Aer Lingus - 6

[Jack1985]

Strategy is that allowing daily connection to SFO broadens passenger demand for the route, wise statement.

[840]

Aer Lingus is now using three leased 757s as "pathfinders" on routes from Dublin to Toronto, and from Shannon to Boston and New York

I can understand it being a pathfinder to Toronto, but surely demand to Shannon is known at this point.

[Cian]

I can understand it being a pathfinder to Toronto, but surely demand to Shannon is known at this point.

More demand for a daily service than a 3x weekly; issue is knowing how much more.

[EI-A330-300]

Another few months on and another strike problem and SIPTU and the pension problems are not the problem. IMPACT (the largest cabin crew union) are threating to strike over rosters and SFO flights seem to be at the heard of the problem while last summers crewing problems are to.

Will Leo V put a stop to it

Varadkar said it seems to be the case that “someone in Aer Lingus” threatens strike action every three months yet never follows through, saying that people are “pretty sick” of this.

“I really think we should have an end to this old-fashioned trade union activity of threatening strikes over problems. Issues over rosters, which is what this is about, should be dealt with by negotiation and not megaphone diplomacy.

:

Varadkar: I am pretty sick of Aer Lingus workers threatening to go on strike

[Noxegon]

He's got a fair point with that one. Seriously, how many times have Aer Lingus had a threatened strike in the last few years?

[racedo]

Leo the tame pussy cat could have had his Govt sort it out years ago but played to Union support of his coalition partners.

[alserire]

The answer?

Is virtually every year. In June. When I go on holidays. At least once (maybe three years ago) I badgered them into letting me change my flight to the day before the planned strike (Tuesday to a Monday). This was the Saturday before. Think the strike was called off on a Sunday but that wasn't any help as it was getting to close to my travel date and I had to travel.


I'm near to done with them. I've two flights in June and July and if either fall through then I'll be using Lufthansa to connect in Europe and US carriers for North America. It's a total joke at this stage.

[MarkD]

How are Toronto service loads and yields going? Is there any possibility of it going year round? The expat community have great direct choice ex YYZ in the summer now with AC/TS/WS/EI but still doomed to LHR/AMS/US routings in winter with every connection increasing the chances of bag loss.

Edit: am seeing Nov dates in the engine. Is it year round already then?

[Una Due Tfc]

I think it's 4x weekly in the winter

[Cyrano]

Originally Posted by Una Due Tfc

I think it's 4x weekly in the winter

Yes, it seems to be 4x weekly (Mon Wed Fri Sun) until early January, then according to the online timetable it switches to 3x weekly (Tues Thurs Sat) until the start of the summer season when it goes daily again.

The switching round of operating days seems a bit odd if EI is trying to develop the route for any kind of business traffic - maybe they see it as essentially a leisure route?

Does anyone know whether there is any plan to do anything else with the aircraft on the "off" days (e.g. replace an A330 with it to JFK/BOS) or is it just parked up?

Edited to add:
I've just seen that EI109, the later of the two DUB-JFK flights, switches from daily to Mon-Wed-Fri-Sun for the same period (Jan-Mar) that Toronto switches to Tues-Thurs-Sat. So I am guessing that EI is taking one A330 out of service for that period (heavy maintenance? wetlease work?) and using the 757 to replace it on DUB-JFK.

[EI-A330-300]

The 330 will be taken out of service for Business class upgrades over the winter starting with 332 while one 332 will be operated Novair. Early new year 332 would be in heavy use so with SFO operating this winter it explains the 757 going to JFK. I also believe SNN-JFK will continue with a winter break.

[MarkD]

Thanks folks - I missed the EI website blurb first time round. Big deal for us expats.

[EI-A330-300]

Aer Lingus management have said they are considering moving 300 cabin crew jobs to N American bases to operate its T/A network and in a letter said crew would have to give concessions to be granted the rosters as pilots had to.

IMPACT are meeting for talks and there are no conditions! Didn't take them to meet....

IMPACT accepts Aer Lingus talks invitation - RTÉ News

[MCDU2]

Tis the usual threat since they don't want to have to deal with the labour court recommendations on rostering that they were meant to deal with over the past few years. Instead make a threat, bury your head in the sand and hope that the problem goes away.

Incidentally overseas bases have been rumoured for the past few years for pilots. Both the US and gulf have been mentioned.

[BAladdy]

EI have leased 4 aircraft from Titan Airways and 1 aircraft from Hi-Fly to operate extra flights ahead of the 24 hour strike that starts at midnight.

1 x 737 (G-ZAPZ) is being used to operate flights from ORK

1 x 737 (G-POWC), 1 x 757 (G-POWH), 1 x 767 (G-POWD) all Titan aircraft and 1 x Hi-FlyA310 (CS-TEX) are operating flights out of DUB

[Epsomdog]

Pension scheme

O'Brien defends pension rights of airport & airline workers - YouTube

Anyone have any more information on this?

[aer lingus]

Fianna Fail after the Aer Lingus votes again, they pandered to them all through the years, it was reckoned that the EI vote in Dublin was worth between 3-6 seats.

[Sober Lark]

Reports of a very selective green flu on a Boston flight.

[Bearcat]

Sober lark.....reports or your report?

[Sober Lark]

I'm far too green to use any form of professional selective weed killer.