JFKMan From United States, joined Mar 2007, 460 posts, RR: 2 Posted (3 weeks 3 days 2 hours 32 minutes ago) and read 5778 times:
Hi all! I am proud to say that this is my 10th trip report!
This is a one-way TR on Aer Lingus from New York, USA (JFK) to Dublin, Ireland (DUB)
This flight was EI-104 on the 21nd of October 2009.
I was traveling on this trip with my mother and sister. We were going to visit my grandmother in Dublin. Check-in went smoothly and we had time to do some duty free shopping. Security took a while, as always at JFK T4.
Our craft to DUB:
Swiss:
ElAl:
Gate area for our flight:
Egypt Air off to Cairo:
SQ in Star Alliance paintjob (very nice!) :
Mella off to SNN:
Emirates! An airline I really want to try:
Air India:
British Airways A318 at JFK – still a funny sight:
TAM:
Etihad:
Cathy Pacific Cargo (just touched down):
Aer Lingus code share with United Airlines:
An orderly boarding:
When it comes to EI crew, they are either horribly rude or superbly nice. This crew was the latter, which helped make this one of my favorite Aer Lingus journeys ever.
Seats:
Of course…another thing that made it one of the best was the IFE system.
I like EI’s IFE system. Great variety of music, which you can listen to while viewing the moving map! That’s a big plus from me here! It could have a bigger variety of films as none of them highly interested me.
Overhead lights and AC is far away, but it looks nice:
Nice and clean cabin:
Tight pitch for a tall person, but acceptable:
Heading North out of JFK:
Moving map:
I watched 30Rock:
Snack and drink service shortly into the flight:
Aer Lingus offers things like Pringles for $2 on Transatlantic, which I think is great to have a choice alongside the free pretzels:
Kind FA’s:
Then I watched my favorite show, Only Fools And Horses:
Dinner was not too long after this. The choices were beef with ravioli or chicken and veg.
Beef:
This was very good. I enjoyed it. With the main course came a salad, cheesecake, bread, crackers, cheese, and a chocolate. I love Aer Lingus cheesecake and always look forward to it!
Chicken:
The chicken, I’m told, was not so good.
Tea and coffee service was next. I got a cup of tea:
On our way:
The crew did not do any drink or water runs, but did announce that a self-service bar was available in the middle galley. I checked it out and it had numerous soft drinks and the same pretzels.
Large bathroom:
Running low on toilet paper!
Curtain to Premier Class:
Diet Coke from self-serve galley:
Almost there:
Cabin:
Contents of seat pocket:
Off the coast:
Shortly before landing the FAs handed out a small cup of orange juice:
This disappoints me every time. I miss the days when EI would give a sandwich with a Time Out bar prior to landing. Now…basically nothing. ...
We landed into Dublin early and headed towards immigration. Welcomed by a friendly enough office…who was very quiet. Then again…it was only 5 in the morning.
The wait for the luggage took a while, as usual in DUB.
Overall I had a good flight and experience with Aer Lingus. It could be a lot worse!
Here are a few pics of my stay in Dublin, including a little spotting at DUB.
On top of a double decker bus:
GPO:
Connolly Station to the right:
The spire! (British shop Debenhams to the left, Irish shop Arnotts to the left)
Customs House:
Spotting near DUB is next!
FR:
FR:
Air France Cargo:
I was surprised to see an Air France 747 at DUB at first…
British Midland:
Now…closer to the airport:
Ryan Air:
Aer Lingus parked at DUB:
Dublin Fire and Rescue:
EI:
FR departing DUB:
Air France:
Off into the sunset:
More Aer Lingus:
Etihad at DUB:
Fence:
Another off into the sunset:
….and this TR is off into the sunset itself. That’s it! I hope you enjoying reading this TR as much as I enjoyed taking the trip!
Comments always adored! Thanks,
Tommy
(aka JFKMAN)
Hey! I'm Tommy from JFK, New York. (US AIRWAYS RULES)
OA260 From Turkey, joined Nov 2006, 16849 posts, RR: 53 Reply 1, posted (3 weeks 3 days 2 hours 25 minutes ago) and read 5751 times:
Nice report and nice photos. The new cabin is alot better than the old ones. Food basic enough for a 7 hour flight but thats becoming the norm these days sadly.
At least you got a decent crew. Very familiar sights of Dublin. Good old Guineys of Talbot Street lol...
Shamrock350 From Ireland, joined Mar 2005, 5303 posts, RR: 17 Reply 5, posted (3 weeks 3 days 2 hours 12 minutes ago) and read 5702 times:
Hi Tommy,
Nice to hear your flight with Aer Lingus was a good one, the new cabins seem to be a great improvement but I wish Aer Lingus would work on the presentation of their meals because if they actually taste good they may as well look good!
Nice to hear your flight with Aer Lingus was a good one, the new cabins seem to be a great improvement but I wish Aer Lingus would work on the presentation of their meals because if they actually taste good they may as well look good!
Thanks for posting.
Kevin,
Thanks for the comments and reading. And I agree with you on the meals
Hey! I'm Tommy from JFK, New York. (US AIRWAYS RULES)
EI320 From Ireland, joined Dec 2007, 972 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (3 weeks 3 days 1 hour 29 minutes ago) and read 5576 times:
Hi Tommy,
From this report I'll admit that EI almost seem good on long-haul. The inflight service, or lack of it, stands out like a sore thumb though. The first snack is fine, but the main meal really needs to be improved. The presentation is very poor, and judging on my own experience, the food isn't great either. A bottle of water or wine/beer should be offered with the main meal instead of that measly tub of water. Breakfast is non-existant, which really isn't acceptable. Tea/Coffee with orange juice, and a small continental breakfast (pastry/fruit) needs to be offered. I'm not expecting full cooked breakfasts for everyone, but the soft product in the Y cabin really just doesn't make the cut at the moment.
The foundations are in place now for EI to offer a pretty decent long-haul experience, so I do hope the inflight service is improved. My gut feeling though is that EI will continue to be only "almost good", which is a shame considering the amount of money invested in upgrading the cabins recently.
KL642 From United States, joined May 2004, 306 posts, RR: 6 Reply 9, posted (3 weeks 2 days 21 hours 16 minutes ago) and read 5110 times:
An enjoyable report with good pics. Is the orange juice all they gave you before landing? I guess if that's the case one could always shell out a few bucks for a couple of cans of pringles!
Alex
Rogerbcn From Spain, joined Sep 2006, 592 posts, RR: 10 Reply 10, posted (3 weeks 2 days 19 hours 27 minutes ago) and read 4928 times:
Hola Tommy!
Thanks for this TR.
It seems EI is offering a decent service to their homeland, seat and entertainment look fine to me, but the lack of a more consistent breakfast service is something that puts me down. I guess it is a too 'short long haul' to offer a full one, but something more consistent that just an orange juice would be nice not to leave the plane on an empty stomach.
Akhmad From Netherlands, joined Sep 2005, 417 posts, RR: 2 Reply 11, posted (3 weeks 2 days 18 hours 46 minutes ago) and read 4873 times:
Hi Tommy,
Great report and very well detailed! I think that here EI proves themselves better in terms of service than, let say FI. One question, does EI serve alcohol for free?
I also like your area pics of Dublin. It looks a nice city to visit.
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 3160 posts, RR: 71 Reply 12, posted (3 weeks 2 days 18 hours 40 minutes ago) and read 4868 times:
Hi Tommy,
very interesting report with some nice pictures.
Quoting JFKMan (Thread starter): I like EI’s IFE system. Great variety of music, which you can listen to while viewing the moving map! That’s a big plus from me here! It could have a bigger variety of films as none of them highly interested me.
How about games?
Quoting JFKMan (Thread starter): This was very good. I enjoyed it. With the main course came a salad, cheesecake, bread, crackers, cheese, and a chocolate. I love Aer Lingus cheesecake and always look forward to it!
The ravioli meal looks quite horrible, but at least it was good.
Quoting JFKMan (Thread starter): This disappoints me every time. I miss the days when EI would give a sandwich with a Time Out bar prior to landing. Now…basically nothing. ...
JFKMan From United States, joined Mar 2007, 460 posts, RR: 2 Reply 13, posted (3 weeks 2 days 14 hours 15 minutes ago) and read 4556 times:
Quoting KL642 (Reply 9): An enjoyable report with good pics. Is the orange juice all they gave you before landing? I guess if that's the case one could always shell out a few bucks for a couple of cans of pringles!
Alex
EIJFK From Ireland, joined Jul 2008, 91 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (3 weeks 2 days 11 hours 2 minutes ago) and read 4142 times:
I guess I no longer have to write a trip report, seeing as this my only route! Although, I guess I could throw in a few lounge pics!
The crews are hit and miss lately, glad you had a good one. I had a young man on a JFK-DUB flight last Christmas that was so nice that I wrote him a letter of commendation. He was just Mr. Personality, and I really appreciated it. That and he didn't judge me for the amount of drinks I ordered!
I miss the snack, the scone on the opposite leg is always a treat, but the Time Out bar was always cool!
I have no other IFE experience other than EI, but I too, like the system. The selection is decent, and I find that it has just enough Irish flair to it to pacify most of us!
Mtb555 From United States, joined Oct 2005, 95 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (3 weeks 2 days 9 hours 44 minutes ago) and read 3978 times:
Great TR. I liked the photos very much.
I will be flying from JFK to DUB in April, so it's nice to see what kind of service is to be expected. Are all of the A330s fitted with this style interior? Or are some not fitted with PTVs yet?
EIJFK From Ireland, joined Jul 2008, 91 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (3 weeks 2 days 9 hours 12 minutes ago) and read 3900 times:
Quoting JFKMan (Reply 20): The scone should be given on arrival into DUB. That would be better in my opinion.
I agree. I know they do it because it's a longer flight, but it would be nice to get a bit of breakfast in before getting into DUB at such an early hour, even the later flight that gets in around 9 or whatever.
Quoting JFKMan (Reply 20): Thanks for the comments Smile
You're welcome. It's nice to see someone treat EI with an open mind. I know I don't have anything else to compare them to, but I hold them quite dear. I really enjoy flying an Irish airline "home". I think the crew are making do as best they can with the resources they have. The newer planes/refits are also helping. For their prices, I think it's a decent product.
In my own situation, I can keep basic Gold Circle status by flying transatlantic 8 times a year, which is perfectly do-able in my situation. I like staying loyal for the little perks such as lounge access, recorded meal preference and priority baggage!
JFKMan From United States, joined Mar 2007, 460 posts, RR: 2 Reply 24, posted (3 weeks 2 days 8 hours 31 minutes ago) and read 3799 times:
Quoting Mtb555 (Reply 21): Great TR. I liked the photos very much.
I will be flying from JFK to DUB in April, so it's nice to see what kind of service is to be expected. Are all of the A330s fitted with this style interior? Or are some not fitted with PTVs yet?
The last I heard, not all of them.
Quoting EIJFK (Reply 22): It's nice to see someone treat EI with an open mind.
I love to hate Aer Lingus at times....but tbh, they offer a better product that a lot of others. And it is enjoyable.
Quoting EICVD (Reply 23): Excellent trip report, really enjoyed reading it. The pics from Dublin City & around the airport were a nice touch.
Thanks so much Dublin is my favorite city. So beautiful.
Hey! I'm Tommy from JFK, New York. (US AIRWAYS RULES)
Shamrock350 From Ireland, joined Mar 2005, 5303 posts, RR: 17 Reply 25, posted (3 weeks 2 days 8 hours 26 minutes ago) and read 3784 times:
Quoting Mtb555 (Reply 21): Are all of the A330s fitted with this style interior? Or are some not fitted with PTVs yet?
The only aircraft not to have them is EI-DUB which will be leaving the fleet in the near future. All the other A330s are fitted with new cabins and IFE.
Aer Lingus - Low Fares. Way Better.
26 JFKMan: Only one? Must be my luck that I've almost always gotten that plane while traveling on EI.
27 FLIEGER67: Hey, Tommy, good to follow some more interesting EI transatlantic story here. And it seems acceptable service on you´re flight. Also nice pictures fr
28 Shamrock321: Great report. The breakfast really makes EI look cheap! A cheap crossaint and a youghurt would solve this problem quickly and cheaply, do they even of
29 BA319-131: Thanks for posting, enjoyed the read and pictures. The cabin looks quite nice in these pictures and the food looks ok, no better or worse than many ot
30 JFKMan: Thanks Markus It really does Sadly not. That would even make it a lot better. Thanks for reading Mark
31 Comeflywithme: Got to agree with that. Just a drink is very stingy - even a muffin and coffee would suffice for those who still have a bit of travelling after they
32 JFKMan: Thanks and true. It seems to be agreed that EI's product would be greatly improved with a bit more of an effort when it comes to the breakfast.
33 Renfnl: If they took the fantastic cheesecake off the meal tray for the first service and served it with the OJ prior to landing the impression of service wou
34 COEI2007: In fairness JFK-DUB is not 7 hours, 6 at most, and that would be a really long flight! The juice is a joke, but hopefully they have plans to change i
35 Ps76: Hello(!), Just to say merci for the report etc. As someone who flies to Dublin quite a lot with Ryanair from London Gatwick I quite like Dublin airpor
36 JFKMan: Cheesecake for breakfast? I dunno, but I know I'd eat it. :P I dunno...its been like this for a few years now.
37 Reifel: Nice report. EI seems to have a solid product on long haul. However the breakfast is somehow dissappointing. EI seems to share a lot with UA. A few we
38 JFKMan: Thanks for reading They share a lot with a lot.
39 EIJFK: What did the breakfast JFK - Ireland used to be? I've done the route hundreds of time, but I'm drawing a blank. I remember the sandwich/Time Out bars
40 Contact Air: Hi Tommy, very nice report and pictures - I enjoyed redaing. I liked your pictures of Dublin as well - it's a great city. Yes, you somehow don't expec
41 BasilFawlty: Hi Tommy, Great report, well done! I really like the idea of selling items like Pringles etc., it's nice to have some more choices besides the standar
42 JFKMan: They use to give a tea and coffee service. That I know at least...other than that I am not sure. Hmm.... Thanks so much It is a great city. Thanks ag