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

Astral Nav

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122779393#Comment_122779393

Fair enough but not like Condor. It creates feelings of instant nausea in every airport where it's sighted!

wazzzledazzle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122779446#Comment_122779446

I love it, don';t know why, i know it divides opinion.

Comhrá

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122779393#Comment_122779393

Definitely agree, especially the boring Iberia livery, up there with EI for minimal effort. ITA on the other hand is, I think the best livery of any European airline at present but Condor? No thanks!

wazzzledazzle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122779735#Comment_122779735

Genius marketing though, i wasn't even aware Condor had such a long history up until i did some googling about them after the livery change. If we were to take a similar like for like airline in Germany i'd have to think REALLY hard what Eurowings livery was, actually, i just had to google it again it's so boring i had forgotten

Suvarnabhumi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122771242#Comment_122771242

Would the A330 manage DUB - SIN in the unlikely event that EI were to ever go to that part of the world?

sherology

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122779999#Comment_122779999

The -900 (neo) could in theory but that would likely be limited on the return (headwinds), the -800 would. The ceo's, no.

Van.Bosch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122779999#Comment_122779999

I think if there was no cap and IAG gave EI 10 new LH aircraft, it’d be interesting to see if any of them went east. I doubt it!

wazzzledazzle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122780269#Comment_122780269

Can't imagine there be a huge market from Dublin to SIN, London has that well covered with options that would work out cheaper for PAX

PEK or PVG would be more lucrative imo

goingnowhere

Russian airspace situation has killed any options to China/Japan due longer flight time and that Chinese airlines still can fly over Russia

sandbelter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122781887#Comment_122781887

But probably not viable though, post covid China isn't regaining it lost economic composure, and Xi is making the country clearly more Maoist, so high yield western travellers aren't travelling which is why western airlines in general are either pulling out or scaling down.

Then there's the flood of Chinese capacity into Europe with China Eastern’s recently reported Chinese approval to operate into Dublin being another example.

I suspect more North American expnaion, the Caribbean, Latin America and/or Africa may offer more long term promise for EI.

wazzzledazzle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122785234#Comment_122785234

Thinking about it, it's absolutely non viable. China Eastern is offering fares not far off a LCC to get you to many places in China.

Not sure about the Caribbean also, not a huge market in Ireland, although they could increase the destinations from Manchester.

Marcusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122785234#Comment_122785234

and more tellingly EI’s stablemate BA has massively cut back on China flights because of lack of profitability there on.

StakeholderValue

Caribbean will do well out of Ireland. Will be large amount of transfers from UK and Northern Europe too. 3 times a week in winter to a Caribbean island and/or Cancun a no brainer.

Noxegon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122781887#Comment_122781887

I went DUB-SIN every eight weeks for three years and always went via DXB. The stopover was more or less in the perfect midpoint allowing me to enjoy a nice meal and a shower in the lounge.

I don't know if I'd actually have preferred a direct back then. It'd all come down to timings; I try to avoid night flights whenever possible, and I rather suspect that a DUB-SIN direct would be a redeye.

wazzzledazzle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122787150#Comment_122787150

That's exactly how i'd do it if i had to. 7 odd hours each sector, if you have status or travelling j you'll have access to showers, nap and great F&B

Captain_Crash

Rumor doing the rounds within EI, the XLR won’t make BNA without severe payload restrictions and it’s going to be on the 330 now instead.

sherology

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122787308#Comment_122787308

It's a 9hr westward flight time, an hour more than the LR. That sounds like the usual negative-nelly spiel.

It's theoretically possible in really bad headwinds or a very northerly routing it may need a fuel top up en-route if at capacity but that's not an unusual concept for a single aisle in crap weather. EI could do that at any of their en-route served airports (BOS/JFK/IAD) or have an ad-hoc arrangement with Gander or St. John's for a more efficient fuel loading/weight.

Time will tell but really... LRs nearly do that. The same spiel rotated for years about EI LRs. Take off from the longer northern runway and using all the optional ACTs remedied/quashed that.

This winter will likely see the XLR used on LR routes so they'll know well in advance how the aircraft performs in real world TATL operations in crappy winter weather.

goingnowhere

EI pilots flew a test XLR DUB-MIA as part of the route proving flights

DUB-MIA is 500km further than DUB-BNA

As above its usual scare rubbish, on top of the extra fuel tank, XLR has upgraded flaps so can get more weight off the ground for the same fuel load as an LR

Runway 10R is the problem in Dublin in light wind conditions, if you stick to 28R and 10L more than enough runway to get off at MTOW

Captain_Crash

It’s just the rumor on the go. The high level explanation I was told is that the aircraft is heavier than initially expected after the fuel tank reinforcement that was needed in relation to the center tank and its location under the cabin floor.

cson

Might have been mentioned but is the XLR in the same horrible ACF config down the back? (aka the 3 lavs are in a cramped galley).

Y would be so much more tolerable with a mid galley lav.

sherology

Seat count in both cabins is the same as the LRs indicating it's the same layout throughout.

Marcusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122787150#Comment_122787150

I went Lon-HKG every month for 5 years, my preference was always for a one leg as it gave greatest likelihood of sleeping onboard. Certainly would hadn’t have considered changing planes half way through.

Marcusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122787634#Comment_122787634

That would be fairly shite for EI then.

Poland2020

The XLR was having trouble making BNA (according to Flightplanners) it only got 102Tons approved 10days ago. At 98,000KG MTOW it was capped pax wise and was having trouble getting to BNA in nil wind.

The XLR proving flight to MIA was more or less empty. A big difference.

6 - 320s will be repainted in this winter and 4 - 330’s

FR738

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122789821#Comment_122789821

interesting I wonder if that will include any A332s? With 6 A320s being repainted that should only leave a couple left in old livery especially with CVC leaving the fleet.

Noxegon

Regular readers here will know that I don't often have nice things to say about Aer Lingus.

However, credit where it's due - last week I flew DUB-MUC on one of the LRs, and I have to say it was pleasant. A comfortable economy seat with a seat-back TV made for a much, much nicer experience than I'm used to on European short haul.

If EI could put this interior on all their short haul fleet (even in an all-economy form) it'd make for a nice differentiator over Ryanair.

In contrast, my flight home (from LHR) was on one of the A20Ns where the seat is effectively an ironing board. That was just about tolerable for the hour and change I sat in it - but it felt like very poor value given that it was 4x the price of FR from STN.

jwm121

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122789841#Comment_122789841

A lot of people prefer the older livery but it's about time they get all of their fleet into the new livery. It's been almost 6 years. The mis match with different liveries and different colour cowlings is getting very old. Especially on special liveries like the retro.

kevinandrew

Unfortunately the mismatching of cowlings will continue long after the entire fleet is painted, it’ll be less common but numerous white cowlings will persist as they’ve been left on new livery aircraft for a significant time now and probably will never be repainted. While mismatched cowlings are a thing at many airlines, I’ve never seen it to the extent it is at Aer Lingus, looks lazy.

I really hope they at least try to get the retro back to normal.

RomeoTango16

Anyone much experience of the Aer Lingus Business class service on T/A routes recently?
Hearing mixed reviews

Tenger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122790252#Comment_122790252

The mismatched cowling issue could be easily solved by a C-Suite person dictating that it is done.
Engineering will state that they dont have the manpower and will need a few extra overtime shifts to fix it.
The senior Exec will approve the overtime spend to fix the perceived problem.

But this will not happen because the Execs don't care unless it impacts performance and profitability.