After spending most of Christmas Day in the SAS Lounge at Copenhagen Airport, we flew down to Basel-Mulhouse on easyJet, an uneventful flight…but not a quiet one by any means.
easyJet A320 Review (CPH-BSL)
Normally we would take SAS to Zürich, but it was Christmas Day and the carrier was operating a very limited service to ZRH (one flight instead of three) and it was sold out. Basel (BSL)–the code I prefer over Mulhouse (MLH) or EuroAirport (EAP) though all work–is even closer to my in-laws and as horrific as it may sound, our 8-hours in the SAS lounge was a very sweet time together.
The easyJet ticket was 4,588 DKK for all four of us, which is about 723 USD or about 181 USD each…fairly steep for easyJet and that was for a “basic” ticket with no carry-on or checked bags (one reason we all traveled light).
Kastrup Airport is not my favorite European Airport (in fact, it is one of my least favorites, though I do like SAS Lounge and my kids love the multiple LEGO shops) and the walk to our gate was long and tedious. The area where easyJet and Ryanair flights depart from looks half warehouse, half dungeon…quite different than the gates SAS uses…
It’s a good thing we traveled light instead of trying “sneak” extra bags on because there was an easyJet employee at the entrance to the gate area (more like a cattle pen) that closely scrutinized everyone’s hand baggage. We were allowed to pass, where we joined a gaggle of people waiting to board the flight.
The noted boarding time came and went, but we were finally invited to board…by foot and stairs…about 15 minutes before scheduled departure.
easyJet Switzerland 1264
Copenhagen (CPH) – Basel (BSL)
Thursday, December 25
Depart: 5:10 PM
Arrive: 7:00 PM
Duration: 1hr, 50min
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Distance: 597 miles
Seat: 10B, C, D, E
It was very refreshing to step outside into the 34ºF/1ºC afternoon air, with sun almost down at 4:55 pm and just a glimpse of light left. Boarding was via dual air stairs, one in the fort of the plane and one in the rear.
We found our seats onboard in row 10 (they had been auto-assigned at check-in because I also wasn’t about to pay for seats on easyJet when all seats are equally bad except for exit rows seats, which my two kids are not allowed in because they are too young). Augustine sat next to me and Claire Marie sat next to Heidi across the aisle from us. Legroom is very tight.
In short, we took off, we cruised for 45 minutes, we descended, we landed…it was a very boring flight in the sense that we were well sated after a day in the SAS Lounge and did not purchase any food or drinks onboard.
The flight attendants were not in a very festive mood but they were not in a bad mood either…I think everyone wanted to get home for a late Christmas dinner.
Easyjet flights have no wi-fi or in-seat power outlets. Bring your own reading material or fully-charged electronic devices.
There are there lavatories onboard for the 180 passengers: one in the front and two in the rear. I did avail myself to the facilities, which were appreciated after three cups of coffee and numerous glasses of water.
Now, I mentioned that the flight was uneventful but not quiet. There was a lot of families onboard and many were traveling with young children. Like a cacophony, the cabin filled with noises of babies and toddlers screaming, wailing, and crying. Somehow I was able to tune it out even though I didn’t pull my noise-cancelling headphones from my bag.
We made it to Basel on-time, where we were forced to choose whether to enter France or Switzerland (this is quite a unique airport). We entered France, where my in-laws were waiting to drive us home for Christmas dinner.
CONCLUSION
There’s nothing special about easyJet and it wasn’t even particularly cheap, but it delivered a nonstop flight for us on-time…that itself was a Christmas blessing. When it comes to budget carriers, I’m willing to consider all options, but greatly prefer easyJet to Ryanair or Wizzair.
“which were appreciated after three cups of water and numerous glasses of water.”
Thats a lot of water lol
Just curious but why were your in-laws on the French side and not the Swiss side?
Sorry, meant three coffees.
Picture that the airport is really in France. The Swiss side is in a sense a narrow strip that connects the airport to Basel City with France on either side, almost like West Berlin was surrounded by East Germany. Since we are going to Germany, we take the highway back via France (where interestingly, border checks at the French-German border have been reintroduced).
I realize you were carry-on only but curious do you reclaim baggage before or after you decide the country you want to enter (as in is your bag tagged to one side of the border or is this after baggage claim)?
You claim bags before, then decide which Zoll/Customs area you enter, F or CH.
On that bottom level, even outside in arrivals, you cannot cross between the two zones. However, upstairs you can freely walk between France and Switzerland.
Geneva Airport has a similar arrangement for freight operations.
The families were likely traveling with kids excited about Christmas. Thankfully you make it home safely for dinner!. I always enjoy the trip reports. Thank you Matthew.
Thank you, Maryland!
Had never heard of that split in an airport; you’d think from Denmark to either France or Switzerland is all Schengen so it shouldn’t matter, but…
Is Basel the only airport setup like this to pick & chose which country you enter? (I’m not sure TIJ is really the same, is it?). I seem to recall the airport is literally on the boarder, and the Swiss roads are segregated from the French roads.
All’s well that ends well!
A nonchalant evening flight over open European skies in one of U2’s current fleet of 82 A320-200 jets (average age 13.3 years).
*Revised Comment*
A nonchalant evening flight over open European skies aboard one of U2’s current fleet of 82 A320-200 jets (average age 13.3 years)… Incidentally, greetings to BSL, the world’s only binational airport!
I think your son could have gotten the F seat pax’s number. She was just trying to pretend to be disinterested.
“Not cheap, not quiet, but it got us there.” Now the important question: Was it easy? (If easyjet isn’t easy then we’re never flying on them lol)
I always thought of Christmas dinner as being on the 24th. Maybe it’s just a Swiss thing. Do your in-laws celebrate Christmas on the 25th?
No, Christmas dinner was the 24th..this was second Christmas dinner
It seems strange that Europe can have great rail and financially stable ULCC and the US has neither.