Aer Lingus Fleet/ Routes Discussion Pt 2 (ALL possible routes included)

goingnowhere

21 metric tons onboard, so not even a full tank. You have to account for holding and alternate fuel and the fact you always land with at least 30 minutes fuel in the tanks. This is anETOPS flight so the numbers need to work for diversions and contingencies, e.g. loss of cabin pressure

The XLR variant is claimed to be able to stay airborne for 11 hours...

Jack1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119764786#Comment_119764786

There is not a hope an XLR will be going anywhere near LAS. Aer Lingus as a European based carrier are EASA compliant, the route would require crew rest facilities and as you can imagine this would reduce seat capacity on board.

It's pie in the sky stuff.

PeasantHater

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119768800#Comment_119768800

Well that would be their issue to sort out, the demand for the aircraft is there so I'd imagine airlines want this aircraft for its range and efficiency! With less crew needed on the aircraft I'd imagine creating a suitable crew rest area would be doable. Obviously using the 330s would make more sense and passengers would much prefer to fly on these aircraft for comfort, there's 30+ GE powered 330s available for lease priced the most favorable rates in history so if EI are actually serious about expanding their transatlantic network and using DUB as a massive transatlantic hub then surely they need to be planning some sort of offering to their largest unserved market in the US.

Lockheed

DUB-MIA returns tomorrow. EI141 departing DUB at 15.40.

HTCOne

It's not just about the availability of suitable airframes, simulators are rammed all over Europe, there's a shortage of every profession in the industry. They're already returning DAA & DUO to service, I wonder if they have the capacity to spin up all the required personnel to run more extra widebodies than that.

California Dreamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119770102#Comment_119770102

EI are sending their new 330 FOs to Miami for sim training.

Murph85

Out of interested, how much of a multiple are the las vegas figures, than some of the "experts" here scoffed at? no doubt they reckoned between 10,000-15,000 a year! Anyway , lets eagerly wait the announcement of another dull as dishwater aer lingus US route, to some backwater...

Van.Bosch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119772080#Comment_119772080

dull to you, more profitable to IAG though.

PeasantHater

The MIA route which is re-launching tomorrow only had 55,000 (77% SLF) or so in 2019, 18,000 less than people who were willing to connect to LAS.

I know they’ve struck some pharma cargo deal on the MIA route, surely similar agreements can be reached elsewhere?

EchoIndia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119772287#Comment_119772287

Miami is a major cargo hub for Central and South America and for the Caribbean; that probably had something to do with it.

Tenger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119772287#Comment_119772287

You cant just create a cargo demand on a city pairing

PeasantHater

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119773299#Comment_119773299

Maybe the demand is there already, I don't know. I'm not suggesting to just pull demand from the sky, merely stating that it's a possibility.

The fact remains that the passenger demand is significantly higher than some routes currently operated and having a direct route would surely increase said demand.

LiamaDelta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119772287#Comment_119772287

I've been on that route twice and business class was rammed. I expect that it is really high-yielding due to the number of passengers continuing on to cruises etc. The demographics I saw would suggest significant yield uplift from premium passengers, often business is 100% full even though economy isnt.

Shamrockj

Miami took awhile but has grown significantly. The first flight today has almost 300 on it.. it used be operated by the -200 so that’s well above previous capacity.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119773464#Comment_119773464

Nevada is not a manufacturing state; what they have in terms of primary/secondary industry is mining and you don't send either the kit to mine with or the ore that comes out via belly freight. Its also not a hub airport where cargo could be going elsewhere through like MIA is.

Unless there is a specific need for light, high value things that we produce here, there isn't some huge cargo demand to be tapped.

Dodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119772080#Comment_119772080

While you might not want to go to Cleveland, it’s the only transatlantic flight from there so you’d imagine it’s a bit more exciting for that market (even if most of them will fly on elsewhere)

Far too many people see Aer Lingus as an airline for Irish people to go abroad only…

Murph85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119772191#Comment_119772191

well you didnt have a clue about the vegas numbers, massively underestimated them! but I am glad you have your crystal ball out again, talking with such confidence. Unless of course you work in aer lingus and are privy to the figures?

john boye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119772080#Comment_119772080

That last sentence sounds like a teenage girl having a tantrum. Laughable

x567

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119774159#Comment_119774159

Agreed (as a general point). And for Cleveland, its very highly regarded medical institution draws visitors/patients from a host of countries, so expect some premium two-way transfer traffic from that. Route planning has many factors…

MICKEYG

Any idea if the gate used by Aer Lingus in Miami allows you to connect to the AA gates without having to reclear security.

Always annoys be having to do this (I am looking at you ORD and EWR). It takes away one of the great advantages of preclearance.

Captain_Crash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119778736#Comment_119778736

Last time I arrived I Miami we arrived into stand F16 and deplaned into the departures area and I think on you can get to all the different concourses once there yeah.

MICKEYG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119778903#Comment_119778903

So you are post security when you disembark?

Tea2

I’ve not been in Miami for a while, so this may out of date. the three terminals at MIA are not connected airside. AA uses the D and E gates which are part of the same terminal and are therefore connected airside. If you land at any other gate that D or E and want to travel AA, I think you’ll have to clear security again.

MIA website says E gates for EI (which would work), but that is different from what the poster above experienced

very open to correction - used to travel through MIA monthly, so know it very well, but haven’t been through in several years and my info could be out of date.

Captain_Crash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119779008#Comment_119779008

Yep!

MICKEYG

I am sure there are good reasons for this but it is annoying nonetheless.

Captain_Crash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119779253#Comment_119779253

Yeah was 100% the F gates we arrived into! (Side note, AA also use a few gates in that concourse). Obvs since the restart this week lots may have and probably has changed.

I wasn’t aware the terminals are not connected airside however, although I’ve never transited there, only arrived as my final destination.

Tea2

The flight from dublin landed at E33 yesterday, so maybe it varies? What a total pain. Assuming they deposit you airside in E, you should be able to walk to any Aa flight from there (apart from the odd one that goes to F as the other poster says) without reclearing security.

not really all that useful though if they land randomly at different gates.

Tenger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119774121#Comment_119774121

Business class being "rammed" isnt always an indicator of yield. DUB-MIA is an 9+ hour flight but previously was priced similar to DUB-JFK (7 hours)

As regards transfers and connections in the USA. The issue is that while Aer Lingus have the capability to arrive into a Domestic only terminal (JFK and BOS in the Jetblue terminal) the US setup likes them to depart from an International terminal.

MICKEYG

But aren't the terminals in BOS and JFK mixed (domestic and international).

Also the AA terminal in Miami has a mix too.

California Dreamer

From the Indo:

Aer Lingus ground staff have demanded a “substantial” no-strings-attached pay increase from the airline as part of a new round of wage negotiations that has begun at the airline.

The demand comes at a time when sources say Aer Lingus is struggling to hire and retain staff for its ground-handling operation at Dublin Airport.

Staffing shortages – in the boarding area of the airport in particular – mean that arriving aircraft are at times forced to wait long periods for trained staff to operate air bridges and gates at the airline’s main hub, it is understood.

The problems on the ramp at Dublin come against the backdrop of industrial relations tensions rising once again at Aer Lingus.

Staffing difficulties at the airline had been largely overshadowed all summer by acute issues at airport operator DAA.

The new pay negotiations are likely to be hard fought, as union negotiators seek good news for staff who are in no mood for compromise after the difficulties they faced during the pandemic.

Management last week met the Aer Lingus trade union group to discuss pay. 

“During the meeting we reiterated our position – that the positive financial outlook of the company and the sharp increase in the cost of living for our members merits a substantial increase in pay,” according to a memo sent by Siptu to Aer Lingus ground staff.

“The unions also stated that they will not consider any cost offsetting measures as part of this claim,” wrote Siptu aviation-sector organiser Niall Phillips.

.

Some flights had been forced to wait as long as 90 minutes for a gate to disembark passengers 

“The company has agreed to come back to us with several dates to be set aside so concentrated negotiations can take place. The company has also been asked to put a formal offer to us at our next meeting,” he wrote, promising to keep staff updated “as events unfold”.

Unappealing rosters and low rates of starting pay were blamed by a number of sources as reasons why the airline was finding it difficult to hire and retain staff for its Dublin ground operation.

One well-informed airline source said some flights had been 90 minutes waiting for a gate to disembark passengers.

Recent ramp delays had been caused by a constraint in the number of parking stands for aircraft at Dublin, and were also caused at times by weather problems – both in Ireland and elsewhere – and by the knock-on impact of congestion at airports such as London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol.