Aircoach Cork-Dublin-Dublin Airport Changes

SandyfordGuy

Rather than have this pollute three different topics I think it is now thought I would create this thread to keep it all in one place.

I looked at the online booking system this morning and it seems that there isn't any non stop services being added as we may have hoped.

What it does seem is happening though is from 29th November:
- There is a new 8pm service from Dublin to Cork every day
- There is a new overnight service from Cork to Dublin at 1am
- Coaches will no longer stop in Monasterevin.
- The rest stop in Urlingford will now also be a coach stop
- Services from Dublin Airport to Cork will leave 30 minutes before arriving in Dublin City rather than 45 minutes as now so will now be xx:30 past hour rather than xx:15.

Whilst it's not the improvement some people were hoping for, it is certainly a step in the right direction. I guess we'll have to wait for the print timetables before we see if the deletion of one stop has any effect on the journey times

bk

That is a pity, but as you say a move in the right direction.

But I wonder if they are making these changes as they are aware that someone is about to win a direct non stop license and they are trying to improve their own schedule to be competitive.

Kumsheen

Sounds like it will still be mostly off-motorway. That's still the biggest obstacle in my view.

SandyfordGuy

http://www.aircoach.ie/news.article.php?ID=330

As part of a continuing review of our services, Aircoach is pleased to announce a revision to our Cork – Dublin City Centre – Dublin Airport service, with effect from Tuesday 29th November 2011.

Cork – Dublin City Centre – Dublin Airport service

From Tuesday 29th November 2011, we will be operating a revised service between Cork, Dublin City Centre and Dublin Airport. Timings along certain sections of the route have been amended.

Please note that from this date Aircoach will no longer serve Monasterevin in either direction. Customers wishing to board in Monasterevin are requested to join the service in Kildare. Aircoach apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

We are, however, very pleased to announce that from Tuesday 29th November 2011 we will be able to pick-up and set-down passengers at our new stop at Pierce Kavanagh’s Service Station in Urlingford.

In addition, from Tuesday 29th November 2011 we will be providing a new, later departure from Dublin Airport and Dublin City Centre through to Cork. This service will depart from Dublin Airport at 19:30 and Dublin City Centre at 20:00 every evening, calling at all Aircoach stops on the route, with an arrival into Cork scheduled at 23:45.

From Wednesday 30th November 2011, we will be offering a new, overnight service from Cork, and all coach stops along the Cork – Dublin route, to Dublin Airport. The service will depart from Patrick’s Quay in Cork at 01:00 every day and is scheduled to arrive into Dublin Airport at 04:40, in time for the early morning flight departures from Dublin Airport. Please remember to book online, up to 5pm the day before you travel, to guarantee your seat on the coach.

If you have any queries regarding the new timetable for our Cork service, please contact Aircoach on: +353 (0) 1 844 7118 between 09:00 and 17:30, 7 days a week, or by email to info@aircoach.ie where our Customer Service Team will be happy to assist you further.

Don’t forget to book online, up to 5pm the day before you travel, to guarantee your seat on the departure of your choice. Please visit www.aircoach.ie for more details. The new journeys will be available to book using our Online Booking System from Friday 25th November 2011.

We look forward to welcoming you onboard our revised Cork service.

Aircoach Team

schemingbohemia

Would they not have been better off having a later last trip from Dublin?

As it is, their last service leaves Dublin an hour before the last train and gets in around the same time.

I know the market isn't the same but I'd have thought a sweeper service for those missing the last train might have picked up a few more passengers.

Suppose it depends on if they reckon more people will be at the airport at 8 rather than after 9.

invinciblePRSTV

Disappointing to see that there's still no later service out of Dublin then 8/9pm. For sports fans, gig goers and those arriving later into Dublin airport, there's still no public transport links between the 2 cities after that time, bizarre considering Belfast and the smaller cities do have these links.

SandyfordGuy

The 7pm from Dublin is always very well loaded I believe, and people from stops on the route have been calling for an earlier service for some time. The earliest bus to Dublin Airport gets in at 11.15am now, at least those wanting to travel up for early flights from Dublin Airport now can do it by public transport with the 1.00am service without having to travel up the day before.

Also you have to look how driver rosters would work on such a long trip. This timetable change would require an extra bus and one extra driver, as presumably the 8pm Cork service will be driven by the same driver as the 1am Dublin to allow the Dublin based driver to get back to his starting point.

It remains to be seen if Bus Eireann have a reaction to this, their own Cork service could do with an overhaul, first bus at 8am last at 6pm in both directions and it's 40 minutes slower than Aircoach. As has been pointed out many times before, we are in a recession and to do a big expansion would involve some elements of risk. The new timetable is a sensible step in the right direction and does seem to try and balance improvement with not taking a huge risk in a difficult trading environment and as this is quite a long route, the fuel and staff costs etc per journey are going to be higher than say Galway or Belfast routes, thus a bigger financial risk as the breakeven point will be higher.

BenShermin

On the back of that announcement my business will stay with BÈ or IÈ.

At least I'm guaranteed a non stop service with BÉ on a Friday/Sunday evening as loadings always demand a second non stop coach. They are also cheaper (Internet booking) and have better comfort stop facilities in Urlingford, the last time I used the toilets at Pierce Kavanaghs they were filthy! I also find BÈs Scania Expressway coaches to be superior in comfort to Aircoach.

As for IÉ, I'm usually in a position to book the €10 fares in advance and with the 15% O2 discount it ends up cheaper than the bus even if it's not quicker than non stop BÉ services. At least I can have a few beers I suppose.

I read a BÉ statement recently claiming that more "X" services are to be introduced in 2012. Here's hoping, whatever about midweek, there's definitely chance of demand being there for Friday and Sunday evening non stop services IMO.

devnull

In the last few weeks Aircoach have been using the occasional 2009 coach on the Cork service which are much better than anything Bus Eireann have comfort wise with leather seats, full wifi etc, however they're still quite rare on the Cork run. It remains to be seen if anything changes when the new timetable comes in. Some of the 2004 Scania coaches on Aircoach Dublin to Cork are looking a little tired but have no real problems, just not as good as a newer coach such as some of the newer coaches on the Bus Eireann Service.

The BE timetable for me at least is very poor in comparison to the Aircoach one, the first bus isn't until 8am from Dublin or Cork and the last one is at 6pm and the journey takes 40 minutes longer unless they decide to run a non stop which you cannot depend on. Also the Bus Eireann service doesn't serve the airport, which may or may not be an issue for some people. The early service proposed will be great for people from down the country who have early flights from Dublin Airport, opening up an option that has never been there before.

Out of interest, how much is the Bus Eireann walk on fare on the 8. I can only find their web prices online and as you say they include a discount?

BenShermin

devnull wrote: »

Out of interest, how much is the Bus Eireann walk on fare on the 8. I can only find their web prices online and as you say they include a discount?

Walk up Single is €13, Return is €22.

SandyfordGuy

So basically the single is 2 quid cheaper than Aircoach and the return is the same - wouldn't entice me to switch to Bus Eireann to be honest, I was thinking they would be cheaper than that. Aircoach has wifi and two extra services a day in each direction, earlier departures and later departures.

Are you limited to only traveling on the journey you booked on, with Bus Eireann, or is it covered for the actual whole day you book for?

BenShermin

SandyfordGuy wrote: »

Are you limited to only traveling on the journey you booked on, with Bus Eireann, or is it covered for the actual whole day you book for?

Covers you for the whole day, you can use any bus. If you buy a monthly return you only have to specify a date of departure, you can make the return any day you like within the month.

I'll stick with BÉ anyway. Never been on a Friday/Sunday evening service that didn't travel non stop between the cities in little over 3 hours.

SandyfordGuy

It's similar with Aircoach, however you are guaranteeing a seat on the bus you book on, but you can use it on any bus at all, you just are not given priority.

I would be more likely to travel with Bus Eireann if they had a later and earlier services and the journey time was consistently quicker. Taking away the non stop services at the weekends, if I want to get the 6pm Bus Eireann bus midweek, which is the last of the night I arrive in Dublin at 10.25. I can get the 7pm Aircoach and arrive just 20 minutes later, or even get the 8pm from this week.

If I was Bus Eireann now, I'd try and get a 6am bus up and running in both directions and see how that worked. Just simply because they have to do something to improve their own timetable.

devnull

Timetable here:
http://www.aircoach.ie/media/Cork111129.pdf

SandyfordGuy

Someone ought to tell them to fix their website and actually show the new timetable, as right now it's showing the old one and the link to the new one hasn't worked since they posted the news item.

devnull

I noticed they are now using their tri-axle coaches on the Cork run, which is nice to see, a shame they did not do it before as it seems it was possible after all.

dowlingm

devnull wrote: »

I noticed they are now using their tri-axle coaches on the Cork run, which is nice to see, a shame they did not do it before as it seems it was possible after all.

Is it possible there was a limitation on the old route which prevented same?

SandyfordGuy

I doubt it as I saw it happen the odd time before, I would think the roads are narrower around some of the other Towns and not Monasterevin. It seems to happen more frequent now though, so maybe they just changed the way they allocated vehicles or put this on busier services.