The trip back… EI 145 DUB - LAX
Part One here

We arose at 5:30 – 6:00, had breakfast at 7:00, checked out of our hotel at 7:45. Our EI-courtesy chauffeur was at the hotel promptly to fetch us at 7:55, with a luxurious Mercedes mini-van (this service is no longer part of your fare.) We had an uneventful trip to the airport morning, and checked in at the Premier / Gold Circle desk; the sole Premier agent was a bit slow, if polite, we retrieved our BPs and were told we could wait in the Club (but not where it was.)

DUB security was pro-forma – laptops out, coats off, etc. but no shoe fetish at DUB (and the same shoes that SFO and SMF makes me remove cause no alarm here or in LAX…) We went to Global Refund to turn in our GR – VAT refund chits (the actual VAT had been deducted from our purchases, and turning in the chits merely assured our credit card would be credited back the VAT – one can also send these in from the USA, with a police or customs officer’s name and badge number, within 60 days, to accomplish the same objective.) There is no elite queue, but you can select the shortest queues from the two entries to security – the “shopping avenue” connects piers A, B and C, so you won’t have any trouble accessing any departure pier.

There is a very active Duty Free business here, especially lots of booze and ahuge display with “free samples” from Bailey’s. Out to departure gates B, the DF is actually the main route, and one must deviate to a corridor to escape Duty Free. (I think Duty Free was practically invented at Shannon in the "old days" when the prop aircraft had to land here for technical stops.)

From here we took the lift hidden behind the bar to the Aer Lingus Gold Circle / Premier Lounge (also the oneworld and Finnair lounge)… accessing with our boarding passes. The spacious and airy feeling lounge is divided in three open sections, each holding about 40 - 60 people, and one almost isolated section with leather drum chairs one assumes is a “quiet” area. Ventilation consists of open upper slats in the glass surround, making for a noisy place – Jet A fumes and aircraft noises can reach a fairly high level at times. About 48 seats in each were in rows of steel and green leatherette, giving the place the appearance of an upscale bus station. A couple of work tables shared by people, a few desk workstations and a few, perhaps 4, very occupied computer stations completed the amenities. On the periphery are moderately comfortable – for the short run – about 15+ blue suede-like chairs with small tables. Free O2 WiFi Internet service comes through at a 5/5 signal strength, a really super feature!

No showers were in evidence for passengers, and WCs are down the hall.

There are two self-service areas, with a small selection of cold tinned beverages, a white and a red South African Fleur du Cap wines, pretzel nuggets (!), some small Irish cheeses with caramelized onions and Carr’s water biscuits to finish off the available munchies. An automated espresso / cappuccino machine was available also. In all, a modest, if serviceable, lounge that lacks a bit of atmosphere and imagination, but includes (mostly open) work spaces and free wireless Internet access.

No other lounges were in evidence at this level, though the public Anna Livia Lounge is on the “Shopping Avenue” after security – we did not explore it – which for €20 (about US$26 in Feb 2005,) one can use for up to three hours. It claims to include “refreshments.”

When we arrived where we expected Gate B-32 to be 45 minutes prior to departure, there was a staircase leading to a lower level, with passengers splitting up – U S residents and citizens to the left, non- to the right, to be pre-cleared by U S immigration authorities stationed at Dublin; they also look at your Customs form, but you must still clear Customs with your baggage at your first US stop. Once our documents were inspected, we had to proceed up another short staircase; all this would be unhandy for mobility-impaired persons, who would have to use an unfortunately somewhat hidden and not clearly marked lift.

As we arrived, economy was already being boarded, from aftmost seats toward forward (Premier is usually called to board in the Lounge thirty minutes prior to departure, after Economy has been boarded.). We basically jumped into the crowd and were welcomed to board (we wished to board earlier than other Premier pax so we could stash out carryons, given the limited bin space and the fact that ticket agents again told us we were free to take our rollaboards to the aircraft.) Premier on this flight wound up at perhaps 2/3 full.

Once on board, we took our seats (2H and K again - it turned out we were on the same aircraft we took LAX – DUB, Airbus A330-202 (C/N 330, reg. EI-EWR,) ) and were offered water, orange juice or champagne. Our flight attendant staff today included one man and one woman in the cabin, as well as a woman in the galley. We drew the male FA, who was very attentive and friendly to all - a real credit to his profession throughout the flight.

Soon after takeoff, we were served wine and other beverages – the wines listed on the menu were not available this trip either, so we again chose the St. Emilion in preference to the California Benziger Merlot. A mouthful of intensely delicious smoked salmon on a small toast point was followed by hot hors d’oeuvres, consisting of mini-spring rolls, fried won tons and chicken fingers with a sauce. An o-shibori hot towelette service was next, followed by a course of either buffalo mozzarella with roast peppers, basil pesto and anchovies or pan-seared salmon was served with a tasty mango, lime and “chilli” salsa.

Mains were from a cart, and we were offered four choices, in a “FOBE” order this time. A salad with vinaigrette (menu said “choice”, none offered,) accompanied the mains, consisting of: prime fillet steak with green pepper sauce, served with snap peas, honey-glazed shallots and Parmentier potatoes; sea trout stuffed with white fish and herb mousse, served with white wine sauce, French beans, cauliflower Polonaise and duchesse potatoes; roast barbarie duck breast with black bean sauce served on a bed of egg noodles with (very sparse) stir-fry vegetables; of cheese tortelloni with white wine sauce and glazed with mozzarella cheese served with roast peppers and braised leeks. The beef was served as you like it, and the rare order really was rare – though I’d say the beef was on the bland side. The duck was well-done, and the noodles quite plain.

A dessert trolley with perhaps eight choices was next, accompanied by coffee, tea or herbal tea, digestifs, and a fruit and cheese plate ended the first meal service.

Refreshment service offered a selection of small party-cut sandwiches and some Lily O’Brien Irish-made chocolates, with hot beverages.

The “evening meal”, served just after noon LAX time (flight arrives after 14:00), was strange: your choice of a vegetable kebab, featuring Bell peppers, and a chicken burrito (also featuring Bell peppers.) A nice salad, breads, mini-Pastries and hot beverage service finished the meals services.

Our arrival in LAX was punctual (early, but the taxiing, waiting, etc. ate up the time we “saved”,) and just before Immigration, we were asked if we’d arrived on Aer Lingus and passed through without any doc checks (even as pax from other airlines were arriving and having their photos taken, etc.) I’d have thought there’d be more than an “honor system” to assure people arriving were on the pre-cleared flight!

As we had only rollaboards, we whisked through Customs and outside for our next step of the journey, so I can’t comment on the luggage service – but I did see Premier passengers’ luggage was marked with orange “Premier” priority tags on check-in.

All in all, not a bad flight service – very mixed cabin crew, doing what needed to be done but really not much more, except for the male FA on our return; a clean-looking cabin with insufficient bag storage and non-existent underseat storage; passable EFT, moderately comfortable seating (but as a tall guy, I’d favor AA’s Business 777 or 767-323ER seats any time – especially on the trans-Atlantic redeye portion), decent and varied meal selection. Lady JDiver agrees about the seats, and she’s medium height. Would we do it again? The decision would be price driven.

AT that time, available deals for the about-$6,000 seat include a two-fer via American Express Platinum, or an under $1,828 (from LAX) full Y upgrade to J for Joe Brancatelli’s “Joe Sent Me” paid members – with $200 more for add-ons to anywhere else EI flies. The Joe deal was for roundtrip by August 31, purchase tickets 7 days before departure, upgrades to Business guaranteed on booking if the seats are available.

In February 2005, it looks like one can do this flight as EI or as an AA codeshare for about US$3000 per person, after EI's extensive fare restructuring in 2004. This is a decent deal from LAX, about what one would expect from an "I" class fare, but with more flexibility - fare class shows as DOWUSIE (D Class) and "CANCELLATIONS ANY TIME CHARGE 10 PERCENT FOR CANCEL/NO-SHOW/REFUND. CHILD/INFANT DISCOUNTS APPLY. WAIVED FOR SCHEDULE CHANGE/ILLNESS OR DEATH OF PASSENGER OR FAMILY MEMBER. NOTE - OR TRAVELING COMPANION. CHANGES ANY TIME CHANGES PERMITTED."

N.B. Among the restructuring and paring down of services, EI no longer offers driver / limo transfers at either end of your flight. I do not know what other changes may have been made - use the FT Search (or Google's search may work better, and avoids the three-character-or-less limiation) for other's more recent posts on EI Premier.