Aer Lingus....

jamesbondings · 20-10-2014 11:52pm #1

So for the first time in nearly ten years I traveled with aerlingus last week.
I always fly the cheapest as i only travel short flights (less than 2.5 hours).

However I was genuinely shocked at the way the staff went about their business.
So the plane was late arriving to us in the airport, and to speed things up the crew proceeded to get us through passport control at the gate....(makes sense!) However they then left us waiting in what could only be described as a sweat-box with the sun beating down on the massive glass walls...no open doors to be seen no seats at all and no drinks dispenser of any kind. I got on the flight and i must admit the extra inch or so in legroom compared to ryanair is genuinely noticeable.
I found the staff to be a little ignorant (for lack of a better word) one air-hostess going around asking if parents knew how to use the belt extender for their kids...."ok thats good then, thank you" ....it seems minor but the way she said it implied these people were idiots. Like a teacher telling their bold pupil to do something and when they do it, they thank them sarcastically.
I just got a "im better than you" kind of attitude off them. Granted i was already annoyed from having to wait in a sauna for half an hour but this is the "cead mile failte" tourists receive when they first encounter an irish firm? I wasnt sold.
Then the captain got on the tannoy ...."This is the Captain....flying at x altitude yada yada, enjoy my flight". Is it not customary (me always flying other operators assumed it would be) to introduce yourself? And then to say my flight, i don't know i just wasn't comfortable or something.....Ryanair you know what your getting and it is basic enough but manners are priceless.

I dont know if anyone else a) gets what im trying to say (as i really dont feel like i am explaining myself very well and
b) has experieanced this attitude before?

coylemj · 21-10-2014 2:17am

Welcome to the 21st century! If you had not flown with Aer Lingus in 10 years then I suspect you had a romantic memory of their service which your recent experience has put right.

Liamalone · 21-10-2014 2:18am

Aer Lingus....

Rhymes with....

Cunnilingus

jamesbondings · 21-10-2014 3:02am

coylemj wrote: »

Welcome to the 21st century! If you had not flown with Aer Lingus in 10 years then I suspect you had a romantic memory of their service which your recent experience has put right.

perhaps, maybe thats all it was.....but for the more expensive of the two airlines i was shocked at the way the staff were....

i would not be happy EVER paying more for THAT service, i felt like giving out to them about the delays, being rude and the pure sarcasm from the crew but, then they may have kicked me off the plane.

Perhaps in a way they are in more power than me..... I did love the headrest though, if ryanair could get them that would be great

corktina · 21-10-2014 11:03am

Liamalone wrote: »

Aer Lingus....

Rhymes with....

Cunnilingus

and Alitalia rhymes with genitalia.....co-incidence?

corktina · 21-10-2014 11:03am

I like Aer Lingus

biko · 21-10-2014 11:05am

Maybe it's something on the short hauls. I fly AL all the time long haul and have nothing to complain about.

LXFlyer · 21-10-2014 11:21am

jamesbondings wrote: »

So for the first time in nearly ten years I traveled with aerlingus last week.
I always fly the cheapest as i only travel short flights (less than 2.5 hours).

However I was genuinely shocked at the way the staff went about their business.
So the plane was late arriving to us in the airport, and to speed things up the crew proceeded to get us through passport control at the gate....(makes sense!) However they then left us waiting in what could only be described as a sweat-box with the sun beating down on the massive glass walls...no open doors to be seen no seats at all and no drinks dispenser of any kind. I got on the flight and i must admit the extra inch or so in legroom compared to ryanair is genuinely noticeable.
I found the staff to be a little ignorant (for lack of a better word) one air-hostess going around asking if parents knew how to use the belt extender for their kids...."ok thats good then, thank you" ....it seems minor but the way she said it implied these people were idiots. Like a teacher telling their bold pupil to do something and when they do it, they thank them sarcastically.
I just got a "im better than you" kind of attitude off them. Granted i was already annoyed from having to wait in a sauna for half an hour but this is the "cead mile failte" tourists receive when they first encounter an irish firm? I wasnt sold.
Then the captain got on the tannoy ...."This is the Captain....flying at x altitude yada yada, enjoy my flight". Is it not customary (me always flying other operators assumed it would be) to introduce yourself? And then to say my flight, i don't know i just wasn't comfortable or something.....Ryanair you know what your getting and it is basic enough but manners are priceless.

I dont know if anyone else a) gets what im trying to say (as i really dont feel like i am explaining myself very well and
b) has experieanced this attitude before?

Your initial complaint about the gate facilities is really to do with the airport authorities at whatever airport you were flying from (wherever it is). I don't think you can really hold Aer Lingus responsible for the design of the departures lounge/gate area of an airport. You need to take that up with them.

Assuming it was not in Ireland, ground staff would have been from the local airline handling agent, rather than Aer Lingus.

I fly a fair bit and to be honest, you can occasionally have a crew who may be tired at the end of an extended long day (due to delays) who may not be full of the joys of spring, but in general Aer Lingus crews are very professional and friendly. Flight crew do normally introduce themselves by name.

Mec-a-nic · 21-10-2014 11:46am

jamesbondings wrote: »

So for the first time in nearly ten years I traveled with aerlingus last week.
I always fly the cheapest as i only travel short flights (less than 2.5 hours).

Short flights are now buses - there's no glamour, it's just a way for a lot of people to get around in a small tube, so it's not going to be anything more than humdrum... UNLESS.... you fly business class and add a zero to the end of your ticket price.

It could be worse, in the US the flight staff are generally incredibly customer focused but the airport/security staff (TSA) are... not.

Riskymove · 21-10-2014 11:54am

jamesbondings wrote: »

...Ryanair you know what your getting and it is basic enough but manners are priceless.

I travel with both Ryanair and Aer Lingus regularly

with both airlines it is (afair) always a case of the Captain introducing himself, co-pilot and even the cabin crew

cabin crew (like everyone really) is a mixed bag from very attentive and polite to fairly disinterested and everything in between. With Ryanair sometimes language is an issue but usually nothing serious.

these days you'd want to be business class long-haul to get really high levels of attentiveness

yes, its annoying when you encounter a bad trip or service but overall it is a rarity in my experience

coylemj · 21-10-2014 5:04pm

jamesbondings wrote: »

I found the staff to be a little ignorant (for lack of a better word) one air-hostess going around asking if parents knew how to use the belt extender for their kids...."ok thats good then, thank you" ....it seems minor but the way she said it implied these people were idiots. Like a teacher telling their bold pupil to do something and when they do it, they thank them sarcastically.

In fact it's perfectly reasonable to assume that an infant is flying for the first time and therefore the parent has never had to use one of those belt extenders before. Cabin staff aren't trained to assume everyone is an idiot but in this specific case I think they had every right to check that the adult was able to manage the belt to secure the child. Presumably you didn't take exception to the safety demonstration where they showed you and everyone else how to secure your seat belt?

jamesbondings wrote: »

I just got a "im better than you" kind of attitude off them. Granted i was already annoyed from having to wait in a sauna for half an hour but this is the "cead mile failte" tourists receive when they first encounter an irish firm? I wasnt sold.

They are trained to come across as professional and confident, it reassures nervous flyers and projects a positive image of the airline. It's unfortunate that you interpreted this trait as arrogance. Flying with Ryanair for 10 years has obviously skewed your view of cabin staff and how they behave.

21-10-2014 5:30pm

coylemj wrote: »

They are trained to come across as professional and confident, it reassures nervous flyers and projects a positive image of the airline. It's unfortunate that you interpreted this trait as arrogance. Flying with Ryanair for 10 years has obviously skewed your view of cabin staff and how they behave.

I fly with aer lingus and ryanair a lot and really think the staff in ryanair have a better attitude towards their customer! (Having said that Aer Lingus would be my first choice every time so must be doing something right :-))

jamesbondings · 21-10-2014 6:44pm

i can tell the difference between confidence and arrogance thank you....as i said take the seats out of aerlingus planes put em in ryanairs, ill be happy!

MrDerp · 21-10-2014 8:09pm

My biggest issue with Aer Lingus is not even attempting to enforce baggage policy, letting people on with rucksacks and the like, and then the flight being delayed because it takes so long to board everyone as people go up and down the plane trying to shove bags into places they won't go.

As for demeanour, since I moved back to Cork work trips start on the Heathrow and Amsterdam routes primarily and the staff are perfectly nice and professional.

xpletiv · 22-10-2014 1:42pm

Problems with aer lingus:
1. Price to US - overpriced hugely compared to US counterparts. I will literally never fly with Aer Lingus long haul purely because they charge 600-800 for a flight their competitors charge 400-500 for.
2. Rude staff. I have found this as well, they have an 'above you' mentality.
3. Their website is a pain to use. Booking flights is deceptive for price.
4. The price of things on board is expensive but then again, thats not just AL, but all airlines.

Good things with aer lingus:
1. Baggage allowance is lenient.
2. Pilots are pretty good; cant remember the last bounce landing I had with AL while Ryan Air seems to be every time.

corktina · 22-10-2014 1:53pm

xpletiv wrote: »

Problems with aer lingus:
1. Price to US - overpriced hugely compared to US counterparts. I will literally never fly with Aer Lingus long haul purely because they charge 600-800 for a flight their competitors charge 400-500 for.
2. Rude staff. I have found this as well, they have an 'above you' mentality.
3. Their website is a pain to use. Booking flights is deceptive for price.
4. The price of things on board is expensive but then again, thats not just AL, but all airlines.

Good things with aer lingus:
1. Baggage allowance is lenient.
2. Pilots are pretty good; cant remember the last bounce landing I had with AL while Ryan Air seems to be every time.

we had a Lady pilot the other day and despite severe turbulence over the Irish Sea had the best landing I have ever experienced. I wish I could remember her name.

Shedite27 · 22-10-2014 7:02pm

Aer Lingus have been bad for the past few years, had 3/7 flights delayed by more than 1hr this year with no explanation/apology etc. They seem to have decided they are a low frills airline so don't need to be as nice as they used to be. Personal opinion.

I'd take Ryanair if the price and times are similar.

fr336 · 22-10-2014 7:09pm

xpletiv wrote: »

2. Pilots are pretty good; cant remember the last bounce landing I had with AL while Ryan Air seems to be every time.

They are different types of aircraft; Aer Lingus mainly Airbus with some Boeing and Ryanair entirely Boeing. I'm not sure "bounce landings" would be entirely or at all down the pilot on the day..

Strumms · 22-10-2014 9:35pm

Why hole EI responsible for departure facilities at the airport ?

Why expect the Captain to introduce himself by name, if the flight was already delayed it was just a cursory intro as he would have had plenty of others things to do before departure ? If he was called Frank, Jim or otherwise what difference would that make ?

I fly EI shorthaul on a monthly basis and the crews are some of the most friendly and personable you will find of any airline. The only time I see them get a bit firm is with some of the clowns who get smart with them or disobey instructions regarding seat belts, window blinds, seat back positions etc. these are all legal requirements and it's also such to comply with crew instructions and a firmness in their tone would be required in such circumstances as on any airline?

smurfjed · 22-10-2014 10:21pm

2. Pilots are pretty good; cant remember the last bounce landing I had with AL while Ryan Air seems to be every time.

I'm so glad to know that pilots are now assessed on how smooth their landings are......

So Aer Lingus pilots are better than Ryanair pilots..... discuss ?

:)

Aer Lingus....

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