Aircoach changes

Gareth Keenan

on the Killiney and Greystones routes, effective 1st Jan

http://www.aircoach.ie/news/service-change-702-greystones-and-703-killiney-effective-1st-january-2017

Key changes will see a change in routing of the Killiney service to operate via Ballsbridge, resulting in a 30 mins frequency 24 hrs a day on the section between Blackrock, St. Vincents Hospital, Ballsbridge and Dublin Airport.

The departures times from Dublin Airport on both routes have also been amended to improve service reliability, with the Greystones service departing Dublin Airport at 5 mins past every hour and the Killiney service departing Dublin Airport at 35mins past every hour.

Departure times to Dublin Airport from both Greystones and Killiney will remain the same, with some changes to intermediate times.

ted1

Gareth Keenan wrote: »

on the Killiney and Greystones routes, effective 1st Jan

http://www.aircoach.ie/news/service-change-702-greystones-and-703-killiney-effective-1st-january-2017

No mention of journey times.

Fratton Fred

ted1 wrote: »

No mention of journey times.

Going through grand canal and along to the Point is going to add ten minutes minimum I would have thought.

ted1

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Going through grand canal and along to the Point is going to add ten minutes minimum I would have thought.

I thought cutting out merrion gates would have knocked off time.
The office is moving out to the airport in Jan and days where I'm to wrecked to cycle I'll be using the aircoach from the castle . Really hope that the journey isn't longer.

Gareth Keenan

according to the timetables on their site, the new journey will take ten minutes more on the way to the airport, but five minutes less on the way home.

Gareth Keenan

a couple of quick data points:

Glasthule - T2: 06.06-07.06 (weekday)
T2 - Glasthule: 16.40-17.40 (weekday)
T2 - Glasthule: 09.40-10.30 (Saturday)

they seem to be putting a lot of store on their timetable, loitering at stops and leaving at the correct time. Route to the airport goes via the Beckett bridge and Sheriff St. The return goes along North Wall Quay from at the Point, then takes spins right before turning left onto the bridge from Mayor St.

Fratton Fred

Has anyone done an early morning run yet?

I have a 7:40 flight this week and normally I would get the 6am aircoach which would get me to the airport at around 6:45/50. Not sure if the new timetable will give me enough time though if it gets me there after 7am.

schemingbohemia

No but my mates got the 1635 from the Airport and only got to Dalkey at 1755, now I know it was rush hour but the new route definitely much slower. Where is their last timed stop before the tunnel? They tend to stick to timetable until there and at that time of the morning they'd fly through the tunnel but not sure I'd risk it myself.

Fratton Fred

schemingbohemia wrote: »

No but my mates got the 1635 from the Airport and only got to Dalkey at 1755, now I know it was rush hour but the new route definitely much slower. Where is their last timed stop before the tunnel? They tend to stick to timetable until there and at that time of the morning they'd fly through the tunnel but not sure I'd risk it myself.

that's what i'd thought. The last stop is the Three Arena at 6:50 so I guess it will get to the airport at just after 7, which is too fine.

Looks like its the 5am coach and breakfast at the airport then

jpfahy

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Has anyone done an early morning run yet?

I have a 7:40 flight this week and normally I would get the 6am aircoach which would get me to the airport at around 6:45/50. Not sure if the new timetable will give me enough time though if it gets me there after 7am.

I got the 6am from Dalkey last week, got to the airport at 7.05. Having to go through Ballsbridge made a huge difference.

Fratton Fred

jpfahy wrote: »

I got the 6am from Dalkey last week, got to the airport at 7.05. Having to go through Ballsbridge made a huge difference.

It does, I did it this morning. There's some faffing about between the Becket bridge and the tunnel as well, which seems unnecessary.

ted1

jpfahy wrote: »

I got the 6am from Dalkey last week, got to the airport at 7.05. Having to go through Ballsbridge made a huge difference.

That's not great, it takes me about the same to cycle from Killiney to the airport. And that's at 7:30 and back at 16:45

qb123

Got Aircoach at 17:35 from T1 yesterday, didn't reach Glasthule until 19:15!! (timetable said would be there for 18:35). Yes, traffic was bad, but the new route adds a lot of time to the journey by crossing up through IFSC after tunnel, then routing along Shelbourne Road and Ballsbridge. And the WiFi wasn't working. Never again.

Gareth Keenan

Last week, I had a 1010 flight. I was a bit nervous that the 8am (from Glasthule) would be delayed in traffic, and that the 7am was a bit too early. I got the DART from Glasthule to Pearse, and took a 757 bus from outside Pearse. €8.46 on the Leap Card and less half an hour. The 757 did get a bit delayed as Sherrif St is closed and we had to detour around that.

On the return journey the following evening, I again missed the Aircoach and attempted the same journey in reverse. However the quays were completely snarled up, so I jumped off the 757 at the Convention Centre, and took a Dublin Bike from there to Barrow St, getting the Dart at Grand Canal Dock. Not the most practical journey, but worked for me

This week, I was waiting for the 7pm Aircoach at Glasthule, it didn't arrive until 1918. Did the same bus/bike/Dart journey on the way back again

coylemj

They still haven't updated the mobile app for the change to the Greystones (702) timetable. For example the scheduled time for the stop opposite Foxrock Church used to be xx:40, it's now xx:47 but the mobile app still claims it will arrive at xx:40 every hour.

Heisenberg1

qb123 wrote: »

Got Aircoach at 17:35 from T1 yesterday, didn't reach Glasthule until 19:15!! (timetable said would be there for 18:35). Yes, traffic was bad, but the new route adds a lot of time to the journey by crossing up through IFSC after tunnel, then routing along Shelbourne Road and Ballsbridge. And the WiFi wasn't working. Never again.

It's a joke I missed the 17:14 ex Royal Marine I got the Dart to Pearse St walked down Pearse st and picked up the 17:14 at Macken St it was that slow , I see why they made the changes but the journey times now are bad.

jpfahy

Just passed the Aircoach at 7.20am in Monkstown. It must have been late leaving Dalkey. At the same time on the radio they were saying the Port Tunnel northbound bore was closed. Hope those passengers left themselves a good margin!!

crushproof

Anyone have updates how the Aircoach has been during the summer so far? Trying to figure out if we should get an earlier one just to be safe.
I've heard some horror stories over the past couple of weeks from friends and family so want to get some more opinions!

damomaher

Because of IFSC stops I can no longer trust the service and use bus eirhinn through bray

schemingbohemia

Have taken it a couple of times but usually very early in morning, it's been on time or thereabouts (maybe 5 mins late max) both times.
By it I mean the Killiney one. It has added to the journey time but as long as they keep to the timetable (which they do) it means you can plan better. Coming home i'm not so bothered with time but obviously this service does take longer returning from airport.

The Mig

Killiney one is such a pain now that it doesn't go down the Sandymount Coast road

Fratton Fred

crushproof wrote: »

Anyone have updates how the Aircoach has been during the summer so far? Trying to figure out if we should get an earlier one just to be safe.
I've heard some horror stories over the past couple of weeks from friends and family so want to get some more opinions!

depends on what time you go.

I have caught it in the last two months at 5 am (which took an hour) and at 2pm (which took an hour and a quarter).

I'd hate to be catching one at 5pm on a Friday, it would be quicker to walk.

coylemj

With the increase in air travel, let's hope that they go back to the old system whereby the Greystones service went straight to the Eastlink bridge from the Rock road, instead of through D4. That loop around the Liffey bridge and Sheriff St. is a total PITA.

Gareth Keenan

I'll take it from the airport iif it's handy, ie leaving within 30 minutes, but don't bother with it heading to the airport any longer. Dart from Glasthule and 757 from Pearse is much quicker.

schemingbohemia

757 is great option, I always get that if going from work in town but haven't used it combined with DART as flights usually too early to combine.

crushproof

So to follow up, on arrival took the 22.35 from the airport to Glasthule on Friday evening. Spent 20 minutes in and around Spencer Dock stuck in traffic due to the gig on in the Point.
On return on Monday I opted for the 17.00 service rather than risking the 18.00 for a flight at 20.15. Thank god! Horrid journey, we were still stuck on Macken street at 18.05 and didn't reach the airport until 18.40. I appreciate Dublin traffic is a nightmare but what the heck, both times nobody got on or off in the Docklands. Would have breezed by all that congestion if it went via the East Link. 
I'll be doing the DART/ 757 next time for sure.

Gareth Keenan

it's fair to point out that the 757 does follow the same route around the docks/Point, so you'd have gotten snarled up with that as well. I've twice gotten out at the docks, and taken a Dublin Bike across to Grand Canal to get the Dart to avoid traffic!

LXFlyer

Gareth Keenan wrote: »

it's fair to point out that the 757 does follow the same route around the docks/Point, so you'd have gotten snarled up with that as well. I've twice gotten out at the docks, and taken a Dublin Bike across to Grand Canal to get the Dart to avoid traffic!

The 757 will get caught in traffic around the Point, but it doesn't get caught on Macken Street anymore since the route changed.