First experience on Aer Lingus
Dec 9, 2019, 5:15 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 14
First experience on Aer Lingus
Hi All,
I'm about to have my first "with kids", to MCO experience on EI, and had a query regarding their middle names. (Usually a sole-flyer)
My wife and I have plain first and surnames, no middle names, but to be awkward we opted to give our kids middle names.
My question is, I've had conflicting advice on whether these middle names (which show under given names on the passports) should be included on the reservation? I have omitted these, and I'm now worried I shouldn't have with the usual concern of "will the data match up with the ESTAs?" and so on.
Has anyone had any experience of this? My hope is that I do not need to make any amendments, but I value the community input on this.
Many Thanks
I'm about to have my first "with kids", to MCO experience on EI, and had a query regarding their middle names. (Usually a sole-flyer)
My wife and I have plain first and surnames, no middle names, but to be awkward we opted to give our kids middle names.
My question is, I've had conflicting advice on whether these middle names (which show under given names on the passports) should be included on the reservation? I have omitted these, and I'm now worried I shouldn't have with the usual concern of "will the data match up with the ESTAs?" and so on.
Has anyone had any experience of this? My hope is that I do not need to make any amendments, but I value the community input on this.
Many Thanks
Dec 9, 2019, 6:09 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 688
It should be fine. I only ever book with EI using my name without the middle name included but on my passport and ESTA (also regular US visa now) my middle name is included (under given name(s) as with your children i.e flight booked under Joe Bloggs but passport & ESTA name(s) is Joe John Bloggs). It has always been fine. Matching criteria is the passport numbers for the most part anyway.
In my opinion you have no need to worry about having to include your children's middle names in the EI booking.
In my opinion you have no need to worry about having to include your children's middle names in the EI booking.
Dec 9, 2019, 2:37 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,900
Will not be an issue on EI / USA but in future you may want to include these as some airlines do enforce the rules ''Names as per passport''. Some have had to pay fees to reissue tickets. Just something to think about in future depending on what airline you are using.
Dec 13, 2019, 4:33 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 175
My First Experience - not impressed
Last week I too had my first EI experience. Aer Lingus is a 20th century airline operating in the 21st century.
EI is one of the very few international carriers with a major US presence that does not participate in TSA Pre-check. I don't recall going through strip-search screening at a US airport in more than five years, except last week at IAD.
Secondly, even though I paid extra for seat selection, I was not able to view or change my selected seat online; not even during the check-in process. When a flight is not full, I prefer to find a seat adjacent to an empty one, yet EI doesn't want to give me the ability to optimize my seating. Really sad.
The wifi was so-so, but was priced by MB rather than time. While that initially seemed advantageous, it is incredible how quickly 50 MB is gobbled up. There is no option to buy wifi for the entire flight, so if you do anything other than read email (without opening attachments) your session will end before you know it.
Finally, despite press announcements to the contrary, EI charges for alcohol, even beer and wine, on transatlantic flights.
Bottom line is that EI needs to wake up and smell the competition. Unless significant changes are made, I won't be back.
EI is one of the very few international carriers with a major US presence that does not participate in TSA Pre-check. I don't recall going through strip-search screening at a US airport in more than five years, except last week at IAD.
Secondly, even though I paid extra for seat selection, I was not able to view or change my selected seat online; not even during the check-in process. When a flight is not full, I prefer to find a seat adjacent to an empty one, yet EI doesn't want to give me the ability to optimize my seating. Really sad.
The wifi was so-so, but was priced by MB rather than time. While that initially seemed advantageous, it is incredible how quickly 50 MB is gobbled up. There is no option to buy wifi for the entire flight, so if you do anything other than read email (without opening attachments) your session will end before you know it.
Finally, despite press announcements to the contrary, EI charges for alcohol, even beer and wine, on transatlantic flights.
Bottom line is that EI needs to wake up and smell the competition. Unless significant changes are made, I won't be back.
Dec 13, 2019, 7:07 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: EI Aer Club Platinum; AF/KLM Flying Blue; IHG Rewards Platinum Elite; Hilton Honors Silver.
Posts: 135
While EI does have many great qualities, I have to say I agree with some of the points you have raised.
I too find it annoying that you can't change your seat selection online once selected. Ryanair makes this process very simple. On a recent KLM flight in J, I was able to change my seat on their app while in the lounge shortly before departure. That said, I was very pleasantly surprised on a recent TATL flight to Europe connecting in DUB that on all 4 legs the seats beside me were kept clear (On the DUB-AMS sector I was the only one in row 2, while there were 3 people ahead of me in AerSpace, with no free middle seat!). And the AerClub check-in staff are great at accommodating seating requests where possible.
I can't say I understand why it is taking them so long to implement the free drinks policy in TATL Y. If it was the other way round (ie moving from a free to a paid drinks service) it could possibly be explained by the need to update IT, prices, menus etc (although that should not take months!) but I don't see what else is required if you want to serve these drinks for free.
I too find it annoying that you can't change your seat selection online once selected. Ryanair makes this process very simple. On a recent KLM flight in J, I was able to change my seat on their app while in the lounge shortly before departure. That said, I was very pleasantly surprised on a recent TATL flight to Europe connecting in DUB that on all 4 legs the seats beside me were kept clear (On the DUB-AMS sector I was the only one in row 2, while there were 3 people ahead of me in AerSpace, with no free middle seat!). And the AerClub check-in staff are great at accommodating seating requests where possible.
I can't say I understand why it is taking them so long to implement the free drinks policy in TATL Y. If it was the other way round (ie moving from a free to a paid drinks service) it could possibly be explained by the need to update IT, prices, menus etc (although that should not take months!) but I don't see what else is required if you want to serve these drinks for free.
Dec 13, 2019, 7:21 am
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
The middle name issue does not matter for entry to the US nor is it a required field for any IATA carrier.
For the broader issue, there are some countries and some carriers where it matters a great deal. Thus, at some point it makes sense to make a choice and to assure that passports, visas, tickets and all reservations of any kind are made in the exact same profile. If your name is John Frederick Smith, have all your documents and profiles set to John Smith, John Frederick Smith, or John F. Smith.
The same is true of titles and honorifics. Unless your name really is "Doctor" forget it.
For the broader issue, there are some countries and some carriers where it matters a great deal. Thus, at some point it makes sense to make a choice and to assure that passports, visas, tickets and all reservations of any kind are made in the exact same profile. If your name is John Frederick Smith, have all your documents and profiles set to John Smith, John Frederick Smith, or John F. Smith.
The same is true of titles and honorifics. Unless your name really is "Doctor" forget it.
Dec 15, 2019, 6:27 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,719
Last week I too had my first EI experience. Aer Lingus is a 20th century airline operating in the 21st century.... even though I paid extra for seat selection, I was not able to view or change my selected seat online; not even during the check-in process.
Bottom line is that EI needs to wake up and smell the competition. Unless significant changes are made, I won't be back.
Bottom line is that EI needs to wake up and smell the competition. Unless significant changes are made, I won't be back.
And I will accept the lack of TSA PreCheck in return for DUB pre-clearance and the advantage, for LHR arrivals, of walking right out of T2, having done C&I during my DUB transfer, versus queueing for a long long time at the UK Border barriers in T3 or T5.
And when I write to the EI service center with a query or small need I get an answer within hours. With BA it's weeks.
EI is imperfect (food not good, and I would like a free beer) but IME it is always a little cheaper than BA and a lot friendlier, and it is my current first choice carrier ORD to UK.
Dec 16, 2019, 1:35 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Programs: AC 75K, Hertz President’s Circle, Accor Gold, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 10,068
Canada, the USA and a number of other countries are now eligible to use E gates on entry to the UK! Early Morning arrival into Heathrow I was through in 2 mins flat!! Same at Gatwick in the evening! Love it.