Aer Lingus Fleet/Routes Discussion

Van.Bosch

podgeandrodge wrote: »

On their webpage today for fares to a few UK/European destinations from 1st September. As you said, the first row. I wonder if you would be tempted to purchase the aisle seat of 1st row (at little higher cost) in knowledge that the window might be taken as an Aerspace, giving you the middle seat free too by default..

The aisle seat in row 1 is priced at AerSpace?

podgeandrodge

Van.Bosch wrote: »

The aisle seat in row 1 is priced at AerSpace?

sorry no. if you go for aerspace, it offers you either the aisle or the window seat, leaving the middle seat free obviously.

Assuming most people booking an aerspace would go for the window (perhaps), that would mean that doing an ordinary booking put stumping up the few quid for that aisle seat would leave you also with a free seat beside you. Maybe I'm dreaming.

goingnowhere

Row 1 is not available unless booked as Aer space or connecting from TATL business

podgeandrodge

goingnowhere wrote: »

Row 1 is not available unless booked as Aer space or connecting from TATL business

Not from what I can see doing a dummy booking on a Dublin Europe flight with the Aerspace option. Picked a plus fare and allowed me to select row 1.

kevinandrew

podgeandrodge wrote: »

goingnowhere wrote: »

Row 1 is not available unless booked as Aer space or connecting from TATL business

Not from what I can see doing a dummy booking on a Dublin Europe flight with the Aerspace option.  Picked a plus fare and allowed me to select row 1.

What route? AerSpace is only available to select destinations. I've just done a dummy booking for DUB-AMS in Plus Fare and the seat selection starts at Row 2, the first row doesn't actually exist on the seat map so it makes appear as if Row 2 is actually the first row. 

EDIT: Same again on DUB-LHR, the seat selection starts at Row 2.

podgeandrodge

kevinandrew wrote: »

What route? AerSpace is only available to select destinations. I've just done a dummy booking for DUB-AMS in Plus Fare and the seat selection starts at Row 2, the first row doesn't actually exist on the seat map so it makes appear as if Row 2 is actually the first row. 

EDIT: Same again on DUB-LHR, the seat selection starts at Row 2.

I tried Dusseldorf (for no particular reason) in early September.

kevinandrew

podgeandrodge wrote: »

kevinandrew wrote: »

What route? AerSpace is only available to select destinations. I've just done a dummy booking for DUB-AMS in Plus Fare and the seat selection starts at Row 2, the first row doesn't actually exist on the seat map so it makes appear as if Row 2 is actually the first row. 

EDIT: Same again on DUB-LHR, the seat selection starts at Row 2.

I tried Dusseldorf (for no particular reason) in early September.

Okay, just tried DUB-DUS 9-12 September on the Plus Fare and it's the same as the other routes I looked at, row one is blank and the seat selection choice begins from the second row only. So it's not possible to book AerSpace front row seats if on a lower fare. 

Screenshot of the seat map;

https://imgur.com/jKyoAfI

alancostello

Karl8415 wrote: »

Just wondering now that EI are reintroducing premier on Europe does anyone now will the 3 older 321’s be getting the upgraded seats,I only ask because the youngest of the 3 is 20 years old in December

They’re not reintroducing Premier, they’re letting onward business class passengers sit in business class seats on select morning European routes operated by the A321LRs in their downtime, it’s not being installed on any other short haul aircraft.

podgeandrodge

kevinandrew wrote: »

Okay, just tried DUB-DUS 9-12 September on the Plus Fare and it's the same as the other routes I looked at, row one is blank and the seat selection choice begins from the second row only. So it's not possible to book AerSpace front row seats if on a lower fare. 

Screenshot of the seat map;

https://imgur.com/jKyoAfI

Apologies kevinandrew I should look at row numbers in future!

Shamrockj

Going by the schedule next summer Orlando is 6 times a week vs 4 times a week currently. This is on top of Seattle going daily and Minneapolis going on the 330. I wonder is there much room left for any more 330 expansion with the number of frames.

Van.Bosch

Shamrockj wrote: »

Going by the schedule next summer Orlando is 6 times a week vs 4 times a week currently. This is on top of Seattle going daily and Minneapolis going on the 330. I wonder is there much room left for any more 330 expansion with the number of frames.

Big increase for MCO.

Jack1985

MCO increase is long, long overdue. Regularly overbooked and has always been a money maker for EI.

Jack1985

MIA returning to 3 weekly for Summer, now operating on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. With the MCO increase, Florida weekly services go from S19 at 6 weekly to S20 at 9 weekly.

kevinandrew

I guess with 2 A333s joining and at least 4 A321LRs in operation for next summer, that's a considerable amount of capacity to spread around the network and it makes perfect sense to use this time to give some destinations a much needed boost in frequency, particularly Orlando. 

Encouraging to see Miami return to 3 weekly, I believe next year will be its third year of operation so I hope it has started to settle at least load factor wise. 

By the end of 2020 there should be a total of 2 A333s and 8 A321LRs added to the transatlantic fleet with 4 757s retired and possibly 1 A332 going so that's still net growth of 1 A333 and 4 A321LR which definitely suggests room for a new route or two including additional frequencies.

Locker10a

kevinandrew wrote: »

I guess with 2 A333s joining and at least 4 A321LRs in operation for next summer, that's a considerable amount of capacity to spread around the network and it makes perfect sense to use this time to give some destinations a much needed boost in frequency, particularly Orlando. 

Encouraging to see Miami return to 3 weekly, I believe next year will be its third year of operation so I hope it has started to settle at least load factor wise. 

By the end of 2020 there should be a total of 2 A333s and 8 A321LRs added to the transatlantic fleet with 4 757s retired and possibly 1 A332 going so that's still net growth of 1 A333 and 4 A321LR which definitely suggests room for a new route or two including additional frequencies.

How they will manage all of this out of T2 and it’s extremely limited gate space lord only knows

Jack1985

Locker10a wrote: »

How they will manage all of this out of T2 and it’s extremely limited gate space lord only knows

T1 will have higher levels of T/A occupancy next Summer, majority of short-haul between 8am-5pm will use the South Gates and West Apron stands via Bus.

alancostello

https://onemileatatime.com/aer-lingus-a321lr-business-class-review/

The first review of the A321LR that I've seen, I'd note that there were 5 crew but no pre-departure beverages.

Cloudio9

alancostello wrote: »

https://onemileatatime.com/aer-lingus-a321lr-business-class-review/

The first review of the A321LR that I've seen, I'd note that there were 5 crew but no pre-departure beverages.

pre-departure drinks would be messy with everyone boarding through the front door. AA does it on their domestic first.

Locker10a

Jack1985 wrote: »

T1 will have higher levels of T/A occupancy next Summer, majority of short-haul between 8am-5pm will use the South Gates and West Apron stands via Bus.

Do you mean there’ll be pre-clearance gates at the 300 pier?
Sorry excuse my ignorance but where are the West Apron stands? Beside the control tower ?

WishUWereHere

alancostello wrote: »

https://onemileatatime.com/aer-lingus-a321lr-business-class-review/

The first review of the A321LR that I've seen, I'd note that there were 5 crew but no pre-departure beverages.

Thoroughly enjoyable read AC. Also good to see that the plane only had 6 empty seats, albeit in business class.

Thanks for sharing, much appreciated.

rushfan

Locker10a wrote:

Do you mean there’ll be pre-clearance gates at the 300 pier? Sorry excuse my ignorance but where are the West Apron stands? Beside the control tower ?

Yes, West Apron beside the tower.

Jack1985

alancostello wrote: »

https://onemileatatime.com/aer-lingus-a321lr-business-class-review/

The first review of the A321LR that I've seen, I'd note that there were 5 crew but no pre-departure beverages.

Ridiculous to expect crew to carry silver trays with glasses with economy pax scramming in behind, a health and safety hazard if crew were required to do so. I believe FÓRSA also refused to allow the crew to do it in their discussions with EI.

EI specifically requested the configuration of the aircraft, TAPs configuration could have been replicated but with the same cabin configuration of 16J and 168Y of LRA by swapping the toilets with the RHS galley it would mean the galley would be undisturbed in setting up for the service and would alleviate a lot of the problems this whole configuration is causing. Delta removed the space flex galleys because of the issues it creates.

Ireland trains

Has it been comfirmed that the west apron will be used for passenger flights next summer.
There is still 2 flights per week on an A330 free (recent frequency enhamcments for MOC, MIA, SEA and A330 to MSP) so maby they will be for rumored SFO incresed frequency.
If west apron is used taxi times to the runway should be fairly quick.

Locker10a

Jack1985 wrote: »

Ridiculous to expect crew to carry silver trays with glasses with economy pax scramming in behind, a health and safety hazard if crew were required to do so. I believe FÓRSA also refused to allow the crew to do it in their discussions with EI.

EI specifically requested the configuration of the aircraft, TAPs configuration could have been replicated but with the same cabin configuration of 16J and 168Y of LRA by swapping the toilets with the RHS galley it would mean the galley would be undisturbed in setting up for the service and would alleviate a lot of the problems this whole configuration is causing. Delta removed the space flex galleys because of the issues it creates.

I’m not sure any?many, airlines do preflight drinks where you board through door 1L. It would be a disaster with the flow of boarding.

Locker10a

Ireland trains wrote: »

Has it been comfirmed that the west apron will be used for passenger flights next summer.
There is still 2 flights per week on an A330 free (recent frequency enhamcments for MOC, MIA, SEA and A330 to MSP) so maby they will be for rumored SFO incresed frequency.
If west apron is used taxi times to the runway should be fairly quick.

I’d be interested to know how the West apron would work too.
It would be great to alleviate the taxi and turnaround delays caused by lack of stands. But how would they bus pax and luggage across active taxiways

sdanseo

Locker10a wrote: »

I’d be interested to know how the West apron would work too.
It would be great to alleviate the taxi and turnaround delays caused by lack of stands. But how would they bus pax and luggage across active taxiways

The same way they do it in a huge number of other major airports. Basic traffic management.

Locker10a

sdanseo wrote: »

Basic traffic management.

Don’t be so sensible, this is Dublin Airport we’re talking about

alancostello

Locker10a wrote: »

I’m not sure any?many, airlines do preflight drinks where you board through door 1L. It would be a disaster with the flow of boarding.

I have always received pre-departure beverages on AA in domestic first on narrowbodies where pax board through 1L (and even on CRJ aircraft) and on some aircraft there are in excess of 20 seats in domestic first.

Nobody is saying is has to happen when there is a stream of people down the aisle, but there is plenty of time between the last economy passenger boarding and going through where the curtain is to the plane being lined up ready for takeoff.

Shamrockj

alancostello wrote: »

I have always received pre-departure beverages on AA in domestic first on narrowbodies where pax board through 1L (and even on CRJ aircraft) and on some aircraft there are in excess of 20 seats in domestic first.

Nobody is saying is has to happen when there is a stream of people down the aisle, but there is plenty of time between the last economy passenger boarding and going through where the curtain is to the plane being lined up ready for takeoff.

Glasses cant be in the cabin for take off and the cabin has to be ready long before the aircraft is lined up for take off! Judging from the review a welcome drink was offered just after take off which doesn't seem had to me.

kevinandrew

Jack1985 wrote: »

alancostello wrote: »

https://onemileatatime.com/aer-lingus-a321lr-business-class-review/

The first review of the A321LR that I've seen, I'd note that there were 5 crew but no pre-departure beverages.

Ridiculous to expect crew to carry silver trays with glasses with economy pax scramming in behind, a health and safety hazard if crew were required to do so. I believe FÓRSA also refused to allow the crew to do it in their discussions with EI.

EI specifically requested the configuration of the aircraft, TAPs configuration could have been replicated but with the same cabin configuration of 16J and 168Y of LRA by swapping the toilets with the RHS galley it would mean the galley would be undisturbed in setting up for the service and would alleviate a lot of the problems this whole configuration is causing. Delta removed the space flex galleys because of the issues it creates.

As this is regarding boarding, it wouldn't matter what way Aer Lingus wanted the aircraft configured as the L2 Door is no longer offered and even if it was, boarding is impossible via that door due to the lack of clearance with the engine. TAP, even with its slightly different layout, still suspends pre-flight drinks service on A321LR flights. 

As for Aer Lingus replicating the TAP layout, I'm not sure it would have been possible without a reduction in economy class by at least two rows, TAP only has 171 seats versus 184 with Aer Lingus. It may not sound a big difference but that's 104 seats per flight across the fleet of eight or 182 across a fleet of 14, a whole aircraft worth of lost seats for every flight. 

I agree that the ACF cabin was a questionable choice for inflight service delivery but it bears no relation to the boarding process.