Aer Lingus-7

[alserire]

I posted this a couple of months ago so can I first apologise for posting it again as I got no response. And EI seem very reluctant to part with the information. They want me to ring them once I've booked and have a flight reference number but I'd rather know what I was facing in terms of getting an upgrade before I book.


I am Platinum Class now till November 2018. Two things if anyone can help. Is the complimentary upgrade to business class one way only? And when is it applied? At time of booking? Check in? Boarding? New to this loyalty program business so not sure. EI website and customer service not very good on this!

Thanks in advance for any help available.

[EI-A330-300]

The way I read it is one upgrade per year on one flight. Can't say when it is applied.

[alserire]

That much I kind of had figured but thanks for confirming. It's the second part that intrigues me.

I'm able to afford business class to the US once a year so my idea in this instance was to book economy on the way out and business on the way back and then claim an upgrade on the way out. But they just don't seem to want to say when exactly they will award the upgrade. I know they do the bidding thing for business class seats and probably want to make as much as they can from every seat. I suppose I'm just trying to get value for money and my tier status. I'm likely to head Stateside only once next year so I really want to make the upgrade count. If the upgrade is at check in or boarding that means looking at certain days, times and destinations to see which Y classes are more likely to have spare seats. But I just can't get an answer from them as to when exactly they grant you the upgrade. First world problem but somewhat annoying!

Flying in Europe again with them soon. Maybe the check in staff at the airport might be able to help.

[EI-A330-300]

The standard bid to upgrade can only let passengers know up to a day before departure. I would imagine it's would be pretty similar (week to ten days out) after all the priority will be to sell the seats at cost not give them away.

Check your PM, if you haven't already. Might be of more help.

AerClub is just a complete mess.

[alserire]

Thanks.

Over a month waiting for my Platinum card. Does seem like a bit of a mess alright.

[EI-A330-300]

Reminding them again won't do any harm.

[alserire]

I did a few days ago!

Thanks again

[PPRuNeUser0176]

PHL or PIT appear to be doing the rounds as a possible route next year.

[seafire6b]

You will always get excellent J fares to MCO, and MIA is also going to be an option next summer.

Above quote from this thread, August last year. The suggestion of EI's new service to MIA was keenly noted - apart from EI's J service easily beating BA, also pre-clearance into the USA at DUB is a real plus!

Accordingly Mrs Seafire and I booked EI's new service to MIA, in fact we'd booked to travel this weekend. That was only until a certain Caribbean lady called Irma unkindly intervened!

Anyway nothing lost, there was no cancellation charge for the hotel in Miami and EI have suitably rebooked us - weather permitting? Btw, is EI0141/10 now officially cancelled?

[EI-A330-300]

Yes officially.

[seafire6b]

EI-330-300, thanks for that info, the website said something like "no seats available", but I intuitively guessed it was cancelled!:)

EI phoned me today (nice touch, instead of vice-versa) and changed our outbound trip okay, no problem. However, because we'd booked to be away for six weeks, they said I should wait until our original outbound flight (EI0141/10) was "officially cancelled", and then call back to amend our return flight MIA/DUB to a week later.


Seems strange to me, but I'll certainly do as EI asked, so hopefully we can get our planned six weeks in the USA.

[EI-A330-300]

Have you tried to change it online?

https://www.aerlingus.com/support/flight-disruption-information/

Because the trip is so long and the return not affected by weather it could be a case of them having to wave a change fee which would apply. I would maybe contact them again before you travel just to double check.

[seafire6b]

Thanks A-330-300, I did actually make the request when EI called me. It seems that because of the time-range, a six week trip falls outside the scope of a system-applied no-fee amendment. I was nonetheless told it could be done immediately, but in exchange for an additional €1000!

When I protested - also pleading that after a good experience last year, we'd converted to EI "J" from VS & BA - I was told a "case" would be compiled on my EI record(!), in readiness for my return call. As you suggest, I'm obviously hoping it's just a matter of an EI person having authority to waive the fee. We'll see how that goes, and I'll report back. That Irma's got a lot to answer for!

[seafire6b]

Just my promised update, all is now sorted! I phoned EI/DUB reservations this morning, the very helpful EI agent said he couldn't understand why they'd earlier even mentioned change-fees. He confirmed that because of Hurricane Irma, our outbound flights had been involuntarily amended, so there was no restriction about then choosing a later return.

Perhaps EI's system was busy playing catch-cup yesterday? Nevertheless, now resolved promptly and happily by EI, all within a quick phonecall. No regrets whatsoever about leaving BA and VS for our Florida outings - Shamrock Guys, thanks!

[EI-A330-300]

It's almost a year since Hartford started, loads over the summer have reached between 92-94% over a number of months (typical across all routes). Over the last year they have largely been more less 80% plus apart from December/January which was much lower.

May well be a possible A330 contender in future.


Great, it did sound strange.

[brian_dromey]

Possibly. The 332 would be about 50% more in Economy but double the number of Business seats. Is Premium demand strong? In favour of the 332, there would be more cargo and the new 333s are equipped with crew rest for the west coast, so there would be more flexibility to put a 332 on the likes of BDL and use the 757 elsewhere.

[seafire6b]

... Great, it did sound strange.


Yes, thanks EI-A330-300. I'm only guessing, but think the EI agent I spoke to on my initial phonecall should perhaps have fully processed the "Irma booking amendment" first and then given the system time to digest that info (kind of switch off and back on again!), before attempting to change the return sectors. As mentioned, there was apparently no system-flagging of a €1000 change-fee when I called back the following day.

Anyway, all now being okay, Mrs SF and I are set for our upcoming trip to MIA. In fact, early next week we're already prebooked Frontier AL to DEN for a roadtrip up to Dakota and Wyoming. Without wishing to make light of the bad situation in Florida, perhaps the mops and buckets will have been fully used by the time we return!

[EI-A330-300]

According to Willie Walsh speaking in Barcelona, EI are preparing a business case to operate 12 A321LR.

[Just a spotter]

With the first of the A321LR's due in 2019, the 3 A321CEO's in the fleet will be 20 years old at that point, I suspect the arrival of the new metal will correspond with the current aircraft retiring from service.

[Una Due Tfc]

I wouldn't be so sure. They're very different aircraft capability wise.

[A320.b744]

The A321LRs will be in long haul configuration. They're going to replace the B752 and expand thin East Coast services. The A321ceos will probably be replaced by A320s or a separate A321 order.

[EI-A330-300]

They own the current 3 A321's so unless they start giving major trouble I can't see them leaving the fleet for a while yet.

[brian_dromey]

With the first of the A321LR's due in 2019, the 3 A321CEO's in the fleet will be 20 years old at that point, I suspect the arrival of the new metal will correspond with the current aircraft retiring from service.

It seems unlikely that the LRs would replace the A321s currently in the fleet. Admittedly they are getting on a bit, but seem to be relatively reliable. Vueling seem to be the main destination for new A320s in the IAG family and EI themselves have admitted they are struggling to make the business case for short haul fleet renewal.

[Jamie2k9]

Expected that Philadelphia will be announced this Wednesday.

[EI-A330-300]

If its PHL then all I can say ‘meh’.

[alserire]

Me too. This obsession with the East Coast? Hartford, JFK, EWR and then Philly?

Overkill really.

[A320.b744]

The East Coast is the region of the USA with the strongest links to Ireland. It makes perfect sense to have multiple destinations in the area. I do think however that Pittsburgh would have been a better choice for Pennsylvania, given that American already fly DUB-PHL and PIT only has two European destinations (KEF, FRA).

[Noxegon]

PIT would seem on the face of it to be more sensible. Why go head to head with another airline when there's an unserved destination just up the road?

[Jamie2k9]

I haven't had PHL confirmed but fairly confident.

Its typical EI in terms of route choice.

[EISNN]

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/new-aer-lingus-route-will-compete-with-us-airline-1.3240210

There’s speculation it may even be Atlanta. Either way it seems it’s going to be head to head with another operator. I’d imagine it’ll most likely be an A330 operation seeing as it’s a route that’s already established. There’s very likely been an increase in demand over the last few years.

[EI-A330-300]

ATL is madness as a suggestion....it only survives for DL because of transit!

Appears EI are hoping to get some MON flight deck on board, they need quiet a few for next summer and have organised an even in Mancehster tomorrow.

I believe they need 200-250 more crew and pilots to fulfill 2018 flying.

[A320.b744]

The article just says that it's a route already served by an airline. Yes ATL is a possibility, but PHL or CLT are a lot more likely to be the new route. PHL is however the most likely option according to the rumours.

Good news about Aer Lingus holding recruiting events for MON crew, although both Virgin Atlantic and Ryanair are trying to recruit them too.

[EI-A330-300]

EI planning direct US to mainland Europe routes and 8 A321 will expand not replace aircraft. So 12 will allow B757 go.

Ryanair's problems have benefited them with a spike in bookings.

[Una Due Tfc]

8 additional longhaul narrowbodies over 2 years? Wow! I'd imagine every regional airport in NE America/Canada will be banging their door down.

Day flight to JFK to return, maybe BWI to resume too?

Then YUL, DTW, PIT would all be strong contenders too IMO.

[PPRuNeUser0176]

800 extra staff over the next 2 years (200 pilots alone). Over 50 from MON came to the event on Tuesday. They are roughly planning to add over a million T/A passengers by 2020 at DUB.

They also appear to be looking for another A330 or B757 for 2018 as they hope to make another route announcement.

In 2018 they are forecasting an extra 250,000 T/A passengers.

Going to be a positive few years if it all comes off.

[alserire]

Preclearance going to get very busy unless there's a little expansion there too!

[airbourne]

Me too. This obsession with the East Coast? Hartford, JFK, EWR and then Philly?

Overkill really.

I assume you have access to all the data relating to passenger numbers and profitable routes that EI has, this is why you are able to state that it is overkill?

[AerRyan]

There's 7 A321's on order. Not 12.

[PPRuNeUser0176]

They are been leased and the lessor has a lot more than 7 on order.

Preclearance going to get very busy unless there's a little expansion there too!

TSA is the only problem at the minute.

[Shamrock350]

There's 7 A321's on order. Not 12.

Aer Lingus management are currently building a business case for 12 according to Willie Walsh. IAG will obviously review it and consider a top up order.

[116d]

The article just says that it's a route already served by an airline. Yes ATL is a possibility, but PHL or CLT are a lot more likely to be the new route. PHL is however the most likely option according to the rumours.

Good news about Aer Lingus holding recruiting events for MON crew, although both Virgin Atlantic and Ryanair are trying to recruit them too.

easyJet have also been encouraging ex-Monarch crew to apply for vacancies they have at LTN and LGW.

Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if all airlines are interested in any applications that come from ex-Monarch crew. It's good to see that other airlines are keen to taken them on and I hope they all find new jobs quickly.

[EI-A330-300]

Appears to be some speculation EI will announce Seattle in the next few weeks if they can secure an additional aircraft in time for summer 2018.

They did say when they announced PHL they hope to be back with another announcement in a few weeks.

Mood lighting roll out on long haul fleet has also started.

[ia350]

Not going to happen but would love if they started PHX or a Texas route Austin or Dallas would be great .

[cornishsimon]

Criptic Facebook post about CPH

New route ?

[Shamrock350]

A one off Copenhagen flight is on sale for the Ireland vs Denmark match.

Aer Lingus have tried and failed this route numerous times, don't see it making a full time return.

[mallowman]

They may have in the past, but Facebook are building a huge data centre in Odense and 75% of the construction workers and engineers are from Ireland. The daily Ryanair, SAS and Norwegian are doing very well from this project which is set to last 3 years

[EI-A330-300]

Looks like EI recruitment announcement came at the right time:

Thousands of pilots from around Europe, many from troubled carriers such as Monarch Airlines and Air Berlin, have applied for 100 jobs at Aer Lingus.

The Irish airline announced several weeks ago that it intends to hire 200 pilots over the next three years; it advertised the first 100 positions in October, and by the closing date, on Tuesday this week, almost 3,000 experienced pilots are understood to have applied.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/almost-3-000-pilots-apply-for-100-aer-lingus-jobs-1.3276935

[EI-A330-300]

Reported Aer Lingus will announce new T/A route on Friday. They have apparently agreed A330 lease in the last 2 weeks. Rumoured x4 weekly SEA while PHL will be increased to daily.

[Jerry123]

Does Aer Lingus codeshare with Alaska Air?

[CabinCrewe]

No, doesnt look like it. Interestingly BA codeshare with EI and Alaska.

[Jerry123]

Well hopefully then EI will be able to use that relationship to codeshare with them as Seattle is their biggest hub.

[EI-A330-300]

While not part of Oneworld or any alliance, Alaska routes/fares are listed with Oneworld Global Explorer as well.

[ia350]

Very strange route if it happens really hoping for a Texas route soon .

[red.sky@night]

SEA has become a major tech hub....even Apple have a serious setup there.

EI flying a kite in the hope of Microsoft, Amazon etc block booking capacity ?

Perhaps with a bit of a push from IDA to all concerned ?

[inOban]

Isn't it also a major cruise port?

[irishlad06]

The aircraft will be from air tanker - air tanker flight deck and aer Lingus cabin crew.

[EI-A330-300]

Sure it's no AB

[LAX_LHR]

If it's air tanker that will seriously dilute the Aer Lingus experience. Air Tanker have been running TCX long haul flights from MAN and pax already complain that there are no seat back TV's and lack of premium cabin, imagine what that's going to be like for EI who have a J cabin?

[EI-A330-300]

Hard to see Air Tanker unless it was a medium/long term lease and EI would fit out the aircraft. They have no new A330 on order after the final one arrives this month.

Getting pilot approval for outsourced A330 ops is rather interesting, hard to see how they would get it passed.

[A320.b744]

The aircraft would be reconfigured into the standard Aer Lingus layout, with the Aer Lingus hard product. Air Tanker did the same when they leased their aircraft to Jet2 - their A330s all had Jet2's grey and red seating. Also, Thomas Cook's Air Tanker A330 was in fact reconfigured into standard Thomas Cook layout, with Zodiac Rave seat back IFE installed, so your comments regarding the matter are incorrect.

[LAX_LHR]

The air tanker for TCX did not get reconfigured per se. It got the basic MT seats but no premium cabin. This is why there were questions about its use on the new MAN-SEA route as the product probably wasn't the best choice for a (new) west coast USA route, with no Y+ cabin to book. The second AircTanker didn't even have PVT's.

https://www.thomascookairlines.com/en/fly-with-us/our-airlines-partners/our-fleet/partner-airlines.jsp

As for the Jet2 one, it's a short haul configured aircraft, apart from the seat colours, there was little difference form the standard air tanker config anyway.

[irishlad06]

It's up to each individual airline as to what way they configure the aircraft.

The 3 year air tanker TCX lease has seat back tv's. GM which is basic white with decals doesn't - but this was only a 1 year lease initially.

Take the Jet2 GL - they goose what way for it to be configured - insisted on their seats and choose what way to paint it. It's up to each airline that is leasing the aircraft how much money they want to put into it. The Jet2 lease is a summer only 3 year lease (apart from the 3weeks for EWR flights) but when it's not on lease to Jet2 the seats r starting and it's still painted.

[PPRuNeUser0176]

CEO said yesterday they have "no plans" to rejoin One World and have not even looked at a business case for it.

[Jamie2k9]

Seattle x4 weekly starting 18 May more less offical now.

[Una Due Tfc]

Any confirmation on where the aircraft is coming from and what it is? IE A332/A333?

[Jamie2k9]

Not sure but long term lease and will be fully crewed by EI apparently.

There is some suggestions that they will be ex QR.

[ia350]

Officially confirmed now ! Amazing expansion from aer lingus on translantic.

[Just a spotter]

The Irish Independent (15th Dec) is reporting EI is adding 2 A330's to the fleet in 2018 giving a total of 13 A330's.

https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/aer-lingus-adds-two-a330s-to-its-north-atlantic-fleet-36410579.html

EI-GCF plus one more?

[Jamie2k9]

Second is a long term leased A330-200, reportedly coming from QR but that latter not confirmed.

[BAladdy]

British Airways have agreed to wet lease a A320 from Aer Lingus. The lease will run from today through until 23MAR18 with the aircraft being used to operate as shown below

Monday to Friday

BA831 DUB 07:10 LHR 08:40
BA962 LHR 09:35 HAM 12:15 (Ops 10 mins earlier on Friday)
BA969 HAM 13:10 LHR 14:00 (Ops 5 mins later on Monday)
BA826 LHR 15:20 DUB 16:50
BA827 DUB 17:40 LHR 19:10
BA824 LHR 21:15 DUB 22:35

Saturday

BA831 DUB 07:10 LHR 08:40
BA962 LHR 09:40 HAM 12:20
BA969 HAM 13:10 LHR 14:00
BA826 LHR 15:25 DUB 16:55
BA827 DUB 17:40 LHR 19:10
BA828 LHR 20:10 DUB 21:35

Sunday

BA833 DUB 07:25 LHR 08:55
BA962 LHR 09:40 HAM 12:20
BA969 HAM 13:15 LHR 14:05
BA826 LHR 15:25 DUB 16:55
BA827 DUB 17:50 LHR 19:20
BA824 LHR 21:15 DUB 22:35

* All flights will operate in a all economy configuration
* Complimentry Drinks and Snacks will be offered to all passengers

Today’s flights will be operated by EI-DVE. Does anyone know if EI are planning to use the same aircraft for the duration of the lease or will the aircraft used change on a daily basis?

[ManUtd1999]

Any predictions on new routes for next year? The current fleet plan has 4x A321-LR arriving and 4x 757s staying so there is room for 3-4 extra daily transatlantic rotations....

The A321s will give EI huge flexibility to "right-size" routes. 2x A321s will give a small capacity increase v 1x A330 and the extra frequency gives much more connecting options in Dublin. Routes like JFK, BOS, ORD would all be candidates for this IMO, freeing up an A330 for a new route further west (Denver, Dallas, etc). Montreal is probably the biggest gap in their East Coast network but Detroit/Charlotte/Baltimore/Cleveland could all be options.

My prediction would be:
2x A321 to JFK
1x A321 to Montreal
Increase Philadelphia to daily
4-5 weekly Denver with the spare A330

It'll be interesting to see what they do on SH as well with the A321s doing a morning short-haul rotation in between translatlantic services. In particular EI currently operate to some big cities which lack US flights (eg, Lyon, Nice, Prague, Budapest). These routes are aimed at O/D travel and connections aren't sold ATM but maybe frequency could be increased to allow it. I'm sure there's demand.

[snn20]

Any predictions on new routes for next year? The current fleet plan has 4x A321-LR arriving and 4x 757s staying so there is room for 3-4 extra daily transatlantic rotations....

The A321s will give EI huge flexibility to "right-size" routes. 2x A321s will give a small capacity increase v 1x A330 and the extra frequency gives much more connecting options in Dublin. Routes like JFK, BOS, ORD would all be candidates for this IMO, freeing up an A330 for a new route further west (Denver, Dallas, etc). Montreal is probably the biggest gap in their East Coast network but Detroit/Charlotte/Baltimore/Cleveland could all be options.

My prediction would be:
2x A321 to JFK
1x A321 to Montreal
Increase Philadelphia to daily
4-5 weekly Denver with the spare A330

It'll be interesting to see what they do on SH as well with the A321s doing a morning short-haul rotation in between translatlantic services. In particular EI currently operate to some big cities which lack US flights (eg, Lyon, Nice, Prague, Budapest). These routes are aimed at O/D travel and connections aren't sold ATM but maybe frequency could be increased to allow it. I'm sure there's demand.
1 757 to leave next year afaik. presumably CJX

[EI-A330-300]

Any predictions on new routes for next year? The current fleet plan has 4x A321-LR arriving and 4x 757s staying so there is room for 3-4 extra daily transatlantic rotations....

The A321s will give EI huge flexibility to "right-size" routes. 2x A321s will give a small capacity increase v 1x A330 and the extra frequency gives much more connecting options in Dublin. Routes like JFK, BOS, ORD would all be candidates for this IMO, freeing up an A330 for a new route further west (Denver, Dallas, etc). Montreal is probably the biggest gap in their East Coast network but Detroit/Charlotte/Baltimore/Cleveland could all be options.

My prediction would be:
2x A321 to JFK
1x A321 to Montreal
Increase Philadelphia to daily
4-5 weekly Denver with the spare A330

It'll be interesting to see what they do on SH as well with the A321s doing a morning short-haul rotation in between translatlantic services. In particular EI currently operate to some big cities which lack US flights (eg, Lyon, Nice, Prague, Budapest). These routes are aimed at O/D travel and connections aren't sold ATM but maybe frequency could be increased to allow it. I'm sure there's demand.

PHL goes daily this month!

As for the A321s, it depends on delivery schedule but they operate LHR and likely AMS, CDG and possible EDI but thats a little more complicated.

[Fly757X]

PHL goes daily this month!

As for the A321s, it depends on delivery schedule but they operate LHR and likely AMS, CDG and possible EDI but thats a little more complicated.

These new A321LRs are intended for Transatlantic services replacing the B752s from ASL. As for the current A321s they operate to Seaside destinations and Ski resorts with the odd Rome and elsewhere too.

[Shamrock350]

These new A321LRs are intended for Transatlantic services replacing the B752s from ASL. As for the current A321s they operate to Seaside destinations and Ski resorts with the odd Rome and elsewhere too.
There is potential for the A321LR to operate some European services between transatlantic operations. This has been mentioned by both the CEO and COO recently.

[Fly757X]

There is potential for the A321LR to operate some European services between transatlantic operations. This has been mentioned by both the CEO and COO recently.

Of course, however it is much to earlier to pin them on LHR/CDG. EDI is out of the equation (as you mentioned) I'm afraid for the foreseeable as no intention has been made public. This is probably due to the strong competition from Ryanair. Also there would be much more tangible benefits if the A321CEOs were deployed on LHR/CDG etc and the A321NEOS went to the likes of FAO etc. This is due to the increased fuel needed on those routes making it more economical.

[cornishsimon]

Just curious about EDI. Is this out of the hypothetical equation simply because that’s a sole regional route with no mainline service. ?


cs

[Fly757X]

Just curious about EDI. Is this out of the hypothetical equation simply because that’s a sole regional route with no mainline service. ?


cs

Yes, for the foreseeable anyway.

[EGAC is Better]

Of course, however it is much to earlier to pin them on LHR/CDG. EDI is out of the equation (as you mentioned) I'm afraid for the foreseeable as no intention has been made public. This is probably due to the strong competition from Ryanair. Also there would be much more tangible benefits if the A321CEOs were deployed on LHR/CDG etc and the A321NEOS went to the likes of FAO etc. This is due to the increased fuel needed on those routes making it more economical.

If the A321Neo’s will operate Trans-Atlantic with a premium config up front, would it not make sense to use them to offer nice business class seats on feeder services from key markets?

[ManUtd1999]

If the A321Neo’s will operate Trans-Atlantic with a premium config up front, would it not make sense to use them to offer nice business class seats on feeder services from key markets?
I think that's exactly what they'll do. Morning rotations to key feeder or business markets before an early afternoon trans-atlantic. That will in turn free up A320/A321 ceos to add new short haul routes or increase frequency.

[EI-A330-300]

EI/EIR have a contract clause on Scotland routes and overcoming this could be a problem but LHR will be guaranteed from next summer and may potentially be the only route in 2019.

Also there would be much more tangible benefits if the A321CEOs were deployed on LHR/CDG etc and the A321NEOS went to the likes of FAO etc. This is due to the increased fuel needed on those routes making it more economical.

From a fuel prospective yes however they will make more money flying NEO to LHR/AMS/CDG/FCO with J almost full. They will probally not do any med routes because the config in Y is more less an A320 and they will make little extra on the J class seats.

[Just a spotter]

It looks like one of the new A330's will need a little TLC.

While under tow to the gate in SFO EI-GAJ rubbed up against a wall

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/irish-passengers-stuck-on-runway-for-almost-an-hour-as-aer-lingus-plane-hits-concrete-pillar-at-us-airport-36941213.html

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Passenger-Plane-Being-Towed-at-SFO-Makes-Contact-With-Wall-483521901.html

Edit: View looking from the front of the aircraft (credit Facebook via Boards.ie)
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=451537&d=1527158552

JAS

[Fly757X]

It looks like one of the new A330's will need a little TLC.

While under tow to the gate in SFO EI-GAJ rubbed up against a wall

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/irish-passengers-stuck-on-runway-for-almost-an-hour-as-aer-lingus-plane-hits-concrete-pillar-at-us-airport-36941213.html

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Passenger-Plane-Being-Towed-at-SFO-Makes-Contact-With-Wall-483521901.html

Edit: View looking from the front of the aircraft (credit Facebook via Boards.ie)
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=451537&d=1527158552

JAS

Had winglet removed on return to DUB

[Sober Lark]

Regular traveller on DUB-FRA route. I travel out Fridays and back mainly on Sun & Mon. Have noticed a sharp decrease in passenger numbers on Aer Lingus flights. (49 pax this evening for example). LH have increased frequency on the route. FR are starting Oct. perhaps AerLingus bussing people out to the satellite stands or the check in T2 and walk to T1 has had an adverse effect? Or LH more frequent (but generally more expensive) service with connections is more attractive? FR launch prices are not that great but if they reduce them I can’t see EI on the route this time next year.

[Jamie2k9]

Regular traveller on DUB-FRA route. I travel out Fridays and back mainly on Sun & Mon. Have noticed a sharp decrease in passenger numbers on Aer Lingus flights. (49 pax this evening for example). LH have increased frequency on the route. FR are starting Oct. perhaps AerLingus bussing people out to the satellite stands or the check in T2 and walk to T1 has had an adverse effect? Or LH more frequent (but generally more expensive) service with connections is more attractive? FR launch prices are not that great but if they reduce them I can’t see EI on the route this time next year.



DUB-FRA goes 3 daily Mon, Fri and Sun over most of winter season just as Ryanair start. There is no question of the route been dropped but x3 daily won't last and 49 on a Saturday evening isn't great but not unusual.

LH/EI attract very different types of passengers with EI been heavily O&D and LH connections.

[Sober Lark]

Thanks Jamie, but 101 put on their Friday morning 15 June service and I recall even less on the same service on the Friday of the June bank holiday weekend. Been doing that route every week or two for the last two years and the drop off in numbers with EI is very noticeable. EI generally have the most competitive fares and I like the airline but due to overall convenience LH gets my business if they are no more than an EI +€40 in the difference roundtrip. Have used FR from FRA on other routes but at present it’s a hell of a long bus journey from the terminal to their stand and the fares FR have on offer at present just wouldn’t entice me away from EI or LH.

[Just a spotter]

IB received its first A350 today, 26th June, and the first of the type for the IAG family.

According to the FlightGlobal article on the delivery;

Parent IAG's UK carrier British Airways has 18 A350-1000s on order while its Irish operator Aer Lingus is taking nine A350-900s.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/iberia-receives-iags-first-a350-449738/

Is FlightGlobal just working off out of date information? Has no decision been made on the original A350 announcement? Or have the slots been reallocated within IAG and just not relabled?

Does anyone know for certain if the A350's are still arriving to EI?

JAS

[Shamrock350]

FlightGlobal just working on old information.

Aer Lingus explained its future fleet plan at an investors meeting last year and no A350s were visible well into the 2020s. The fleet will focus on A321LR and A333 for the foreseeable but those saying the order is "dead" or "will never happen" are naive as that's not the way IAG works.

Within IAG any aircraft currently on the books could go to any airline should a business case be put forward and be successful, if in a few years Aer Lingus decide its ready for next generation aircraft it could get them pretty quickly by either dipping into the IAG orders or exercising options held by the group just like they did with the recent A333s. The A321LR was ordered pretty quickly once Aer Lingus displayed to IAG the business case was there for them.

So are the original 9 A350s still coming to Aer Lingus? No. Could they still arrive at a later date? Definitely.

[Skipness One Foxtrot]

So are the original 9 A350s still coming to Aer Lingus? No. Could they still arrive at a later date? Definitely.
OK so they're going to Iberia or BA instead? IAG are still taking them?

[Shamrock350]

OK so they're going to Iberia or BA instead? IAG are still taking them?
It's not clear.

The majority of the original order hadn't been assigned production numbers by Airbus yet, by early 2016 only the first aircraft had been given MSN 197 with delivery scheduled for Q2 2018 but that was later assigned to Vietnam Airlines, obviously not an IAG carrier. Obviously IAG already has an A350 order pool, I'm not sure if that officially went up by 9 units when Aer Lingus joined the group or not and that's the only way to tell where those aircraft went.

The original slot was clearly reassigned by Airbus on instruction from Aer Lingus/IAG sometime in 2016.

When I suggested the aircraft could arrive at a later date, I was talking about the larger A350 order already at IAG including options which could be exercised relatively quickly like the recent brand new A333 arrivals.

[airnoc]

How many passengers were affected by NOC/Gatwick flight on 28/06/2018 that was canceled?
What was the real reason?

[owenc]

Is anybody a member of Aerclub? I’ve just signed up. I’ve been looking at the conceirge level:

4 free upgrades
complimentary passenger

are these 4 free upgrades guaranteed, in that you book an economy flight and they upgrade you there and then? I need confirmation of this before I dedicate myself to flying back and forth between Belfast and Heathrow.

I wouldn’t want to spend all that time and money only to discover that it doesn’t guarantee me an upgrade.

[Shamrock350]

Is anybody a member of Aerclub? I’ve just signed up. I’ve been looking at the conceirge level:

4 free upgrades
complimentary passenger

are these 4 free upgrades guaranteed, in that you book an economy flight and they upgrade you there and then? I need confirmation of this before I dedicate myself to flying back and forth between Belfast and Heathrow.

I wouldn’t want to spend all that time and money only to discover that it doesn’t guarantee me an upgrade.

As always upgrades are subject to availability, as for upgrading you there and then, sure, if there’s space.

In all honestly, if you’re dedicating yourself to flying BHD-LHR just to get Concierge and a couple of upgrades a year, I wouldn’t bother.

[owenc]

Why not? I fly back and forth constantly (but not heathrow).

[Shamrock350]

If that's the case go for it, you'll obviously get plenty of other rewards working through the tiers.

[owenc]

Fair enough Shamrock. It is a treck from my University to Heathrow but I thought it might be worth it for the free Business Class upgrades.

I wanted to be sure that it’d be guaranteed though.

I will maybe give it a trial run.

[EI-A330-300]

Owen,

Unless you can advance a level by 1 December 2018, there is no point in starting until after 1 Dec. They reset it annually so you have 1 year to move up a tier.

[owenc]

Reset what? The points? Avios too?

[irishlad06]

Fair enough Shamrock. It is a treck from my University to Heathrow but I thought it might be worth it for the free Business Class upgrades.

I wanted to be sure that it’d be guaranteed though.

I will maybe give it a trial run.


You do know that Aer Lingus do not do business class on short haul yet? I likely never to be from BHD I’d they do introduce it.

The upgrades are are on the long haul flights to America operates by A330/B757 and soon to be A321N-LR.

Your ur best bet is to open a BA account. That way claim both miles for travelling on BA and EI and earn your way up through the tiers. U should be silver in no time which gets you lounge access and other perks.

[owenc]

Yes I was planning on using it on a long haul return flight, on Aer Lingus. I am aware of that. It now sounds like it’s not feasible based on what members are saying.

[EI-A330-300]

Reset what? The points? Avios too?


Just the points, so no point in spending hundreds before Dec unless you are confident you can achieve it.

In general, unless you are going to pay for Plus tickets from LHR then its not worth it as many of the basic fares are only 7.5 and not 15 credits. You only get 15 on saver fares if you spend I think more than 70 euro each way so whatever the equivalent in points.

[owenc]

That sounds like a hassle not worth pursuing. Such a pity they reset in December.

[PC767]

The points anniversary is from when you join. Mine is the 21st of November. I have 1 year from that date to accumulate as many points as I can or need. I travel ORK-LHR- ORK several times a month and I'm silver, I've no desire to go further, it's all I need on the route. Priority boarding, fast track and lounge access. There is no business class to be upgraded to. I have just reached my points total to be renewed as a silver card, earlier than November. I believe my points anniversary will still be from November so any points between now and then may be lost. On the other hand my points anniversary may run from now. The email wasn't clear. I'm due a new card and letter which may explain more.

[owenc]

Thanks PC767, I might email Aerclub and ask them when the renewal date is.

[EI-BUD]

If you log into aer club or via the Aer Lingus app and scroll the virtual card over the screen it will show you your anniversary date.

[Una Due Tfc]

IAG ordered 2 more A332s for level at Farnborough this morning for delivery next year. Any chance of a few end of line HGW -300s for EI or do they need to sing a bit louder for their lunch?

[owenc]

If you log into aer club or via the Aer Lingus app and scroll the virtual card over the screen it will show you your anniversary date.
2nd july 2019. So does that mean that I will lose points at that date? So booking a business class upgrade for next summer would be impossible?

[EGAC is Better]

2nd july 2019. So does that mean that I will lose points at that date? So booking a business class upgrade for next summer would be impossible?

If all you really want is a business class seat next summer, just go buy it as soon as it opens for sale. By the time you spend all your £££’s back and forth between BHD and LHR building points, buying it outright when fares are low would probably cause less of a headache. Don’t forget that award upgrade is not guaranteed on all flights, you’ll be allowed to use it at a time which suits the airline.

You will also keep any miles earned but your status points will be reset so you will have points to ‘purchase’ an upgrade. You’ll also get to keep for a year, whatever status you achieve between now and July 2019.

[owenc]

Fares to san francisco are never low.

[EGAC is Better]

Fares to san francisco are never low.

In that case, might be worth working out how likely if would be to be able to avail of your preferred upgrade, to avoid disappointment.

I only say this because you have a plan to collect points to upgrade. If you can’t get your desired upgrade, it might be much more cost effect to fly on an orange tailed or harp tailed bus between Belfast and London :)

Good luck with whatever you choose!

[owenc]

Yeah. It came down to £1700 a few months ago, not sure how likely that is to happen again.

It sounds like the flyer miles aren’t worth it...

[ia350]

Why do you need to fly business ? Economy fares to the west coast are very reasonable.

[owenc]

It’s a long flight.

[EI-A330-300]

IAG ordered 2 more A332s for level at Farnborough this morning for delivery next year. Any chance of a few end of line HGW -300s for EI or do they need to sing a bit louder for their lunch?


Not sure about new but has been suggestion possible 2 A330s will join with potential 1 replacement. SEA should be increased because loads are strong since launch. DEN was strongly rumored this year so 1 new A330 would allow daily SEA and x4 weekly DEN work. Then of course the 3 A321LRs to boost east coast capacity while adding a route or two.

[CCR]

Would be great to see one of the A321LR`s on a Cork-New York route.

[owenc]

We have seen that transatlantic doesn’t work from Cork.

[tom1975]

I don't think it's as straight forward as you are making it out by saying, 'Transatlantic doesn't work from Cork'. While I think Cork is a regional airport, and the reality of flights across the US is a completely unrealistic expectation, you also need to look at the offering that is there for transatlantic at the moment. Norwegian, while they deserve credit for offering the first direct route, fly into Providence... this is marketed as Boston, but the reality is, Providence is not Boston, and should not be marketed as Boston! This is like FR marketing Hahn as Frankfurt. There is no possibility of onward connections to other areas in the US, and the days of week the service is offered are all over the place. I fly to the US quite often, but the service they offer never makes sense, in terms of outbound and return. Cork needs a regular service to either New York or Boston, where people can connect onwards to other destinations. If it's EI that offer this, great, I personally don't think they will, but that's just an opinion! I think Cork needs to find a carrier that will be able to fly passengers into a larger airport, with good onward flight opportunities...

[MCDU2]

They do already. Shannon, Dublin or they fly to LHR/AMS etc. Therein lies the problem with Cork and why Norwegian have curtailed routes. The demand is thin and Cork have demonstrated time and time over that they are extremely price sensitive and show little brand loyalty. Putting in a TA aircraft for AL will only dilute their loads out of Dublin and Shannon. Same if they were to put a BFS based A330.

[owenc]

A 757 could do Belfast. We already had that for 10 years +.

It was pulled for Transcontinental flights.

There is no question of this as our population and population density is much larger than the areas surrounding Cork, and we can provide financial backing.

[840]

It's not so much that people in Cork have shown themselves to be price sensitive as that they have shown themselves to be willing to take a direct flight from Dublin in preference to a connecting flight from Cork. So for Aer Lingus there is absolutely no point looking at the service. If significant numbers of people were routing via LHR, CDG, AMS to get to New York, Aer Lingus would seriously look at the service as another airline would be getting the bulk of the revenue. If another airline started offering a successful direct service, Aer Lingus would probably react with a direct service as that would impact on Dublin numbers.

[EI-BUD]

Aer Lingus has a hub at Dublin Airport. Connecting the US to EUROPE and vice versa. The long haul services support the short haul services and vice versa and Dublin is where their short haul services and long services meet.

so establishing anything in Cork would seem counter to the strategy that is currently at work. As another poster described, the only conditions under which Aer Lingus would do Cork US would be if another carrier came into that market and impacted its Dublin and Shannon services greatly.

Norwegian are the pioneers here, argueably they are the wrong carrier for this market. Though good job for ORK securing the route. Cork would need a flight to a well connected gateway with adequate connections to cover North America. Norwegian does not provide such a service. Belfast has the same challenge....
​​​​​​
​​

[CCR]

You`re spot on EI-BUD. Norwegian are cutting their winter services to Belfast, Cork and Shannon because of their precarious financial position. They cannot afford to sustain losses on routes in the winter period. A Cork-New York with a hub carrier would work well. There are 500,000 people living in Cork (city & county). Shannon has far less population yet has numerous transatlantic services.
Both Belfast and Cork have the same challenge in attracting a hub carrier for transatlantic services. They are similar sized cities though Cork is obviously more prosperous with a lot more industry, especially US firms in pharma and IT. Both cities should be able to attract a hub carrier if Shannon can.

[840]

I think it's being generous giving Cork every person in Cork County. After all, if you are in Fermoy or Mitchelstown, you can get a direct bus to Dublin Airport and not to Cork Airport.

If the politicians in Cork, who are stressing about growth in Dublin, worried more about access to Cork Airport from Waterford, Kerry, South Tipperary and even Cork, than they did about Cork people using Dublin Airport it would serve them a lot better.

[snn20]

You`re spot on EI-BUD. Norwegian are cutting their winter services to Belfast, Cork and Shannon because of their precarious financial position. They cannot afford to sustain losses on routes in the winter period. A Cork-New York with a hub carrier would work well. There are 500,000 people living in Cork (city & county). Shannon has far less population yet has numerous transatlantic services.
Both Belfast and Cork have the same challenge in attracting a hub carrier for transatlantic services. They are similar sized cities though Cork is obviously more prosperous with a lot more industry, especially US firms in pharma and IT. Both cities should be able to attract a hub carrier if Shannon can.
Norwegian have cut SNN-PVD however increased SNN-SWF to daily. If Cork cannot find a carrier to operate a sustainable transatlantic service within the next 10 years, that could spell the end of that dream as the M20 will be open by then.

[Cozy F]

How would this impact if followed through on both sides? ��

Theresa May visits Irish border as Dublin threatens to BLOCK planes (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5969841/amp/May-visits-Irish-border-Dublin-threatens-BLOCK-planes-flying-UK.html)

[EI-BUD]

Could I suggest in relation to the discussion about relative populations in various points like Cork, Belfast and Shannon. This topic its largely irrelevant.

The USA is the source of the lions share of passengers, holiday makers and VFR in the main.

let's remember Shannon has a hugely established transatlantic reputation. Tour operators in the USA use Shannon and Cork is not yet featuring heavily. This may be due to lack of frequency, and then established trading arrangements ex Dublin and Shannon. There is good business traffic opportunities in the Cork area, such could sustain a service, but as mentioned Norwegian is not in the frame for any of this...

Cork, IMHO needs one of the USA large network carriers to offer a daily rotation to a large US city, ie EWR/JFK. They need to offer a wide range of connections, cater for business traffic, and stick at it until it gets well known and established and onto the program of large tour organisers....

[owenc]

You`re spot on EI-BUD. Norwegian are cutting their winter services to Belfast, Cork and Shannon because of their precarious financial position. They cannot afford to sustain losses on routes in the winter period. A Cork-New York with a hub carrier would work well. There are 500,000 people living in Cork (city & county). Shannon has far less population yet has numerous transatlantic services.
Both Belfast and Cork have the same challenge in attracting a hub carrier for transatlantic services. They are similar sized cities though Cork is obviously more prosperous with a lot more industry, especially US firms in pharma and IT. Both cities should be able to attract a hub carrier if Shannon can.

Belfast is a larger airport carrying around 6 million passengers a year - almost thrice the throughput into Cork Airport.We have already had a Transatlantic flight with a legacy carrier for well over 10 years.

I am certain that we could have one again, over and above Cork.

Afterall you are forgetting the two weekly BFS-Orlando flights by Virgin Atlantic and Thomas Cook in the Summer period. Cork does not and never will have an equivalent to 747’s coming through twice a week.

[owenc]

How would this impact if followed through on both sides? ��

Theresa May visits Irish border as Dublin threatens to BLOCK planes (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5969841/amp/May-visits-Irish-border-Dublin-threatens-BLOCK-planes-flying-UK.html)
It would have adverse repurcusions for the Dublin hub which uses GB passengers to boost its numbers.

[owenc]

With regards to the Aer Lingus Cadet Pilots programme, what is the cost for the training? €100,000?

I see it is in the form of a Bond? What exactly is that?

I was looking into the British Airways programme and it would seem that you have to now cover the costs of this yourself.

[PC767]

Could I suggest in relation to the discussion about relative populations in various points like Cork, Belfast and Shannon. This topic its largely irrelevant.

The USA is the source of the lions share of passengers, holiday makers and VFR in the main.

let's remember Shannon has a hugely established transatlantic reputation. Tour operators in the USA use Shannon and Cork is not yet featuring heavily. This may be due to lack of frequency, and then established trading arrangements ex Dublin and Shannon. There is good business traffic opportunities in the Cork area, such could sustain a service, but as mentioned Norwegian is not in the frame for any of this...

Cork, IMHO needs one of the USA large network carriers to offer a daily rotation to a large US city, ie EWR/JFK. They need to offer a wide range of connections, cater for business traffic, and stick at it until it gets well known and established and onto the program of large tour organisers....

This is a more valid point. Point to point traffic just isn’t there and point to point traffic is Norwegian’s M.O. I note that Air Canada now have a route from Halifax, Nova Scotia to the UK. Not to BRS or any other regional airport but to LHR (using a B737 max). This allows connectivity for the Halifax traffic. Cork needs to be connected to a hub in the states in a similar way.

[840]

Probably going a bit off topic here, but I think Cork's big missed opportunity was not getting Air Canada's service that is going to Shannon. The aircraft used would have been suitable. Toronto is a decent hub, with nearly 50 million passengers a year. It has pre-clearance on flights to the US. And unlike routes from Shannon to the US, the lack of pre-clearance in Cork wasn't a disadvantage.

[Rutan16]

This is a more valid point. Point to point traffic just isn’t there and point to point traffic is Norwegian’s M.O. I note that Air Canada now have a route from Halifax, Nova Scotia to the UK. Not to BRS or any other regional airport but to LHR (using a B737 max). This allows connectivity for the Halifax traffic. Cork needs to be connected to a hub in the states in a similar way.


Halifax has been connected to Heathrow for decades by Air Canada and indeed thirty years plus ago they also flew the DC8 Via Prestwick

[EI-A330-300]

Profits for H1 increase from 53 to 104 million beating IB (102) and VY (-11). THey also expect to announce 2 T/A routes starting in July 2019 in the next few weeks (3 under consideration).

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/aer-lingus-to-announce-new-transatlantic-routes-in-weeks-1.3585382

[CCR]

Profits for H1 increase from 53 to 104 million beating IB (102) and VY (-11). THey also expect to announce 2 T/A routes starting in July 2019 in the next few weeks (3 under consideration).

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/aer-lingus-to-announce-new-transatlantic-routes-in-weeks-1.3585382

Going to hazard a guess for the 3 T/A routes under consideration..

Dublin-Dallas
Dublin-Montreal
Cork-New York (if they have the A321NEO by then)

[SWBKCB]

...and hopefully they're not arriving/departing in the early morning peak!

[EI-A330-300]

Going to hazard a guess for the 3 T/A routes under consideration..

Dublin-Dallas
Dublin-Montreal
Cork-New York (if they have the A321NEO by then)

Apparently it will be A330 due to A321 delays so I would rule YUL out as a potential candidate for July 2019.

[snn20]

Apparently it will be A330 due to A321 delays so I would rule YUL out as a potential candidate for July 2019.
Cork-New York can be ruled out too, EI stated last October that they've no plans for transatlantic services out of Cork.

[owenc]

Going to hazard a guess for the 3 T/A routes under consideration..

Dublin-Dallas
Dublin-Montreal
Cork-New York (if they have the A321NEO by then)

Dallas would be fantastic.

[840]

Cork is very, very unlikely for an Aer Lingus transatlantic service, but without the A321 it is definitely not happening.

My guesses are all from Dublin to

Dallas
Denver
Las Vegas

The first two are simply the largest US airports without a direct Irish service and also good for connections, whether American or United

The last because I reckon they know the level of Irish business through New York, Boston, Chicago and London and can see that it would work.

[EI-BUD]

The media is quoting Willie Walsh and Stephen Kavanagh, indicating two potential routes of the 3 short listed and giving clues to the broad geographic location of the 3rd on the shortlist ...

[840]

So if that is to be believed, it’s Pittsburgh, Montreal and a mid-west destination.

I wonder if the mid-West destination is St. Louis, which was for a long time known as the largest airport in the US without a European service. That ended when WOW launched there.

In which case the destinations don’t so much look like major destinations or hubs as much as an IAG attempt to stamp in WOW.

[Alteagod]

I see AGP and FAO not showing on EI website ex-BHD next summer. Too early to show or not operating?

[mart901]

I see AGP and FAO not showing on EI website ex-BHD next summer. Too early to show or not operating?
Last year was the only time they've gone on sale early. Neither FR or EZY are currently on sale. EI often launch it same time as EZY, whether planned or not.

[EI-BUD]

Coming soon , both routes ...

[Alteagod]

From BHD with ASL?

[Just a spotter]

EI returning to LCY

According to The Irish Times

Under the leasing arrangement, which is a bit like a charter arrangemnet, CityJet will provide aircraft (namely two Avro RJ85 aircraft), crew, maintenance, and insurance to Aer Lingus for operating the route.
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/aer-lingus-to-take-over-cityjet-s-route-to-london-city-airport-1.3610225

JAS

[shamrock7seal]

This is the beginning of the end of the Stobart agreement I’m pretty sure... although unrelated to this particular news.

[heidelberg]

Re Advance Passenger Information (API) requirement travelling to Spain.
Why is it impossible on the Aer Lingus site to enter the relevant Passport information when using the CARD version?
After several attempts failed over a number of days I had to email their Guest Services three times in total before
they acknowledged my request.
They agreed to enter the Passport CARD details for me.
I've used my CARD version of the Passport before without any problem.
I asked for an explanation but there has been no response.
Anyone out there that may throw some light on the problem?

[Jamie2k9]

MSP, YUL added next summer.

[Skipness One Foxtrot]

Minneapolis/St Paul on Aer Lingus? Blimey, what’s the hook there, that’s Delta territory and no mistake.

[cumbrianboy]

https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/travel-news/aer-lingus-announces-two-new-transatlantic-flights-from-dublin-37308203.html

[davidjpowell]

What a shower...

Caught up in the Dublin chaos last night, which to my mind stemmed from Aer Lingus lack of preparation for Storm Ali. No pre-emptive cancellations, and seemingly no plan. Ryan Air on the other hand seemed far better organised. Our 7pm flight to Manchester left just before midnight. In the meantime the screens were normally wrong (at wrong point they were boarding an Oslo flight, while the screen said Manchester - that was fun), and we moved gate 7 times. They eventually stole the Malaga plane, and the Alicante crew..... No one from Aer Lingus walking the floor, absolute mayhem.

[Just a spotter]

Brand refresh coming in 2019
The airline is to unveil a "refreshed brand identity" in January which it said "will reflect the airline's modern outlook and ambition to be the leading value carrier across the North Atlantic." A spokeswoman said "the look and feel of the brand will change" - however the Aer Lingus brand will remain.
https://www.newstalk.com/Aer-Lingus-announces-plans-for-rebrand-in-2019

JAS

[Sharklet_321]

Can't wait to see this.

Always thought the change from the previous white shamrock livery to the current one was always slightly poor especially the type-face

[shamrock7seal]

Fully agree! I would love to see a return to the previous colours much like Air Canada did with their recent livery redesign. Just PLEASE don't do a Lufthansa!

[EISNN]

Does anyone have any information on the supposed lease of ex blue air 737-400s by Aer Lingus for next summer?, on a separate note I see Copenhagen is in the booking engine but there’s no availability. Also in terms of next summer will Philadelphia be up gauging to an a330 or will it remain 757 with Washington getting the 330.


there had been rumour of a deal between EI and ASL for two B734’s but it has supposedly fallen through. Who would be operating the ex Blue Air B734? Is the rumour for a dry lease or wet lease?

[EISNN]

I’ve just seen a Blue Air 734 sitting on the ramp beside the ASL hangar in SNN this morning. Could this be the lease EI are going for?

[Shamrock350]

I believe those Blue Air 737-400s at SNN are just in transit before going to the US, they may well be back in time for ASL Ireland to operate for Aer Lingus though.
Does anyone have any information on the supposed lease of ex blue air 737-400s by Aer Lingus for next summer?, on a separate note I see Copenhagen is in the booking engine but there’s no availability. Also in terms of next summer will Philadelphia be up gauging to an a330 or will it remain 757 with Washington getting the 330.
PHL will be the first A321LR route, if it gets delivered on time!

[Sharklet_321]

Is Aer Lingus still following through with their A350 order? I heard also that the A330 NEO is appealing to them.

[Just a spotter]

Is Aer Lingus still following through with their A350 order? I heard also that the A330 NEO is appealing to them.

Most discussion on this and other boards suggests the A350's won't be coming and that in the short to medium term any new widebodies will be A330-300 CEO's with GE engines.

JAS

[Skipness One Foxtrot]

https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Aer-Lingus
Can someone confirm the A330 seating layouts? I was looking at the above and it lists a whole host of different configs
A330-300 as C30Y287 as well as C30Y283
A330-200 as C23Y243, C23Y248 and also C24Y236 for the ex QR example.

They can't have FIVE different A330 configs on a fleet of only 13 airframes surely?

[Una Due Tfc]

Well there’s 5 -200s, only 3 of which have the underfloor rest area for CC which results in a few less eco seats to accommodate the entrance, then 2 of the HGW -300s also have this feature, so there’s 2 different configurations. Then of the other 2 -200s, one is ex QR and still has some of their cabin fittings until it goes in for heavy maintenance in the next few weeks. The final one (EI-EWR) was always an odd ball cabin wise too.

Then there’s the remaining 6 -300s which have a uniform cabin AFAIK.

So yeah, 3 different-200 configurations, 2 different-300 configurations.

[mik3bravo]

Cityjet / Aer Lingus - fare costs on London City airport route

I am a frequent flyer, been a heavy user of Cityjet into Dublin. When Cityjet operated the LCY - DUB services, you could pre select seats free of charge, and automatically included 20 kg checked bag.

Since the ACMI service partnership between Cityjet and Aer Lingus, this has all changed. All checked bags are now charged dependent upon weight you select.

So the headline air fare initially gives you a perception of relatively cost effective but by the time you add in the extras the end price becomes something quite expensive, which is over and above the historical typical air fares on this LCY - DUB route.

Ripping off customers comes to mind. I've learned an expensive lesson in how Aer Lingus are trying to get passengers to purchase a Plus ticket. This will sadly be my last flight using this service, taking my business elsewhere. Buyer beware!

[Cyrano]

Cityjet / Aer Lingus - fare costs on London City airport route

I am a frequent flyer, been a heavy user of Cityjet into Dublin. When Cityjet operated the LCY - DUB services, you could pre select seats free of charge, and automatically included 20 kg checked bag.

Since the ACMI service partnership between Cityjet and Aer Lingus, this has all changed. All checked bags are now charged dependent upon weight you select.

So the headline air fare initially gives you a perception of relatively cost effective but by the time you add in the extras the end price becomes something quite expensive, which is over and above the historical typical air fares on this LCY - DUB route.

Ripping off customers comes to mind. I've learned an expensive lesson in how Aer Lingus are trying to get passengers to purchase a Plus ticket. This will sadly be my last flight using this service, taking my business elsewhere. Buyer beware!
What you're describing (paid-for seat selection, charge for checked bag) sounds like the standard Aer Lingus short-haul business model (which makes sense given that Aer Lingus are now calling the commercial shots on this route and CityJet is just a contractor to Aer Lingus).

I note that BA Cityflier offers something similar (cheapest fare is hand baggage only, pay extra to choose a seat).

I'd absolutely agree with you that the CityJet offer (in terms of what was bundled in) was superior to this, but CityJet had (sadly) become an outlier in a headline-price-driven market.

I'm curious: when you say you are taking your business elsewhere, what other airline will give you a CityJet-type bundled fare between LON and DUB? Or are you proposing to take the train and ferry?:cool:

[mik3bravo]

Quick fare comparison across Aer Lingus, BA, and Ryanair and looking far ahead to Sat 6 & Sun 7 April, selecting a Plus ticket or similar, reveals:

BA (LGW - DUB rtn) £217
EI (LCY - DUB rtn) £175
FR (SEN - DUB rtn) £104

Had Flybe (SEN - DUB) service been available, likely would have been priced around £135 for a Plus equivalency airfare.

With FR having options available to DUB from STN, SEN, LTN, LGW and Aer Lingus limited to LHR and LCY with premium airfares, relying on the hope of a more pretentious passenger, it will be interesting to see how long it will take for Aer Lingus to squeeze more costs out of their product delivery.

For what is a 1 hour short hop London to Dublin flight time, with hardly time to serve and consume in-flight refreshment services at a relaxing pace, ticket airfare is king. Aer Club members are more abundant now than ever before, with long lines of Aer Club members almost outnumbering non members. In many regards, quiet similar to the Priority boarding lines on all FR services. In-flight service costs are similar too. So I fail to see any Aer Lingus USP's on the London / Dublin routes. IMHO there's no discerning product distinctions between Aer Lingus and Ryanair at this point. As O'Leary describes it, it's a bus in the sky, I want on and off and reliable fast efficient service at lowest price. Consumer is king. BA ticket prices on this route are ridiculous compared to the competition. Room for another carrier on the route to keep the competition vibrant

[Shamrock350]

With FR having options available to DUB from STN, SEN, LTN, LGW and Aer Lingus limited to LHR and LCY with premium airfares
Aer Lingus also serve LGW...

Average summer schedule:

LHR - 13 daily
LGW - 6 daily
LCY - 6 daily

The Aer Lingus offering continues to be very attractive in this market.

[Skipness One Foxtrot]

BA (LGW - DUB rtn) £217
EI (LCY - DUB rtn) £175
FR (SEN - DUB rtn) £104
BA don’t operate LGW-DUB, it’s a codeshare on EI metal.

[mik3bravo]

Irrespective, I can't see justification for higher air fares on the London services when compared to current competitors fares.

The usage of the South Gates at DUB by Aer Lingus, jumping on a bus at the 300's for a jolly to South Gates is not ideal for London service's. Can't understand why all EI London services don't run from T2 for a better passenger experience for the airfare being charged by Aer Lingus.

So basically, the passenger experience is on a par with Ryanair, yet you pay a much more expensive ticket price from Aer Lingus, with no added value or USP. Seems very much a rip-off for what is a very average service quality. I see no upside for the passenger, all I see is hassle, inconvenience, and more expensive travel costs compared to Ryanair, for example.

Even Flybe and Cityjet on all London services can park at the 200's and deliver a better passenger experience than the Willie Wonka bus ride layed on to shuttle pax to South Gates for the Aer Lingus flights to London.

[Noxegon]

EI short haul has for some time now been no better than FR. Anyone who claims otherwise is deluding themselves.

[SWBKCB]

Maybe EI/BA can "get away with it" because the bus takes people to where they want to go when they want to go?

[Shamrock350]

Have some people just woken up in the year 2003?!

Surely it's no surprise to anyone that the Aer Lingus and Ryanair offerings are very similar on short haul while average fares are distinctly different, it's been that way for the best part of 20 years! Despite this sudden revelation, Aer Lingus continues to do quite nicely for themselves so the argument feels somewhat dated.

[mik3bravo]

Bit defensive there, Shamrock. Complacency and no USP are obvious factors here.

[bigjim99]

I do rate EI better than FR. I generally find the experience more relaxing and I'd rate the EIR service even higher than mainline. Always much prefer the 2 a breast seating!

I have to say in the past, when cancellations have occured EI have always looked after me very well. Hotels, meals, forward transport, the lot. Meanwhile those on similar flights with FR have been sleeping on the airport floor.

[mik3bravo]

Yes, but I'm specifically highlighting here the London - Dublin service. As a frequent flyer, I'm in and out of Dublin weekly for the past 6 months for business reasons. I've used a variety of different airlines, ranging from Aer Lingus, BA, Ryanair and even Flybe. With the exception of Flybe, I have never had any major delays or flight cancellation on the route. The services on this route generally run like clock work from all of these carriers, except for Flybe.

My point being, the need for added comfort and peace of mind that Are Lingus will put you up in a hotel if they cancel a flight is such a rare need on such a smoothly running route, I fail to see how accumulating significant airfare cost differences can be jusyified. The risk / reward ratio is just not justifying the price of the Aer Lingus fares on the London to Dublin services.

If my flight was unfortunately cancelled and it necessitated my need for hotel accommodation then I'd much rather take control off that expense for myself and be free to arrange my own overnight accommodation and taxi / chauffeur service myself and expense back to my company.

We can't justify spending significant flight costs on an annual basis on this London to Dublin route when the chance of a (rare) cancellation occurring is used as a business rationale argument to support buying Aer Lingus tickets versus others. (Flybe, by the way, have been consistently poor service providers on this route, that's been our direct experiences from several staff we've had to send to Dublin on weekly business over the past 6 months - needless to say we dumped Flybe as a direct result). We spend thousands of pounds on business travel London to Dublin each month but can no longer justify the cost differentiators of airfares, our 2019 plan spending means we've imposed rules on what my employees can book and what airlines). It's simply business, and I can't continue to support excessively high airfares on a 1 hour short hop London to Dublin service when there's such an availability of other services and time slots that work when you are running a business and need staff located on time for meetings. Harsh reality and our honest position.

[cumbrianboy]

£175 isn't excessively high. You are comparing flying from London City, which is premium business airport, in the heart of the city and on the transport for London network, to southend, which isn't.

You are also missing the point, that Aer Lingus is not competing with Ryanair, not really. They have different business models, and much of the traffic between London and Dublin will be connecting where as Ryanair is all point to point.

In terms of point to point, I expect another reason EI and BA are more expensive (apart from the fact they operate into major airports) is that they have less seats available for point to point ... like I said, different business models.

But, even with all this said, here's the bottom line. If you want to save £65 then book Ryanair and enjoy the service they offer, enjoy the lack of convenience of London City and hope nothing goes wrong. At the same time, as has been seen above, many others prefer to fly with Aer Lingus and BA and that is why both do very well on the route.

[inOban]

Yes, but I'm specifically highlighting here the London - Dublin service. As a frequent flyer, I'm in and out of Dublin weekly for the past 6 months for business reasons. I've used a variety of different airlines, ranging from Aer Lingus, BA, Ryanair and even Flybe. With the exception of Flybe, I have never had any major delays or flight cancellation on the route. The services on this route generally run like clock work from all of these carriers, except for Flybe.

My point being, the need for added comfort and peace of mind that Are Lingus will put you up in a hotel if they cancel a flight is such a rare need on such a smoothly running route, I fail to see how accumulating significant airfare cost differences can be jusyified. The risk / reward ratio is just not justifying the price of the Aer Lingus fares on the London to Dublin services.

If my flight was unfortunately cancelled and it necessitated my need for hotel accommodation then I'd much rather take control off that expense for myself and be free to arrange my own overnight accommodation and taxi / chauffeur service myself and expense back to my company.

We can't justify spending significant flight costs on an annual basis on this London to Dublin route when the chance of a (rare) cancellation occurring is used as a business rationale argument to support buying Aer Lingus tickets versus others. (Flybe, by the way, have been consistently poor service providers on this route, that's been our direct experiences from several staff we've had to send to Dublin on weekly business over the past 6 months - needless to say we dumped Flybe as a direct result). We spend thousands of pounds on business travel London to Dublin each month but can no longer justify the cost differentiators of airfares, our 2019 plan spending means we've imposed rules on what my employees can book and what airlines). It's simply business, and I can't continue to support excessively high airfares on a 1 hour short hop London to Dublin service when there's such an availability of other services and time slots that work when you are running a business and need staff located on time for meetings. Harsh reality and our honest position.

Reading your description of the activities of your staff, it seems you need to be making much more use of VC facilities. The cost in unproductive time of you and your staff traipsing to and from Dublin greatly outways the cost of the airfares (and getting to and from the airport).

[vkid]

Interesting report on the front page of the sunday independent today,

https://m.independent.ie/business/irish/aer-lingus-chief-says-staff-stealing-many-millions-of-euro-from-customers-and-colleagues-37585746.html

Obviously it's the Sindo so usual rules apply but not great press for EI. Surely it can't be that easy to just walk away with company or passenger property...and strange that this leaks to the media...I'm assuming it's a leak?

[Noxegon]

Reading your description of the activities of your staff, it seems you need to be making much more use of VC facilities. The cost in unproductive time of you and your staff traipsing to and from Dublin greatly outways the cost of the airfares (and getting to and from the airport).

Not the OP, but as someone who manages a remote team VC doesn't replace actual face time. I try to see my people in person every two months or so.

[inOban]

I agree that some face time is necessary. I always made a point of actually attending the first meetings of any group, and there were others where it was worth my time. But I was a volunteer, so my time in was free

[840]

Interesting report on the front page of the sunday independent today,

https://m.independent.ie/business/irish/aer-lingus-chief-says-staff-stealing-many-millions-of-euro-from-customers-and-colleagues-37585746.html

Obviously it's the Sindo so usual rules apply but not great press for EI. Surely it can't be that easy to just walk away with company or passenger property...and strange that this leaks to the media...I'm assuming it's a leak?

My reading of that is that there is an issue with company stock being pilfered. Aer Lingus want to install CCTV. Some staff are unhappy with that. The Unions are planning a hissy fit (seemingly over something else entirely, but they see this as a bargaining chip). Aer Lingus are carrying out a pre-emptive strike and using what is probably a small number of cases of customer property being lifted to gather public sympathy for their position.

Note that engaged with unions does not mean agreed with unions.

The last four paragraphs are key as they have nothing to do with what is being reported, but give all the background context needed.

[Cyrano]

Yes, but I'm specifically highlighting here the London - Dublin service. As a frequent flyer, I'm in and out of Dublin weekly for the past 6 months for business reasons. I've used a variety of different airlines, ranging from Aer Lingus, BA, Ryanair and even Flybe. With the exception of Flybe, I have never had any major delays or flight cancellation on the route. The services on this route generally run like clock work from all of these carriers, except for Flybe.

My point being, the need for added comfort and peace of mind that Are Lingus will put you up in a hotel if they cancel a flight is such a rare need on such a smoothly running route, I fail to see how accumulating significant airfare cost differences can be jusyified. The risk / reward ratio is just not justifying the price of the Aer Lingus fares on the London to Dublin services.

If my flight was unfortunately cancelled and it necessitated my need for hotel accommodation then I'd much rather take control off that expense for myself and be free to arrange my own overnight accommodation and taxi / chauffeur service myself and expense back to my company.

We can't justify spending significant flight costs on an annual basis on this London to Dublin route when the chance of a (rare) cancellation occurring is used as a business rationale argument to support buying Aer Lingus tickets versus others. (Flybe, by the way, have been consistently poor service providers on this route, that's been our direct experiences from several staff we've had to send to Dublin on weekly business over the past 6 months - needless to say we dumped Flybe as a direct result). We spend thousands of pounds on business travel London to Dublin each month but can no longer justify the cost differentiators of airfares, our 2019 plan spending means we've imposed rules on what my employees can book and what airlines). It's simply business, and I can't continue to support excessively high airfares on a 1 hour short hop London to Dublin service when there's such an availability of other services and time slots that work when you are running a business and need staff located on time for meetings. Harsh reality and our honest position.

That's fair enough. If you and your colleagues are relatively seasoned travellers (which clearly you are) and you are able to look after yourselves in case of disruption, then Ryanair can provide a good value service.

I used to have a concept called the "ABR [Anyone But Ryanair] Premium." Given two flights with equivalently convenient timings (including surface travel time/cost), how much extra would I pay not to fly with Ryanair? That number was higher for me in the days before Ryanair's "Always Getting Better" campaign - since then, they've become (generally) less obnoxious, and to be honest Aer Lingus has become somewhat less "premium" (300 gates in DUB being a case in point), so my own personal ABR Premium is far lower now (and hence I end up flying with Ryanair more often).

[brian_dromey]

Ripping off customers comes to mind. I've learned an expensive lesson in how Aer Lingus are trying to get passengers to purchase a Plus ticket. This will sadly be my last flight using this service, taking my business elsewhere. Buyer beware!

Where are you off to? It's clear you are not keen on Stobart, so you probably won't be so pleased to learn that they now operate a fair number of BA flights DUB-LCY. Aer Lingus, BA or Ryanair don't include baggage or seat selection either. If you want those things, you have to pay for a Plus fare. That's what Ryanair's competition has done to the Irish (and wider European) market. As you have demonstrated, customers may have a preference to check-in luggage and select their seats in advance, but the majority won't pay for it.

[SWBKCB]

Aer Lingus identifies initial transatlantic A321LR routes (https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/aer-lingus-identifies-initial-transatlantic-a321lr-r-454226/)

[BHD2BFS]

Anyone know what aircraft will operate S19 flight from BHD?
Will it be the same -300 series from last year?

[Sharklet_321]

When this week is the new brand being rolled out? Is it a drastic change?

[bigjim99]

EI-CVA currently in SNN getting her new coat for launch on 17th.

From what I heard it won't be a million miles off the dreadful new Lufthansa livery but in green!

Fingers crossed for EI to pull out a scheme that will make them stand out - the current green top scheme is instantly recognisable among the sea of eurowhite liveries.

[Buster the Bear]

https://travelupdate.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Leaked-Aer-Lingus-Colours.jpg (https://travelupdate.boardingarea.com/colours-leaked-aer-lingus/)

[CabinCrewe]

EI-CVA currently in SNN getting her new coat for launch on 17th.

From what I heard it won't be a million miles off the dreadful new Lufthansa livery but in green!

Fingers crossed for EI to pull out a scheme that will make them stand out - the current green top scheme is instantly recognisable among the sea of eurowhite liveries.
Its as predicted/leaked. Eurowhite with sweeping green tail in a LH style. Tones of green and edgings to be confirmed.
Cleaner than the current top green which has become rather dated.

[bigjim99]

Agree that current livery is outdated but they really should have stuck with something along the same lines. KLM were in a similar situation and the subtle changes made a big difference. When they added the new livery to the F70s it knocked 20 years off them!

Ok, it may save the bean counters a few tins of green paint but if that leaked version be true, it would be a massive own goal. Horrid.

I employ my Marketing Director and team to market my business to look unique and stand out from the rest. If I'm walking around ORD or CDG or any airport and I see that green lid, I know it's EI - it is subliminal marketing. I can walk past countless eurowhite liveries on a pier and regardless of the colour of the taiI, I really wouldn't be able to recount which airline they were.

I really hope that the leak is fake and that EI will be bold with a livery that will make a statement - not just blend in with the rest.

[NorthernCounties]

From what I have seen, and the leaked photo that seems to substantiate the drawings, it´s horrendous! The briefly lived dot com livery would have been better, and it was awful.

[BAladdy]

Anyone know what aircraft will operate S19 flight from BHD?
Will it be the same -300 series from last year?
Very likely. I believe EI-STA is the only pax version of the 737 in ASL Ireland’s fleet.

[shamrock7seal]

This is going to be one of worst airline logos out there.

Look at the font! Is this a toy plane from a gift shop!?

[El Bunto]

I really hope that the leak is fake and that EI will be bold with a livery that will make a statement - not just blend in with the rest.

Indeed Dublin at present is The Greentops, Ryanair and Miscellaneous White Others. This change hands visual dominance to Ryanair's utilitarian-but-bold colours. Why would any CEO sign-off on that?

Mr O'Leary must be laughing, not only did his airline take over yellow to the extent that Lufthansa dropped it as 'not premium' but now, and again for free, he'll become the Signature Colours of Dublin.

[Skipness One Foxtrot]

Ok, it may save the bean counters a few tins of green paint but if that leaked version be true, it would be a massive own goal. Horrid.
I think this is a tiny part of the thinking, having worked with a few agencies in my time, the level of group-think is endemic.
It's not (usually!) management that's coming up with this, it's the "creative" teams at the third party agencies.
The new Iberia looks amazing on the heavies lined up in the Madrid sun, however it vanishes into the background outside that setting IMHO.

[Just a spotter]

the images I've seen online look like the type of faux livery used in many "Airline Simulation" games from about 15 years ago.

IMHO, the main issue is that the Shamrock looks "weak" with the stem curving back, the current "italic shamrock" or a slightly revised version, on the proposed design would look stronger.

I like the font, the current type face looked dated when it was adopted.

Overall, it could have been a lot worse.

JAS

[Refuellerman]

the images I've seen online look like the type of faux livery used in many "Airline Simulation" games from about 15 years ago.

IMHO, the main issue is that the Shamrock looks "weak" with the stem curving back, the current "italic shamrock" or a slightly revised version, on the proposed design would look stronger.

I like the font, the current type face looked dated when it was adopted.

Overall, it could have been a lot worse.

JAS
but it is a weak airline, dont know why anyone would think different??

[Just a spotter]

@Refullerman,

EI's arguably a small airline, but weak? that's hardly accurate.

Aer Lingus made a profit of €269m [in 2017], up €36m in 2016.
https://www.independent.ie/business/world/profit-at-aer-lingus-reaches-269m-in-2017-36635488.html

A strong performance at Aer Lingus helped drive growth at its parent last year, International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG), the latest figures show.
Figures published on Thursday show that Aer Lingus grew at the fastest rate of the group’s carriers.
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/aer-lingus-drives-iag-passenger-number-growth-of-4-1-1.3345269

JAS

[NorthernCounties]

@Refullerman,

EI's arguably a small airline, but weak? that's hardly accurate.


https://www.independent.ie/business/world/profit-at-aer-lingus-reaches-269m-in-2017-36635488.html


https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/aer-lingus-drives-iag-passenger-number-growth-of-4-1-1.3345269

JAS

I think Refueller man is just a bitter Northerner... would probably say the same thing about Ryanair. :rolleyes:

[Fly757X]

I think Refueller man is just a bitter Northerner... would probably say the same thing about Ryanair. :rolleyes:

Ah now... We're not all that bad ;)

[racedo]

@Refullerman,

EI's arguably a small airline, but weak? that's hardly accurate.
https://www.independent.ie/business/world/profit-at-aer-lingus-reaches-269m-in-2017-36635488.html
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/aer-lingus-drives-iag-passenger-number-growth-of-4-1-1.3345269

JAS

EI is part of IAG and is enjoying the efficiencies of being part of that.

On its own it was struggling to survive and we did that to death on here. In addition there would be costs IAG pick up in relation to people that previously would have sat with EI if it was a stand alone operation.

[Refuellerman]

Lol, same old politics lads, flying under the BA banner and saying EI isn't weak dosent really make sense.

[SealinkBF]

Lol, same old politics lads, flying under the BA banner and saying EI isn't weak dosent really make sense.

I think IAG have been true to their word, Aer Lingus feels the same as before they were absorbed by IAG. A very decent airline, Irish through and through.

[CCR]

Stop embarrassing yourself and grow up Refuellerman.

[Refuellerman]

Stop embarrassing yourself and grow up Refuellerman.
nothing embarrassing about it, Air Lingus isnt a big powerful beast like the one who took it over, fact lads, if IAG didnt buy it they would be bankrupt.

[owenc]

There is merit in saying that Aer Lingus with a fleet of only 50 is a small airline, because it is a small airline.

[PPRuNeUser0176]

nothing embarrassing about it, Air Lingus isnt a big powerful beast like the one who took it over, fact lads, if IAG didnt buy it they would be bankrupt.

IAG is not an airline.....bet if they were still at BFS you wouldn’t be making such comment.

[Una Due Tfc]

Neither like not dislike the new livery so far (Only seen photos). Initial impression is relief that it wasn't as bad as I feared really.

[Shamrock350]

There is merit in saying that Aer Lingus with a fleet of only 50 is a small airline, because it is a small airline.
There is a difference between small and weak.

Nobody is disputing that Aer Lingus is a small airline but referring to it as weak is inaccurate. Even before the IAG take over Aer Lingus was financially and strategically strong, this is what made them attractive to IAG in the first place and was simply reinforced following the take over.

Some are acting as if IAG was some kind of saviour for Aer Lingus, the reality is that Aer Lingus turned itself around following the economic crash and set itself on a course for growth. A large portion of the transatlantic expansion we’ve seen in recent years came long before IAG were on the scene.

[Refuellerman]

IAG is not an airline.....bet if they were still at BFS you wouldn’t be making such comment.


sorry Ba/ Iberia airlines, bfs is nothing im concerned with btw.

[VentureGo]

https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/travel-news/aer-lingus-to-reveal-first-brand-makeover-in-20-years-37721325.html

Live feed to Aer Lingus Re-brand event in Dublin due to start around 12.30pm

[Startledgrapefruit]

https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/travel-news/aer-lingus-to-reveal-first-brand-makeover-in-20-years-37721325.html

Live feed to Aer Lingus Re-brand event in Dublin due to start around 12.30pm

Come on..... Hurry up
I don't need to know how to draw a shamrock...

[tipp55]

Come on..... Hurry up
I don't need to know how to draw a shamrock...


Wow! That new livery has to be one of the most underwhelming efforts I've ever seen.
They've changed from a strong stylish albeit dated scheme to what looks like a coat of white undercoat primer and a splash of blue/green on the tail with a crooked shamrock to boot. Dear oh dear.

[Just a spotter]

The new look, developed with US design and brand strategy company Lippincott

These guys worked with Hawaiian and Delta, but given the Shamrock design they've come up with, I suggest they went popular American breakfast cereal for their inspiration.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/700x352/lucky_50_featured_21_700x352_c02ad4b502f6283c39aade246f5b4c9 7822033a3.jpg

JAS

[racedo]

Wow! That new livery has to be one of the most underwhelming efforts I've ever seen.
They've changed from a strong stylish albeit dated scheme to what looks like a coat of white undercoat primer and a splash of blue/green on the tail with a crooked shamrock to boot. Dear oh dear.

Quick paint of the tail and lettering and its somewhere else. Corporate branding as part of IAG.

[goldeneye]

Quick paint of the tail and lettering and its somewhere else. Corporate branding as part of IAG.

thinkjng exactly that, Iberia, Level and Aer Lingus all now have the same basic style. Will BA be next for a rebrand.

[NorthernCounties]

Absolutely awful!

[VentureGo]

The above link from The Independent may no longer work. Here it is from Aer Lingus web page - Launch Video:

https://youtu.be/Q5P2obq0aDk

Editorial from Aer Lingus home page link containing above video
Article: https://www.aerlingus.com/travel-information/aer-lingus-news/brand-refresh/

[DaveReidUK]

At least it will stop BA returning any more leased EI aircraft with a "Fly green side up" note taped to the control column. :O

[CabinCrewe]

the worlds worst kept secret...
Slightly underwhelming.

[NorthernCounties]

I found the results of the market research highly surprising. Namely, full colour = budget, and large text = budget. For the latter, I think of Finnair, and think that their large text livery looks expensive, and classy. Though I thought the discovery that it is an airline to get you to ireland is also interesting, but that´s nothing to do with livery, its purely about providing capacity, and eventually that belief will disappear. Finally obsession with modernity is frustrating also, nothing ages quicker than yesterdays version of tomorrow. My personal preference would have been to go retro, perhaps grey, and a dark green text readying Aer Lingus. I couldn´t care less about the shamrock.

[Sober Lark]

Ohh Ugh. That's a fine mess.

Lets be positive. They have only painted one of their aircraft like that. Its not too late.

[jensdad]

Oh my God. I asked this question when Iberia rebranded, and when Lufthansa did it too: What is going through these people's minds? Are they deliberately going out of their way to see who can design the most banal livery?

[bycrewlgw]

Ha think I’m the only one who like this new livery. Think it looks fresh and smart. Much better than the old green... I’ll get my coat :-)

[NWSRG]

Ha think I’m the only one who like this new livery. Think it looks fresh and smart. Much better than the old green... I’ll get my coat :-)

Me too...sometimes less is more. The titles are clean and crisp, and the tail adds a bit of a flourish. It's not ground-breaking, but it's neat and tidy, and maintains brand identity. It's not going to be mistaken for anyone else!

[LFC22]

It's not as bad as people re making out but it's certainly a step down from the current livery. Reeks of Qantas 2.0. Still, 100x better than the eyesores that are Finnair and Iberia

[Refuellerman]

The word is that all the new bland schemes like this are the cheapest to paint, i s##t u not.

[El Bunto]

It's not going to be mistaken for anyone else!

Err, are we looking at the same livery? Take the Shamrock off and it could be any single-flyer DoD charter operator. Or perhaps some Russian outfit that flies once a week to Murmansk. Or... Level's shorthaul subsidiary.

If the only distinguishing feature is the logo, then what's the point of the livery? Just be honest and do an all-over white job like that Omni 767 that did the Shannon services a while back. Stick a Shamrock on the tail, job jobbed and EUR2 million saved.

[The96er]

One suspects that the somewhat bland-ish make over has all the hallmarks of IAG's continuing and aggressive cost cutting agenda within the group.

[El Bunto]

We are IAG, resistance is futile

:(

[SealinkBF]

I think it's lovely. The shamrock looks amazing

[ManUtd1999]

It' surely can't be a co-incidence that the 3 liveries IAG have launched (Iberia, Level and now EI) are all an almost identical style. EI went to great lengths in their presentation to explain what the brand/livery should represent, yet as if by magic they ended up with a blue/green version of Iberia .. :rolleyes:

As for the other IAG airlines, Vueling largely fit the theme already. Just BA left to get the "Eurowhite with coloured tail" treatment?

[NLC1072]

it looks VERY similar to ASL Airlines rebrand...

[vkid]

Not a fan I have to say,. Looks like something they rented in for a few months and did a quick paint job on it..but hey, each to their own.
The Morketing speak at the launch was hilarious to listen to though.

[racedo]

Not a fan I have to say,. Looks like something they rented in for a few months and did a quick paint job on it..but hey, each to their own.
The Morketing speak at the launch was hilarious to listen to though.

Bull**** Bingo at its best.

Business decided what it was doing and marketING got told to write it up and justify it.

[vkid]

Bull**** Bingo at its best.

Business decided what it was doing and market got told to write it up and justify it.

Probably, I think its on EI's Youtube if anyone can be bothered.
Some awful waffle though imo.

[PPRuNeUser0176]

First official A321LR short haul services showing on website from 27 October.

DUB-CDG
06.50 and 08.00
CDG-DUB
10.10 and 11.35

Rumour is the new 08.00 service which started in April ends in May and resumes in August will be operated by the A321LR from 8 August. There is supposed to be various short haul flights in May/June before

[Skipness One Foxtrot]

Can someone confirm if EI flew SNN-BOS 6 x Weekly with a daily JFK last winter (18/19) ? It's usually JFK that's 6 weekly with BOS daily, or have I FUBARED my own records once again?

Thanks!

[PPRuNeUser0176]

Can someone confirm if EI flew SNN-BOS 6 x Weekly with a daily JFK last winter (18/19) ? It's usually JFK that's 6 weekly with BOS daily, or have I FUBARED my own records once again?

Thanks!

Its usually JFK until 5/6 Jan and resume around 10 Mar and BOS throughout the winter however last year it was reversed and JFK operated all season presumably because of DY increase SWF to 5 or 7 weekly. This year JFK will be axed like recent years instead of BOS.

BOS was x6 weekly JFK daily then dropped to x6 from early Jan.

[Skipness One Foxtrot]

Thanks EI-EDW that's most kind of you.

[PPRuNeUser0176]

Confirmed 6 A321XLR from 2023.

[akerosid]

I hate the word "game changer" because it's so hackneyed and over-used now, but the A321XLR is a very interesting aircraft; have a look at the range ring from DUB:

Great Circle Mapper (http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?R=4600nm%40DUB)

At 4,600nm, virtually the whole of the continental US (and ANC!) and Canada are covered and - if EI were feeling even more adventurous - there are a few potential eastbound markets open to them.

The big challenge now will be to ensure that infrastructure at DUB can accommodate this fleet growth.

How many A321s (excluding the three currently operated, but including the imminently arriving A321NeoLRs) is EI now committed to?

[PPRuNeUser0176]

14 and the first expected in a few weeks. Also two new build A333s due this and next year but one expected to replace an A332.

[owenc]

I hate the word "game changer" because it's so hackneyed and over-used now, but the A321XLR is a very interesting aircraft; have a look at the range ring from DUB:

Great Circle Mapper (http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?R=4600nm%40DUB)

At 4,600nm, virtually the whole of the continental US (and ANC!) and Canada are covered and - if EI were feeling even more adventurous - there are a few potential eastbound markets open to them.

The big challenge now will be to ensure that infrastructure at DUB can accommodate this fleet growth.

How many A321s (excluding the three currently operated, but including the imminently arriving A321NeoLRs) is EI now committed to?
it wouldn’t be 4600 NM in winter though, would it?

[840]

No. And it wouldn't be as far westbound. And you don't really operate to the edge of the theoretical range unless you are happy with plenty of fuel diversions.

But if you look at the map link above and change the range down to something realistic, you'll see that all of EI's current routes with the exception of SFO and LAX are covered. For new routes, the whole of Canada works and in the USA, only Hawaii and California are out (and Hawaii is hardly viable, while there are two existing Californian routes). Eastbound you see Delhi and Mumbai becoming possibilities and it seems to be that an Indian link is one thing badly missing from Ireland's route map.

[NorthernCounties]

No. And it wouldn't be as far westbound. And you don't really operate to the edge of the theoretical range unless you are happy with plenty of fuel diversions.

But if you look at the map link above and change the range down to something realistic, you'll see that all of EI's current routes with the exception of SFO and LAX are covered. For new routes, the whole of Canada works and in the USA, only Hawaii and California are out (and Hawaii is hardly viable, while there are two existing Californian routes). Eastbound you see Delhi and Mumbai becoming possibilities and it seems to be that an Indian link is one thing badly missing from Ireland's route map.

If we are to apply the same philosophy to India as we are the US, the only real city the XLR could serve would be New Dehli. Is it in IAGs benefit to start funnelling US bound passengers from DEL through DUB? I could see the XLR being useful for the likes of Seattle, and other cities not yet served in the US, but my thought would be as Aer Lingus´ brand becomes more known in Europe and the US (after all that was the media blurb when the rebrand occurred) we could see ATR routes upgraded to A320s, and A320 routes upgraded to neos.

[VickersVicount]

didn't EI try longhaul eastbound and was quickly binned?
Stick with what you/they know, just do it more efficiently

[Shamrock350]

I could see the XLR being useful for the likes of Seattle, and other cities not yet served in the US

Aer Lingus already operate to Seattle 5 weekly with an A332 so I doubt it's an XLR candidate. If anything it's set to go daily next summer on the A332.

[Noxegon]

didn't EI try longhaul eastbound and was quickly binned?
Stick with what you/they know, just do it more efficiently

They tried DXB without connections. That was never going to work.

[brian_dromey]

Ah yes, Dubai. What a fiasco that was, bad product, terrible timings, no connections with the predominant hub airline.I don’t think Dubai would be on the list again - the twice daily 777s from EK provide all the capacity DUB-DXB needs. Today EI is part of a much larger group, with far more insight into travel patterns, which might effect where they go and how ‘brave’ they want to be. In terms of connections going east, most of Europe would find transfer times quite unattractive compared to a transfer via the AF/KL, ME3 or LH Group hubs. There is some traffic from North America to India, for example. EI, of course, is an unknown in these areas, but it is a rapidly growing market.

My guess is that EI will use IAG’s strength in North America to cover more of Canada and US destination like Hartford, Charleston, Kansas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Nashville, St Louis have all had low frequency, seasonal service launched by Icelandair/Wow/BA or Condor, These are places we don’t really consider as typical destinations, but could be unlocked by the XLR and hefty incentives. This article suggests the likes of Columbus, [Ohio]; Jacksonville, [Fla.]; and Milwaukee, Memphis, San Antonio and Sacramento.
https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Transatlantic-service-proliferates-to-midsize-US-cities

[Una Due Tfc]

it wouldn’t be 4600 NM in winter though, would it?


Depends on which direction it’s flying!

But seriously, not with a full load no. Although it’ll comfortably do the likes of Florida.

US transcon, North-South America, SE Asia-Oz etc all very doable, hence AA ordering 50 of them to replace their 757 fleet, Qantas buying it etc.