Aer Lingus Fleet/Routes Discussion

alancostello

If you click on the ATR, A321, and 757 pages on the EI website you'll now see renders of the respective aircrafts in the new livery.

https://www.aerlingus.com/experience-aer-lingus/our-aircraft/

L1011

The 757s are extremely unlikely to be repainted, and I suspect the existing 321s aren't either. Then again, American Airlines did renders of the MD80 in the new livery too, and they'll never be repainted.

alancostello

L1011 wrote: »

The 757s are extremely unlikely to be repainted, and I suspect the existing 321s aren't either. Then again, American Airlines did renders of the MD80 in the new livery too, and they'll never be repainted.

Agree on the 757s, no way they get repainted, but I'm honestly not sure about the A321s. Does anyone know when they were last repainted? I can't see them being retired in the next year or two, I feel like EI still need the lift to the Canaries and the likes in summer and ski destinations in winter. I wouldn't be surprised to see some non-LR A321neos coming soon to replace them.

Locker10a

alancostello wrote: »

Agree on the 757s, no way they get repainted, but I'm honestly not sure about the A321s. Does anyone know when they were last repainted? I can't see them being retired in the next year or two, I feel like EI still need the lift to the Canaries and the likes in summer and ski destinations in winter. I wouldn't be surprised to see some non-LR A321neos coming soon to replace them.

Few newish ones going spare since Wow’s demise

Phil.x

goingnowhere wrote: »

4 brand new A330's have arrived since IAG rolled into town.

8-12 new A321 NEO LR's on order will replace the 3 remaining A321ceo's which are the oldest in the fleet.

EI-LAX which is the oldest in the fleet looks brand new inside, EI maintenance standards are top notch, only the most eagle eyed would be able to tell a new aircraft from an old one (mainly the PSU's on airbus give it away)

Would any of these new a330 be flying to Portugal in may? I'm on a a330 but don't know if it's going to be a new one.

Locker10a

Phil.x wrote: »

Would any of these new a330 be flying to Portugal in may? I'm on a a330 but don't know if it's going to be a new one.

Ya it could be, but you’d hardly know, the cabin is almost identical on all of them

Locker10a

Anyone know why EI have Titan operating for them a lot recently? Are they short an airframe or crew ?

Jack1985

Locker10a wrote: »

Anyone know why EI have Titan operating for them a lot recently? Are they short an airframe or crew ?

Airframe.

California Dreamer

Locker10a wrote: »

Ya it could be, but you’d hardly know, the cabin is almost identical on all of them

I was sitting in J on -FNG the week after it was delivered. Still had new plane smell!!! But you are right there was nothing different about it. The crew seemed to like it though.

alancostello

California Dreamer wrote: »

I was sitting in J on -FNG the week after it was delivered. Still had new plane smell!!! But you are right there was nothing different about it. The crew seemed to like it though.

For them it is actually slightly different so I can see them liking it more. Lighting and temperature controls are a nice touch screen interface instead of membrane switches, and the galleys are newer/improved.

Phil.x

California Dreamer wrote: »

I was sitting in J on -FNG the week after it was delivered. Still had new plane smell!!! But you are right there was nothing different about it. The crew seemed to like it though.

How long does new plane smell last I wonder.

A319er

About three round trips to AGP !

JCX BXC

JFK cancellations last few days from Shannon again, that's despite Boston not operating yet (which it did last year), that coupled with a hired Titan, concerning to see fleet problems just before the summer season starts!

WishUWereHere

goingnowhere wrote: »

EI need to get back into Scandinavia for a start, Norwegian are in serious trouble and SAS are still recovering so wouldn't be in a position to fight.

Asia is a challenge, Ireland has never had serious business there.

Had EI got its 350's it should have been into Hong Kong, but would need Cathay and Oneworld to get the bookings in. Need to ensure at destination has a reasonably easy visa policy to minimise friction.

Asia is of course the wrong direction for connections from most of Europe via Dublin

Won't see Russia either Aeroflot already offer a proper business offering the numbers are not there really and the visa situation is painful.

What is/was wrong with SAS? I thought they were fairly strong. They are certainly doing some business out of Dublin

Elaine762

Rumours that LIS has overcapacity at the moment and that one airline may pull out or frequencies may significantly reduced. At the min are up to 6 flights per day to LIS among Ryanair Aer Lingus and Tap.

Locker10a

Elaine762 wrote: »

Rumours that LIS has overcapacity at the moment and that one airline may pull out or frequencies may significantly reduced. At the min are up to 6 flights per day to LIS among Ryanair Aer Lingus and Tap.

That’s is a crazy amount of capacity, must be about 1000 seats per day to Lisbon.

goingnowhere

SAS have there own problems, came very close to folding a few years back

A319er

EY off to BOD maintainance today, perhaps premier cabin reconfigure?

A320 VJ due back from AUH maintance this week, all frames neeeded !

Locker10a

A319er wrote: »

EY off to BOD maintainance today, perhaps premier cabin reconfigure?

A320 VJ due back from AUH maintance this week, all frames neeeded !

I’m guessing the additional CDG frequencies have been cancelled too due to the neolr delays

WishUWereHere

Elaine762 wrote: »

Rumours that LIS has overcapacity at the moment and that one airline may pull out or frequencies may significantly reduced. At the min are up to 6 flights per day to LIS among Ryanair Aer Lingus and Tap.

As far as I know TAP are only starting tomorrow ( April 1). But they are going to fly twice per day. We went to Lisbon late last year for a break - flew out with Ryanair, & back with AL.

In our opinion, AL were poorer than Ryanair, so if there is one to drop out ( cannot see TAP stopping before they even start & they are - I guess - mainly targeting the South American travellers ) I guess it will be AL.

Whatever happens, Lisbon is a fabulous place for a break.

WishUWereHere

goingnowhere wrote: »

SAS have there own problems, came very close to folding a few years back

Thanks, but are they now in a more stable financial situation?

Locker10a

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Thanks, but are they now in a more stable financial situation?

Yeah, I wouldn’t consider SAS unstable at all, Norwegian yes, but not SAS, last year they opened new bases in London and Spain and this apparently had a lot of teething issue and created operational disruption for them but hopefully this summer that’s ironed out for them

Locker10a

WishUWereHere wrote: »

As far as I know TAP are only starting tomorrow ( April 1). But they are going to fly twice per day. We went to Lisbon late last year for a break - flew out with Ryanair, & back with AL.

In our opinion, AL were poorer than Ryanair, so if there is one to drop out ( cannot see TAP stopping before they even start & they are - I guess - mainly targeting the South American travellers ) I guess it will be AL.

Whatever happens, Lisbon is a fabulous place for a break.

I can see tap perhaps reducing capacity, they have a sub fleet of smaller Embraer jets operated by Tap Express, who’d be ideal for shuttling connection passengers onto Taps long haul network.
EI operate from both DUB and ORK, and FR from Dublin. Guess we’ll wait and see. EI May reduce their DUB flights but it would depend on their connecting traffic

Elaine762

Locker10a wrote: »

I can see tap perhaps reducing capacity, they have a sub fleet of smaller Embraer jets operated by Tap Express, who’d be ideal for shuttling connection passengers onto Taps long haul network.
EI operate from both DUB and ORK, and FR from Dublin. Guess we’ll wait and see. EI May reduce their DUB flights but it would depend on their connecting traffic

I agree with you. I wouldnt see aer lingus pulling the route. They have been operating it for much longer than Ryanair and certainly tap.
And no, Tap started lis-dub exactly today.

WishUWereHere

Elaine762 wrote: »

I agree with you. I wouldnt see aer lingus pulling the route. They have been operating it for much longer than Ryanair and certainly tap.
And no, Tap started lis-dub exactly today.

Apologies, when we were there they were advertising on tv/in the airport they were starting in April. Sorry, not meaning to contradict You.

I will admit 6 flights a day is no mean feat to fill. Can only be of benefit to the public.

VG31

Locker10a wrote: »

I can see tap perhaps reducing capacity, they have a sub fleet of smaller Embraer jets operated by Tap Express, who’d be ideal for shuttling connection passengers onto Taps long haul network.

I was on the first TAP flight today from Dublin and I reckon the load was around 90%.

kevinandrew

Elaine762 wrote: »

Rumours that LIS has overcapacity at the moment and that one airline may pull out or frequencies may significantly reduced. At the min are up to 6 flights per day to LIS among Ryanair Aer Lingus and Tap.

Very early for rumours like this, seems they pop up the minute a new airline arrives on an already well served route. Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Brussels to name a few... 

Aer Lingus often send the A321 to LIS and appear to have very little problem filling the 212 seats required! The arrival of TAP with its twice daily service (potentially over confident) will obviously put downward pressure on yields and 6 daily flights accross three airlines is clearly a bubble waiting to burst but I'd be very surprised to see an airline pull out. 

I think a lot of these rumours come from bored staff within a certain airline.

john boye

kevinandrew wrote: »

Very early for rumours like this, seems they pop up the minute a new airline arrives on an already well served route. Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Brussels to name a few... 

First thing I thought too. The first TAP flight had barely left and already there's "rumours" that one airline might have to pull the route. And how could there be rumours that any one of the 3 airlines on the route will have to pull out? Would the rumours not relate to a specific airline if they existed?

GFrye

A319er wrote: »

EY off to BOD maintainance today, perhaps premier cabin reconfigure?

One can always hope...
I have a DUB-IAD flight later this year, and while it initially showed the regular EI cabin layout and I was able to book a throne seat, it recently changed to showing the QR cabin layout.
If EI-GEY does indeed get the new cabin, I'm guessing all A332 aircraft will have the regular EI C class layout. Unless EI leases another aircraft from QR, that is...

Locker10a

GFrye wrote: »

One can always hope...
I have a DUB-IAD flight later this year, and while it initially showed the regular EI cabin layout and I was able to book a throne seat, it recently changed to showing the QR cabin layout.
If EI-GEY does indeed get the new cabin, I'm guessing all A332 aircraft will have the regular EI C class layout. Unless EI leases another aircraft from QR, that is...

Another poster mentioned already that the reason for the continued delay refitting EI-GEY isn’t to do with time but a shotage of parts or cabin fittings needed to complete the update.