyJet has announced that it will increase the number of services it operates from Glasgow Airport to Palma de Majorca for the spring months.

The budget airline will operate two additional flights on Tuesdays and Thursdays from May 5 until June 23, 2009 to the popular Spanish holiday destination.

EasyJet brings forward Manchester expansion

A proposed expansion of services from Manchester Airport to four European destinations has been brought forward to May by easyJet.

The new services to Bastia, Corfu, Athens and Dalaman, along with increased flights to Alicante, Malaga, Malta, Paphos and Tenerife, will now commence on May 21, 2009, which is three months in advance of the original August start date.

Easyjet launches Dalaman route

Easyjet has announced the launch of a service to the popular beach town of Dalaman in Turkey from Manchester Airport.

The budget airline will operate a thrice-weekly schedule to the destination from August 6, 2009, with fares starting from £36.99 one-way, including all taxes and surcharges.

Seats are already on sale and this new route brings easyJet's total to 414, making it the largest low-cost airline in the world.

easyJet launches foreign exchange service

easyJet has launched a new travel money service via its website. The online foreign exchange is being provided by First Rate Exchange Services (First Rate) and allows customers to order money with next day home delivery.

Travel Money Online offers consumers a choice of 70 different currencies. Orders placed before 3pm will be delivered the next business day to any UK address.

EasyJet unveils new Gatwick routes

EasyJet has unveiled four new European services departing from London Gatwick Airport.

The budget airline has increased the variety of routes it serves from the UK's second busiest airport with the introduction of schedules to Croatia, Cyprus, Italy and Greece.

Operating from March 31, 2009, flights between Gatwick and Larnaca will run three times a week from just £30.99. Daily services to Naples will begin on May 1, 2009, prices from £31.99. Schedules from Gatwick to Dubrovnik will also commence on May 1, 2009 with services expected four times a week at £29.99. The Santorini thrice-weekly service will operate from May 3, 2009 from just £36.99.

EasyJet Nice to East Midlands

EasyJet has disclosed that it will operate a new schedule from East Midlands Airport to Nice from next year.

The budget airline will begin the service from April 2, 2009 and will conduct three flights a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

EasyJet delays Airbus order

EasyJet has announced that it will be delaying the purchase of four Airbus planes, in response to uncertain economic times in the aviation industry.

The low-cost carrier, which operates 166 aircraft from 20 bases across Europe, revealed that it has delayed the planned 2010 acquisition of four Airbus A320 family jets, which could have an effect on the delivery of a further 109 planes expected in the next four years.

EasyJet denies Gatwick bid

EasyJet has denied that it is putting together a joint proposal with Virgin to purchase London Gatwick Airport.

The low-cost carrier has been forced into a denial after the Times reported that it was in talks with Richard Branson's airline to form a united bid for the UK's second busiest airport.

EasyJet releases Belfast summer schedule

EasyJet has released its 2009 summer schedule for flights leaving Belfast International Airport.

The low-cost carrier will be operating services from the Northern Ireland-based airport to a number of destinations, including the holiday hotspots of Ibiza, Nice and Palma.

Flights to a number of cosmopolitan cities, like Amsterdam, Paris and Barcelona, will also be a central part of the airline's schedule.

New Copenhagen route from easyJet

EasyJet is launching a new route from London Gatwick to Copenhagen in a bid to fill the void created by the collapse of Sterling.dk.

The low-cost carrier already operates a thrice-daily service from Stansted to the Danish capital, but following this week's failure of Sterling.dk it is now boosting capacity out of Gatwick.

EasyJet and Ryanair help Sterling.dk passengers

EasyJet and Ryanair have unveiled special fares for travellers affected by the collapse of Sterling.dk (see related Cheapflights story).

The low-cost carriers are offering reduced airfares exclusively to people who were left stranded by the collapse of the Nordic airline, which filed for bankruptcy yesterday (October 29).

EasyJet moves in on defunct XL routes

EasyJet has added three flights to Spain and Turkey in a bid to fill the void created by the collapse of XL Airways.

The low-cost carrier is running extra services from Gatwick airport to Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Dalaman in Turkey - all on top if its standard links to those destinations.

On October 2, a flight to Arrecife in Tenerife will depart from Gatwick at 7.15am, arriving at 11.25am. The return service leaves at 12.20pm and will touch down in Gatwick at 4.20pm.

EasyJet predicts winter air travel will fall

© easyJet

EasyJet is predicting that airlines will see a fall in demand of between two and four per cent this winter.

The low-cost carrier said it expects its annual pre-tax profit to fall by ten per cent to £110 million as a consequence of the gloomy outlook.

Strong growth in total revenue per seat that had been witnessed over the summer will reportedly tail off due to the economic downturn.

EasyJet trims Aberdeen to Luton connection

EasyJet has reduced the frequency of its connections between Aberdeen and London Luton airports.

From November 4, the low-cost carrier will no longer be operating morning flights between the two cities, axing its 8.55am service from Aberdeen and its 7am departure from Luton.

EasyJet's daily evening services - 6pm from Luton and 7.55pm from Aberdeen - will remain unaffected by the cutback, which will be reviewed early next year.

EasyJet boosts Paris link after Eurotunnel fire

Extra easyJet flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle will be operating from London Luton Airport this week as a consequence of the major fire that disrupted Eurotunnel services.

Last week's inferno - which occurred on a freight train - injured dozens of people and has prompted an immediate review into the safety measures being deployed on the rail link.

While investigators continue to comb through the wreckage, easyJet has announced it will boost the frequency of its Paris-bound services to accommodate the surge in demand.

EasyJet announces Gatwick to Istanbul link

EasyJet has announced that it is launching a direct service from London Gatwick Airport for the Turkish city of Istanbul.

The new daily connection will take to the skies on December 12, with fares costing from just £35.99 one-way, including tax.

It will also mark the 400th route currently on sale in easyJet's network, cementing the low-cost airline's reputation as an industry leader.

EasyJet crowned best low-cost carrier

EasyJet has been named the Best Low-Cost Airline in the world at the Skytrax World Airlines Awards.

The annual industry event draws from the feedback of more than 15 million passengers who have taken part in an 11-month-long survey. Virgin Blue came in second place, followed by Jetstar Airways.

Underscoring the significance of its achievement, easyJet was the only UK-based no-frills airline to make it into the top ten.

New Gatwick to Salzburg route from easyJet

EasyJet has launched a brand new service from London Gatwick Airport to the Austrian city of Salzburg.

The new connection will begin on December 13 - just in time for the winter skiing season - and easyJet says it hopes to carry more than 16,000 passengers on the route.

Fares start from just £32.99 one-way, including tax, and flights will be operated three times weekly.

EasyJet confirms cutbacks to Stansted flights

EasyJet has confirmed it will reduce its winter services from Stansted Airport in a bid to offset difficulties in the airline industry.

The no-frills airline cited spiralling fuels costs and the global economic downturn as the main reasons for the cutbacks, which will see its capacity at the London airport fall by 12 per cent.

Ryanair also recently announced it was cutting some 250 flights from the airport, while several full-fare carriers have indicated they may take similar measures too.

EasyJet launches new route from Gatwick

EasyJet has launched a new connection between London Gatwick Airport and the Swiss city of Basel.

The low-cost carrier is offering seats on the service from just £28.99 one-way, including tax, and expects the route to carry about 200,000 passengers in its first year of operations.

Located at the intersection of France, Germany and Switzerland, Basel is renowned for its diverse cultural appeal, boasting more than 30 museums as well as numerous national heritage sites.

New winter ski routes from Gatwick

Low-cost operator easyJet has announced the launch of two new routes from Gatwick Airport, as well as the return of popular flights from Luton for the winter season.

To find the latest tips, read our Ski Travel page here.

The airline will start flights to Lyon on October 3, and to Helsinki on November 3, from Gatwick with one-way tickets starting at £25.99 and £32.99 respectively.

New Gatwick to Helsinki service from easyJet

EasyJet is opening up a new connection between London Gatwick Airport and the Finnish capital city Helsinki, regional daily newspaper Aamulehti reports.

The low-cost carrier will launch a daily service between the two airports in November, operating the route with an Airbus A319 airbus configured to carry 156 passengers.

Two new easyJet routes to ski slopes

Two new routes from Manchester Airport to Sofia and Geneva are to be launched later this year by easyJet.

The airline has said it will start a service to Sofia on December 11 and a day later flights to Geneva will commence, offering ski fans a route to Bulgarian resorts such as Bansko and Pamporovo in the Pirin Mountain range and many resorts in the Alps.

Flights to Geneva will operate nine times a week, and one-way tickets will start from £29.99, while the Sofia route will be available three times a week with single tickets priced at £39.99.

New Gatwick to Biarritz service from easyJet

EasyJet has launched a new service from London Gatwick Airport to the French seaside resort of Biarritz.

The low-cost carrier will be flying to the popular south-western town four times a week, with flights departing on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

One-way fares start from just £25.99, including taxes, and easyJet says it expects upwards of 10,000 passengers to take advantage of the new connection during its first year of operation.