Aer lingus uniforms, TA WiFi and drinks

Gr123

Has their been any updates on both the new uniforms and the changes to transatlantic economy announced previously?
businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2018/09/25/aer-lingus-to-offer-free-wifi-on-transatlantic-routes/

Noxegon

20MB?

Gosh, that’s all of 30 seconds of browsing something like Facebook. The generosity is incredible.

goingnowhere

Wifi is so bad you will be lucky to get through 20Mb, at least its free in business unlike most carriers

Free booze (well 1 free drink) is coming, to be trialled

Staff have been measured, I'm told the ladies have a hat and a dress option...

Tenger

The free wifi is a nicety, good enough for a couple of messages inflight. However I (cynically?) guess its an inticement to get ppl to log on and then feel the need to purchase more data to stay connected.

The uniform is still be trialled and altered based on feedback. My mates tell me it will be January at the absolute earliest.

Similar with the free drink, loading issues and delivery issues being ironed out. I dont actually know but based on previous experience over the years Im guessing loading extra stuff onboard has come up against the bare bones catering operation they run and the horror that they might have to carry extra fuel for the additional weight.
EI currently do not have a contract to load beer/wine/spirits out of the US, so an A330 out of Dublin would have to carry beer/wine to serve 600 people plus extra for sale.

Locker10a

goingnowhere wrote: »

Wifi is so bad you will be lucky to get through 20Mb, at least its free in business unlike most carriers

Free booze (well 1 free drink) is coming, to be trialled

Staff have been measured, I'm told the ladies have a hat and a dress option...

There’s deffo no hat but there is a trouser and dress option

Shamrockj

In relation to the free drink the biggest hurdle I have heard is actually finding space for it. Loading one beer or wine for every single person takes up a lot of space and different aircraft have different size galleys so being able to guarantee it on every flight is the issue.

Inquitus

Shamrockj wrote: »

In relation to the free drink the biggest hurdle I have heard is actually finding space for it. Loading one beer or wine for every single person takes up a lot of space and different aircraft have different size galleys so being able to guarantee it on every flight is the issue.

Other airlines manage it on the same equipment, and much more than one per person, even on the crappy AA 757's you can have your feed of wine and beer trying desperately to catch some sleep on the overnight flight home!

Shamrockj

Inquitus wrote: »

Other airlines manage it on the same equipment, and much more than one per person, even on the crappy AA 757's you can have your feed of wine and beer trying desperately to catch some sleep on the overnight flight home!

I'm just saying what I heard....

kevinandrew

Inquitus wrote: »

Other airlines manage it on the same equipment, and much more than one per person, even on the crappy AA 757's you can have your feed of wine and beer trying desperately to catch some sleep on the overnight flight home!

How many of those airlines also intend to sell plenty of drinks after the first complimentary one is served? I can definitely believe Aer Lingus are struggling to find space for complimentary, buy on board and regular meal service stocks, particularly on the A321LR.

I can guarantee that AA, UA and many others regularly run out of complimentary drinks. I've experienced first hand on more than one occasion.

cson

They usually run out of your choice of drink (which for me is Goose IPA on AA), but I've never had the 'bar' go dry on any of my runs with the US3.

faceman

One of the 330-200 hasn’t had WiFi for months, think it’s EI-LAX. Aside from that bus, its faster and more reliable than what they used to use. When they first introduced WiFi it was great value but current rates are excessive.

goingnowhere

faceman wrote: »

One of the 330-200 hasn’t had WiFi for months, think it’s EI-LAX. Aside from that bus, its faster and more reliable than what they used to use. When they first introduced WiFi it was great value but current rates are excessive.

Scored a €250 voucher thanks to LAX recently and her broken Wi-Fi and a few other weird things.

If EI uplifted more at outstations (and they do uplift in the US) the free booze problem is solvable. They basically carry the EU bia menu around as well could easily dump that. Does anyone buy off the duty free (can only buy on the way back anyway)

Thats two carts saved

Tenger

Im guessing that Duty Free sales have plummeted in this era of online retail. (Not just talking about EI here)

All those perfumes, makeup, jewellery items just get flown around hoping to be bought.
I can understand the demand for duty free cigarettes (approx 40% cost of in a shop?) but in my experience I find the spirits better value in airport than onboard. (Dont smoke so cant comment on airport prices)

Locker10a

Inquitus wrote: »

Other airlines manage it on the same equipment, and much more than one per person, even on the crappy AA 757's you can have your feed of wine and beer trying desperately to catch some sleep on the overnight flight home!

I believe I’ve heard in the past that on the EI 757s, certain catering had to be loaded into rear overhead lockers as the galleys were so over capacity

Tenger

That seems like really bad planning. especially considering that the B757s galley design dates back to the "full service" business model with food for every passenger. (anyone else remember everyone getting a drink and snack on a flight to London?)
The A321LR is based on the A321 ACF design which has smaller galleys and toilets in order to fit another row or two of seat in.

Locker10a

Tenger wrote: »

That seems like really bad planning. especially considering that the B757s galley design dates back to the "full service" business model with food for every passenger. (anyone else remember everyone getting a drink and snack on a flight to London?)
The A321LR is based on the A321 ACF design which has smaller galleys and toilets in order to fit another row or two of seat in.

Im sure someone with more knowledge will clarify re: 757 excess catering, if found it rather surprising but indeed I did hear that mentioned at one time.
Off topic, if you fly BA Cityflyer DUB-LCY each and every passenger on the flight is offered a complimentary snack and drink, including alcohol (and yes you can have spirits). On early morning flights a small breakfast tray is offered, yes in economy too!!!

faceman

goingnowhere wrote: »

Scored a €250 voucher thanks to LAX recently and her broken Wi-Fi and a few other weird things.

If EI uplifted more at outstations (and they do uplift in the US) the free booze problem is solvable. They basically carry the EU bia menu around as well could easily dump that. Does anyone buy off the duty free (can only buy on the way back anyway)

Thats two carts saved

How did you swing the voucher? Written complaint?

cson

Locker10a wrote: »

Im sure someone with more knowledge will clarify re: 757 excess catering, if found it rather surprising but indeed I did hear that mentioned at one time.
Off topic, if you fly BA Cityflyer DUB-LCY each and every passenger on the flight is offered a complimentary snack and drink, including alcohol (and yes you can have spirits). On early morning flights a small breakfast tray is offered, yes in economy too!!!

Is that only the LCY route on BA? Pretty sure they nixed all the complementary stuff on short haul a couple of years back.

Locker10a

cson wrote: »

Is that only the LCY route on BA? Pretty sure they nixed all the complementary stuff on short haul a couple of years back.

Correct, LCY only and probably won’t last for long either

Tenger

BA mainline switched to buy onboard last summer (2018) Its fancy M&S stuff but still BoB.
AFAIK Cityflyer is a separate operation (am well under 100% on that though!!)

goingnowhere

faceman wrote: »

How did you swing the voucher? Written complaint?

A polite written complaint, WiFi was bust (so was the cellular link) was broken for at least a week before my flight, no menu in business class. Crew effectively abandoned by HQ, they made the best of the situation.

But between my job and myself EI get €10k+ from me a year shuttling around Europe.

VG31

Locker10a wrote: »

Off topic, if you fly BA Cityflyer DUB-LCY each and every passenger on the flight is offered a complimentary snack and drink, including alcohol (and yes you can have spirits). On early morning flights a small breakfast tray is offered, yes in economy too!!!

That breakfast tray was the worst airline food I've ever eaten. I usually find the complimentary food on airlines nice enough (even the Lufthansa 1/2 sandwich) but I just couldn't eat that. There was a fruit and yogurt option also but it that ran out quickly unsurprisingly.

I read somewhere that BA would need to have an extra crew member on the Embraers to have BoB, so if that's true it looks like the complimentary service isn't going anywhere.

Off topic, but the Austrian Airlines pre-order breakfast is by far the best breakfast I've had an an airline. You get a lot of food and it's excellent value for €15. I've had the Schnitzel as well which was excellent.

Jack1985

Locker10a wrote: »

Im sure someone with more knowledge will clarify re: 757 excess catering, if found it rather surprising but indeed I did hear that mentioned at one time...

It's a fact and it's happening on the 321neoLR as well.

Locker10a

Jack1985 wrote: »

It's a fact and it's happening on the 321neoLR as well.

So you’re telling me this was a known issue on the 757 yet EI had custom built a321neos and did nothing to avoid the same situation again! Unbelievable!

Tenger

Locker10a wrote: »

So you’re telling me this was a known issue on the 757 yet EI had custom built a321neos and did nothing to avoid the same situation again! Unbelievable!

Im guessing that EI just took the off th shelf A321LR option. Costs more to alter the config.
The LR variant is based on the A321neo ACF, so Im not sure how much customising is even possible.

Jack1985

Locker10a wrote: »

So you’re telling me this was a known issue on the 757 yet EI had custom built a321neos and did nothing to avoid the same situation again! Unbelievable!

Greed overtook quality of product by cramming seats even though the basic economics of the aircraft and extra J seats have them earning substantially higher revenues per pax.

cson

Jack1985 wrote: »

Greed overtook quality of product by cramming seats even though the basic economics of the aircraft and extra J seats have them earning substantially higher revenues per pax.

IAG directed no doubt given what they've done with the config of the new mainline BA A320/1neos. Genuinely a hard product that's on a par with ultra LCC US carriers Spirit & Frontier. I can see them retrenching their steps on the economy product in the future.

kevinandrew

The new uniform looks set to be revealed next week, not publicly confirmed by the airline but invitations going out.

Tenger

kevinandrew wrote: »

The new uniform looks set to be revealed next week, not publicly confirmed by the airline but invitations going out.

Invitations to media and Instagram types?

kevinandrew

Tenger wrote: »

Invitations to media and Instagram types?

Most likely, in a similar fashion to the brand reveal which actually happened in the same week last year.

Possibly some of their top Aer Club members are being invited too.

Bussywussy

Wednesday 15th