ARCHIVE: Speculation: Will Aer Lingus Now Re-Join AA in Oneworld ?
 

Hi All,

Now that Aer Lingus has finally accepted the purchase offer by IAG (owner of BA, IB and Vueling), what are the chances that they will come back into Oneworld after leaving it around 2011?

BA and IB are members but AFAIK, Vueling is not, except through codeshares (numerous, though...)

Any inputs ?

Per http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...c-pact-408331/

And...

IF the bid succeeds.

EI left oneworld in 2007, and I'm sure if this goes through many of us will welcome the shamrock back into our flying. Especially with the 2015 introduction of their new lie-flat Business seat product.

ORD and BOS - DUB direct? Damn straight I'll be happy to see the shamrock again!

Unless some joker decides to do DUB or SNN -BOS with a narrow body A320 or such 737, equipped with high density Y seating and a "Business Class" with the same seating and the middle seat blocked. DUB/SNN-BOS is not that much longer than HEL-TLV flown as an intra-European route. I would actually not be surprised to see Ryanair attempt it in the name of fair competition or as an attempt to foil Norwegian's extended plans.

Is it SAS that flies the faux "Business Class" between HEL and TLV? That doesn't sound too good to me! I always thought Club Europe (the few times I've flown it) was pretty stingy with space.

Like my motto goes, "If someone is paying to send me somewhere, for sure I'm not flying RyanAir." I would think that a high-density narrowbody with a poor J class arrangement wouldn't survive, but then again I did see pigs fly when the New Orleans Saints won the Superbowl...

The one great benefit of Aer Lingus coming back into OneWorld is that one can go through U.S. customs in Ireland during their connection. So when you land in the States, you can walk straight for the terminal exit.

I would also expect ops at JFK to transition to T8 if the bid gets approved.

Anyone want to guess the chances of my paid J flight in September getting credited to AA?

Icelandic flys with a "pseudo-Business" class as well.

EI OTOH has announced it's new A330 Business product and it looks like a significant upgrade to the current slanted flat product. SFO-DUB and onward looks good.

And their offerings onward to Europe don't look so bad (31-32" pitch) now that BA has taken Club Europe to thirty inch seat pitch throughout. Middle seat blocking is OK, but 30" pitch is miserable for many of us over six feet.

0.14577621%

:d)

???

HEL is FinnAir's hub. I would except SAS could fly CPH-TLV or ARN-TLV or OSL-TLV, but I wouldn't expect it to fly HEL-TLV.

A joker now referred to as pmAA used to fly domestic-style 757s (this was before the 75Ls were created) BOS-SNN, sold as single class but with the domestic-style F seats available first to those with elite status, roughly a decade or so ago.

If this happens (with the appropriate JV) and AA is adamant about flying to DUB on their own metal (from PHL/CLT), hopefully they'll give the PHL O&D (and supporting connections) to Aer Lingus and route the remaining connecting traffic via CLT. I want Aer Lingus in Philly !!!

If Dub becomes a OW hub, be nice if AA would fly LAX to DUB in a new 787 :)

Also I wonder what "Fuel Surcharges" our friends at IAG will have AA pass on to our award bookings....

Well, the current IAG range is from Iberia to British Airways.

Elsewhere, once this EI thing is settled, there are R ours about AY and even AT. I can see AY, it's already part of the JBA, but Royal Air Maroc? Hmm! And TP, which would IMO be nice. Absolutely rampant speculation, whereas EI's Board has accepted IAGs offer in principle.