Aer Lingus Fleet/ Routes Discussion Pt 2 (ALL possible routes included)

I can only give my personal opinion based on how I think the market has changed in recent years but in short, I'd say no.

The gulf between Ryanair and Aer Lingus has been closing for many years, in fact it's now pretty much non-existent and both airlines offer identical products give or take a few minor details. It's how that product is delivered that counts for most passengers and Ryanair already performs better in this category; cheaper, more punctual and more effecient.

While a minority still say they prefer Aer Lingus and are happy to pay more for a perceived better service, the masses have and will continue to vote with their wallet and go with the best value offering which is usually Ryanair but often Aer Lingus as well.

After all, if passengers over the last 20 years were happy to accept the removal of Premier Europe, the introduction of buy on board catering, seat selection fees, bag charges, hand luggage limits, hand luggage fees, unbundled fares etc. ...the lack of headrests is unlikely to be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Aer Lingus is also well aware of its limitations on short haul, its network is heavily focused on busy seasonal markets where there's enough demand to profitably sustain both airlines while also operating to traditional hubs that Ryanair so far continues to avoid bar one or two exceptions. This keeps short haul ticking over while long haul rakes in the profits.

There were a couple of years, around the time Christoph Mueller was in charge, that Aer Lingus outperformed Ryanair at Dublin. There were a few press releases about it at the time but it was soon forgotten, I’m guessing because they fell back down the rankings.

While Aer Lingus often ranks highly among European carriers, they don’t release monthly punctuality stats anymore while Ryanair continues to do so. According to Ryanair, they had an 86% on time record for June. That’s hard to beat.

All airlines do that, EI included. You can take off at 0740 for a 7am departure with EI and still arrive on time no bother! It’s something that has to be accounted for!

When I had to travel a lot more than currently, Ryanair's flight times were the #1 problem with even booking them - as well as the wandering times, many routes are only ever served once a day at one end of the day, e.g. 6am or 9pm departures. Aer Lingus nearly always won on having more sensible flight times, particularly for business travel.

Crap onboard service, crap customer care, harsh rules and obedience to same, and almost vindictive post-flight care if there were issues were the others.

The onboard service is now in an odd situation of the staff often still being crap beyond belief; but the hard product being better - Ryanair have better food, and stock of it to sell you, at pretty much all times, the interiors are no longer blindingly trashy; and Aer Lingus have been inconsistent to worse on seat quality and spacing ever since the ex-Iberia planes turned up, nearly a decade ago.

The customer care pre- and post- flight is still appalling and their social media thing of ridiculing passengers is now my #1 reason to avoid. The rules stuff was mostly dropped under the "always getting better" era and hasn't come back as far as I can see. I still got told total lies about why a massively delayed flight was delayed - they had no crew, they claimed it was mechanical - but I got my 261 money.

I also seriously dislike the thing of loading boarding passengers in to stairwells before the inbound has even landed, and I suspect that is going to end in tears/fines when there's a fall/crush and an airfield incursion by injured passengers.

The passenger outcome of the the race to the bottom that has occurred is negative for everyone except the very, very most price conscious.

Fun fact, you still can't even check-in online using a passport card! You are required to check-in at the desk in airport if you wish to use a passport card (apologies for being slightly off topic)

My thoughts exactly

EI don't require a passport for check in save for a few countries which require API, my passport card has certainly worked with EI in the past.

That’s largely due to the Q1 loss with the increased seasonality of the business thanks to the slower recovery of business travel versus leisure. The Q2 profit of €121m is up considerably on the €112m from same quarter in 2019. Best margin of the group. On time performance was a poor 63% for the first half, second worst of the group after BA with its abysmal 57%, they really need to find out Iberia’s secret to consistent punctuality.

Overall I’d say that’s a pretty good performance. As usual the IAG results are very light on details of future plans, BA will get 10 more 787s, IB will get another A350, the group will see 10 more A32N added from 2028 etc.

Elsewhere Aer Lingus UK had a 64% load factor in May, down on the 72% in April but up considerably on the 56% for the same month last year. May was also the first full month of all A330 ops at the base so there was a huge increase in capacity on JFK to absorb. Not sure how sustainable all A330 ops will be for this base, particularly in the winter but it could simply be a case of them waiting it out until more narrow body capacity is made available.

Can't say I would agree with this. Aer Lingus have built schedules around this as discussed. ATC strikes, weather and other operationmal issues such as IT issues would impact Aer Lingus than Iberia.

It doesn't work for the online check in though. That's what the op was saying. When you check in online they ask for passport number only. If you want to use passport card you have to go to a desk (or possibly a self service kiosk).

I think the press release announcing their half year results sums it up. While the other group carriers reiterate upcoming fleet additions, product enhancements and routes, Aer Lingus can only promote an American football game they sponsor.

Priorities, at least publicly, seem to be muddled.

I am on EI174, and was due to be NSC. Its on stand but they switched our gate and aircraft.

Would have been nice to get my first NEO flight with EI. My return is scheduled for regular A320.

EI-NSC currently scheduled for Düsseldorf shortly. Hopefully the day spent in the hanger solved the issue.

Not unusual to have new aircraft experience teething problems, particularly when put to work on a busy route so quickly!