Disgraceful 20% fare hike on Airlink 747 service

Spanish Eyes

There is a visitor LEAP card that includes back and forward from the Airport and 1, 3 or 7 days unlimited travel on all modes. I think that's a good deal myself.

https://about.leapcard.ie/leap-visitor-card

Del2005

devnull wrote: »

The average wage in Aircoach is nowhere near minimum wage:
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/aircoach-operators-profits-soar-to-8m-35500923.html

And I'm sure that the bosses are earning that amount also. Average pay is a lazy statistic that proves nothing. I could employ 100 people and pay myself €1M and the rest €20k but the average salary for my company would sound good.

Doltanian

devnull wrote: »

If you don't like it you can take Aircoach, not like you don't have an option.

Operators charging a premium for an express airport bus route is not exactly uncommon.

Its not an express service and it stops at several pickup points and hotels along the way. I myself knew it wouldn't make Heuston on time so I disembarked at the Point Depot and caught the Luas through the City Centre to Heuston instead. A Heuston to City Centre to Airport Coach service via the Tunnel would be a good service however and an express at that. Priced at €10 return it would be very good value and much more acceptable. Add in polite staff also.

Geuze

JayZeus wrote: »

It’s decent value compared to a great many European cities. Go on now with your disgraceful outrage about nothing.

Berlin SXF to city centre by train is under 4.00

Amsterdam from Schiphol to CS by train is 4.20.

punisher5112

Doltanian wrote: »

Its not an express service and it stops at several pickup points and hotels along the way. I myself knew it wouldn't make Heuston on time so I disembarked at the Point Depot and caught the Luas through the City Centre to Heuston instead. A Heuston to City Centre to Airport Coach service via the Tunnel would be a good service however and an express at that. Priced at €10 return it would be very good value and much more acceptable. Add in polite staff also.

Get a taxi then but polite would be a stretch....

cbreeze

As well as the 16 the 41 gets to Lr Abbey Street (the 16 takes a bit of detour near Whitehall on the way). You can get the Luas from the Abbey Street stop a few minutes walk away. The 102 from the Airport will connect you with the Malahide and Sutton DART stations.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

devnull

Del2005 wrote: »

And I'm sure that the bosses are earning that amount also. Average pay is a lazy statistic that proves nothing. I could employ 100 people and pay myself €1M and the rest €20k but the average salary for my company would sound good.

Indeed, why use proven figures from audited company accounts when we can use ones which are made up in our head instead

In the last accounts I have access to (2015) without paying the numbers were broke down as 4 management, 5 administration and 182 operatives.

HonalD

Doltanian wrote: »

A Heuston to City Centre to Airport Coach service via the Tunnel would be a good service however and an express at that. Priced at €10 return it would be very good value and much more acceptable. Add in polite staff also.

Super, as soon as you have the company and route set up, let us know and we'll evaluate it for you.

Alun

Del2005 wrote: »

And I'm sure that the bosses are earning that amount also. Average pay is a lazy statistic that proves nothing. I could employ 100 people and pay myself €1M and the rest €20k but the average salary for my company would sound good.

Yes, quoting a simple average, or mean, for wages which don't normally exhibit a standard symmetrical bell curve is pretty meaningless when trying to make a point about what the majority of employees earn. Mode or median would be a far more useful number.

Stephen Strange

Geuze wrote: »

Berlin SXF to city centre by train is under 4.00

Amsterdam from Schiphol to CS by train is 4.20.

Just to be pedantic, Schiphol is 5.40.

Hilly Bill

Doltanian wrote: »

Its a ripoff for tourists and people visiting the country, €7 for a Double Decker bus into the city, if it was a proper coach service with luggage capacity underneath you might say something. If I was a visitor to Ireland it would let a sour taste in my mouth from the very beginning. Its a total disgrace that there is no train service to Dublin airport anyway.

It's hardly a rip off for a direct service and has plenty of space for luggage.

Geuze

Stephen Strange wrote: »

Just to be pedantic, Schiphol is 5.40.

I checked on www.ns.nl again, and I am seeing 4.20 again.

€ 4,20 Enkele reis, 2e klas

I click on all tariffs and I see:

NS
van Schiphol Airport naar Amsterdam Centraal
2e klas vol tarief € 4,20
2e klas 20% korting € 3,40
2e klas 40% korting € 2,50
2e klas Railrunner € 2,50
1e klas vol tarief € 7,10
1e klas 20% korting € 5,70
1e klas 40% korting € 4,30
1e klas Railrunner € 2,50

Stephen Strange

Geuze wrote: »

I checked on www.ns.nl again, and I am seeing 4.20 again.

€ 4,20 Enkele reis, 2e klas

I click on all tariffs and I see:

NS
van Schiphol Airport naar Amsterdam Centraal
2e klas vol tarief € 4,20
2e klas 20% korting € 3,40
2e klas 40% korting € 2,50
2e klas Railrunner € 2,50
1e klas vol tarief € 7,10
1e klas 20% korting € 5,70
1e klas 40% korting € 4,30
1e klas Railrunner € 2,50

4.20 plus a 1.20 ticket fee (took the train to Schiphol on Tuesday).

NufcNavan

7 quid from the Airport to town isn't bad value tbh.

Fred Swanson

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mel.b

Doltanian wrote: »

Its a ripoff for tourists and people visiting the country, €7 for a Double Decker bus into the city, if it was a proper coach service with luggage capacity underneath you might say something. If I was a visitor to Ireland it would let a sour taste in my mouth from the very beginning. Its a total disgrace that there is no train service to Dublin airport anyway.

killbillvol2 wrote: »

Have you ever been to any other countries ffs? €7 is peanuts. Where did you fly in from? Mars?

JayZeus wrote: »

It’s decent value compared to a great many European cities. Go on now with your disgraceful outrage about nothing.

Just be thankful you don't have to get the bus from Melbourne airport to the city centre...$35 return if booked online....€23 euro. Private operator...no public buses AFAIK go to the airport.

Or Sydney where at least there's a train...at $18 (12euro) one way from the airport to city centre

Yes, some European cities are cheaper, but Dublin in the scheme of it isn't too bad.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

monument

Stephen Strange wrote: »

Just to be pedantic, Schiphol is 5.40.

I just checked: Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal on NS is €4.20 on OV-chipcard.

The single use chipcard is fare is €5.20, not €5.40.

monument

monument wrote: »

I just checked: Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal on NS is €4.20 on OV-chipcard.

The single use chipcard is fare is €5.20, not €5.40.

Just to note:

Dublin Airport to central Dublin is around 10km to 14km, while Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal is over 20km (20km is by road, by the rail lines go around a bit). So, by distance, Dublin is worse again.

Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal prices includes intercity direct which takes only 15mins.

punisher5112

Fred Swanson wrote: »

€2.60 is as cheap as you get for the public bus.

Cheaper again if using rambler or have used the cap also.

WishUWereHere

Doltanian wrote: »

Driving is a tough and stressful job I do agree but it is an unskilled job which deserve's minimum wage, nothing to stop the CIE workers improving themselves and changing careers or immigrating if they are unhappy with their salary. If anything it is a paycut which should be delivered to lower fares for the rest of society.

Really cheap shot here. You obviously haven't been stuck in a traffic jam in a large vehicle anywhere around Dublin.

Try it and then tell me if it's unskilled or not.

AlekSmart

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Really cheap shot here. You obviously haven't been stuck in a traffic jam in a large vehicle anywhere around Dublin.

Try it and then tell me if it's unskilled or not.

Before you set him loose in the Large Vehicle,ask to see his Certificate of Proffessional Competency.....;)

Then give the spelling police a call,just in case he wants to e...em....emi.... emigrate :eek: .......I'll get his hat & coat

bikeman1

All the various options serve their purpose. At rush hour I like to take the 747 as it is more reliable using the port tunnell. However the rest of the time, it is the 41 all the way. €2.60 into town in approximately 30 minutes off peak, brilliant.

You think we have it bad? Lyon it is €27.50 return to the airport (over 25). To be fair, kids under 12 go free. But forking out €55 return, you would expect a taxi not a semi fast luas!

goingnowhere

Its a marketplace

You can take taxi, public bus, private bus (Aircoach or 7X7) or hire a car. Choice is yours.

7X7 has some advantages, proper low floor and you can have sight of your luggage at all times. Aircoach claims a more comfortable ride.

Either way its a free choice, its not like the time the Taxi drivers went on strike to block Dublin Bus introducing a express bus service back in the 1980's

devnull

goingnowhere wrote: »

7X7 has some advantages, proper low floor and you can have sight of your luggage at all times. Aircoach claims a more comfortable ride.

The other advantage with Aircoach is having sockets on almost all vehicles now and the ability to buy online on the 700 route just before departure and show the ticket on your phone.

Hopefully Dublin Bus in the future will allow a more flexible online offering since requiring you to book ahead and print out a ticket rather than showing it on your device is not really customer friendly in this day and age.

Personally I think the 747/757 is due an upgrade on vehicles, the comfort of seating compared to Aircoach is worlds apart, a leather coach seat with recline vs a bench etc but it does have it's USPs like train station connections and being able to use annual tickets and accepting tourist passes.

Stephen15

devnull wrote: »

The other advantage with Aircoach is having sockets on almost all vehicles now and the ability to buy online on the 700 route just before departure and show the ticket on your phone.

Hopefully Dublin Bus in the future will allow a more flexible online offering since requiring you to book ahead and print out a ticket rather than showing it on your device is not really customer friendly in this day and age.

Personally I think the 747/757 is due an upgrade on vehicles, the comfort of seating compared to Aircoach is worlds apart, a leather coach seat with recline vs a bench etc but it does have it's USPs like train station connections and being able to use annual tickets and accepting tourist passes.

Yeah I agree with that the buses used on the Airlink routes are just your regular DB buses with extra luggage space, Translink recently gave their 300 service from Belfast CC to Belfast International a big upgrade wth USB charging points and leather seats. For a €7 you should be getting than just your regular DB bus.

http://www.translink.co.uk/Latest-News/translink-reveal-smart-new-upgraded-airport-express-300-services/

Also if new buses were to be bought the current Sirlink buses could be transferred to regular PSO services.

MrMorooka

I always take the 757 to and from the airport, but I think this increase will make me switch over to the 16, at least at offpeak. I don't think there's actually much between them time-wise from the Camden St area, the 757 has less stops and uses the tunnel, but the route doesn't incorporate a lot of bus lanes so it has real problems with traffic, and the dogleg from North Quays->D'Olier->back east along Townsend->Westland Row is pretty awful on the inbound journey.

JCX BXC

It's a service I've used many times, heck I've gotten flights for less than the aircoach fare! €12 return for such a route is very excessive in my opinion, far less of a distance than InterCity routes yet not much less on the price!

Vronsky

devnull wrote: »

To be fair to Dublin Bus on this, it is the first time that the Airlink fare has been increased for many years, maybe even as long as ten years so I don't think you can really complain about the increase since it hasn't been increased for maybe as long as seven or eight years and the operating hours of the service have been increased.

You can avoid the single price rise by booking Airlink online for €6 although the system is not the most user friendly since you need to print the tickets out and cannot show them on a device and cannot purchase a return fare.

Aircoach 702/703 from Dublin Airport is €6 single and €10 return to the 3 Arena and operates twice an hour but Aircoach 700 from Dublin Airport to O'Connell Street is €7 single or €12 if paid on bus operating four times an hour.

If you book Aircoach online the 702/703 price to the 3 Arena is the same but if you book to O'Connell Street you get a €1 discount to €6 single or €11 return and can show your ticket on your device a well as printing it.

Inflation has been at or near zero for the last ten years, so the length of time it's been since there was an increase isn't a valid justification