Jet2 has been going gangbusters in the U.K. with plenty of flights from the north of the country, (in fact I travelled with Jet2 to Prague before they made it down south and had a lovely flight). Now Jet2 is conquering the south with an increasing presence at London Stansted. With very reasonable prices and more passenger offerings than your average Stansted departure, the orange and blue carriers must be a little bit worried. Join us for our review of Jet2 flights from London Stansted to Athens and back again.
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Airport Experience
Stansted
With a brutal 03:15 alarm, we surfaced bleary-eyed and a bit stroppy into the London cold. It took us two night tubes and the first Stansted Express of the morning but we made it bang on time for our expected 06:32 arrival. Two hours before a flight is an hour less than I really like but it was the only way to ensure a little sleep.
We found our check in desks and there was no queue. There was a very clear Jet2 check in area at London Stansted with some fun Instagram additions (giant teddy bear). We decided to check in our bags as they were included in the fare and the chap who checked us in was very perky. It was impressive for such an early morning. He let us know that the Stansted transit train wasn’t working and that staff would point us in the right direction. We were very happy to see that there were four staff stood by the train entrance and they were all Jet2. No other carrier was represented here. We all went down to waiting coaches over to the remote terminal. I was very glad we’d checked in our bigger bags as it was a lot of standing and stairs which would have been annoying with the suitcases.
The terminal is very scrappy but that is not Jet2’s responsibility. There were lots of seats and nice big windows where you could see our plane and a few other Jet2 planes too. They had nice, shiny signage and nice, shiny staff. Everyone was wished a good holiday as they passed through the gate which was a very nice touch and it was really good that they maintained that line for everyone.
Athens
We arrived at Athens airport three hours before our flight took off but the check-in wasn’t open yet. There wasn’t anywhere to sit nearby and it was very buy and tight so we went and sat out of the way for a while. When we returned, there was a huge queue…rookie mistake! It took around 20 minutes to get to the front and then the agent wasn’t too friendly. We checked in our bags and headed for security. Jet2 is in the satellite building and there is quite a long way to walk along travelators before you go through security (plenty of time to buy any drinks you have bought).
Once through security, there was a departure lounge that was very busy where we picked up a sandwich and crisps for the flight. Then we passed through passport control (another long queue) and found our gate. Remember to leave plenty of time to get through the airport because it takes a while. We entered the gate which was very busy and didn’t have many seats left. The staff were checking in hand luggage. they were not asking but instructing passengers and making sure they went over to the tagging desk. It didn’t feel very Jet2.
The Plane
The Seats
We paid to book our seats ahead of time both to ensure we could sit together and to guarantee a window seat. Honestly, we sit separately alot due to traveling on standby but when I am reviewing a flight, I like a window. Poor Mr Fluskey likes a window too, but he married a window lover so he doesn’t get it all that often.
The seats were pretty standard for a European short haul airline with 31 inches pitch and 17 inches width. This is slightly wider than both Ryanair and Easyjet and has at least two inches of extra leg room, This really does make a difference when the flight is more than two hours, especially when squeezing out to pop to the bathroom. There is no back to the seat in front where your legs are which, if you are tall, will give you those precious extra centimetres….I wonder if that is included in the legroom?
Instead of a traditional seatback pocket, there is a magazine stand. This means you cannot store your belongings in there. This is much cleaner (those pockets can be real germ-fests) and presumably prevents lots of lost property. There is a small tray table and the addition of a simple metal cup holder which I really like. It’s designed for the hot drinks they sell onboard so doesn’t really fit a water bottle.
The Windows
There was something very strange about the windows and I only realised about half an hour into our flight. I went to pull down the shade for an easier sleep but it wasn’t there. None of the windows have shades so the sun streams in undisturbed. It’s great for the views but it was tough to nap with the full force of the sun seeping through my eyelids.
I wanted to share some of the views we got.
The Way Out
Leaving a grey morning at Stansted is always satisfying. Bursting through the final layer of cloud and into the blue sky above really makes it feel like a holiday! Plus, trying to spot the Acropolis on our descent was lots of fun.
Coming Back
On the way back we were treated to a fabulous hour long sunset. I couldn’t stop snapping but here are just a few little photos.
Storage
The baggage bins have stretchy bands across the front so things don’t fall out when the bins are reopened. It also means people can shove their coats and other soft items in and they stay put. This is a very smart addition which I am surprised I have never seen on any other carriers.
Everyone is entitled to one underbag seat and one overhead spot. Of course, if everyone takes advantage then it gets overfull so they were checking in baggage at the boarding gate in Athens. I was surprised that they faced this issue seeing as everyone gets free chek in luggage. This surely reduces the number of large rolling hand luggage bags that end up at the gate. Well, it encouraged us to check our bags in, something we rarely do.
Entertainment
There are two magazines in the seat back but no TVs onboard. There aren’t any plugs so my advice is to bring a phone or tablet, a portable charger and some headphones. Mr Fluskey used both his Bluetooth headphones until they ran out of battery and was forced to read the magazines. (What a rookie, use one at a time!). There were a few interesting articles but not enough for a three hour flight.
The Tannoy
We really enjoyed the tunes as we boarded. They were all upbeat and put us in a good mood with our mini singalong. Of course, they played Jess Glynne’s banger Hold My Hand which is on the Jet2 adverts.
Now, about the announcements. They were all prerecorded and very cheery. We loved the fun tone and the two voices giving it some pep. However, they were SO loud! Every time one was played, the whole plane (who were trying sleep due to the early starts we had all had) was shocked awake. You could visibly see people jump out of slumber. It seemed unnecessarily loud when the boarding music had been considerably quieter so there must be a volume choice. I would hate to take this as a commuter without a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. In general, the announcements were too loud and too frequent.
That being said, we loved the flight deck announcements which were thorough, describing the exact route we would be taking and what we could expect to see along the way. They also kept everyone informed when we had a delay on the way home. Top marks to the flight deck!
Amenities
The bathroom was kept clean on both legs of our journey which is impressive on 3.5 hour flight. I liked the big pictures on the door which cheered up the small space….and they were small. You would struggle to change clothes in here or anything like that so don’t plan to use them as a space for anything other than using the toilet. There was some simple soap but no hand cream or anything so if you need that stuff, make sure it’s in your liquids bag.
Food & Drink
There was plenty on offer to purchase during the trolley service. I was expecting shocking prices but actually, compared to airports and other carriers, it was all quite reasonable. We stupidly paid more for food in Athens airport to eat on board which saw us standing in long queues. We should have just waited and chosen things from the menu!
There was a second round of trolley service on both flights where sandwiches were offered at half price. This is a nice way of ensuring less food waste but I would be pretty annoyed if I had paid full price just one hour prior. Good to know for future travel though!
Final Thoughts for our Review of Jet2
For holiday travel Jet2 is a brilliant choice. Free luggage, check-in desks and super cheery announcements at the gate and onboard all get you in a good mood. Whether you prefer a longer fly and flop or want a fun Jet2 city break, they will get you there safe, sound and smiling. Overall, Jet2 are a fantastic choice with genuinely friendly staff, an expanding network and an attitude we love!
Rosie xx
