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

x567

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117925087#Comment_117925087

Seems to be a real ‘marmite’ app. Just looked at again on the App Store and it has an average rating of 1.4 out of 5 from 711 reviews, most of which are either 1 star (obviously the majority) or 5 stars! The reason I avoided using it initially was the data privacy stuff which I’m quite cautious about. Also, I haven’t personally seen any evidence of it having a faster-track benefit at check-in on recent flights and have sailed through all EU check-ins just using the Covid Tracker app and, when needed, a pdf of the passenger locator form. On a longer haul flight far more was needed but documents weren’t checked at this end (incorrectly) and Verifly wouldn’t have been of any use at the destination.

revelman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117917724#Comment_117917724

Thanks for the interesting analysis. I know it is easy to pile on EI and be critical but last year, just a couple of months into the pandemic, when there was real chaos, I requested a refund from KLM and it was processed within 24 hours -the money went into my bank account a couple of weeks later. For EI, I waited 5 months in some cases for vouchers. I know EI are understaffed and KLM probably have a better computer system but EI should not wait several weeks to inform customers that a flight has been cancelled and then take several months to process the voucher request.

Noxegon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117825154#Comment_117825154

I jumped through the hoops to use VeriFLY for my flight home from ORD...

...and the agent at check in wouldn't accept it and instead asked to see copies of the individual documents.

Tenger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117930078#Comment_117930078

I was curious and just installed that app to have a look.

Is it literally just a place to store your travel documents and test certs?

If so, it seems pointless as my Aer Lingus app holds my boarding pass and my Covid tracker app holds my DCC.

Is there something special that I'm missing?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117930522#Comment_117930522

It also does some basic validation of the docs. its meant to give a single code to scan to show both ends are sorted. But its awful and badly implemented by EI at the airport.

Jack1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117927805#Comment_117927805

I’d agree completely, there really is no excuse - IT overhaul is desperately needed at EI, the fact it was neglected during the boom years just showed where priorities lay.

I’ve discussed before the booking system ASTRAL is archaic, well past it’s lifespan for todays world, EI can’t even sell past 10 months on occasion. Airlines like easyJet when confronted with a cancellation/disruption offer facilities to the customers phone that allow them to claim immediate refund, rebook and even request transport and accommodation where required. They can also submit receipts if accommodation wasn’t provided and the customer can then let the process roll whilst waiting for re-payment. People of today do not have hours to hold on the phone to Jericho, NY, those days are over.

There really is no excuse anymore, it piss*s off customers and frontline staff dealing with old tech. Whilst expensive to upgrade, it’s critical infrastructure.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117927805#Comment_117927805

Yeah, KLM are multiples in every regard bigger then Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus have just over 4000 employees. KLM have over 35,000.. KLM probably just have a better infrastructure both financial and in terms of administration to process and refund.

coupons1987

Is this the end for in-house ground ops ? This has been on the table many times and a deal always seems to be done. Why not handle other airlines and make some money when Muller was in charge they had returned to third party handling.

Actually when Muller was in charge everything seemed better he had sharpened up the brand and brought standards up across the board.

basill

The powers that be would appear to want a virtual airline with contracted staff and transient gig workers to fill in the gaps during the summer months. The CEO will be gone in a couple of years up the IAG food chain and another BA bod will step in. Its hard to grow revenue whereas its much easier to cut costs. It will all come crashing down in a few years time but the current crop in charge will be gone.

faceman

Anyone know what’s happening with the DUB-ALC route? They’ve cancelled all the winter flights and there’s no schedule for next year. I would have thought it was a busy route all year round given Ryanair fly daily.

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117936455#Comment_117936455

I would highly doubt they’ve dropped the route, most likely they’re making a lot of schedule adjustments probably in light of the US re opening and generally reacting to ever changing trends/demand.

Does anyone know why LRF positioned to Shannon this evening?

Shamrockj

Some increases from Belfast.

twice a day to MAN

21 flights a week to LHR

and 11 flights a week to EDI

https://www.belfastcityairport.com/news/Aer-Lingus-Uplift-Heathrow-Manchester-Edinburgh

kevinandrew

Good news for Belfast City, particularly nice to see LHR back to its pre-pandemic frequency. Really hope we see them commit to SNN and ORK in a similar fashion soon.

donkey balls

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117933781#Comment_117933781

This seems to not only be an airline thing but across the board in other industries as well out source/farm out everything and just have a core number of employees.

Companies don't have to pay pensions sick leave holidays etc,They could use a shell company or agency staff, A race to the bottom.

My current employer has sent in new country managers from the UK and their remit is to slash and burn picking away at the employees T&C..

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117930566#Comment_117930566

it seems to basically just function as a checklist to get you to confirm you have the required documentation, and that it's valid. we did see some fuss at the airport with passengers assuming it was a replacement for the need for that documentation - we weren't asked for the verifly app leaving dublin, and the ground staff in venice on the return had never heard of it.

Shamrockj

Good to see some more routes returning.

Newark returns on the 14th of November

Orlando on the 27th of November

Also Knock to Gatwick returning on the 18th of December

Noxegon

I wonder how many of them will end up cancelled on quiet days.

kevinandrew

Good news, hopefully there's a few more routes to come before Christmas though?

I agree about the cancellations and the concern around the overall schedule uncertainty they've created for themselves but in fairness most routes they've actually announced and committed to seem to operate as planned, it's the ones they put on sale in advance without announcement that usually end up cancelled or moved, the second daily SNN-LHR for example.

It's the flights they put on sale quietly without any intention of operating them that are causing the most issues.

goingnowhere

I've had no issues with flights this year what I booked operated bar some very minor timing changes which are part of the course.

Load factors are dire, 40-50% at best, most 120, least 45 (my all time low record is 29 wet Tuesday in Nov 2018)

Once TATL gets back online in November things should start to improve quickly but EI is exposed heavily to business travel and its schedule and route network was optimised for first wave connections to key markets. When it worked it, it was thing of beauty to the accountants and it was incredible for short notice travel, I knew there was a flight next day at 7am to BER/DUS/MUS/FRA/MAD/CDG/AMS/FCO/LIN...

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117967452#Comment_117967452

I think that we have to give the airlines some leeway here - the past eighteen months been a complete nightmare for them as their business collapsed.

They are making tentative steps to resume flights across the network - but as others have pointed out, trying to guesstimate demand is next to near impossible on many of the shorthaul routes to non-sun holiday destinations.

Noxegon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117970879#Comment_117970879

As I've said before, I have enormous sympathies for the airlines. However, their problems are not mine.

As a customer, I book a flight based on a schedule that the airline gives me. I then make arrangements around that for accommodation, activities, annual leave from work, et al. If the flight does not operate I'm left at best with a mess of things to sort out, and at worst with significant extra unplanned expense.

Sure, I understand airlines don't want to operate loss-making flights, but I'd respectfully suggest that chopping and changing the schedule will do more damage to their reputation in the market than short term pain.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117972576#Comment_117972576

With respect, unless you have been living in a complete vacuum for the past eighteen months, it's pretty obvious to anyone that these are anything but normal times. I think that you'd want to be pretty naive to think that schedules may be completely cast in stone when the business is reopening from a position of zero demand once the Irish government travel restrictions were lifted.

At the best of times pre-Covid, airline schedules could and did change from time to time and people got upset, and while I get what you're saying re having to make new arrangements, I think that most people booking flights to non-sun holiday destinations in the immediate aftermath of the Irish government restrictions being lifted, where there is anything but a guaranteed demand, would likely be savvy enough to realise that there was a risk of them being changed.

Now perhaps the airlines should have been somewhat more upfront about communicating the risk of changes with passengers, but the terms and conditions do state clearly that the times can change and they always have. I say this as someone who has had numerous flights re-timed over the years myself back in the pre-covid days.

Personally, I suspect that the risk of changes/cancellations will be far less now as society grows in confidence about traveling once more.

faceman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117973006#Comment_117973006

Ultimately though, no amount of sympathy will instil confidence reusing certain airlines in the short to medium term because credibility has been shot.

Aer Lingus were a disaster during the pandemic. Ryanair played a blinder. Ryanair is coming out of the pandemic on top. They kept flying, did their best to keep routes open. AL just dropped everything bar there old reliables of Heathrow and the cargo flights to the US

Ryanair launched new routes during the pandemic. They started 3 domestic routes in Spain

Aer Lingus did nothing.

Ryanair was very vocal about the need for a reopening plan. Aer Lingus said nothing.

Im not trying to suggest Ryanair were perfect, far from it. But Ryanair made sure that people had options. Not everyone flying during the pandemic was doing so for holidays. Something that got lost in the hysteria in the media here.

it’s all telling when you look at both AL and Ryanair’s schedule for the rest of the year and 2022. AL don’t even have their summer schedule yet not to mention them bizarrely dropping certain busy winter routes.

Aer Lingus can have my sympathy but Ryanair can have my money.

MICKEYG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117973390#Comment_117973390

Not for me. Aer Lingus were very accommodating with my flights, Ryanair were appalling.

Noxegon

Sure, I appreciate these are not normal times.

However, at the risk of repeating myself – as a consumer, the profitability or otherwise of an airline is not my problem.

If you sell me a service, I expect that it be provided. If it isn't, then next time I will buy that service elsewhere.

Your point about airline terms and conditions is actually a very relevant one. Over the years we've accepted incredibly one-sided contracts with airlines. A flight can be 2h59 minutes late without any compensation to impacted customers, but a customer 1 minute late to check-in loses their entire payment and ends up significantly out of pocket. An airline can cancel a flight 14 days before operation without any penalty, but if a customer wants to change their booking even months in advance it's often completely non-refundable.

Why do we as consumers tolerate this?

Revolution I say, revolution!!

kevinandrew

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117973390#Comment_117973390

I agree with your overall point, Ryanair has come out of this better but there are a few key factors as to why they were able to do this while Aer Lingus has struggled.

Also, to suggest Aer Lingus did nothing is simply not true. The airline has repeatedly called on the government for a reopening plan and a commitment to supporting the sector in order to boost the recovery. There’s been numerous press releases, meetings, and both public and private conversations regarding these matters.

They also set up an entirely new subsidiary in response to the pandemic. Aer Lingus UK has been on the cards for a while but the pandemic accelerated its existence and while it has faced some delays, from initial announcement to the awarding of the AOC and launch will be just over a year, quite a feat.

The arrangements made with BA CityFlyer to maintain a regional presence at BHD after the collapse of Stobart and the new contract with Emerald now signed. Even the introduction of the baggage fee, while unpopular with passengers, was a good business decision to bolster ancillary revenues.

Aer Lingus has got plenty wrong, it’s sluggish and overly selective restart has left them vulnerable in other markets and further exposed a growing problem they were facing in their short haul business way before the pandemic. The schedule issues and the catering debacle have made them look like amateurs.

Ryanair with its huge pan European network was shielded from much of the issues Aer Lingus faced in a weakened Irish market. They’re agility has allowed them to take market share from Aer Lingus, they’re also a braver business, riskier and have a business model to back that up.

revelman

I would normally prefer EI over FR but recent experiences have been frustrating. It has been almost six weeks now since I discovered on a Miami newspaper that the EI flights this winter from Dublin to Miami have been cancelled. We have flights booked for December. Have heard absolutely nothing from AerLingus. Separately, I’ve been waiting almost 3 months for a refund/voucher on another EI flight, EI having changed the departure date to a date that doesn’t suit us.

Any tips on what I should do? We have accommodation, car hire etc to change so we need to change our flights. Do I simply ring the reservations number? I’ve heard horror stories of people waiting for hours on hold. Is this the reservations number or is there an alternative number?

Many thanks!

Shamrockj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117976330#Comment_117976330

I would recommend contacting them on social media. Send them a private message on Twitter or Facebook messenger with your booking reference. Seems to be the quickest way to get an answer.

kevinandrew

EI402 DUB-FCO diverted to London Gatwick early this morning, operated by A321LR EI-LRC, it was on the ground for around four hours before continuing to Rome. 

Tech issue? 

Interestingly EI-LRD did a scheduled service to LGW yesterday morning as EI230 replacing the usual A320, first time I’d seen the NEO at Gatwick.