Alternative ways to get to London - if EI strike

mark 2008

Hi - any advice anyone - i booked a flight to London with Aer Lingus, and now it looks like there might be a strike or disruption (I'm supposed to go on May 6), so trying to book a alternative way to get there as I booked a hotel seperatley. Ryanair don't seem to accecpt Laser cards, neither do BMI. So does anyone have any ideas on how to get there if there is a strike. Is there some way you can go by boat and get a train from Holyhead ? Thanks Mark

OPENROAD

Flying is still your best bet, you could just pop out to the airport and buy the ticket for cash a few days before you are going, if the airport is close.

Have not done this for years but you could go to a travel agency and purchase your ticket that way, years since I have done that, not even sure if they still do it. For bmi they might.

I would go with bmi, best London service of all the airlines.

jjbrien

You can sail and rail with stena line from Dun Laoighre. You can just turn up on the day and buy a ticket. It takes about 5 and a half hours and costs 44 euro single. Why not get a 3v card at www.3v.ie and you can get a ryanair or bmi flight with it as its a prepaid visa card it would save you time and hassel as the ferry it a long journey and expensive when you take into account you will have to eat on board and buy drinks. The same goes with the trains as food is very over priced on them.

http://www.stenaline.ie/ferry/rail-and-sail/holyhead/

mcic

If do have to go to Heathrow, then BMI is the easiest (/best) way. Plus they're roughly the same price as Aer Lingus.

If you're flying to Gatwick, then just go with Ryanair.

Rabies

What?
Aerlingus strike?

When is it supposed to happen? I'm flying back to Ireland next thursday.

RATM

I might be wrong on this but the last I heard was that the workers had rejected cost savings plans for the second time and had balloted for strike only if management tries to implement these cost savings plans without their consent.
So maybe ppl are getting ahead of themselves here, there may well be a one day strike in the future but it wont be happening next week, possibly not for at least a month or more. And its only going to go ahead if managment get pig headed over implenmenting changes without reaching consensus. So I wouldnt panic just yet.
That said theres no way Id consider buying an AL flight for May, June or July.

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/aer-lingus-management-to-meet-for-discussions-1360232.html

Tabnabs

Have you looked at CityJet to London City Airport?

BA are starting a new service from Dublin to London city airport in June.
3 flights a day.
The flights are already available to book on BA.com
Just put in DUB as your start (Have Ireland selected as your country) and put in LCY in the desination slot.

I did a test there for random dates in july-their flights from Dublin will leave at 845am
1450 pm and 1845pm
The returns are 0650am,1045am and 1650pm.


(The also already do a few flights a day on the Dublin gatwick route)

mark 2008

Hi. I should probably have explained better. I only have a Laser card, so I can't book the BMI / Ryanair options. Thanks for the info on the Stena line and train service. I will most likely try and do that if they are on strike next Tuesday. Luckily I have travel insurance and that should cover some of it. cheers . Mark

zagmund

If you go for the sail & rail you can have an enjoyable day getting to London and between avoiding car park charges and walking back to the terminal, and check-in queues and security queues and boarding queues and deboarding queues and luggage queues and walking two miles to the Heathrow Expresss platforms or taking 40mins+ on the tube you actually only lose maybe 90-120 minutes over flying. You will also save money unless you manage to bag an extra value fare on Ryanair.

It helps if you live near Dun Laoghaire, but even still it's worth taking the boat and train in my books.

If you go go this route, make sure to get the direct train from Holyhead to London. There is at least one train which leaves earlier and which is timetabled to connect with a London train in Crewe, but unless you want to give up your comfy seat in Crewe and join another trian where all the good seats are already gone then wait for the direct train.

By the way, that €44 fare is all-in. There are no 911 security charges, no credit card fees, no handling charges, no fuel surcharges, no nothing. It works out at €88 return which will beat most airfares (except Ryanair specials) hands down. Also note that if you are actually going to somewhere outside London, this fare will also cover the connection. Have a look here - http://www.stenaline.ie/ferry/rail-and-sail/holyhead/

z

OPENROAD

mark 2008 wrote: »

Hi. I should probably have explained better. I only have a Laser card, so I can't book the BMI / Ryanair options. Thanks for the info on the Stena line and train service. I will most likely try and do that if they are on strike next Tuesday. Luckily I have travel insurance and that should cover some of it. cheers . Mark

Do you live far from the airport? If you are close enough you could just pop in, bmi pay cash at ticket desk,flying is a far better option.

jjbrien

mark 2008 wrote: »

Hi. I should probably have explained better. I only have a Laser card, so I can't book the BMI / Ryanair options. Thanks for the info on the Stena line and train service. I will most likely try and do that if they are on strike next Tuesday. Luckily I have travel insurance and that should cover some of it. cheers . Mark

get urself a 3v card then you can book bmi there prepaid visa cards then you dont have a problem of choice of airline www.3v.ie