I think Aerlingus are one of if not the best airlines in the world.

spank_inferno

I find the Aer Lingus Fleet to be much younger than Delta or American Airlines.

Ix ghis the case?
Or is it just design?

token101

Aer Lingus are good, but Qantas would be the best I've flown with I'd say. Good food, great entertainment and decent leg room for tall people like me. Ryanair is probably the worst, but it's short haul and cheap so I'd get over it. Iberia are ****ing horrific. Their boarding pass system is the most insane thing I've ever seen.

ciaran76

I fly very often and think AL are quite good but find them one of the most late for take off times and not meeting them.

Staff are very good and would always choose them over Ryanair.
I find Singapore and Virgin the best I have flown with in the last few years.

podgemonster

Was flying to London with my girlfriend and she was in crutches. Aer Lingus staff at the desk of Cork Airport noticed and called for a wheelchair, we skipped ahead of security and then first onto the plane.

Staff checked regularily that her foot was okay during the flight and had a wheelchair ready for when the flight landed.

Perhaps other airlines would have done the same but AL did it with such courtesy, politeness and in a "sure tis no bother" attitude.

kjl

podgemonster wrote: »

Was flying to London with my girlfriend and she was in crutches. Aer Lingus staff at the desk of Cork Airport noticed and called for a wheelchair, we skipped ahead of security and then first onto the plane.

Staff checked regularily that her foot was okay during the flight and had a wheelchair ready for when the flight landed.

Perhaps other airlines would have done the shame but AL did it with such courtesy, politeness and in a "sure tis no bother" attitude.

Exactly, another example of them going above and beyond.

kjl

To the people who fly to Heathrow, I would avoid that airport at all costs. Unless you need something right beside it, Gatwick is 100x's better to work out of. You have the option of the Gatwick express which has you in central London in 30 min.

Heathrow is grand but as an airport it's too big IMHO. I make connections from there from time to time, land in terminal 1 and have to get to terminal 5. Takes about 35 min and that's with me walking quickly. Plus all the bs of multiple photos and security checks on the way.

Charles de gaul is a nightmare too, unless your lucky. However I did get stuck there for 8 hours once. I found myself a private booth with a playstation, a 42inch tv loaded with loads of films and a place to put you feet up while watching. You don't get that everywhere.

gobnaitolunacy

Quantas FTW.
Aer Lingus long haul, excellent, short haul ok.
BA were quite good, but seem to have lost their shine last time I flew with them.

Ryanair are what they are, a cattle truck with wings.

smurfjed

There was a time when i would agree with you, but since they became a "lo cost" airline and then increased the fares, I believe that the spirit of the airline has changed. I used to feel a sense of pride whenever i saw the shamrock in a strange airport, but that feeling has disappeared.
As for their actual product, from making your reservation, check in, trying to get past the hand baggage checks before security, everything is now geared to taking money off you rather than the old style of welcoming you as a guest.
If you want to talk about one of the best short haul airlines, try flying on Jetblue.

smurfjed.

jester77

I would have written the OP's post 10 years ago. Back then the service was fantastic, they would even hold up your connection if you were going to be a few minutes late inbound. They would have someone at the gate to meet you coming in and take you the quickest way through the airport to get your connection. The onboard service was fantastic, they would come down with a new drink when they seen you have finished the current one.

Today I would vote emirates as my favourite. Their service is fantastic, the flights are very comfortable, the onboard entertainment is fantastic, although I find their screens are almost too big. Plus you only need 3 long-haul flights to get access to their lounges.

It's not always about price, especially once you are flying over 3 or 4 hours. At that point I will pay extra for the better service.

Cienciano

murpho999 wrote: »

A disaster,wow?

Please tell me about this Aer Lingus Trans Atlantic Crash that didn't make any news but you survived?

I was the only one who survived, typing this with my one remaining limb.

fog arty

Personally I prefer ryanair, they deliver what they say they will and have not cost the irish taxpayers millions in subsidies

gramar

I fly Madrid Dublin a couple of times a year and wouldn't consider Ryanair in fact the missus insists it's with Aer Lingus. The last 4 or 5 flights have all been cheaper than Ryanair and you can't fault the relaxed, pleasant attitude.
The new T2 in Dublin is another plus. Fast, spacious and generally makes flying less of a pain in the arse.

dodzy

The Aussie wrote: »

Yes I hate Ryanair with a passion as well, I would much rather eat my own SH!T than fly with them again.

You must have done so already, because you are spouting it.

Seriously, a 50 min flight across a bit of water. Who really gives a flying f**k. How anal are some people, seriously ?

I'm with the best deal. Thanks.

pickarooney

So first class flights and the Hilton hotel are good, are they? Well, well, you learn things every day.

COYW

ciaran76 wrote: »

I fly very often and think AL are quite good but find them one of the most late for take off times and not meeting them.

Staff are very good and would always choose them over Ryanair.
I find Singapore and Virgin the best I have flown with in the last few years.

Totally agree with you in relation to Aer Lingus and take off times. There is no urgency to make up lost time on Aer Lingus also. That zonal queuing system is ridiculous. I would add BA to the list of great airlines to fly on.

I use Ryanair when I fly to the UK and have no issues with them for such flights. I find Aer Lingus to be quite pricey for flights to London and their schedule isn't good. I wouldn't use them for flights to the central Europe and beyond. They are good for transatlantic but their in-flight entertainment is just ok. Staff are very nice but I have never had any problem with the cabin crew from any airline.

listermint

Fratton Fred wrote: »

I would always fly BMI to Heathrow if I could. for some reason boarding always seemed easier with them. Their reward scheme was far superior to the Aer lingus one. Not sure what the BA take over has meant though, but the prices have certainly gone up.

Aer Lingus cabin crew are generally good, but I find they fall in to two categories, the older crew who are friendly, chatty and will do anything for you, or the blonde wannabe wag who thinks passengers are an interference with their glamorous oh so gorgeous life style.

absolutely first class breakfast though, no doubts about that.:cool:

BMI are stink, of the 3 flights i had with them to london last year. 2 were late, both times they didnt have the gates up on the screen, which resulted in 40 hectic passengers running around trying to find a BMI staff who had a clue what was going on then resulted in all 40 passengers making a frantic dash to a gate that was no where near the lounge that was pending on the electronic board.

BMI - Nil point

Legs.Eleven

Agree OP. I fly home only with Aer Lingus cos the staff are lovely and the prices are often cheaper than Ryanair. I always get that warm, fuzzy feeling on their flights as it's the first taste of home. I hope Michael O'Leary doesn't get his greasy paws on it.

markpb

COYW wrote: »

Totally agree with you in relation to Aer Lingus and take off times. There is no urgency to make up lost time on Aer Lingus also.

This is why I prefer Ryanair for business flights - I find sitting on an AE flight waiting for everyone to get on very frustrating - first you battle past the people who are blocking the aisles to put their several pieces of luggage overhead, then the last group of people do the where-to-put-my-stuff dance followed by the staff spending a few minutes re-arranging stuff and moving my bag elsewhere on the place to make space.

That zonal queuing system is ridiculous.

In theory it's a great idea, people at the back get on, load their luggage and no-one is blocked by people sitting in front of them. Of course theory and reality aren't always closely aligned.

smurgen

Dwork wrote: »

Or once, just once, toddle up to the Ryanair "Customer riding help desk" and ask "Can I change to an earlier/later flight, and how much will that cost please?". Just do it for the giggle. They expect you to buy a fcuking wing for the aeroplane for the privelege of changing the flight time.

was home for a funeral the last few days, booked my return flight back to london and was a bit up in a heap from the funeral and forgot to check in online and print my boarding pass, ba$tards charged me 70 euro to do it at the check in desk.

Mr Benevolent

I flew Ryanair to Munich. Big mistake. The airport is 90 mins €40 away from the city. NOt worth the hassle, going Aerlingus next time. Went AL to Prague very recently and they were grand. Ryanair would have flown over the airport and pushed us out the doors if they could.

FTA69

I booked a flight home for the May bank holiday weekend and got absolutely raped for the price. However, as usual Ryanair were the worst by far. The cheapest possible flight from them was £10 cheaper than the cheapest Aer Lingus one; it also involved flying out at spastic o'clock in the morning and leaving Cork at 6.30am on the Monday. Couple this with the extortiante train to the sh*thole that's Stansted and you're throwing another £30 onto the price. B*llocks to that.

Aer Lingus on the other hand, for an extra £30, meant I could fly out of London from Gatwick (where I generally work, best airport ever) at 6pm and fly home on the Monday at around 5pm. Thus I don't have to miss a day's work and can get a train for around £15 return to the airport from central London.

Happy days.

F*ck Ryanair in the ass.

That is all.

Pilotdude5

Reading this thread I wish I could still look at Aviation through rose-tinted glasses still:(

The industry has broken me between people paying for jobs and nepotism.:mad:

Hoop66

I flew Dublin-Brussels and back about 50 times last year, all AL. I must say they were pretty good. Only one delay, and they don't gouge for a drink on board - €4 for a Jameson (not a plastic bag) whisky and they give you a wee bit water for free (not €2 for a bottle of mineral water).

I do fly Ryanair when I'm over to UK for piss-up etc. and it's not a pleasant experience. Ever. but it's (mostly) cheap.

Those who think Ryanair is cheap, wait 'til you have to fly at short notice. They wanted €250 - one-way - to fly DUB-BHX on the next day.

For long-haul, if you possibly can fly Singapore Airlines. Just the best by a mile, IMO.

dissed doc

Confab wrote: »

I flew Ryanair to Munich. Big mistake. The airport is 90 mins €40 away from the city. NOt worth the hassle, going Aerlingus next time. Went AL to Prague very recently and they were grand. Ryanair would have flown over the airport and pushed us out the doors if they could.

Ryanair don't fly to Munich.

FTA69

There is absolutely nothing worse than waking up at 5am, bate from drink, and having to get a taxi to the airport to queue up at a stupid Ryanair desk behind all the nobheads with "priority boarding" (losers) with the farts erupting out of your arse. You then have to go through the song and dance of cramming your hand luggage into that stupid steel yoke they have while some young one glares at you waiting to slap you with a check-in charge. When you finally get onto the plane you have to cram your legs up to your bloody chin for a tortuous hour to Stansted while they badger you with scratchcards of all things. As far as I'm concerned scratchcards are for scamming bastards pretending to collect for asthma you see outside the Post Office on pension day, not international flights.

On top of that, Ryanair are the most anti-union company in avaiation today. I work for a trade union and the sh*t we've had with them is unreal. Anyone who puts themselves forward as a rep gets immediately villified and targeted by the management until they're drummed out of their job.

Shower of bastards.

clairefontaine

I appreciate RA for making AL prices more competitive, but other than that they are the Christian Brothers of air travel.

gramar

FTA69 wrote: »

behind all the nobheads with "priority boarding" (losers) .

If I fly with Ryanair I always get priority/reserved seating and don't think I'm a nobhead for doing it. First on the plane, 2F - leg room, place for my bag and and first off. Worth the money. If the flight is only 80-100eur return then I've no problem paying an extra tenner to take a little bit of the hassle out of it.

FTA69

gramar wrote: »

If I fly with Ryanair I always get priority/reserved seating and don't think I'm a nobhead for doing it. First on the plane, 2F - leg room, place for my bag and and first off. Worth the money. If the flight is only 80-100eur return then I've no problem paying an extra tenner to take a little bit of the hassle out of it.

No dice.

The cool kids stand at the back of the queue dying from drink and being miserable.

ruthloss

I used to love this advert



.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_i3iX6ozvI

gramar

FTA69 wrote: »

No dice.

The cool kids stand at the back of the queue dying from drink and being miserable.

I've never been cool.:(