We're open today till 1:30 PM 020 8568 4499 020 8568 4499

Get in touch

Close

DON'T DELAY, secure your 2025 holiday today

I haven’t flown on either Ryanair or easyJet for quite some time. I always avoid Ryanair because I object to the way its passengers are treated. As far as I am concerned, this airline makes a sport of demeaning its clients and of using every trick in the book to extract every last penny by every possible underhand means. Ryanair has single handedly destroyed any pleasure or joyful anticipation in flying.

At Sunvil we never book Ryanair for our clients. We do use easyJet – it is the lesser of the two evils and the fact is that, on some routes, one has very little choice because these two airlines have between them destroyed so much of the airline industry.

Last week, however, I flew out to Athens from Gatwick on easyJet and then back into Heathrow on Aegean. The experience could not have been more different.

First of all we paid extra on easyJet in order to be able to carry 20 kilos of luggage in the hold. When the flight was called, there was an almighty rush to get to the gate; we had to queue for about 20 minutes simply to get into the departure lounge. Before we reached the lounge there was an announcement that the overhead locker space was full and that anyone with wheeled hand luggage would not now be able to take it on board. We were told (as if it were a very big favour) that there would be no extra charge for such luggage to be carried in the hold. There was then a further delay as about 30 passengers, including me, had to take any valuables out of their hand luggage, now destined for the hold; still more chaos ensued as we all scrabbled around on our hands and knees with open cases revealed to all and sundry.

Meantime, those who had paid for speedy boarding were forcing their way through the queue in order to get into the departure lounge first. Ladies with handbags were told to put their handbags into any other piece of hand luggage they were carrying as only one piece of hand luggage could be taken on board. For many this was impossible.

There was then a further almighty rush to get from the departure lounge to the aircraft as many tried to get on board first in order to secure what they considered to be the best seats. It took another 20 minutes to get on board the aircraft. The flight did not leave on time because it was delayed coming in from somewhere in Italy; the crew was Italian. The seat pitch was the same as any charter flight, the aircraft none too clean and, of course, any drinks or snacks on board were payable. All in all, it was an unpleasant experience and certainly not either cheap or good value for money.

Aegean on the way back was no more expensive but oh so very civilised. There was no queuing, seats were allocated, there was plenty of room for hand luggage because passengers could check in up to 20 kilos of hold luggage at no extra charge, the meal on board was excellent and the seat pitch was generous.

In my view, it is simply a myth that the no-frills carriers are always cheaper. Those legacy scheduled carriers that remain offer far better service and value, very often at cheaper fares. Many charter carriers are superior, though sometimes their aircraft are older.

What the no-frills carriers have done is to universally lower standards for the travelling public. Currently, there is gross overcapacity in the market. Many flights should be cancelled rather than flown at rock-bottom prices, which is hardly environmentally responsible. Do not forget that, in order to sell cheaply some of the time, no-frills seat prices at other times are outrageously expensive – but the public seems simply not to notice this fact. Young people may only have flown using no-frills carriers and so know no different – but, for those of us who’ve enjoyed much better flying experiences over the years, no-frills airlines remain something to avoid if at all possible.

Noel Joesphides

Noel Josephides

By Noel Josephides

27th April 2012



Talk to our Tamariu Llafranc and Calella expert

Noel Josephides
Noel Josephides

Noel is Sunvil’s Chairman. Born in Cyprus in 1948, he joined John der Parthog at Sunvil in 1973. Before that and following university, he spent 3 years as a trainee buyer at C&A Modes and then worked for a large Cypriot builder and property developer for whom he set up a London Office buying electrical components for the Middle East and importing lemons from orchards in Cyprus. He still researches new destinations for Sunvil and is heavily involved in matters relating to the travel industry. He is a previous chairman of ABTA, a long standing director and previous chairman of The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) and former chairman of The Travel Foundation - the travel industry’s sustainability charity.

Call one of our experts to discuss your next holiday with Sunvil on

020 8568 4499

We're open today till 1:30 PM

Make an Enquiry

Please use this form to request further information about a Sunvil holiday or destination.

We promise that a member of our specialist reservation teams will reply personally to your holiday enquiry before 5.30pm if received before 12.00pm (Monday to Friday). Enquiries received after 12.00pm will be replied to within 24-hours (excluding Sundays).

If your enquiry is of an urgent nature, please telephone our dedicated reservation teams on the numbers listed below.

Our lines are open from 9.00am to 5.30pm Monday-Friday and from 9.30am to 4.30pm Saturday.

  • Greece: 020 8758 4758
  • Cyprus: 020 8758 4759
  • Portugal, the Azores, Spain, Italy, Sicily and Scandinavia: 020 8758 4722
  • Latin America: 020 8758 4774
  • Marketing: 020 8758 4731

Required Information

* Mandatory Information
Title *
First name *
Surname *
Telephone number *
Alternative telephone number
Email address *
Confirm email address
Preferred method of communication *
If you would like to be called during a specific period, please specify

Details

Preferred departure date *
Duration *
Preferred UK departure airport *
Party size *

Back

  • Adults(12+ yrs)
  • Children(2 to 11 yrs)
  • Infants(Under 2 yrs)
Budget range
Other comments:

Email newsletters

 

We promise that a member of our specialist reservation teams will reply personally to your holiday enquiry before 5.30pm if received before 12.00pm (Monday to Friday). Enquiries received after 12.00pm will be replied to within 24-hours (excluding Sundays).

If your enquiry is of an urgent nature, please telephone our dedicated reservation teams on the numbers listed below.

Our lines are open from 9.00am to 5.30pm Monday-Friday and from 9.30am to 4.30pm Saturday.

  • Greece: 020 8758 4758
  • Cyprus: 020 8758 4759
  • Portugal, the Azores, Spain, Italy, Sicily and Scandinavia: 020 8758 4722
  • Latin America: 020 8758 4774
  • Marketing: 020 8758 4731

Required Information

* Mandatory Information
Title *
First name *
Surname *
Telephone number *
Alternative telephone number
Email address *
Confirm email address
Preferred method of communication *
If you would like to be called during a specific period, please specify
Booking reference number *
Alternatively, please enter your query in the box below:

Email newsletters

 

Thank you for your enquiry

Thank you for your enquiry. A member of our specialist reservation teams will be in touch shortly.

If your enquiry is of an urgent nature, please telephone our dedicated reservation teams on the numbers listed below.

Our lines are open from 9.00am to 5.30pm Monday-Friday and from 9.30am to 4.30pm Saturday.

  • Greece: 020 8758 4758
  • Cyprus: 020 8758 4759
  • Portugal, the Azores, Italy, Sicily and Scandinavia: 020 8758 4722
  • Latin America: 020 8758 4774

Your details have been saved

Feel free to continue to browse the site and add to your enquiry. Don't forget to send the enquiry before you leave!

My Suitcase

We understand that so much choice can be overwhelming which is why we have developed 'My Suitcase'. This facility allows you to save and compare your favourite holidays, and even allows you to return to your selection at a later stage.

Why not use 'My Suitcase' to compile a wish list of your future Sunvil holidays?

 

Sign in


New to Sunvil?

Create Account

 

Already have an account?

Password reset

Back

Close

Close