Aircoach Reliability

prettyrestless

Does anyone know how reliable the aircoach service is? I'm planning to get the 1pm bus from Cork to Dublin, and then get the 4.30pm bus to Belfast. The bus is supposed to arrive in Dublin at 4pm. Does anyone have any idea if they tend to stick to the timetable/arrive on time, etc..

bk

It is typically very reliable. I have taken it many times and normally takes 3 hours. The odd time if heavy traffic then max 3:15. I assume you are getting the Aircoach bus to Belfast, which is just a 5 minute walk across O'Connell Bridge. I think you should make it fine.

Worst case scenario, if you miss it you can get the 5pm Bus from Busaras or wait for the 5:30 Aircoach to Belfast.

reprazant

Anytime I have used it is very reliable.

That said, you should really account for things out of their control such as traffic, accidents, etc which could make the journey longer.

Probably better to get the 12 bus from Cork.

schemingbohemia

Are you switching in Dublin City Centre or the Airport? Might make more sense to switch in the airport.

Lucyn

At the start I found it extremely reliable but lately I have not arrived on time for the last four journeys. Some drivers are better than others and that stop in Urlingford in so annoying. It could be for 10 mins or 20 mins. The lastest I arrived in Dublin is at twenty past the hour. If I were you I'd get the 12 o'clock bus and have a nice cuppa coffee then stretch your legs between your journeys.

Just to be aware on your return journey, factor in the possibility that you may not get on at all! This has happened to me several times in the last couple of months (even with online bookings). If the bus is full, it's full and you have to wait for the next one and hope for the best. Or do what I did on one occasion and leg it over to busaras and get the gobe one. The last time this happened it was the young scientist exhibition in the RDS that was the attraction but another time I think there was something on in Trinity for Students. The 7am sat Cork to Dublin was wedged and I couldn't get on the 2pm or 3pm service down the next day.

It's a brilliant service but a victim of it's own success so to speak.

prettyrestless

Thanks everyone. Cant get the 12pm bus due to work

Why would it be easier to switch at the airport?

devnull

It would be cheaper to switch at Dublin City Center as to do so it would be €9 + €10 online fare = €19 as the Belfast route is on a special offer at the moment where it is the same price from the Airport as it is from the City Center. If you changed at the airport it would be €15+€10 = €25

The problem with GoBE is now they are only doing 10 services a day and they are only every two hours from Cork. My experience is if the driver believes the bus is going to be busy he'll always let the people with online tickets on first, followed by people with returns, then followed by those with single tickets.

Lucyn

devnull wrote: »

The problem with GoBE is now they are only doing 10 services a day and they are only every two hours from Cork. My experience is if the driver believes the bus is going to be busy he'll always let the people with online tickets on first, followed by people with returns, then followed by those with single tickets.

Aircoach always do that too. It's never a problem on Patricks Quay but those boarding at Westmoreland St can't (or won't) grasp the concept. I sometimes have to check I'm not boarding a Ryanair flight rather than an aircoach such is the pushing and shoving.

My last journey with GoBe was very interesting as the driver had a conversation with the passenger beside me the whole way up. His exact words were "we're just not getting the numbers. We'll keep it going for another few months and see then." Aside from the busaras location which is not great at all, and the higher prices, I can't figure out why they aren't getting the numbers myself. Competition is healthy after all. If they go, then Aircoach may start sneaking up their prices......

Count_Hook

I actually prefer GoBe myself. Flexible booking, guaranteed seat, and best of all, no dreaded stop in urlingford!!

devnull

Count_Hook wrote: »

I actually prefer GoBe myself. Flexible booking, guaranteed seat, and best of all, no dreaded stop in urlingford!!

Actually you'll find that both GoBe and Aircoach offer flexible booking, a guaranteed seat and Aircoach also have seven toilet equipped buses and only the two on the route which are not equipped will stop at Urlingford and that is generally if nobody asks. Of course this is not ideal, since GoBE always run toilet equipped buses, but there is no stop in Urlingford each journey.

By the way, Aircoach is cheaper and much more regular also. It depends what you want from the service, if you want a toilet, GoBE is the way to go, if you don't then Aircoach will save you money and be more regular. If you want to get a bus from a bus station though GoBE is better, but the Aircoach stop in Dublin is more central. They both have their perks and weaknesses.

I see in your other thread you posted this:

Does anyone have any info re stops on the Aircoach? Haven't travelled on it in a while, and they always used to stop at least in Urlingford, possibly Cashel, Mitchelstown or Fermoy aswell depending on request. Are all services express to Dublin like GoBe or do they still stop?

So clearly you haven't been on the Aircoach service in a long time since the service has been non stop express since April last year. The Aircoach service is vastly different now to what it was almost a year ago and they were first to market.

foggy_lad

I would say that gobe have more comfortable coaches even for taller people and much quieter coaches than aircoach and all have toilets. They also allow you to buy your tickets from the machines in the bus stations in busaras and parnell st cork.

devnull

It depends which type of coach you are talking about since both companies are operating a range of different models so there is no generic winner really. I've traveled on both the Aircoach most common two types and the GoBE vehicles and I can't agree with it.

For me the best vehicle being operated is the Aircoach Jonckheere which there are normally two allocated to the route. It's downside is it lacks toilets, however it has the most leg-room of any vehicle I've ever been on in Ireland. It's the same length vehicle as GoBE's 3 axle Volvo 9700 but has a row less of seats which allows more legroom which is why it comes out on top in these stakes. It also has full leather seats.

The GoBus Volvo 9700, which they have three allocated to the route, is a decent coach but I've been on them many times at the seat recline just isn't comfortable if you are tall since it doesn't recline in a proper way, it pushes the base forward which restricts leg-room. Also the other problem is the seats get higher as they go further back. I've seen instances where a tall person has to exchange seats because their head is too close to the luggage rack overhead. If this is not an issue for you, they're a great coach and are quiet without doubt.

I agree that the Aircoach Levante's are not the most comfortable, they're the worst for comfort of either operator on the route, as they have the same crap tiered seating layout and suffer from having the first two rows having lots of legroom and the rest of the rows suffer as a consequence. They're also not the quietest coach of all time either I agree.

Also GoBE do allow you to buy from bus stations, but on Aircoach you can buy on the coach at prices which are cheaper than those offered by GoBE at the bus station, so not sure why this is a selling point?

bk

foggy_lad wrote: »

I would say that gobe have more comfortable coaches even for taller people and much quieter coaches than aircoach and all have toilets. They also allow you to buy your tickets from the machines in the bus stations in busaras and parnell st cork.

Foggy I wouldn't necessarily agree with your comfort point. Aircoach use a variety if coaches. The Joncks that they use 2 or 3 of on the cork route are by far the most comfortable coach used by any company in Ireland. They have fully leather seats with loads of recline and more legroom then any coach I've ever used on any plane, train or coach in Ireland. They are also very sturdy and well built. Unfortunately their down side is they don't have any toilets.

I would agree that the GoBE coaches are better then the Aircoach toilet equipped coaches (Levantes and Panthers) which are older.

The best toilet equipped coach I've used in Ireland are Citylinks new Vanhool coaches. Much better then the GoBE coach. They are more like the Joncks with a toilet. Very well built with flat seating rather then tiered style which is better for tall people.

However I admit the GoBE coach are a nice compromise.

devnull

Have you actually been on the Panther coach? What is it like? I didn't mention it since I don't comment on vehicles I haven't been on in the interest of fairness.

I can't imagine them being too different from the Levante though.

bk

A little better then the Levante, but behind the GoBE Volvos. To be honest I've only been on it once and when I was it was very late, I was tired and slept most of the way!! So I don't have my normal thorough review of it.

Victor

devnull wrote: »

Also GoBE do allow you to buy from bus stations, but on Aircoach you can buy on the coach at prices which are cheaper than those offered by GoBE at the bus station, so not sure why this is a selling point?

Connections to other long distance services.

bk

Victor wrote: »

Connections to other long distance services.

Well, you can't buy connections between GoBE and BE services. You can of course buy separate tickets and have the convenience of connecting at Busaras and also Connelly, for northern line train services.

However to be honest, most people are probably just going too and from Dublin.

The most likely long distance journey, Cork - Belfast is actually probably better via Aircoach, by interconnecting at the Airport.

People who want to travel between Cork, Limerick and Galway probably just take the Citylink or direct BE service anyway, rather then via Dublin.

Not saying that Busaras isn't a better location for some people, I just don't think it is for the majority of people, which is reflected in the relative passenger numbers between Aircoach and GoBE.