Special Aer Lingus flight to LAX today

Mebuntu

I read an article earlier this a.m in an online newspaper showing members of Team Ireland at DUB heading for LAX (Special Olympics) on a "dedicated" Aer Lingus flight. I was a bit surprised that, at the height of the season, EI could have a 330 out of "normal ops" for a day or so. Is it really a dedicated flight or an extension of the DUB-SFO?

Rawr

Mebuntu wrote: »

I read an article earlier this a.m in an online newspaper showing members of Team Ireland at DUB heading for LAX (Special Olympics) on a "dedicated" Aer Lingus flight. I was a bit surprised that, at the height of the season, EI could have a 330 out of "normal ops" for a day or so. Is it really a dedicated flight or an extension of the DUB-SFO?

It might be one of the 330s they wet-lease to Novair. I've seen Aer Lingus 330s popping up here in Oslo doing Novair long-haul charters (mostly to the Caribbean & Mexico). There might be a gap available in that planes' schedule to run that flight (and then maybe pick up some Novair PAX on the way back over?) I'm mostly guessing there.

Might not even be an A330. Could be an A321 doing fuel stops along the way.

highlydebased

Rawr wrote: »

It might be one of the 330s they wet-lease to Novair. I've seen Aer Lingus 330s popping up here in Oslo doing Novair long-haul charters (mostly to the Caribbean & Mexico). There might be a gap available in that planes' schedule to run that flight (and then maybe pick up some Novair PAX on the way back over?) I'm mostly guessing there.

Might not even be an A330. Could be an A321 doing fuel stops along the way.

The Novair lease is only in Winter and that aircraft is part of the usual Aer Lingus schedule in summer.

Don't see any LAX flight listed for today so they must be going to SFO and connecting on to LAX.

john boye

Could it be the 330 that normally operates the Tues am flight to Faro?

Tenger

I suspect that they are routing DUB-SFO then onwards with United to LAX.

No way EI have the capacity to use an aircraft for charter ops.

Novair operation ended in March I think,maybe even February.

Rawr

Been scouring FR24 for a DUB-LAX flight, but can't find anything. Agreed, it must be the SFO flight that just left DUB a while ago with an onward connection to LAX.

The media is suggesting a dedicated flight, yet it looks like a regular flight. Could it just be that they've managed to fill the plane with the athletes & coaches etc... and there just isn't room for anymore PAX? I think Ireland typically sends a very large delegation to the Special Olympics.

Tenger

Rawr wrote: »

.....The media is suggesting a dedicated flight, yet it looks like a regular flight. Could it just be that they've managed to fill the plane with the athletes & coaches etc... and there just isn't room for anymore PAX? I think Ireland typically sends a very large delegation to the Special Olympics.

Probably that. Am sure close to 100% of the pax are Team Ireland. (A330-200 has approx capacity of 23/240)
And as usual the media get aviation details wrong.
Witness the media articles last week telling us that EI had taken delivery of the first of their new A350 XWB's!!!

One of the SO team organisers will have spoken to EI last year and prebooked a very large number or maybe ALL of the economy seats for that flight, they may also have gone so far as organised and paid EI or been sponsored by EI to fly onwards to SFO or organised a connecting flight for them. 88 athletes plus family plus helpers and staff will have filled an EI flight no problem.

billy few mates

Deleted User wrote: »

One of the SO team organisers will have spoken to EI last year and prebooked a very large number or maybe ALL of the economy seats for that flight, they may also have gone so far as organised and paid EI or been sponsored by EI to fly onwards to SFO or organised a connecting flight for them. 88 athletes plus family plus helpers and staff will have filled an EI flight no problem.

Economy...? :eek:
It should be business class all the way for this fine group of athletes, they're one of the very few sporting bodies that always does us proud with their achievements.
As far as I'm concerned your mode of transport should be linked to your level of success, SO athletes, Irish boxers, IRFU, business class all the way, the FAI should be made travel by bus....;)

billy few mates

billy few mates wrote: »

Economy...? :eek:
It should be business class all the way for this fine group of athletes, they're one of the very few sporting bodies that always does us proud with their achievements.
As far as I'm concerned your mode of transport should be linked to your level of success, SO athletes, Irish boxers, IRFU, business class all the way, the FAI should be made travel by bus....;)

I 100% agree with you Billie but in this day an age in this country there are far too many people who would be very quick to give out stink if Special Olympics Ireland did pay for this fine group of athletes who put their abled bodied colleagues to shame, into business class seats. Sure only today we see stories (nothing new about them by the way it's been happening for years) of some parents/families stealing anything not heavily bolted down in children's hospitals.

SOI wouldn't chance it I imagine, plus not enough business class seats on the plane for all.

Rawr

billy few mates wrote: »

Economy...? :eek:
It should be business class all the way for this fine group of athletes, they're one of the very few sporting bodies that always does us proud with their achievements.
As far as I'm concerned your mode of transport should be linked to your level of success, SO athletes, Irish boxers, IRFU, business class all the way, the FAI should be made travel by bus....;)

I don't think there's enough non-economy seats for all of Team Ireland alas

With any luck Aer Lingus will probably give the lot of them a well deserved first-class treatment thoughout the aircraft

Preset No.3

According to Aer Lingus Twitter, Team Ireland have just landed in New York!

Preset No.3

Preset No.3 wrote: »

According to Aer Lingus Twitter, Team Ireland have just landed in New York!

Just seen that

Tenger

Preset No.3 wrote: »

According to Aer Lingus Twitter, Team Ireland have just landed in New York!

So looks like the "special flight" is DUB-JFK with onwards connection to LAX!!

Well done media!!

billy few mates

Deleted User wrote: »

I 100% agree with you Billie but in this day an age in this country there are far too many people who would be very quick to give out stink if Special Olympics Ireland did pay for this fine group of athletes who put their abled bodied colleagues to shame, into business class seats. Sure only today we see stories (nothing new about them by the way it's been happening for years) of some parents/families stealing anything not heavily bolted down in children's hospitals.

SOI wouldn't chance it I imagine, plus not enough business class seats on the plane for all.

I don't think even the most begrudging begrudger in this country would complain in this particular case. We don't have a huge amount of things to be proud of in our little country but this group of athletes deserve everything we give them and more. You can't put a price on on the lift their achievements give to this country...

Jamie2k9

Went via JFK AFAIK