Aerlingus to the States

Lisapeep

A few of us are thinking of flying to America with Aerlingus this Summer. How comfortable are their planes on the transatlantic route? Are they spacious? What sort of features do they have (eg. a big screen for films, individual screens on each seat etc!)? It's a long journey so we want to go with an airline that will make the journey reasonably comfortable for us!

D!ve^Bomb!

well any long flight will have films, but there's no guaranty they'll be good:( i remember the last time i went away, they played 'my big fat greek wedding'.. such an awful awful film!!! then they played the same ****in film on the way back!!!!!:mad:

I am MAN

I dont know why they bother showing films on planes, I certainly could never get into a film during a flight.

I tend to drink quite a bit and listen to music while switching between books and the odd **** in the toilet when there is no turbulance.

D!ve^Bomb!

I am MAN wrote:

I dont know why they bother showing films on planes, I certainly could never get into a film during a flight.

I tend to drink quite a bit and listen to music while switching between books and the odd **** in the toilet when there is no turbulance.

if i were to get on a long flight i'd have to get the doc to prescribe to prosac for me or somethin cos i just couldn't take it!!! i'd end up killin someone

brettmirl

Lisapeep wrote:

A few of us are thinking of flying to America with Aerlingus this Summer. How comfortable are their planes on the transatlantic route? Are they spacious? What sort of features do they have (eg. a big screen for films, individual screens on each seat etc!)? It's a long journey so we want to go with an airline that will make the journey reasonably comfortable for us!

I've flown with US Airways and Continental before. Flying with Aer Lingus this year cause they are by far the cheapest. Flying in a few weeks, so I'll let ya know when I get back what it was like.

Continental was far superior to US Airways. Really looked after us.

D!ve^Bomb!

Continental was far superior to US Airways. Really looked after us.

plus you can book your seats online!! but you need to book well in advance to get extra leg room!

secret_squirrel

Lisapeep wrote:

A few of us are thinking of flying to America with Aerlingus this Summer. How comfortable are their planes on the transatlantic route? Are they spacious? What sort of features do they have (eg. a big screen for films, individual screens on each seat etc!)? It's a long journey so we want to go with an airline that will make the journey reasonably comfortable for us!

Their planes are ok but no where near the best. Most of them only have a big screen every dozen seats or so. They are one of the cheapest across the atlantic at the moment so you pays your money and takes your choice.

Their planes on the LA route are better fitted out than the rest of their routes.

As with the other posters I always find it hard to get into airline films anyway - most of the good ones get cut to shreds to make them acceptable viewing for the whole aircraft.

My best bets for a good transatlantic journey.

1. Several riveting books.
2. 8hrs of Class MP3's
3. Eye mask, neck pillow and sleeping pills.
4. Drink booze if it makes you sleepy but not if it makes you pee a lot. Also be aware that since you get dehydrated on flights anyway drinking booze makes it worse. Therefore hangovers will be worse.

BuffyBot

Lisapeep wrote:

A few of us are thinking of flying to America with Aerlingus this Summer. How comfortable are their planes on the transatlantic route? Are they spacious? What sort of features do they have (eg. a big screen for films, individual screens on each seat etc!)? It's a long journey so we want to go with an airline that will make the journey reasonably comfortable for us!

Check out some reviews on Aer Lingus here http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/aer_ling.htm

Seat pitch is about 32" - while not exactly generous, it's still a little more than some airlines. As for films, it is hit and miss, although the LA flights do tend to get the aircraft with the seat back screens.

RuggieBear

They use airbusses. Cramped and uncomfortable compared to the Jumbo jet. Get a heap of beer into you and you'll have a blast anyway!

MrJoeSoap

Last summer I flew to New York via London with British Airways, while my friend flew direct from Dublin to NY with Aer Lingus, and from what I've heard, there is no comparison.

British Airways were amazing, the 5 hour delay because of a heavy rainstorm on the way back was well worth sitting through because of the quality of the flight.

Each seat has a personal screen with 17 channels (half radio, half tv) and a tracking system, so you could see where exactly the plane was, how fast it was going, how long it had been in the air, how long it had to go, etc... The films were excellent, and it had a review of the Premiership season on the way over which helped pass the time. Food was excellent too.

It also worked out much cheaper than Aer Lingus and I'd highly recommend it (even with the slight detour to London - which IMO makes it more interesting). Just make sure if you do have to make a connection that you leave yourself plenty of time. I'd say the 2hrs for check-in plus at least another 2 for any potential delays.

Hope it helped.

hefty_langer

have to agree with joesoap
flew with both BA and quantas on their new fleet with the personalized lcd's and have to say it makes all the difference, with being able to play SNES type games aswell as poker and 21, or watch a movie, (or send free sms' to your buddies at home - special offer on the quantas flight as it was a new service!!) definately shortened the flights!

idontknowmyname

depends just on the plane that they have. I went to NY recently and usually I fly a lot further than that so always have to go via London then on to my destination in the US or Canada. I'm used to flying British Airways where you have your own little screen which I love.

Imagine my horror when on a 7 hour flight going over to NY with Aer Lingus (first time flying long haul with them) i had to watch from these little tiny screens that drop down. I think its one for half every 10 aisles or something. They only played one film...crappy

Then on my way home where we had a 6 hr flight, we had our own screens - yay!

So my experience of Aer Lingus is ya never know

Ruu_Old

sometimes u get the individual screens in the headrest infront of you, other times you have the bigger ones dotted around the aircraft. It just depends on what aircraft you are on the day i presume. I flew with BA once to Chicago and it was good, individual screens and nice grub but the other times i flew with Aer Lingus probably because it was direct to O Hare and that suited me. I hated the food, always the same chicken or beef, ate it the first time and got sick. Never ate it again and i was fine hehe, i dont find the seats very comfortable either. Anyway hope the replies helped you.

Lisapeep

Is it true that Aerlingus will be updating it aircraft this year so that by March, many of it's flights to Los Angeles will have individual screens on the back of the headrests and will also include a channel that shows the position of the aircraft and how fast it's going etc.

Their webpage seems to suggest so, what do you think? Here is a snippet of what they say on their webpage in the inflight entertainment section: To help you enjoy your flight, we provide a programme of video and audio entertainment on all transatlantic flights. We're installing an exciting new entertainment system across our fleet. However, because our aircraft are never all on the ground at the same time, some aircraft will get that new technology ahead of others.

This can be viewed by going to their homepage, clicking on "services & frequent flyer," clicking on "inflight services" on the left hand side and clicking on "Movies for Mar."

BuffyBot

Is it true that Aerlingus will be updating it aircraft this year so that by March

It's true they are looking to updating it's fleet, but it's hasn't been approved by the Government yet, so I doubt anything will happen on that front soon

Ruu_Old

aye, heaven knows when the government will approve and fund new aircraft, the downside of a state owned airline

secret_squirrel

BuffyBot wrote:

It's true they are looking to updating it's fleet, but it's hasn't been approved by the Government yet, so I doubt anything will happen on that front soon

Dont confuse buying a new fleet with updating the existing one...An aircraft has to have a major overhaul every 18 months or so - which gives them plenty of opportunity to upgrade the inflight entertainment.

Even if aerlingus decided on a new transatlantic fleet tomorrow (and its not gonna happen anytime soon) it would be a year or 2 before the first aircraft was delivered.

yeraulone

I am MAN wrote:

I dont know why they bother showing films on planes, I certainly could never get into a film during a flight.

I tend to drink quite a bit and listen to music while switching between books and the odd **** in the toilet when there is no turbulance.

We've all been there

Ronan|Raven

Flew to and from New Orleans with Continental on both hops of the flight to and from, have to say I cant fault them. The seats on the leg of the journey from Dublin - NY and vice versa was grand, nice screens in the back of the seat and a good choice of rubbish to watch. The seats offer a fair bit of leg room I didnt feel that cramped despite being a tad heavy and over 6ft.

Ruu_Old

were the flight attendants helpful or grumpy baxtards, Ronan?

BuffyBot

secret_squirrel wrote:

Dont confuse buying a new fleet with updating the existing one...An aircraft has to have a major overhaul every 18 months or so - which gives them plenty of opportunity to upgrade the inflight entertainment.

Even if aerlingus decided on a new transatlantic fleet tomorrow (and its not gonna happen anytime soon) it would be a year or 2 before the first aircraft was delivered.

The won't spend the money upgrading the IFE on a plane they're getting rid of in a while. IFE systems don't come cheap!

Lisapeep

Who said they're gonna be throwing out their existing airplanes any time soon? In the context of a multimillion euro company, in flight entertainment systems do come cheap!

Ronan|Raven

Ruu wrote:

were the flight attendants helpful or grumpy baxtards, Ronan?

On the trip from dublin - shannon (SIGH I HATE SHANNON!) - Newark they were okish they had been up all night in fairness and on a long haul at that stage hell I would be. On the way back from Newark to dubalin they were grand friendly and helpful, managed to get the beers out as fast as I could pay and smile so I was happy.

OY

individual screens on each seat??
aerlingug????
lmao
That is funny!

BuffyBot

Lisapeep wrote:

Who said they're gonna be throwing out their existing airplanes any time soon? In the context of a multimillion euro company, in flight entertainment systems do come cheap!

Well, let's see.

I'm thinking of a new car. I have an old car. Do I hold on to it and leave it in the yard and look at it's pretty self, but don't bother to use it, or trade it in and use the money to pay for the new car?

And no, even in the case of Aer Lingus, IFE systems do not come cheap..however, when buying a new plane, they might get it thrown in fior little of nothing, much as you might get some nicer stuff in a new car if you talk to the salesman nicely..

Ruu_Old

nevernev wrote:

individual screens on each seat??
aerlingug????
lmao
That is funny!

It does happen sometimes, ive been on one and its true

Gone West

well i came over to la last week (11 hours!) and a/l were sound. 9 or 10 movie chanels on little screens in front of each person. hostesses were nice, free minerals the meal wasn't bad. ii was in the standard seats.

secret_squirrel

BuffyBot wrote:

Well, let's see.

I'm thinking of a new car. I have an old car. Do I hold on to it and leave it in the yard and look at it's pretty self, but don't bother to use it, or trade it in and use the money to pay for the new car?

And no, even in the case of Aer Lingus, IFE systems do not come cheap..however, when buying a new plane, they might get it thrown in fior little of nothing, much as you might get some nicer stuff in a new car if you talk to the salesman nicely..

You dont have a clue what you are talking about. The planes are likely to remain in service for a good few years yet - regardless of any new fleet decision, and being as they are arguably below par now the chances of them getting new entertainment systems are fairly high. I can find out for sure on monday.

And for future reference - Airbus dont supply the internal fittings of an A/C so - No entertainment facilities dont 'get chucked in for free'.

Lisapeep

BuffyBot wrote:

I'm thinking of a new car. I have an old car. Do I hold on to it and leave it in the yard and look at it's pretty self, but don't bother to use it, or trade it in and use the money to pay for the new car?

I agree with squirrel, you have made some ridiculous statements. I do believe that the airbus A330 planes on the transatlantic routes were purchased by aerlingus 4 or 5 years ago? If so, then they will not be put out of service for a long time yet! Airplanes are much more expensive and cannot be traded around willy-nilly, unlike some banger of a car you have in your yard!

Aerlingus just recently began replacing their Boeing planes with Airbus planes and so, an upgrade of the airplane interior seems much more likely than selling off these recently acquired planes altogether!

Ruu_Old

i didnt think aer lingus ever had boeing planes...i thought they always had airbuses. Im probably wrong though

BuffyBot

I agree with squirrel, you have made some ridiculous statements. I do believe that the airbus A330 planes on the transatlantic routes were purchased by aerlingus 4 or 5 years ago?

Actually, the purchase of the A330's started in 1994.

If so, then they will not be put out of service for a long time yet!

They'll be flying for many years yet - not nessecarily with Aer Lingus. Fleet renewal means exactly that - new planes for old. The old planes will undoubtedly appear in the fleets of other airlines.

Airplanes are much more expensive and cannot be traded around willy-nilly, unlike some banger of a car you have in your yard!

A few post's ago, Aer Lingus was a multi-million pound blah blah. Airplanes get bought sold and leased all the time.

Aerlingus just recently began replacing their Boeing planes with Airbus planes and so, an upgrade of the airplane interior seems much more likely than selling off these recently acquired planes altogether!

Aer Lingus has had Airbus planes for years - The boeing's have been disappearing bit by bit - it's hardly recent. The 747's they had went out of service in the mid-90's.

And for future reference - Airbus dont supply the internal fittings of an A/C so - No entertainment facilities dont 'get chucked in for free'.

I can't speak for Aer Lingus, but I know other airlines which have their fitting out done as part of the build process. Airbus/Boeing don't supply or manufacture the IFE, but often they manage it's installation as part of the contract for the purchase of the aircraft.

penexpers

Ruu wrote:

i didnt think aer lingus ever had boeing planes...i thought they always had airbuses. Im probably wrong though

They've had plenty of Boeings and I think there's still a few 737-500's in service, or at least there was last year.

penexpers

BuffyBot wrote:

I can't speak for Aer Lingus, but I know other airlines which have their fitting out done as part of the build process. Airbus/Boeing don't supply or manufacture the IFE, but often they manage it's installation as part of the contract for the purchase of the aircraft.

Exactly, Airbus/Boeing don't build engines but they still fit the engines that the customer requires.

Ruu_Old

i said i was probably wrong but im gracious in defeat

Lisapeep

Ruu wrote:

i said i was probably wrong but im gracious in defeat

Unlike BuffyBot!

secret_squirrel

BuffyBot wrote:

Actually, the purchase of the A330's started in 1994.

correct Aer Lingus bought 4 a330'S in 1994, 1x 1995 ,1x 1999, 1x2000.

BuffyBot wrote:

They'll be flying for many years yet .

Even if a new fleet decision is reached soon - they will be flying a minimum of 2 years more. Due to the length of time it will take airbus to process their orders which is plenty of time for the entertainment system to pay for itself.

BuffyBot wrote:

Aer Lingus has had Airbus planes for years - The boeing's have been disappearing bit by bit - it's hardly recent.

To be fair you are both right - It was less than 2 Years ago that Aer Lingus officially announced that they were going to an All Airbus short haul fleet. The first of these Aircraft was delivered this time last year.

BuffyBot wrote:

I can't speak for Aer Lingus, but I know other airlines which have their fitting out done as part of the build process. Airbus/Boeing don't supply or manufacture the IFE, but often they manage it's installation as part of the contract for the purchase of the aircraft.

True but that argues against your original point rather than for it. Airbus tend to give credits against future purchases rather than discount something from a 3rd party supplier.

brettmirl

Well what do you want exactly?

A cheap flight across the atlantic?

Or some edited movie on a tiny screen?

Lisapeep

secret_squirrel wrote:

The planes are likely to remain in service for a good few years yet - regardless of any new fleet decision, and being as they are arguably below par now the chances of them getting new entertainment systems are fairly high. I can find out for sure on monday.

So, did you find out for sure? You must work in the airline industry or something I presume!

secret_squirrel

Sorry I forgot - will make some enquiries tomorrow.

babaduck

Anyway... back to the topic in hand!

We flew EI Dub/JFK/Bos/Dub in October. They aren't as good as they used to be - but the fares are lower

Good points
* friendly staff
* clear immigration in Dublin so no 2 hour queue in the USA

Bad points
* food is slop. absolute unadulterated crap.
* you pay for all alcohol on board
* In flight entertainment isn't brilliant

If I was doing the trip again & could persuade my husband who hates flying, I'd fly with Virgin via London. They have a great product. Second choice would be BA

Lex_Diamonds

Why not fly Continental? They clear immigration in Dublin, dont usually stop in Shannon, are cheap (not as cheap as Aer Lingus), and have decent in-flight stuff.

lynchie

Have flown many times with AerLingus to the US. Have to admit that the IFE is not good but the price is usually quite cheap when you book in advance. You could fly with virgin through london for the same price, maybe cheaper, but at least on the return flight when the plane touches down, im in Dublin, not in London waiting on a connecting flight to Dublin. Now Id prefer that instead of getting better IFE

penexpers

Lex_Diamonds wrote:

Why not fly Continental? They clear immigration in Dublin, dont usually stop in Shannon, are cheap (not as cheap as Aer Lingus), and have decent in-flight stuff.

Every airline flying direct Ireland -> USA clears immigration in Dublin.

secret_squirrel

Ok asked one of my friends who works in Aer Lingus EI maintenance and he'll be getting back to me.

Did learn that new IFE should have been installed in 2001 but for Sept 11. They actually had all the stuff bought but it was all sold off as part of their survival plan.

Must agree about the meals - they have gone right downhill lately. Mushed spinach with everything. Their fry's are still fantastic though.

Lisapeep

How many meals would you get on an 11 hour flight to San Fransisco for example? And do they give you free drinks with Aerlingus?

Ruu_Old

no idea how many meals, but u have to pay for the alcohol, the soft drinks are free.

BuffyBot

Lisapeep wrote:

How many meals would you get on an 11 hour flight to San Fransisco for example? And do they give you free drinks with Aerlingus?

Normally a full meal (small starter, main course, small desert) and a pre-landing "snack". AFAIK soft drinks are free still with Aer Lingus - I don't know how many sweeps of the cabin they do though.

Blisterman

Does any airline have good food?
Entertainment-wise delta's much better than Aer Lingus, but I had to change planes twice, which was annoying.

BuffyBot

Does any airline have good food?

Some. So I've heard

Rabies

penexpers wrote:

Every airline flying direct Ireland -> USA clears immigration in Dublin.

I went to America last year and we where cleared in boston. No one at the immigration desk in Ireland so we were all to told to keep moving and we would get checked at Logan airport

brettmirl

Just back from the states. Flew Dub to chicago with Aer Lingus. Staff were friendly. Plane was clean. Leg room was fine. Food was so-so..we got dinner which was fine and a 'snack' which was a fruit scone about an hour before landing. They showed two movies - "The Incredibles" and "After The Sunset". It was an Airbus A330 which had the screens every few rows.

Coming back (JFK to DUB) same plane type and they showed "Finding Neverland". The food was absolutely horrible and breakfast consisted of a carton of orange juice.

Around the movies they showed programmes such as 'Friends', 'Scrubs', 'Top Gear', 'Off The Rails' and so on.

Yes they charge for alcoholic beverages but soft drinks are free. They only come around once with the trolley but you can go to the galley at either end and get as many as you like during the flight.

Internally I had two flights with American Airlines - Chicago to Las Vegas and San Francisco to New York. Leg room was terrible and the planes seemed very run down and dirty. Think Bus Eireann with wings. Their service was terrible. The staff were far from friendly and you had to pay for EVERYTHING on board. They offered a snack pack for $5 which was essentially just cheese, crackers and fruit.

Also had one internal flight with Ted (the ryanair type offering from United) from Las Vegas to San Francisco. The service on it was superb. Even though it was only a short flight we all got free soft drinks and a newspaper. There was a lot of people getting connecting flights in SF and the cabin crew gave them updates throughout the flights as to what gates to go to and whether it was on time or not.

If you are travelling on the Aer Lingus A330 to the states...try to get seated in row 31. Its the seats just before the toilets in the mid section and at the emergency exits. LOADS of leg room here and you get your own little LCD screen in front of you too.

My two other tips are:

If you are getting a one way flight in the states look out for "SSSSSS" printed on your boarding pass. If it's there it means you are going for 'Secondary Screening'. Once you go through the metal detectors they pull you aside and give you a full pat down, go through your hand luggage and run the 'wand' metal detector over you.

Secondly, dont stay in the Radisson Lexington in NYC. It's a kip! :-)