colmc

Didn't see this mentioned yet on here. Interesting, in light of some of BA"s retrenchment. Wonder if they'll move over to North Terminal...

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1219/aerlingus.html

Roger

Interesting to see several former BA routes out of LGW.

colmc

Yup - one can't help but wonder if there has been discussion on the matter..

On an unrelated note, they are also codesharing on BA's LCY-DUB service. First time I've seen them actively codeshare with BA rather than BA codesharing with EI on various routes..

Skipcool3

Great news!!! I flew EI last week for the first time following the news that BA were pulling off the DUB route.
Modern A320, decent seat (pitch a little tight perhaps) and a really great Irish crew.... I know it's pay on board catering, but at least there was the option to buy something rather than just the drink and "dust" on a tired 737 with B.A.
Incidentally, my return flight from DUB was on BMI in business and was not as good as the EI flight.
I have to ask though... where are these aircraft coming from???

Shuttle-Bored

Flew EI to DUB during the week in Y, and it was pretty much like Skipcool3's experience - pleasant crew, slightly tight seat pitch (but nobody in the seat next to me on either sector), and all in all, an OK experience. Likely to be back and forth to DUB quite a bit over the next year, and their LGW service works perfectly - reasonable flight times, and an ok lounge (The Club) via Priority Pass

chris18london

This doesn't make sense to me.. unless they have some very aggressive marketing / fare pricing, who is going to choose an Irish state-run low-cost carrier over a) full-service airlines and b) other low cost airlines already established on some of these routes?

I agree that it is a fairly pleasant experience on board, but you can get some very surly crews on EI, yet some friendly crews and very clean aircraft with Easyjet - YMMV..

Unless they move to the North Terminal, they're not in OW anymore, the O&D traffic doesn't spring to mind as one way they plan to get that Ł100m investment back either!

Is this the same misguided thinking that made this silly airline pull out of a lucrative monopoly route and shaft a significant proportion of their home population at the beginning of this year?

Kgmm77

They are a listed company with a minority ownership by the Irish govt.
If you are referring to SNN-LHR, it wasn't lucrative. Thats why they pulled out of it. As for shafting a significant proportion of the population?

stevie

Yes this is the airline that shafted all the people that lived in the mid West of Ireland, and the Irish government sat back and let it happen. This joke of a 'national' airline is a poor clone of Ryanair, and should just give in and allow O'Leary to make some money out of it.

By the way EI had no customer service telephone number up to two years ago, just fax or snail mail....joke.

stevie

One more point on profitability, the SNN LHR route has proved top be FAR more profitsble than the Belfast one.

Kgmm77

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They aren't a national airline.

If setting up overseas bases is what they need to do to evade coming under FR then I'm all for it.

As LCCs go, EI are pretty good IMO and the more codeshares with BA the better, particularly given the ending of BA service from LGW.

colmc

AFAIK they've had a number of A320 on order anyway.

In fairness, surly crews on BA aren't unknown Being located in Ireland now, EI gets a lot of my business and on an flight by flight basis the crews have been everything from average/efficient to good/great (even despite their recent troubles)

I'd imagine that LGW crew base, like BFS will be sourced locally, as they'll have substantially different working conditions that the crews based in DUB, just as the BFS crew do.

I'd expect quite a few people from other airlines (former/current BA/GB/EZY and probably some former XL Airways staff that are knocking around) might be applying.

I've never found their aircraft to be dirty, as such. Certainly no more than easyJet's or anyone elses. Like others here, generally I've found the A320/1's clean and comfortable enough for short hops, if a little tight on seat pitch. The BOB isn't always the best in quality terms but I'd prefer BOB than birdseed, that's for sure

For my sins, I've even taken my last few transatlantic sectors with them and they have been generally ok. I've jinxed myself for my January flights..

So how long before we see an EI LGW - JFK with BA codeshare? How long before BA start codesharing on other routes from LGW operated by EI..

Joeyboy

As an Irish man I am a little dismayed that Aer Lingus are chasing overcrowded London routes and setting up bases when the the transatlantic product they have is so poor and some regions in Ireland dont have a service to London Heathrow such as Shannon. I know some aircraft are due a major refit but this will still leave two long haul planes without seat back entertainment systems which in this day and age should be standard at least. I would prefer to see the €100m spent on improving the product in their home market rather than take such large commercial risks in the times we live in.
The gold circle club is joke and in need of big overhaul also. I nearly always connect via London for long haul because BA offer excellent products in WT+ and J and the Executive club even though a much more convenient airline is on my door step. I would never pay the J prices on Aer Lingus when i compare to British Airways.
As Willie Walsh is ex Aer Lingus and with quite a few friends still there, I would imagine that Aer Lingus would have sounded him out over BA future plans at Gatwick etc, code shares on new flights etc. I think you will find over the next few years, Aer Lingus will become little more than an unoffical subsidiary of BA. I think it suits BA for Aer Lingus to set up the Gatwick base as the new routes will be very low cost, no legacy payroll costs, sector supplements etc which BA would have to pay and will eventually be code shared with BA.

Skipcool3

I believe that the routes to VIE, ZRH, NCE and Munich will do well. I don't know about Knock, and am surprised at EI serving Malaga and Faro as competition is already high / very high on these leisure routes.
My only exp. of EI was very good.
My many exp. of RYANAIR have been shabby. Shabby treatment (abandoned in Sardinia for 4 days) delays, very tight seating and crew that can barely communicate in English, and a price that is often a lot more than you would initially think, but on some instances they have been the only available operator.
If RYANAIR can set up bases across Europe (including Stansted) then why not EI?
O'Leary is a tough businessman. Allow him to take-over EI and prices will soar to Eire.(IMHO)

alex1948

[QUOTE=Skipcool3;10939113]I believe that the routes to VIE, ZRH, NCE and Munich will do well. [QUOTE]

http://www.businesstraveller.com/new...ainland-europe

I can't see the VIE and ZRH flights appealing to biz travellers as there's only one flight a day.

MUC and NCE timings, up to two daily flights, are better.

chris18london

Granted, national carrier would have been a better phrase.

It was a route they've had the monopoly on since the late 80s when BA pulled it along with the Tridents, with 3/4 flights a day. Every flight I was on the last few months before it was axed wasn't exactly dwindling in pax.

More people were protesting against this route withdrawal than the protest for the third runway at LHR, for example, when there are more people under LHR flightpaths than there are in the whole of Ireland.