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

Coffeelock2020

Indeed - this summer EI are operating a 2 aircraft base out of Cork vs summer 2019 they had 4

Very disappointing for staff and the loyal customer base they have in the south yet only offering 7 routes in peak summer

Cork had a much reduced Winter schedule as well. Looks to be the same next year or maybe EI can add capacity yet.

Coffeelock2020

Yes agreed

3 aircraft would be understandable for this summer even during peak May to Sept

2 for peak summer ops is shocking

kevinandrew

Cork was always going to be very tricky for Aer Lingus post-pandemic restrictions.

The airline had stagnated at Cork long before the pandemic. It had been stuck at 3-4 based aircraft for a number of years with no prospect of considerable growth. New routes that weren’t typical sun destinations usually failed, competition on its existing network was increasing and new entrants were arriving.

When the pandemic came along, Cork was essentially closed with just a skeleton network by Aer Lingus and Ryanair. Restarting from zero was always going to be a challenge but for Aer Lingus it was even more difficult because they had felt the full force of Irish government restrictions whereas Ryanair’s size and pan-European network enabled more flexibility.

While Aer Lingus continues to rebuild and naturally focuses its attention on Dublin, Ryanair is able to sweep up at Cork and Shannon.

It remains to be seen if Ryanair is committed to Cork and Shannon at this level long term, we’ve seen time and time again how they treat smaller airports but it’s even more doubtful that Aer Lingus, with its current short haul strategy, will ever be able to return to the relatively modest levels it had there before the pandemic.

Not sure about ORK, but SNN have a long term deal with FR until 2029. So hopefully they can keep comitted to it and continue adding new routes.

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118846612#Comment_118846612

Indeed, although EI are back at Shannon with I think more capacity than 2019!? Hopefully they’ll show some of this ambition for Cork next year

goingnowhere

The 'new' routes ex SNN to CDG/BCN are still in the website as Shannon routes but no schedule, these would be A321NEO out and back trips while one of the A321's would have been sitting between flights. SNN is getting the routes by accident really, they might cover the fuel/crew costs probably not hugely profitable but the aircraft costs money just sitting at the gate, probably some TATL connecting business as CDG/BCN seemed to drive a lot of traffic through DUB

Noxegon

EI is offering evening-before check in again:

https://www.aerlingus.com/travel-information/check-in-options/airport/

While it's good to see something here, I think there'd be rather more value to it if it was open until 9pm/10pm so that those not living in Swords and Portmarnock could use it without having to deal with rush hour traffic.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118847742#Comment_118847742

CDG/BCN haven’t / won’t get off the ground from Shannon. One of the NEO is operating the early LHR while the other stays in SNN. SNN has no increase in EI flights this year. They say increase on T/A flights but it’s just JFK going from 6 weekly to daily. The seasonal routes EI used to operate from SNN-ACE/AGP/FAO are gone. It’s only JFK, BOS & LHR operating from Shannon. The cabin crew base is gone as well. So it’s got very much reduced flights as well.

CDG/BCN aren’t bookable from SNN on the website and probably need to be removed.

HTCOne

CDG/BCN were due to be operated by the based A320 in the morning, as the early LHR rotation was being taken over by a NEO. Is the 320 operating the 2 later LHR rotations on a W pattern from DUB now, ie no based 320 anymore?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118848650#Comment_118848650

Yeah no 320 in Shannon anymore. It’s just 2 X 321 NEO operating JFK, BOS & LHR. The later two LHR rotations are operated on a W leg from DUB. The 320 operates DUB-LHR-SNN-LHR-SNN-LHR and then operates LHR DUB the next day after overnighting in LHR.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118848650#Comment_118848650

Correct - the aircraft does an early morning rotation out of Dublin, then flies to LHR, and does two return trips to SNN and back before overnighting in LHR, and then returning to DUB the next morning.

California Dreamer

I hear that 2 or 3x320 neos coming over the summer originally destined for a Russian customer!

Chris_5339762

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118846612#Comment_118846612

I think it stagnated due to lack of aircraft, or just plain not bothering. They didn't add any good new routes for ages, wheras Ryanair did. Then Zurich came along from Swiss (AL could have done that) or do Frankfurt with Lufthansa.

Or Munich. Ski destination early in the year only. No service from Cork to Munich with AL during the summer or during the Christmas Market season, and that hasn't changed for years. I just don't think they're bothered with Cork - they didn't even bring back Paris for heavens sake.

Ryanair just came in with "we are re-launching our entire pre-pandemic route network" and Aer Lingus just didn't bother.

I think EI are going with the IAG model and focusing on DUB. Theres pressure on them I’d say to keep routes and presence in SNN and ORK

kevinandrew

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118851364#Comment_118851364

In order to make the likes of FRA or ZRH work long term, you need a good schedule, daily is ideal. Unfortunately there’s no way Aer Lingus would fill a daily A320 to Zurich or Frankfurt on a point to point basis only, it’s too big an aircraft and they lack the onward feed. Note that AF, LH and LX have come in with their regional jets. There’s no way Aer Lingus could compete.

I also don’t think Aer Lingus is in the business of being “not bothered” and really can’t afford to be. If they could make Cork work with their current model and product, they would, but they’ve been outmanoeuvred by Ryanair with its size, and the European flag carriers with their smaller aircraft, better product and extensive hub networks.

This isn’t unique to Cork either, we’ve seen it at Dublin with Aer Lingus being squeezed from all sides on various routes, AMS being a good example. It really should be a wake up call that maybe the short haul fleet lacks flexibility for the changing market. The A320 is a fine machine on bread and butter routes or sunshine destinations but on everything else it becomes the struggle bus.

I think in the long term Aer Lingus needs to reassess its European business in the same way they did their regional network. The deal with Aer Arann helped Aer Lingus claw back market share from Ryanair. A similar situation could be replicated in Europe to support the core mainline network while fully realising the transatlantic hub potential and maintaining a strong presence in Cork and Shannon.

Shamrockj

The reality is their goal is 90% of 2019 levels, so 10% cut has to come from somewhere and that is why there is a much smaller schedule from Cork. They don’t have the same amount of aircraft they did before many aircraft have left the business. The 3 A321CEO, -LAX, - EWR plus the remaining -200s still in storage and a number of 320s have left also

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118850286#Comment_118850286

That’s interesting!

I wonder will the be used to add capacity or swapped to replace older 320s straight away

NH2013

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118852432#Comment_118852432

Given the shortage of pilots and crew to operate even the current schedule I'm guessing we won't see much in the way of additional capacity this year, seems to be quite the bottle neck for Aer Lingus, always behind the curve when it comes to hiring enough people to run the schedule, even back before COVID and the current hiring issues. Guessing this means the best we could probably hope for is for them to replace older A320s and perhaps those A320s could act as spare aircraft for the summer for any tech issues.

kevinandrew

I see Aer Lingus has stitched a small clear pocket into the back of their standard A320 seat, to hold the new tri-fold style safety card.

It seems a little unnecessary, I’m guessing it was to stop the new safety card getting lost in the larger standard pocket or maybe to remove it completely to reduce weight/cleaning but it looks pretty tacky staring at a safety card and sick bag all flight.

Jack1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118852787#Comment_118852787

Don't know a part of the industry without a real staffing crisis at the moment... But to be fair EI have at least since Summer 2012 run an extremely tight staffing for Summer schedules.

Jack1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118853284#Comment_118853284

Don't like it either, but it will stop people dumping rubbish on the floor or in pockets which anyone would welcome. (well me anyway😶)

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118853915#Comment_118853915

I could never understand why but people absolutely can’t seem to get enough of storing their passports, wallets, phones, tablets, macs etc in seat pockets and subsequently leaving them behind when they disembark.

Would honestly happy once or twice a day

Noxegon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118851986#Comment_118851986

For me the words "better product" are key here. Call a spade a spade – the short haul experience on Aer Lingus these days is more or less equivalent to Ryanair, but without the punctuality or low fares.

Jack1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118854569#Comment_118854569

RE punctuality, EI are the top OTP performer ex-DUB and will inevitability remain so judging by whoever block scheduled the majority of FR's DUB op's this Summer...

kevinandrew

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118854569#Comment_118854569

Personally I still find Aer Lingus a notch above Ryanair but the basic product is essentially the same so it comes down to the finer details. The other so called legacy carriers are also quickly catching on too by introducing buy on board catering, changing baggage rules and having a heavier focus on ancillary revenue.

The overall product of these carriers still remains above Aer Lingus however; better frequent flyer programmes, lounges, flight times, boarding procedures and ‘proper’ short haul business cabins. The service delivery from start to finish is also more polished than Aer Lingus all at very competitive fares, these things make a difference.

What bothers me most is that it really wouldn’t take Aer Lingus much to bring it up another notch. It has all the ingredients but rarely implements new initiatives or products well.

Meanwhile the jewel in the IAG crown, British Airways, is having yet another system failure at Heathrow. Ouch.

cson

Lets not start calling eurobiz 'proper' when it comes to short haul business! 😅

Noxegon

When I flew Icelandair from DUB-KEF a few months ago I paid about a 40% supplement on the base fare to sit in Saga Premium, which is a 2+2 arrangement compared to 3+3 in the back.

If Aer Lingus (or indeed anyone else) offered something like that I'd take it in a heartbeat.

kevinandrew

A well known YouTube flight reviewer/blogger is flying Aer Lingus to the US today but has been told immediately by crew there is absolutely no filming allowed.

Obviously he has said he will comply with the rules but it has left a sour taste which is now shared with many of his followers on social media, some reporting their own similar experiences with Aer Lingus.

I understand cabin crew have a right to privacy and nobody wants to be filmed while at work but the way in which crew inform passengers of this rule appears increasingly hostile. It seems there’s an assumption by crew and the airline that staff are going to be filmed when this is rarely the case. The airline may need to reconsider how strictly this rule is enforced and train staff accordingly because today they’ve missed out on some potentially great publicity and have actually attracted negative attention.

Other airlines and their crews are happy to accommodate such videos and reviews, whether they’re impromptu or not.

Jamie2k9

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118859980#Comment_118859980

Not as if he films crew directly and not sure they are stop you filming either.

Hopefully a better crew on BOS leg.