Aer Lingus Fleet/Routes Discussion

tnegun

kevinandrew wrote: »

Qatar obviously treated the aircraft like a dog, it definitely made its money on the less glamorous routes on their network if you know what I mean. Most of Aer Lingus' own A332s are older than this aircraft but are in far superior condition cabin wise, just goes to show these middle eastern carriers may have the glitz and glamour of on board suites and lounges but their day to day upkeep is often shoddy.

As for the problems listed, short of ripping the entire cabin out and starting again I doubt there's much more they can do, everything else will be quick fixes. I doubt the planned business class refit later this year will extend to anything else.

From speaking with crew they believe they're going to rip out and replace the galleys and convert to the same as the other 330s as this aircraft is short on seats but that it was supposed to happen over the winter.

Locker10a

California Dreamer wrote: »

You will be thanked for your feedback. It will be passed to the department in charge. Then NOSFG will be given....(not one single......)

It will however be folded into a pile of statistics which are analysed and used to asses what parts of the service need improvement.

kevinandrew

tnegun wrote: »

kevinandrew wrote: »

Qatar obviously treated the aircraft like a dog, it definitely made its money on the less glamorous routes on their network if you know what I mean. Most of Aer Lingus' own A332s are older than this aircraft but are in far superior condition cabin wise, just goes to show these middle eastern carriers may have the glitz and glamour of on board suites and lounges but their day to day upkeep is often shoddy.

As for the problems listed, short of ripping the entire cabin out and starting again I doubt there's much more they can do, everything else will be quick fixes. I doubt the planned business class refit later this year will extend to anything else.

From speaking with crew they believe they're going to rip out and replace the galleys and convert to the same as the other 330s as this aircraft is short on seats but that it was supposed to happen over the winter.

So maybe there’s hope for it yet!

California Dreamer

Locker10a wrote: »

It will however be folded into a pile of statistics which are analysed and used to asses what parts of the service need improvement.

What do you think the percentage of complaints that EI get are about -GEY? Because outside of a few aerosexuals a lot would have no clue what kind of aircraft they are on let alone the configuration.

Van.Bosch

California Dreamer wrote: »

What do you think the percentage of complaints that EI get are about -GEY? Because outside of a few aerosexuals a lot would have no clue what kind of aircraft they are on let alone the configuration.

I complained (business class) and got €100 voucher

California Dreamer

Van.Bosch wrote: »

I complained (business class) and got €100 voucher

Couple of years back I complained about the crew in business. He looked hungover as hell and the food was slapped on the plate. Got a €200 voucher.

ongarboy

Flew DUB to MIA on EI and back this past fortnight and it seemed to be at 100% passenger loading both ways. Good to see this route doing well. From casual observation guesstimate, it seemed majority of passengers were not Irish so possibly a lot of transit passengers?

tnegun

Any transatlantic I've flown on with EI has always had a large amount of transit passengers I'd say 50% on some you can get an idea by the number turning off before passport control. Dublin preclearence serves them well speaking of which took me and hour and 15 to get through it on Thursday. The queue went up the escalator s and down towards the 400 gates and turned back towards duty free with lots of skipping.

Stephen Strange

tnegun wrote: »

Any transatlantic I've flown on with EI has always had a large amount of transit passengers I'd say 50% on some you can get an idea by the number turning off before passport control. Dublin preclearence serves them well speaking of which took me and hour and 15 to get through it on Thursday. The queue went up the escalator s and down towards the 400 gates and turned back towards duty free with lots of skipping.

It depends on the time of year. During summer there are a lot less transit pax compared to winter in my experience.

Tenger

Last time I saw it referred to it by EI was as part of full year results about 2-3 years ago.
40% transit pax was the figure I believe.

Lapmo_Dancer

NH2013 wrote: »

A sick pilot apparently in the end according to the ATC playback.

Fake news.

Nijmegen

California Dreamer wrote: »

What do you think the percentage of complaints that EI get are about -GEY? Because outside of a few aerosexuals a lot would have no clue what kind of aircraft they are on let alone the configuration.

I'd say people flying up the front are most likely to be the aerosexuals, and also drive the profits. Tho that being said on MCO, MIA, JFK and IAD where they rotate her I guess they don't really have middle eastern standard competition.

Tenger

Shamrockj wrote: »

EI-GCF diverted to Calgary with a sick passenger on its way from SFO to DUB

Makes sense.
My understanding is that EI require 3 flight crew due the length of the sector
Assuming a pilot was ill and they diverted, the remaining 2 couldnt carry on without a rest period. As they would already have operated for several hours. And thats before whatever time the diversion and medical offload took up.

Looking at the timings involved offloading a sick customer seems more likely.

tnegun

I take it all back, DAA on the way home and got called to the gate before boarding seat 2G!

tricky D

Tenger wrote: »

Makes sense.
My understanding is that EI require 3 flight crew due the length of the sector
Assuming a pilot was ill and they diverted, the remaining 2 couldnt carry on without a rest period. As they would already have operated for several hours. And thats before whatever time the diversion and medical offload took up.

It was around 4 hours delayed fwiw.

ohigg84

Is there any particular reason why EI are routinely deploying A332's EI-LAX, DUO and DAA on the IAD route?

I thought this route was being solely operated by GEY and sometimes EWR.

tnegun

It has less seating capacity that the other 330-200's right? So maybe related to that? Flight was completely full from what I saw from IAD this morning.

liiga

Will Aerlingus A321LR have the black eyeliner around the cockpit ?

VG31

liiga wrote: »

Will Aerlingus A321LR have the black eyeliner around the cockpit ?

No.

https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/9326980

NewApproach

When flying to LCY with EI, they are operated by Citijet so depart from the T1 gates, despite EI advertising the relevant terminal as T2, correct? If you pitch up at T1 departures, will you be able to get through security there?

Van.Bosch

NewApproach wrote: »

When flying to LCY with EI, they are operated by Citijet so depart from the T1 gates, despite EI advertising the relevant terminal as T2, correct? If you pitch up at T1 departures, will you be able to get through security there?

Yup - unless you have checked bags.

The flights actually go from the 300 gates between 1 & 2, so not much in it. Personally I think security is better/quicker in T2.

markc91

Anyone know when the 321 will go into service im booked to go to MSP in september and was hoping it wouldnt be on the 757, checked same flight in both november and january and both are saying it will still be operated by the 757

California Dreamer

markc91 wrote: »

Anyone know when the 321 will go into service im booked to go to MSP in september and was hoping it wouldnt be on the 757, checked same flight in both november and january and both are saying it will still be operated by the 757

I think you answered your own question there.

markc91

California Dreamer wrote: »

I think you answered your own question there.

I don't know if the websites been updated yet though because the first 757 is due to leave on 31/10 with the last leaving on 31/12 so there should be no 757 in January but its showing there is on the site

California Dreamer

markc91 wrote: »

I don't know if the websites been updated yet though because the first 757 is due to leave on 31/10 with the last leaving on 31/12 so there should be no 757 in January but its showing there is on the site

This is assuming that everything will run on time which when it comes to the airline industry rarely ever actually happens. Face it, you are on a 75 and if something else happens be pleasantly surprised!

Tenger

markc91 wrote: »

I don't know if the websites been updated yet though because the first 757 is due to leave on 31/10 with the last leaving on 31/12 so there should be no 757 in January but its showing there is on the site

Was posted here a week or two ago that 3 B757s will be gone before end of year. One is being kept until March 2020.
Presumably the 4th A321LR is expected then?

Website has been updated with the A321LR seatmap (again was mentioned here previously) so if the website currently says B757 then that is the current plan.

Shamrockj

The 757 is still down as operating MSP next may. Maybe they will extend the lease?

goingnowhere

There is going to be at least 1 757 flying in the 2020 peak season.

EI-LRA is complete more or less pending test flights, EI-LRB, EI-LRC are in process, there are 9 more after that to build

Tenger

Shamrockj wrote: »

The 757 is still down as operating MSP next may. Maybe they will extend the lease?

Not to dispute your fact, but the winter schedule is yet to be confirmed.
So B757 on MSP in Summer '20 may well be a placeholder.

On twitter today, noted that EI schedule shows A321LR on the 154/155 DUB-LHR-DUB from November.

liiga

Thank u for let me know

Pity Aerlingus A321lr will not have eyeliner
I think it would look well with new livery ðŸ‘

Hotblack Desiato

It's not an A350

Cookiemunster

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

It's not an A350

It's not just the A350 that's gotten the 'eyeliner' treatment. I've seen it on their in house A330 and A321 neo aircraft. And TAPs A330 neo has it.

Captain_Crash

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

It's not an A350

Iberia have the "Skyliner" on their A320NEO's... looks sweet

tanya1987

How many cabin crew will be crewed on the 321Neo? 16 passengers in business class I assume they have to have 2 in the front at least? And 3 in the back for the 168 economy pax?

goingnowhere

legally only 4 needed

Cravens

goingnowhere wrote: »

legally only 4 needed

The unions kicked up an almighty fuss when EI tried to crew the B752’s with 4 attendants. Out of interest; did they manage to crew B752’s with 4 or did they stick with 5 in the end?

tanya1987

Cravens wrote: »

The unions kicked up an almighty fuss when EI tried to crew the B752’s with 4 attendants. Out of interest; did they manage to crew B752’s with 4 or did they stick with 5 in the end?

4 but 757 only had 12 in Business class. The a321 will have 16

Lapmo_Dancer

The cabin crew have been told that it’ll be 4 cabin crew.

kevinandrew

The A321LR experience goes from bad to worse... a beancounter dream, a cabin crew nightmare.

Locker10a

kevinandrew wrote: »

The A321LR experience goes from bad to worse... a beancounter dream, a cabin crew nightmare.

Service from a passenger perspective will also suffer. On the 757 3 crew deal with economy, and 1 for Business. It will have to be the same set up here, but service in business will be stretched further, meal service take longer etc.

NH2013

Well with the current A330 set up 3 cabin crew look after business class passengers, so 3 crew/22 pax on a -200 and 3 crew/30 pax on a -300, or a crew to passenger ratio of 1 crew to 7 passengers on a -200 and 1 to 10 on the -300, with the 757 there's a ratio of 1/12, with the A321 there would be a ratio of 1 crew to 16 passengers if they operate it the way the 757 works, more than twice the ratio of a -200 and 1.6 times the ratio on a -300 so I'd imagine it'll end up with 2 crew looking after the 16 business class passengers and 2 looking after the 172(?) economy passengers.

Business class passengers, particularly on eastbound flights just want to get their meals quickly and get to sleep, service times on the 757 can already drag on to over two and a half hours to get everyone fed and watered with only 1 crew member, never mind with a 33% increase in the number of passengers in business.

The 321 business product will already be inferior due to the way the doors are configured there will no longer be a champagne welcome service on boarding and if planning on only using one hostess in business then it could well be a case of waiting 3 to 4 hours after takeoff to get your dinner and be able to go to sleep, quite a retrograde step.

Nijmegen

Yeah if they handle it that way the eastbound pax will really be getting screwed over. Even if you choose to forego the meal you're gonna be disturbed by the service dragging on and on. Really not sounding like an appealing product the way they're thinking of it if reports are true.

joeysoap

Any time I’ve flown to US it appeared to be 2 up front and 6 in main cabin, which is stretching it on a west coast flight with breaks to be taken etc. Can’t see less than 2 in business for meals etc, EasyJet are tight but even they have 4 in their 319s.

Kcormahs

joeysoap wrote: »

Any time I’ve flown to US it appeared to be 2 up front and 6 in main cabin, which is stretching it on a west coast flight with breaks to be taken etc. Can’t see less than 2 in business for meals etc, EasyJet are tight but even they have 4 in their 319s.

I remember Aer Lingus on the a319 it only had 3 cc.
The 757 works with 4. The company will try to push for 4 as they would be in a good cost advantage against other airlines like TAP who have 5 cc on board their 321LR

L1011

Easyjet 319's need 4 - they have extra-tight seating that goes well over the limit for 3.

joeysoap

L1011 wrote: »

Easyjet 319's need 4 - they have extra-tight seating that goes well over the limit for 3.

Tight seats yes but 26 rows =156 pax,
Also I been on EasyJet 320s out of Belfast with 5 cabin crew.

AL should have 5 on TA’s on the 321lr

sherology

Rules are 1-per 50 pax... Not sure they'd need 5 or have crew seats (2-front/2-back looking at layout - remember it's a continuous cabin with no door-2 - so more like an a320). Cabin is pretty quiet after meal service and not like there's a huge hurry usually... Not a lot of cash transfer as food is free, just a few drinks.

joe316

How far in advance are the planes picked to fly each day?

Originally booked return from MCO on the 26th in business but now look like returning on EI-GEY and completly changed our seats including putting a 7 year old sitting on his own.

Will be contacting Aer Lingus but wanted to check if these are cast in stone already.

EICVD

Other half flew to YYZ on Wednesday, told me before they departed half the plane would be without IFE, figured it was EWR & low & behold it was. Looks like both airlines in the YYZ use their unreliable 330s on the route.

Jack1985

sherology wrote: »

Rules are 1-per 50 pax... Not sure they'd need 5 or have crew seats (2-front/2-back looking at layout - remember it's a continuous cabin with no door-2 - so more like an a320). Cabin is pretty quiet after meal service and not like there's a huge hurry usually... Not a lot of cash transfer as food is free, just a few drinks.

Crew are required to take breaks after the meal service, legally. EASA also makes it clear if local agreements supersede EASA minimum requirements, they supersede the minimum which is the case at EI, so expect to see a lot of canned last services as crew will ensure they get their agreed break entitlements.