Aer Lingus - Photo ID

tombrown

I am due to fly Shannon-Heathrow next week with Aer Lingus, but my passport is away getting processed for a China VISA and I am not sure I will have it back in time. The Aer Lingus website says that photo ID (drivers license or work ID) is OK, but I have a colleague who said he was turned back when using a license in the past.

Has anyone any experience of using non passport photo ID on this route & can confirm it is OK?

Thanks

Heisenberg1

tombrown wrote: »

I am due to fly Shannon-Heathrow next week with Aer Lingus, but my passport is away getting processed for a China VISA and I am not sure I will have it back in time. The Aer Lingus website says that photo ID (drivers license or work ID) is OK, but I have a colleague who said he was turned back when using a license in the past.

Has anyone any experience of using non passport photo ID on this route & can confirm it is OK?

Thanks

Passport or national identity card are only accepted for travel within EU

http://www.aerlingus.com/travelinformation/knowbeforeyoufly/visaspassports/#d.en.4569

tombrown

The paragraph above that one you linked (http://www.aerlingus.com/travelinformation/knowbeforeyoufly/visaspassports/#d.en.4568) actually states Drivers License is OK for Ireland-UK, I am just not sure how much I trust that based on feedback I have heard from others

subway

Travel between Ireland and the UK or UK Domestic travel
Citizens of Ireland and the UK must carry some form of official photo identification.

Note: In order to travel between Ireland and the UK with photo identification other than a passport, passengers must have been born in Ireland or the UK and also be a citizen of either country.


The following forms of photo identification are acceptable:

Valid Passport
Driver's licence with photo
International student card
National ID card / Government issued photo ID cards
Health Insurance cards with photo / Social security cards with photo
Bus pass with photo
Work ID with photo
Citizens of Ireland and the UK under the age of 16, do not need a photo ID, if travelling with their parent/guardian.

Citizens of countries other than Ireland and the UK must produce a valid passport and visa where applicable, for travel between Ireland and the United Kingdom.

I've travelled to Manchester with drivers license

munchkin_utd

tombrown wrote: »

I am due to fly Shannon-Heathrow next week with Aer Lingus, but my passport is away getting processed for a China VISA and I am not sure I will have it back in time. The Aer Lingus website says that photo ID (drivers license or work ID) is OK, but I have a colleague who said he was turned back when using a license in the past.

Has anyone any experience of using non passport photo ID on this route & can confirm it is OK?

Thanks

as mentioned above, it depends on where you are going.

If your colleague was flying to spain or elsewhere on the continent then they wouldnt have got far with a drivers licence.

Thanks to the shared land border with the north, theres no passport checks between ireland and UK (incl northern ireland obviously) which is why theres no need for a passport to England except when flying with an airline like Ryanair that makes up their own rules.

coylemj

tombrown wrote: »

The paragraph above that one you linked (http://www.aerlingus.com/travelinformation/knowbeforeyoufly/visaspassports/#d.en.4568) actually states Drivers License is OK for Ireland-UK, I am just not sure how much I trust that based on feedback I have heard from others

You said originally you heard this from a 'colleague', now it's 'others', how many people have told you they couldn't travel with a driving licence and where were they travelling to? If it was Ryanair then they certainly would have had a problem without a passport, regardless of where they were flying to.

Print off that page on the Aer Lingus website which tells you what's acceptable for travel between Ireland and the UK, if you happen to meet someone who hasn't heard of the common travel area, you can show them that page.

I have never heard of anyone being turned away by Aer Lingus if they had a half-decent photo ID. In the days before 9/11 an employee badge with your photo got you through, it still does in theory but coming back it might be a problem with the people at the boarding gate in the UK so at the very least I'd bring the driving licence.

tombrown

The evolution from "colleague" to "others" was poetic license. It's just one guy who said it happened to him on way from Shannon to UK about 2 years ago. I guess its possible that his memory is poor & it was Ryan Air.

Anyway - will follow your advice, and bring the printed page with me.

I remember flying back & forth in the '90s with nothing more than a credit card to identify me

coylemj

tombrown wrote: »

The evolution from "colleague" to "others" was poetic license. It's just one guy who said it happened to him on way from Shannon to UK about 2 years ago. I guess its possible that his memory is poor & it was Ryan Air.

Anyway - will follow your advice, and bring the printed page with me.

I remember flying back & forth in the '90s with nothing more than a credit card to identify me

His memory is spot on, Ryanair insist on a passport if you're Irish regardless of where you're going to. For travel to the UK, Aer Lingus will accept several forms of ID which are documented on their webpage.

No need to print off that page, the Aer Lingus people are well aware of their own rules.

tombrown

His memory is that it was Aer Lingus, which was what prompted me to check here. I was saying maybe his memory is poor and it was actually Ryanair

coylemj

tombrown wrote: »

His memory is that it was Aer Lingus, which was what prompted me to check here. I was saying maybe his memory is poor and it was actually Ryanair

I seriously doubt he is correct, by any chance was he travelling on somewhere else on a connecting flight?

tombrown

Dont think so

Anyway - I'll use the license & report back next week (assuming they have WiFi in the UK immigration interrogation rooms)

coylemj

tombrown wrote: »

Dont think so

Anyway - I'll use the license & report back next week (assuming they have WiFi in the UK immigration interrogation rooms)

Just to be clear, it's extremely unlikely that you'll be asked for ID by the UK Police and the UK Immigration people have no role to play when it comes to passengers from the Irish Republic because of the common travel area. If the UK cops pull you over in the airport, it's to do with the prevention of crime (Real IRA and all that stuff), not immigration control.

You need ID to prove to the airline that you are the person named in the reservation so at the boarding gate at either end you will need to produce your boarding card and (for Aer Lingus) something with your name and photo on it, hence the driving licence will be fine. With Ryanair it's a passport or nothing for us Paddies.

L1011

Its unlikely you'll even see UK Borders staff in Heathrow at all. You definitely won't need to provide them with a passport.

Thwip!

Just to settle my own nerves.

I'm due to travel to Leeds from Dublin on the 15th. My application for my first passport was refused as my photocopy of my photo ID wasn't signed by the Garda member (who signed my form and application photos)

I have my age card, granted it's a few years old now so I'll probably have to shave ha. Will I be able to board my Aer Lingus flight using that instead of a passport?

If not, what are my options?

munchkin_utd

from Aerlingus (for Irish / British citizens)

The following forms of photo identification are acceptable:
<snip>
National ID card / Government issued photo ID cards
<snip>

from : http://www.aerlingus.com/travelinformation/knowbeforeyoufly/visaspassports/#d.en.4568

the age card is therefore ok as its a government issued ID card.