Aer Lingus Longhaul

H

Happy_Harry

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Will be flying to LA in April, opted for Aer Lingus in the end due to the convenience of a non-stop flight. I know it will be a compromise in terms of comfort and entertainment, but I was wondering how bad it will get
The website tells me there will be in flight entertainment, but will it be one movie on a CRT screen, or do they have a more sophisticated system on board ? I have chosen a seat that should have bit extra legroom , behind the toilets (row 30 or so), but was wondering if there are any better seats to be had, worth of getting to the airport early ?
 
Happy_Harry said:
W...I know it will be a compromise in terms of comfort and entertainment,...
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Compromise compared to what? I always found AL on a par (if not better) with most major airlines like BA etc. Obviously some like [SIZE=-1]Emirates are better but then you pay for the difference. I like to sit aisle, not too far from a toliet so that I can get out and stretch the legs once the trolly goes by. Avoid the rear, or behind the engines generally. After that bring a good book, good music etc.
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Harry,
I flew AL to LA just recently. There were individual screens on the way out, but not on the way back (maybe because it was a night flight). All in all, it compared well with BA and better than my last NY flight with AL where they didn't have enough blankets for all the passengers (also a night flight), so it was luck of the draw whether you got one.
I also prefer an aisle seat, but not so close to the toilets that the queue forms beside your seat (personal preference).
Enjoy LA!
 
Aircobra, I have flown Aer Lingus many time in Europe by choice as I think they are very good indeed in terms of price and quality. However reading some reviews on airlinequality.com gave me the impression their long haul service is less impressive. If the service and comfort is similar as that to their shorthaul destinations, I will be quite happy. I was also wondering should I bring my own DVD player , as I will not sleep on any plane.
 
Happy_Harry said:
Will be flying to LA in April, opted for Aer Lingus in the end due to the convenience of a non-stop flight. I know it will be a compromise in terms of comfort and entertainment, but I was wondering how bad it will get
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AerLingus is not as bad as people think (anymore). Their transatlantic service is excellent.

What exactly do people expect from their in-flight entertainment anyway? Its a plane, not a cinema.

Try flying the same transatlantic airline twice or three times in one-two months. Have you ever had to watch Nanny McFee 4 or 5 times?! You'll get the idea!
 


I was curious because I always feel I'm almost home when I get on an AL flight. Kinda corny, but there you go. The staff usually (not always) are just so much more friendly and approachable. I like BA though too. Oddly enough there was a discussion about USA flights at the tea station/water cooler this morning, and Virgin came up as being more plush/better equipped for not much more money. Another disadvantage for not going with AL is that you usually have to go via London. Which adds time, fatigue, and probably adds to that sense of not being quite home yet on other airlines vs AL.

I rarely sleep on planes, myself. Never tried a personal DVD/Laptop/iPod for bring my own videos. Seems like a good idea for a longer flights. Was thinking of the same for the kids, next time I go. They generally won't last the lenght of a flight, but I suppose if you get 3-4 hrs out of one its something.
 
Hi HH,

I'd endorse Aer Lingus LAX-DUB above the other options, mainly because when you are really knackered on your return flight that last 3 hours waiting in London to board the final flight is hellish. I think the flight gets in a a pretty good time too. Lets be honest its no fun being on a 10 hour flight with any airline.
 
gillarosa said:
mainly because when you are really knackered on your return flight that last 3 hours waiting in London to board the final flight is hellish.
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Here here. There is nothing worse. The Aer Lingus flight could only have 1 wing, and it'd be better than the lay-over in Deathrow.

(p.s. there is no valid reason to use Heathrow anymore anyway. Use Amsterdam (Schiphol) instead. Its a joy, if thats possible, and you can get pretty much anywhere by connecting through there.)
 
Myself and my family have all flown many times with Aer Lingus to L.A. as my sister lives out there... Never had any problems with them (touch wood). It's a long flight, that's just the way it is, two movies and two meals helps it go a bit quicker....

M
 
I have flown with Aer Lingus several times; although mostly short haul and some flights to JFK and Chicago and I never really had problems.

Yes the don't have personal video screens on most aircraft but hopefully that will change with the new airbuses coming in later in the year. Anyway on a 7 hour flight to JFK, you can cope with general view but a 11 hour flight to LAX would drive me nuts.

I find that the transtlantic cabin crew are much more friendly and helpful than those to the UK or Europe.

Still having flown with BA long haul a number of times I would still prefer them except the hassle of connecting in LHR.
 
We gave up flying AL about 5 years ago and fly Delta instead. For LA this means connecting in Atlanta or New York but to me it's a much more pleasant experience than the nightmarish AL flights we had.

Re Schipol, it's a nice airport BUT they've seriously increased their airport charges so you're unlikely to get a good fare deal going that way. There's also the new duty free rules which mean you can't connect in Europe with liquids bought outside the EU.

For entertainment, always my ipod, book and magazines. Rarely watch the films anymore.
 
Happy Harry beware of seats on Aer Lingus (or on any airline) that are close to the toilets. You might get extra legroom at the bulkhead where the toliets are located but you will have lines forming around you waiting for the toilets and the noise of toilets flushing every couple of minutes etc. Believe me I've experienced this, its not pleasant and very difficult to catch some sleep in this area the aircraft.
 
flew with al last year to LA..nightmare...had booked a crib for my 6month old in advance,when we arrived at airport we were told that we couldnt be accomodated and the infant would have to stay on our lap!!!only with aer lingus would this situation happen. wrote letter to them when we got home and not even a reply,, hope you dont have young'ens. ba,delta,klm are all far superior to our own national airline ,im afraid to say.service is better than al also.
 
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I bought these tickets as I didn't want a stop anywhere on the way back. I have no children with me, I don't mind noise of people waiting (!) for the toilet, as I cannot sleep on a plane, so all in all, I guess we'll get over it. Might bring the laptop for some entertainment.
BTW I would endorse Schiphol (or Frankfurt) as a transfer airport and don't agree with the comment regarding high airport taxes resulting in expensive flights. Klm always has great deals from Ireland ( and you don't have to pay bagage charges to EI on your flight to AMS ) and it would have been cheaper for me to fly with them to LA, but I pay for the luxury of a non-stop flight.
 

You mustn't have flown through AMS in the last 18 months then, we used to use it a lot but now go through Paris or Atlanta for better deals.
 
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