ADD-DUB-LAX

Jamie2k9

ET are on record not so along ago saying that numbers are good in summer but not so good off season. These almost give away fares are not been charged to benefit the customer. They are likely barely breaking even IMO.

Airlines don't charge cheap fares to benefit the customer....

BuffyBot

DUB - LAX was busy enough a few days back, with quite a few ADD originating pax.

One swallow does not a summer make, etc - but I guess from ET's point of view, the ground handling overhead isn't massively greater than the other flights stopping over in DUB for refuelling, which would also give them wiggle room on offering lower fares

TheCockpitGuy

homerjay2005 wrote: »

im flying this route in a couple of days time, will let ye know how it is when im back.

How was your flight?

homerjay2005

TheCockpitGuy wrote: »

How was your flight?

overall excellent, very happy with it and will defo fly with them again.

positives

• flights were available for €333 the week before we flew(i paid 428), excellent value.
• both flights arrived on schedule.
• first flight seemed a pretty brand new plane, the return leg was an older one. both planes modern and clean.
• flight was about 70% full going over (maybe a little bit more) and 60% full coming back so plenty of room to stretch out if needed.
• both were extremtly smooth, first time on dreamliner, they are the smoothest and quietest planes around.
• got plenty of alcohol got about 6 drinks each (beer for me and wine for the missus).
• food was ok - served chicken and rice with breadrolls and salad. as flight was 6am, i didnt eat the breakfast though i heard it was awful . typical airline food to be honest.
• was offered a sandwich to eat as i missed breakfast but i declined and had a couple of packets of snacks to keep me going.
• check in at LA took about 2 minutes, was really efficient and quick. baggage return in both airports excellent.

negatives.

• check in online didnt work. the check in at Dublin took about 45 mins-1 hour, it was really slow and everybody was at the desk for about 10 minutes entering data that could/should have been done online. they opened a 4th desk which sped things up a little but it really took too long.
• those who had online check in, got separate queue on the check-in and they were able to skip it....not good and shouldn't happen.
• same food on way home!
• boarding passes dont scan in either airport, but were ok as the people were aware and let us through.

i have no idea why more people are not flying with them, as the cost if 50% of Aerlingus for most dates you check and overall, its an excellent service.

also, i reguarly hear people go on about pre-clearance and the lack of it for Ethiopian - well i can tell you something, it means absolutely f*ck all. our total time in Border control in LAX was about 3 minutes - quick check of the passport, scan and pic and off we went....so in other words, pre-clearance is the biggest myth and pile of b*llix around, its not needed and i had the same experience last year when i flew through LAX also without it.

feel free to ask any questions

Tenger

Comprehensive review there.
Shame that the food isnt tailored differently on the different sectors.
Good to hear you felt the difference in being on a B787.
Just in relation to your thoughts on pre-clearance. What time was your arrival into LAX? Perhaps getting in at a quiet time means no queues like you get elsewhere or later in the day?
My only experience of not pre clearing into the US are at SFO and JFK, so both bad airports for comparison. I did fly into LAX once but that was about 16 years ago, I can barely remember it.

homerjay2005

Tenger wrote: »

Just in relation to your thoughts on pre-clearance. What time was your arrival into LAX? Perhaps getting in at a quiet time means no queues like you get elsewhere or later in the day?

about 10am, but why would time make a difference!? i dont see any differentiation for cleared and not cleared, it was one exit for everybody.

Noxegon

homerjay2005 wrote: »

about 10am, but why would time make a difference!? i dont see any differentiation for cleared and not cleared, it was one exit for everybody.

Precleared international flights end up in domestic terminals, with different exits.

Time makes a huge difference. I waited two hours for immigration in IAD last year on the way back from Costa Rica.

Tenger

homerjay2005 wrote: »

about 10am, but why would time make a difference!? i dont see any differentiation for cleared and not cleared, it was one exit for everybody.

Time of day does matter. If you drop in the middle of a wave of international arrivals the immigration hall will be full and there will be queues.
I think that in JFK for example, most Euro arrivals start from mid-day.

Im not questioning your experience, just objectively examining the factors leading towards such a situation.

homerjay2005

Noxegon wrote: »

Precleared international flights end up in domestic terminals, with different exits.

we arrived into the same terminal as all international flights.

Tenger

homerjay2005 wrote: »

we arrived into the same terminal as all international flights.

A benefit of preclearance is that you dont have to arrive into International terminals, which thus makes onward connections a lot easier.
Eg. UA at EWR or EI on Jetblue flights at JFK T5.

Doesnt help final destination pax however. So in your own case pre clearance didnt matter to you. You were happy with the short CBP queue after arrival.

homerjay2005

Tenger wrote: »

A benefit of preclearance is that you dont have to arrive into International terminals, which thus makes onward connections a lot easier.
Eg. UA at EWR or EI on Jetblue flights at JFK T5.

Doesnt help final destination pax however. So in your own case pre clearance didnt matter to you. You were happy with the short CBP queue after arrival.

i flew DUB-LHR-LAX last year and it was the same, no preclearance and straight out at LAX with the only queue, being the people on our plane!

Noxegon

homerjay2005 wrote: »

we arrived into the same terminal as all international flights.

You missed what I said.

Precleared flights land at DOMESTIC terminals, not international.

jamo2oo9

Noxegon wrote: »

You missed what I said.

Precleared flights land at DOMESTIC terminals, not international.

Not necessarily the case all the time though. EI flight to Boston is precleared and yet its arrival is in the international terminal.

Noxegon

jamo2oo9 wrote: »

Not necessarily the case all the time though. EI flight to Boston is precleared and yet its arrival is in the international terminal.

Okay, fair point. The main thing is that the OP is convinced that precleared flights end up going through the same exit as the non-precleared flights, which is nonsense.

MoeJay

jamo2oo9 wrote: »

Not necessarily the case all the time though. EI flight to Boston is precleared and yet its arrival is in the international terminal.

Aer Lingus moved to Terminal C in Boston before June this year...its just like arriving into JFK now.

jamo2oo9

MoeJay wrote: »

Aer Lingus moved to Terminal C in Boston before June this year...its just like arriving into JFK now.

Hadn't realised that. I flew with them about 5 years ago so I would've expected it to be a bit outdated at least.