Flight from Cork or Dublin to USA

Rocko

I'm traveling from Cork.
I'm wondering what people from Cork/Kerry etc usually do.
I'm looking into flights from Cork or Dublin to either New York or Boston.
I'm just wondering what are the pros & cons of flying from either Cork or Dublin, which would be the easiest / best?

Pros of Dublin
Get through US customs
Direct flight, shorter time in air

Cons of Dublin
2-3 hour drive from Cork

Pros of Cork
No drive to Dublin
No long drive home from Dublin airport after returning from US

Cons of Cork
Need to fly to Heathrow or elsewhere for connection
Longer time in air


No doubt I'm missing out on some pros & cons.....
Would people recommend flying to the US from Cork or Dublin or even Shannon (if flights suited)?

Thoie

Depending on where you're flying to, getting through US immigration before you go is such a bonus. Queuing for hours after you've disembarked in the US is not my idea of fun.

If I had the time, I'd take secret option C, and fly from Dublin, staying the night before (and maybe after) in a hotel in/near Dublin. The direct flight also saves you from having to loiter in a second airport along the way, with the stress of hoping your bags transfer etc.

womandriver

Fly from Shannon, customs pre-clearance, small relatively quiet airport so less queuing etc, direct flights to US, under 2 hours from Cork.

JohnMearsheimer

I'd fly from Shannon or Dublin every time. I would only entertain flying from the UK if it was seriously cheaper.

highlydebased

Shannon is a shorter drive from Cork though the road is pretty poor in places and has a fair few American flights during summertime in particular plus it has the bonus that going through the airport is quick. Dublin at the height of summer is very very busy. Overall travelling through Shannon will cost you the least amount of time overall, door to door

ProudDUB

Another con of flying out of Dublin is how early your day would have to start. Most flights to the US depart 10am/11am ish. As you need to be at the airport no less than 2 1/2 to 3 hrs before your flight, you will have to leave Cork, very, very early. You'll be knackered tired.

If you fly from the US back to the UK or Ireland, odds are it will be an over night flight. You'll get into Dublin/London in the early hours of the morning. If you fly into Dublin, it is a relatively small & easy airport to travel through and you'll be back in Cork in 2-3 hours time. If you fly into Heathrow, you could have a wait of several hours before your flight to Cork. Heathrow is also a hellishly big airport to have to navigate your way through and hang around in, if you have just come off an overnight flight from the US and you are sleep deprived. I think that your travel day over all would be longer, if you fly via the UK.

I'd agree with Thoie on Option C. Fly out of Dublin, but travel up the night before and stay at a hotel near the airport, so you can start your journey to the US, on a full nights sleep. You can get some really good deals if you shop around, but pay attention to what the hotels will charge you if you are leaving your car there.

Layinghen

You can fly to US with Aer Lingus from Kerry airport. You book Kerry to Boston or New York on their website.

E.G. Basically you get the 7.30am flight to Dublin (in at 8.30am) and then 11.50am flight to Boston on the return trip you arrive back in Dublin at 8.05am and flight to Kerry departs at 11.10am.

Highly recommend Kerry airport as a totally hassle free experience.

Thoie

Layinghen wrote: »

You can fly to US with Aer Lingus from Kerry airport. You book Kerry to Boston or New York on their website.

E.G. Basically you get the 7.30am flight to Dublin (in at 8.30am) and then 11.50am flight to Boston on the return trip you arrive back in Dublin at 8.05am and flight to Kerry departs at 11.10am.

Highly recommend Kerry airport as a totally hassle free experience.

Does KIR still hold you to ransom for a fiver when you're trying to leave?

Layinghen

Thoie wrote: »

Does KIR still hold you to ransom for a fiver when you're trying to leave?

Absolutely not.

Gatica

Thoie wrote: »

Depending on where you're flying to, getting through US immigration before you go is such a bonus. Queuing for hours after you've disembarked in the US is not my idea of fun.

If I had the time, I'd take secret option C, and fly from Dublin, staying the night before (and maybe after) in a hotel in/near Dublin. The direct flight also saves you from having to loiter in a second airport along the way, with the stress of hoping your bags transfer etc.

This would be my preference too. We've stayed the night at Bewleys before when flying very early from Dublin airport. The parking was included in the price of the night's stay and they have a regular shuttle to bring you to the airport.
I'm in Galway so Shannon would be much closer, but there are just no great services between the two towns. I bought flight to Shannon recently and we'll have to wait at the airport for over an hour to get a long-way around Bus Eireann bus back home. I was kicking myself after as if we'd flown into Dublin there would be buses almost every half hour.