Is Aer Lingus really a low fares airline?

Imposter

I know Aer Lingus has been discussed quite a bit here but do people really think that they are a low fares airline as opposed to a no frills airline?

Based on my personal experience I have to say they are far from low fare. Last Christmas I flew from Vienna - Dublin return (One leg with food, ie before/during all this low fare, no frills (misleading) advertising) for 180ish€. This year they want about 250€ for the priviledge!

I also priced them in August and they were ridiculously expensive. I can actually get Ryanair from Linz - Stanstead - Dublin for the same price. Plus then I also save my trainfare to Vienna.

Before anyone starts blaming fuel costs remember that we are talking about 70€ per person on the plane here. At this time of year the flight will be full too.

Comments/Experiences anyone?

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

sliabh

I think they are low fares. I am travelling weekly to Munich and before they went low fares it was about €440 a flight every week (economy as the company doesn't do business). Since it has been as low as €170. The fares in August have been higher - around €330-€360 for the reason that the flights are full. Like any other low fares carrier they jack them up when things are busy.

As for the UK being cheaper to the US there is much greater capacity and demand so it's allways been cheaper to go from Heathrow.

Imposter

sliabh wrote:

I think they are low fares. I am travelling weekly to Munich and before they went low fares it was about €440 a flight every week (economy as the company doesn't do business). Since it has been as low as €170. The fares in August have been higher - around €330-€360 for the reason that the flights are full. Like any other low fares carrier they jack them up when things are busy.

Well I travelled using Munich back during one of their strikes (May 2002 iirc) and the return flight cost me around 200€ so you must have been booking it very late if it cost 440! I also check for Munich every time I think the Vienna flight is too expensive and it's always been a similar price to the Vienna flight.

murphaph

well I'm flyin to Munich with 'em for €120 return and taxes through Munich are quite high, higher than Dublin at any rate. I consider that an excellebt fare. Yes, the ticket was purchased during their last sale promotion. A friend is flying in October on a ticket bought during the current sale and he's paying €115. I say that's a great fare for any 2 hour flight. Remember that's under IR£100.

therecklessone

Imposter wrote:

I also priced them in August and they were ridiculously expensive. I can actually get Ryanair from Linz - Stanstead - Dublin for the same price. Plus then I also save my trainfare to Vienna.

And whats the layover in Stansted?

Metrobest

Why is Aer Lingus still so expensive on a one-way flight? I was looking at Amterdam-Dublin end of October. One way it's 180 euros inc tax. The same flight booked as a return coming back early November is 100 euros in total, so 50 euro each way!!! So it's actually cheaper to book a dummie return and not use the return portion of the ticket! For a ''low fares'' airline that's a crazy situation.

Imposter

therecklessone wrote:

And whats the layover in Stansted?

2 1/2 hours going out and 4 hours coming back (or 1 hour if I was really brave!).
The four hour stopover is a bit long but I leave my flat 2 hours before the flight from linz or 6 hours before flight from Vienna.

Borzoi

I've an all day meeting tomorrow in Rome.

Aer Lingus wanted €503 return - no food, no frills

Alitalia €380 or thereabouts - a full service airline

Ryanair via Chareloi €250 - it's a bus.... with wings


As both AL and Alitalia fly in the middle of the day at I'd spend most of the working day in the airport.

So I've a later flight to Chareloi this afternoon, spend the night there and an early flight to Rome in the morning. No worries. And the money the company saves will be paying for me faffing around the Colliseum on Saturday before home on Sunday

therecklessone

Imposter wrote:

(or 1 hour if I was really brave!).

Better believe it. You'd be lucky to clear security in an hour, never mind accounting for any delays on the flight into Stansted.

De Rebel

I was looking for a Dublin-Birmingham flight about 4 months ago, out and back same day, Ryanair was over €420, AerLingus was under €200. For timing reasons I had to take the Ryanair one.

Aer Lingus are moving in the right direction, but remember that low fares airline doesn't = "cheap tickets always". If their demand expectation predicts a full flight at any price, they will still be happy to screw you.