Best business cabin DUB - NYC or SFO 2022

Pete123456

Which do you think is the best business class cabin for a trip from DUB - NYC and DUB to SFO?

I may be flying later in the year with work but also I was considering bringing my OH for bday next year.

I reckon the options are Delta, Aer Lingus and United primarily - which would you choose or are they more or less equal? Preferably direct to US to avail of preclearance.

I also realise the seat map makes a difference but then again isn’t it subject to change?

goingnowhere

DUB - SFO only direct option is Aer Lingus

Seats 3k/5k are probably the best business class seat on any airline flying the North Atlantic

DUB - NYC,

JFK

Delta or Aer Lingus both fly A330-300, Aer Lingus is double daily and use the JetBlue terminal which is nicer...

EWR

United 767 (weird single seat in the middle) or 757

Aer Lingus A321neo (seats 3C/3K/5C/5K)

Pete123456

Thanks for your comments guys, I didn’t actually spot EWR as a destination I was focussed on JFK but the price looks to be the same so maybe the smaller cabin is the better shout. A throne seat each for myself and the other half is probably ideal.

will see once the dates become available if I’ll stick with a return EI flight or possibly go with United in a multi city with the “bring back business” fare through work - seems to bring prices down about 10%

faceman

Depending on where your work is in the Bay Area, it might be worth considering the BA flight to San Jose. It hasn’t restarted yet but no doubt will.

They use the 787 for the route and because San Jose has so few international flights, you breeze through immigration (and the baggage hall)

The EI direct flight to SFO is great but pre covid the baggage hall often took 40 minutes to get the bags out.

Pete123456

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027992#Comment_119027992

Thanks - yeah it might be a good shout. 40mins sounds like a joke to be honest but hopefully that has improved since!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119028289#Comment_119028289

Yeah 250 credits plus one or two European flights for a year+ of Silver sounds like a good deal given I’m planning to go business regardless

goingnowhere

A few insights

SFO you have priority security by class of travel/status not TSA precheck. No TSA in SFO, its private so its a nicer experience. Arriving international gets you direct access to the BART service, arriving domestic at SFO you have to take the shuttle train.

You can carry two full size carry ons in Biz on Aer Lingus, but yes baggage handling at SFO can be slow, but J class gets priority handling

SJC is a good option if you are heading to the south of SFO to the 'valley' but for say Mountain View or Sunnyvale the difference is negligible. SJC by BA wasn't exactly reliable as they would cancel SJC and put you on the SFO flight.

Aer Lingus fight timings are helpful as you can avoid an early start flying out and still arrive SFO at a useful time

cson

I mean its definitely still TSA in SFO, it might be a specific J channel but it's TSA working it.

Fwiw OP, UA on the return will get you into the Polaris lounge in EWR and those lounges are very nice.

There's not a huge amount between DL/UA/EI for the actual on board transatlantic J product imo, the newer Delta One suites are probably the pick of the options closely followed by a throne EI seat. As folks have mentioned, it might worth factoring in that you'd be very close to AerClub Silver after that flight so if you've planned EI travel over the next 18 months I'd plump for that option.

Pete123456

Thanks for the suggestion! Yeah probably best to go with EI as I’ll likely hit Silver if not platinum… thanks everyone