Impossible to answer any questions above while EI continue to contract their European schedule. How do I choose EI of they have no flights? They have the data, they know where the cash is yet they make zero effort to re-capture market share.
As I said above I am not a price sensitive traveller but I am careful. Currently I rarely look at EI as a possibility. I remember when EI was the only option and we paid through the nose for that option.

On the EI debate, it strikes me they don't serve Scandinavia or the Baltics - and BER isn't showing on their online route map either (I thought they served there?) - for corporate and other traffic willing to pay a higher price, would DUB-based frequent fliers get frustrated at the inability to get rewarded for EI loyalty Europe-wide, non-stop, ex-DUB (e.g. status, lounges)? Or do they just accept going via LHR and on BA metal for anything EI does not serve?

Looking forward and in terms of differentiation from FR, it would be interesting to see them test some of the longer short-haul routes (e.g. MOS, TLV, IST, CAI) where the EI brand (with AerSpace and the like) might be a better fit than a ULCC's like FR (without knowing full economics of the routes). It would also be interesting to see Emerald test out some of business-focused ports within the ATR's range ex-DUB, like RTM and LUX (or EI on the 320s).

The EI boards were quite lean when I was at the airport from 10am for rest of the day. Of course a lot of flights went 6-10am in the first wave but still . Mind you extra demand is not there and wont be until March .

In recent years, it was never the case that Aer Lingus could compete with FR in Europe so we all know this isn't news. I agree EI have given a lot of market share to other carriers out of DUB and ORK; it likely stems from a persistently cautious outlook which they were criticised for back last autumn (not least over the onboard catering), but to be fair, they were proven right when it all ground to a halt before Xmas with the omicron circus and associated testing restrictions. I myself cancelled a planned trip to the states because of the testing requirements on coming home.

And as mentioned by other posters, EI have been much more exposed to the draconian measures of the Irish government over the last 18 months (Gardai outside the terminal for one example) than the likes of FR. So whilst I do agree with all the criticism, I'm also understanding of their plight and I think comparison with FR and how busy FR has been is not quite a valid one seeing as Ireland is only a small part of their network and other countries in Europe have been much more open to travel since the summer than Ireland.

We all know EI make their money on the Atlantic and DUB Hub connections. Word on the street is that bookings for the summer are strong so I would expect, barring any further restrictions or covid surprises, that this season will be a strong one and will certainly help to reverse this billion euro swing. With Norwegian off the scene now, EI is only competing with the legacy TA carriers which helps. SFO has been doing well since it came back and with UA having dropped plans to start it, this is one example of where EI will be able to get back to profitability. The CEO is optimistic things will pick up after the rebound they did get to see in the autumn before omicron so if things stay as they are now, there's good reason to be optimistic going forward. Plus, regarding that article in the Indo - of course EI is going to paint the most dire picture possible in the Labour court in order to back up all its claims. Then the Indo makes it a headline as if it were a briefing to investors.

So EU cities are not holiday destinations? And any business travel shiuld be handed over to other carriers? Why not sign up FR to the DUB hub?
It seems that EI is the only one who does.not think it needs 100 seat jets. No doubt it is because of some agreement with IALPA - better to not fly at all rather than acquire some smaller hets.

Aer Lingus has loaded MAN - BGI from 2nd November operating Wednesday , Friday and Sunday .

OA260 wrote:

Aer Lingus has loaded MAN - BGI from 2nd November operating Wednesday , Friday and Sunday .

The same as this year then…I hope it does better as I’ve heard loads haven’t been great.

I’ve also heard that the base has really struggled to hang onto crew with at least 2 recent cancellations because they just didn’t have enough crew…and with both BA and Virgin recruiting for what appears to be a much more attractive crew role, they are going to struggle.

My issue with EI is not the cost compared to FR. My issue is that they are often not competitive compared to BA, AF, LH, KL & LX.

OA260 wrote:

New Belfast City Airport base to be opened by Emerald Airlines

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2022/01 ... -airlines/

From the article: "Operational set-up continues at pace, with ... our UK AOC... Flights will begin on February 26 ..."

AFAIK Emerald will need an UK AOC to fly from Belfast/Northern Ireland; however the AOC is expected "around summer 2022" - so how will they start flights in February without AOC? I am confused right now...

Use EI UK AOC until their own arrives? No idea if this is possible?

Fliplot wrote:

So EU cities are not holiday destinations? And any business travel shiuld be handed over to other carriers? Why not sign up FR to the DUB hub?
It seems that EI is the only one who does.not think it needs 100 seat jets. No doubt it is because of some agreement with IALPA - better to not fly at all rather than acquire some smaller hets.

Who (outside of a.net) is saying that they need 100-seaters? And do you not think that (just maybe) the company will either have already considered this option or is keeping it under review? They don't have to put everything in the public domain but the question of replacement of the present A320s must at least involve consideration of such a question. Their primary competitor (Ryanair) operates a fleet of 737s that are much closer to 200 seats each and the trend globally is towards larger rather than smaller aircraft. The smaller versions of the Airbus and Boeing NB families are not selling well either. Also, if you look at the European carriers, several of these have the smaller jets operated by a franchisee or lower-cost subsidiary so this is part of the cost equation, I imagine, as well as what their mix of business and economy travel is. It is never an open-and-shut case and just because one carrier can make a given type work, that doesn't meant that the same goes for everyone else.

There are a number of UK routes, DUB hub routes, where the ATR72 is too small and the A320 to big! That would be a starting point. There are a number of EU cities where 100 seats would be a better fit. EI do have a franchise partner and for a 10 year period. Too many excuses and not enough action!

Fliplot wrote:

There are a number of UK routes, DUB hub routes, where the ATR72 is too small and the A320 to big! That would be a starting point. There are a number of EU cities where 100 seats would be a better fit. EI do have a franchise partner and for a 10 year period. Too many excuses and not enough action!

A220s all round, please

ClassicLover wrote:

Fliplot wrote:

There are a number of UK routes, DUB hub routes, where the ATR72 is too small and the A320 to big! That would be a starting point. There are a number of EU cities where 100 seats would be a better fit. EI do have a franchise partner and for a 10 year period. Too many excuses and not enough action!

A220s all round, please

+1 fell in love with these on my Swiss flights . Ideal fit for a lot of EI routes.

Fliplot wrote:

There are a number of UK routes, DUB hub routes, where the ATR72 is too small and the A320 to big! That would be a starting point. There are a number of EU cities where 100 seats would be a better fit. EI do have a franchise partner and for a 10 year period. Too many excuses and not enough action!

I also would love to see EI increase the number of short-haul destinations they serve and/or ramp up frequency using smaller jets. Plenty such aircraft are available currently, looking at it from the outside it seems to be a no-brainer.
Assuming that we are referring to E1s here, up until recently it wasn’t clear to me that these aircraft have a considerable CASM disadvantage compared to other regional aircraft and narrowbodies, which apparently only gets worse as they age. It is hard to find data in this respect, but according to JetBlue direct operating costs on their A220s will be 29% lower than on their E190s. Even allowing for the fact that the A220 is a new-generation aircraft, I think this figure is really staggering.
There are several network carriers in Europe that operate this type of aircraft, and in general under a model that targets coverage and frequency, but I wonder if this requires a level of premium customers that EI simply doesn’t have. My impression is that pre-Covid, outside of O&D traffic, EI’s niche was catering for somewhat price-sensitive TATL passengers that could afford something better than ULCC, and that were somewhat flexible in their itinerary. I suspect that to serve those customers, EI probably wouldn’t need to serve many more destinations in Europe than LON/PAR/MAD/BCN/FCO/VCE/BER/AMS.

Baruch wrote:

Fliplot wrote:

There are a number of UK routes, DUB hub routes, where the ATR72 is too small and the A320 to big! That would be a starting point. There are a number of EU cities where 100 seats would be a better fit. EI do have a franchise partner and for a 10 year period. Too many excuses and not enough action!

I also would love to see EI increase the number of short-haul destinations they serve and/or ramp up frequency using smaller jets. Plenty such aircraft are available currently, looking at it from the outside it seems to be a no-brainer.
Assuming that we are referring to E1s here, up until recently it wasn’t clear to me that these aircraft have a considerable CASM disadvantage compared to other regional aircraft and narrowbodies, which apparently only gets worse as they age. It is hard to find data in this respect, but according to JetBlue direct operating costs on their A220s will be 29% lower than on their E190s. Even allowing for the fact that the A220 is a new-generation aircraft, I think this figure is really staggering.
There are several network carriers in Europe that operate this type of aircraft, and in general under a model that targets coverage and frequency, but I wonder if this requires a level of premium customers that EI simply doesn’t have. My impression is that pre-Covid, outside of O&D traffic, EI’s niche was catering for somewhat price-sensitive TATL passengers that could afford something better than ULCC, and that were somewhat flexible in their itinerary. I suspect that to serve those customers, EI probably wouldn’t need to serve many more destinations in Europe than LON/PAR/MAD/BCN/FCO/VCE/BER/AMS.

It's unlikely that they will increase short-haul destinations because, quite frankly, EI have little to no interest other than US destinations. They rely far too heavily on the Irish/US 'connection' and I feel it may well prove to be their downfall. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "catering for somewhat price-sensitive TATL passengers that could afford something better than ULCC" considering there are no ULCC's on TATL nor, other than US airlines, any other airline from Ireland. As it is, just because someone flies LCC, or ULCC, doesn't by any means necessarily make them price sensitive'

Vicenza wrote:

Baruch wrote:

Fliplot wrote:

There are a number of UK routes, DUB hub routes, where the ATR72 is too small and the A320 to big! That would be a starting point. There are a number of EU cities where 100 seats would be a better fit. EI do have a franchise partner and for a 10 year period. Too many excuses and not enough action!

I also would love to see EI increase the number of short-haul destinations they serve and/or ramp up frequency using smaller jets. Plenty such aircraft are available currently, looking at it from the outside it seems to be a no-brainer.
Assuming that we are referring to E1s here, up until recently it wasn’t clear to me that these aircraft have a considerable CASM disadvantage compared to other regional aircraft and narrowbodies, which apparently only gets worse as they age. It is hard to find data in this respect, but according to JetBlue direct operating costs on their A220s will be 29% lower than on their E190s. Even allowing for the fact that the A220 is a new-generation aircraft, I think this figure is really staggering.
There are several network carriers in Europe that operate this type of aircraft, and in general under a model that targets coverage and frequency, but I wonder if this requires a level of premium customers that EI simply doesn’t have. My impression is that pre-Covid, outside of O&D traffic, EI’s niche was catering for somewhat price-sensitive TATL passengers that could afford something better than ULCC, and that were somewhat flexible in their itinerary. I suspect that to serve those customers, EI probably wouldn’t need to serve many more destinations in Europe than LON/PAR/MAD/BCN/FCO/VCE/BER/AMS.

It's unlikely that they will increase short-haul destinations because, quite frankly, EI have little to no interest other than US destinations. They rely far too heavily on the Irish/US 'connection' and I feel it may well prove to be their downfall. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "catering for somewhat price-sensitive TATL passengers that could afford something better than ULCC" considering there are no ULCC's on TATL nor, other than US airlines, any other airline from Ireland. As it is, just because someone flies LCC, or ULCC, doesn't by any means necessarily make them price sensitive'

I agree that it’s unlikely EI will develop their European network.

I also agree that they seem to be very focused on their TATL network and on their UK network to the extent required to feed TATL, but I also get the impression that pre-Covid a meaningful amount of passengers connected in DUB between North America and Mainland Europe. Whether by design or by accident, I don’t know.

The point I was making in respect of these passengers is that a small amount of destinations covers most of their needs.

Let me give you an example - a North American tourist that wants to visit Tuscany. Pre-Covid, the cheapest option was probably to get to the UK or Ireland on Norwegian and then self-connect on FR. Several network carriers (AF, LH, KL, LX) serve FLR directly, but these are probably pricier, especially in summer. The closest EI gets to Tuscany is FCO, but this is probably sufficient for a lot of somewhat price-sensitive tourists, who do not want the hassle of self-connecting and who are happy to add Rome to their itinerary and then get to Tuscany by train. That’s why in my view EI are happy with the status quo on their European network - 20% of the destinations probably cater to 80% of connecting passengers, and they do not have the premium traffic to turn a profit from serving secondary destinations on smaller aircraft.

Clydenairways wrote:

Baruch wrote:

Fliplot wrote:

There are a number of UK routes, DUB hub routes, where the ATR72 is too small and the A320 to big! That would be a starting point. There are a number of EU cities where 100 seats would be a better fit. EI do have a franchise partner and for a 10 year period. Too many excuses and not enough action!

I also would love to see EI increase the number of short-haul destinations they serve and/or ramp up frequency using smaller jets. Plenty such aircraft are available currently, looking at it from the outside it seems to be a no-brainer.
Assuming that we are referring to E1s here, up until recently it wasn’t clear to me that these aircraft have a considerable CASM disadvantage compared to other regional aircraft and narrowbodies, which apparently only gets worse as they age. It is hard to find data in this respect, but according to JetBlue direct operating costs on their A220s will be 29% lower than on their E190s. Even allowing for the fact that the A220 is a new-generation aircraft, I think this figure is really staggering.
There are several network carriers in Europe that operate this type of aircraft, and in general under a model that targets coverage and frequency, but I wonder if this requires a level of premium customers that EI simply doesn’t have. My impression is that pre-Covid, outside of O&D traffic, EI’s niche was catering for somewhat price-sensitive TATL passengers that could afford something better than ULCC, and that were somewhat flexible in their itinerary. I suspect that to serve those customers, EI probably wouldn’t need to serve many more destinations in Europe than LON/PAR/MAD/BCN/FCO/VCE/BER/AMS.

One issue with that example is comparing it in the context of the same operator, EI would have someone like Emerald operate the 190's so their operating costs and overheads would be significantly lower than EI's. EI operating 190's themselves would not be viable.

I think the A220 argument is a interesting one to debate considering mainline carriers such as AF who have adopted them. I suggested before that EI could replace most of the 320's with A220's... Here is my armchair pundit's take at a fantasy fleet....
A330-300 Long haul trunk
A321LR/XLR Long haul thin
A321 Neo Euro High density trunk (FAO,LPA,ACE,AGP etc)...240 seats (to better compete with FR 8200's)
A220-300 or 500. Remaining Euro (FRA,BRU,DUS,MUC,VIE,BUD,ATH,BHD,ORK etc)
E190 (Emerald) (ARN,NTE,CPH,GLA,EDI,LUX,OSL,RIX,WAW etc)

The only downside is the A220 not sharing the same cockpit type.

The problem I see with your fleet is the fact that JetBlue’s numbers indicate that a 100-seat E190 and a 140-seat A220 have almost identical direct operating costs in absolute terms, and that’s something that I don’t think is widely appreciated.

I get the point that E190s could probably be picked up cheaply and operated by Emerald, but I am just not convinced that it would make sense to do so to serve many of the destinations you mentioned - eg. the Scandinavian capitals are served by a mix of SK, FR and perhaps DY in the future. I don’t think there would be enough feed either, Norse will probably capture a lot of price-sensitive TATL customers from the region.

An interesting point about AF’s A220 is that according to Ben Smith, their aim is to bring AF’s European network closer to break even. While AF certainly has a different cost structure to EI, they probably also have the premium passengers to match it. I think it is telling that even AF don’t look at their European network with a goal to maximise profits, and instead would be happy to minimise their losses while maintaining their long-haul feed.

Agreed but its not possible to compare EI with any of the other carriers. EI is top heavy on North America only while the otbers have a global spread. Remember is was the second wave to the US that picked up the European DUB hub passangers. What if EI were to overnight at a number of EU cities? It seems to work well for the other legacy carriers at DUB!

debonair wrote:

OA260 wrote:

New Belfast City Airport base to be opened by Emerald Airlines

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2022/01 ... -airlines/

From the article: "Operational set-up continues at pace, with ... our UK AOC... Flights will begin on February 26 ..."

AFAIK Emerald will need an UK AOC to fly from Belfast/Northern Ireland; however the AOC is expected "around summer 2022" - so how will they start flights in February without AOC? I am confused right now...

I assume they'll do what Stobart did, and some cargo operators like Star Air currently do- piggyback on a UK carrier for a while.

But if EI rely heavily on their TATL US business,one would think they'd want to increase their feeder traffic to DUB from the rest of Europe and compete (to an extent) against BA,KLM,AF etc..Thus, the subfleet of smaller a/c for increased frequencies and thinner routes, or as pointed out, feeder by franchise carriers cooperating, something along the lines of what the mega US-carriers do in smaller cities/non hubs

EISG1129 wrote:

... It appears that the main service into the city from the airport along the Swords Road and through Drumcondra will be the A2, which will then continue out to Ballinteer and Dundrum. From the summary report on the Bus Connects website the service will mainly be every 12 minutes during the day on weekdays, every 15 minutes on Saturdays and every 20 minutes on Sundays.

That would seem more attractive than the current options of the 16, with the annoying loop via Beaumont, or the 41 which does not cross the river.

EISG1129 wrote:

... No clear timeframe for these changes to Dublin Airport bus services is clearly evident from the Bus Connect website, but it appears they are gradual.

Based on posts on boards.ie, it looks like the A-spine will be introduced in April 2024. So we'll best stuck with the 41 for some time to come.

EISG1129 wrote:

... There is no suggestion from the website any of these changes would replace any airport bus operator such as Aircoach.

Busconnects only covers PSO routes, where the NTA pays for the service and determines the route and timetable. Commercial services, where the fare and timetables are set by the operator like the 700, 702, 703, 762, or the erstwhile 747 and 757, are thus not included in Busconnects.

Is there any reason why the DAA should not organise a connect
service from the city - their airport, their passengers? I'm sure if NOC had this problem they would find a solution!! Always waiting for someone else to solve the problem

Family of worker who fell from loading bay at Dublin Airport and later died settles action
The settlement was against Aer Lingus, which had previously been fined €250,000 for a health and safety breach in relation to the death of 55-year-old father of two John Murray in November 2014

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/cour ... 88015.html

Sad the family were forced to keep fighting but finally got what they were due !

--

There was a slow recovery in Dublin Airport passenger numbers but last year but business still down 74% compared to pre-pandemic figures

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/dubl ... 50777.html

Only 155,000 transfer passengers came through DUB

Interesting article in Aviation Herald based on a report on the Belorussian hijacking of the Ryanair flight last May. (And let's call a spade a spade; it was a hijacking). It makes scary reading - not just the co-ordinated attempt of ATC and the Belorussian state to divert an airliner to arrest a dissident, but with no regard for the effects on the crew, for whom it must have been a very stressful experience.

https://avherald.com/h?article=4e7d7208/0000&opt=0

I see EK, among others, has withdrawn from some US routes (not all) over the 5G thing. As far as I'm aware, no EU carrier has gone down this road (though some Asian carriers have); wonder will there be a co-ordinated response. The FAA has been flagging it for quite a while. Needless to say, this is the last thing airlines want, after a torrid two years.

On the subject of EI and its fleet, I do agree that it needs something between the ATRs and the A320, but I think the most urgent thing for EI is to rebuild its confidence and regain its mojo. It seems have to have gone pretty much completely; there doesn't seem to be any feeling of motion from management and yes, they are probably still in reactive mode, but one can't help wondering if IAG is looking at the airline and asking what is going on. Looking at all the EU carriers (and non-EU short haul) carriers flying into DUB, there is clearly a market for services from the EU to Ireland. EI can - if it wants to - be a player. Right now, the A320 is not the best vehicle for this. I'm not sure what kind of LFs EI is getting on its continental European routes right now, but I can't imagine they are that good (apart from routes to the Canaries, AGP, FAO and holiday routes). But there's no use in being in these markets if its heart isn't in it and right now, it doesn't feel like it is. Before any consideration of new aircraft, EI needs to decide its own direction - and be passionate about it.

One final thing, a question: does anyone know how one goes about registering one's card to book with BA (and its &%$$!£! "verify by visa" thing)? I used to use BA a lot when I lived in Jersey, but it still a pain in the neck. Would like to fly BA the odd time, but this is proving a disincentive.

Re: Emerald

Fliplot wrote:

Use EI UK AOC until their own arrives? No idea if this is possible?

Aer Lingus UK AOC only covers A321-200 and A330-300, so that's no-go. However Air Kilroe ( dba Eastern ), Blue Islands, Bristow and Loganair have UK AOC for the ATR72-212

At this point Emerald have less of an existence in the UK than FlyBE Mark 2, who at least have an AOC.

Easier to add a aircraft type to an AOC or apply for an AOC directly? Curious but also sure Emerald will have thought of something! I hope!!
Couldn't agree more with Kaitak. If there is a will there is a way. EI just need to decide but any longer and there won't be market share available. I still don't understand the Emerald lead time. It seems like for ever and still they are not flying.

Local concern about the future of the SAR service operated out of Waterford Airport seems to focus more on the future of the Airport than the future SAR operator.
https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2022/01 ... d-airport/

As for the saga of Dublin Airport public transport links, although my memory of bus services goes back to the very infrequent 41a bus from Eden Quay and the much more expensive Aer Lingus branded bus from O'Connell Street, I cant recall there being any published study of public transport access to DUB nor much discussion of bus services, either from downtown or to serve workers. Sure, there have been plans to build rail links, - all shelved. The real innovation was the Blue Bus service, which provided a fairly predictable service until Covid arrived. One feature of the Bus Connect plans seems to be to extend service further outward to the suburbs, making timings and guarantees of available seats for passengers mid-route much more uncertain. Perhaps persisting with Bus Connect changes in current strange circumstances is a brave decision as with working from home, route changes may exacerbate the trend to private cars.

kaitak wrote:

One final thing, a question: does anyone know how one goes about registering one's card to book with BA (and its &%$$!£! "verify by visa" thing)? I used to use BA a lot when I lived in Jersey, but it still a pain in the neck. Would like to fly BA the odd time, but this is proving a disincentive.

That would be the number on the back of your bank card that you call and ask them to set up. Its all recently changed . Some banks you get a SMS code to input into the payment box and others like BOI you log into App to approve then go back to BA webpage to complete. Its a bit of a pain but sadly fraud is a high risk when airline tickets and holidays are concerned .
--

On another note rumour that Ryanair could pull out of Morocco and of course that would impact their Irish routes .

OA260 wrote:

kaitak wrote:

That would be the number on the back of your bank card that you call and ask them to set up. Its all recently changed . Some banks you get a SMS code to input into the payment box and others like BOI you log into App to approve then go back to BA webpage to complete. Its a bit of a pain but sadly fraud is a high risk when airline tickets and holidays are concerned .
--
.

Doing anything that relates to the BOI App brings me out in a cold sweat and I can feel my blood pressure rising. I might have to forget about BA for the time being, then!

Incidentally - and totally unrelated - does anyone know which/how many Irish hospitals have helipads for patient transfer. I remember the old St. Vincent's did, about 30+ years ago. I think St. James's did at one stage, but not sure how many others.

Kaitak wrote ..."one can't help wondering if IAG is looking at the airline and asking what is going on. Looking at all the EU carriers (and non-EU short haul) carriers flying into DUB, there is clearly a market for services from the EU to Ireland".

I had a dreadfully timed flight booked with EI for a weekend in Hamburg - 6:15am departure (out of bed at 3am, what was I thinking???).
When EI cancelled the flight and rebooked me for the following day I took the opportunity to cancel and rebook with Lufthansa.
Now I have a business class, midday departure via Frankfurt with bubbles and meals and lounges. That's more like it.
Now I'm actually looking forward to the trip instead of dreading it.
Lufthansa may be my carrier of choice in future.
EI have shown that in Business Class on US WEST Coast routes, they are excellent. Pity they don't lavish a bit more love on their short haul guests.
Revenue is leaking away to other carriers.

debonair wrote:

OA260 wrote:

New Belfast City Airport base to be opened by Emerald Airlines

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2022/01 ... -airlines/

From the article: "Operational set-up continues at pace, with ... our UK AOC... Flights will begin on February 26 ..."

AFAIK Emerald will need an UK AOC to fly from Belfast/Northern Ireland; however the AOC is expected "around summer 2022" - so how will they start flights in February without AOC? I am confused right now...

I don't think RE had a UK AOC when they flew from BHD before collapse (maybe I'm wrong?). Maybe there are ways around it until they get it.

Some amazing last minute deals to be had at the moment. SNN-LPA with FR this Saturday (22nd) to next only €49.98 return. Just gives you an idea of the demand at present.

AmricanShamrok wrote:

Some amazing last minute deals to be had at the moment. SNN-LPA with FR this Saturday (22nd) to next only €49.98 return. Just gives you an idea of the demand at present.

The lowest I saw from Ireland / UK to LPA was with Wizz and it was €2 each way ! Id say come June - August we will see those €500 fares return .

11 new Summer routes from DUB this year :


daa Welcomes Ryanair Announcement Of Largest Ever Dublin Airport Summer Programme 120 Destinations & Over 900 Flights Per Week

https://www.dublinairport.com/latest-ne ... s-per-week

Are SWISS overnighting at DUB for the summer schedule? It would appear so but hard to tell from all the schedule changes. Thanks.

Yes Swiss are overnighting. Great for more connections via ZRH.

OA260 wrote:

11 new Summer routes from DUB this year :


daa Welcomes Ryanair Announcement Of Largest Ever Dublin Airport Summer Programme 120 Destinations & Over 900 Flights Per Week

https://www.dublinairport.com/latest-ne ... s-per-week

Well done Ryanair, they should have been given EI for free all those years ago ...

Great news OA260 if another blow for EI. It now mean a double daily to ZRH by LX. It would be great also to see a return of OS but that might dilute LH and LX traffic so is unlikely
The FR news is good news for DUB. It's interesting to note that FR can find or believe it can find additional passengers to fly while EI assumes its guests are still hibernating! I am curious to see how it all plays out.

Galwayman - six hail Mary's and an our father please! Im surprised you didn't spot that EI got to the bottom without the support of FR!! Oops. Oops. Oops

[quote="Galwayman"

Well done Ryanair, they should have been given EI for free all those years ago ...[/quote]

In fairness Ryanair paid close to €400million for their 29% stake. Who knows what would have happened in the intervening time, but I doubt that EI would be much more than Lauda, Buzz or Malta Air are today, FR in other clothing. The presence of EI is better than its absence, I think.

I think a lot of the frustration on this board is because of a belief that Aer Lingus has been, can be and should be bouncing back better than they appear to be doing. I think they are overly focussed on transatlantic routes rather than the less glamorous routes across the Irish Sea and into Europe.

There were a few posts on the A220, which I think would be a great aircraft for EI, especially if it were part of a larger IAG order. The seat-mile costs of the E-190 are uncompetitive, the thought of using them against FR in any competitive way would probably be the death knell for short haul. The A220 is something different though and pretty competitive against A320/738s. I think the -8200 or a high density A321 would show it a clean pair of heals, which will be a problem for any replacement EI fleet - FR will have scores of -8200s. Will EI go with a smaller aircraft, a lower trip cost, a small per-KM disadvantage but a gauge which might allow them to offer better frequency, or go larger and take the hit on frequency in the hope of getting close to FR costs?

Fliplot wrote:

Great news OA260 if another blow for EI. It now mean a double daily to ZRH by LX.

Id never consider EI to ZRH where LX is available. Their J class is one of the best intra European especially on routes like DUB - ZRH . They currently have some good Biz fares from DUB - ZRH for €300 return . Im very tempted for a February mini break.

Flew BA Club Europe back yesterday and was a pretty ok experience . I do like their catering . Its their strong point over EI and Aerspace although the trade off is the A330/A321NEO flatbed seat if you choose those flights to DUB . On BHD there is no trade off and BA wins.

This is what BA offers :

Vueling appear to be keeping DUB/ORK-ORY for the summer. Cork goes to x3 weekly. BFS not available.

Would be good for Cork if Vueling launched BCN, Aer Lingus made it work up to x5 weekly for a long time.

JAmie2k9 wrote:

Vueling appear to be keeping DUB/ORK-ORY for the summer. Cork goes to x3 weekly. BFS not available.

Would be good for Cork if Vueling launched BCN, Aer Lingus made it work up to x5 weekly for a long time.

Was it ever explained why Aer Lingus are operating Vueling flights with an A330? It's a bizarre choice of aircraft considering the route. They must be near empty considering the prices at the moment. Would an A320 not have made more sense?

A network of 120 destinations by FR from DUB is impressively vast. No shortage of choice for the Irish consumer next summer!

Agree that AerSpace on the A320 is no match for the LX / BA J products. I see limited value in the AerSpace A320 product, particularly for AerClub cardholders.

On a side note I just booked a DUB-JFK trip in Y class. EI were charging over €200 more than DL despite the latter offering superior catering and complementary drinks, so logically I booked DL. All things being equal I’d rather give the business to EI, but there’s nothing compelling about higher fares for cheaper service. I’d rather pocket the €200 and enjoy a nice meal in NYC.

Just another example of EI fares being out of whack with the competition and a product offering that has become increasingly stale.
The overall product, both short and long-haul, requires considerable investment to remain competitive.

Flying DUB-LHR and back over a few days next month, has anyone had any issues with checking in online or with Covid bureaucracy? I understand only 1 PLF is required for the return leg to Dublin?

EI reminds me of the Banks, ever anxious to offer less to their clients and only intent in providing their vision of service, even if the users ask them for something else.
There probably are still some nice people working there, - hard to tell with Covid keeping me at home, but the current EI management do not impress at all. Very little public profile, you could get the impression they were run by wire from IAG, except the IAG operation runs better and is much more focused.

EI have lost a lot of credit built up over decades with the Irish public, the warm glow is largely gone but it seems not to bother them at all. The market strategy seems very transatlantic focused, the continental routes apparently of little interest to be lost one by one while the UK franchised provincial links seem to get disproportionate attention.

In relation to Aer Lingus joining the JV with AA/BA etc, will we possibly see aer lingus codeshares in the future with Finnair too? I know they are codesharing with Iberia on the DUB-MAD route but still no sign of codeshares on the american routes. As an example, all Iberia flights to the USA are codesared with finnair ba iberia. Will this happen in Aer Lingus too?