Aer Lingus Fleet/Routes Discussion

JCX BXC · 02-07-2019 07:28PM

Would they not keep a 757 for the route?

kevinandrew · 02-07-2019 07:58PM

JCX BXC wrote: »

Would they not keep a 757 for the route?

Pretty sure one 757 is remaining well into next summer already.

Speaking of the A321LR, there's been no sign of EI-LRA for over a month now...

Tenger · 02-07-2019 09:24PM

JCX BXC wrote: »

Would they not keep a 757 for the route?

Was posted a week or 2 ago. 3 B757s leaving before December. Last one staying on to March. Im gonna guess the 4th A321LR is due then.
This leaves them a B757 to operate MSP over the Winter.

joeysoap · 02-07-2019 10:08PM

If a couple of the 321LR’s are also doing Europe runs after the TA it would have a double knock on if the TA was cancelled for any reason.

Current 321’s require 5 crew as they have 212 seats. AL will reduce this to under 200 on the 321LR, at the expense of business class seats. Is one crew member ( presumably the senior) going to service business class on his/her own?

Is it ok for 3 crew is to look after the other 180 odd?

Tenger · 02-07-2019 10:17PM

Well over the weekend the Examiner had an article. They cancelled BOS-SNN due “crew illness”. The aircraft flew to Shannon in order to operate the SNN-BOS sector the next day.

I’m sure some slack will be build into the operation. As per the A330s doing EU flights, there are 4-5 landing at 5am, one of which operates DUB-AGP.

alancostello · 02-07-2019 10:23PM

joeysoap wrote: »

Is one crew member ( presumably the senior) going to service business class on his/her own?

Is it ok for 3 crew is to look after the other 180 odd?

That's how it works on the 757, also economy is 168 seats on the A321LR (only up 3 over the 757 at 165), the problem, as previously discussed in this thread, is one crew member potentially serving 16 business seats over the current 12 on the 757.

Unless cabin crew members are being trained now and are being told how service will run (and want to tell us/someone passes it along), we likely won't find out how service will be done until the aircraft are operating the routes.

Locker10a · 02-07-2019 10:51PM

alancostello wrote: »

That's how it works on the 757, also economy is 168 seats on the A321LR (only up 3 over the 757 at 165), the problem, as previously discussed in this thread, is one crew member potentially serving 16 business seats over the current 12 on the 757.

Unless cabin crew members are being trained now and are being told how service will run (and want to tell us/someone passes it along), we likely won't find out how service will be done until the aircraft are operating the routes.

It will be the exact same as the 757 I’d say but just slower
Also is economy on the 321 not going to be 174?

alancostello · 02-07-2019 11:41PM

Locker10a wrote: »

It will be the exact same as the 757 I’d say but just slower
Also is economy on the 321 not going to be 174?

ExpertFlyer shows 28 6-abreast rows for the A321NEOLR

Locker10a · 03-07-2019 12:15AM

alancostello wrote: »

ExpertFlyer shows 28 6-abreast rows for the A321NEOLR

Yep and the EI seatmap on their website shows 28 rows of economy, putting the economy seat count at 168, plus the 16 business class seats makes a total of 184 revenue seats onboard.

sherology · 03-07-2019 01:44PM

Locker10a wrote: »

It will be the exact same as the 757 I’d say but just slower
Also is economy on the 321 not going to be 174?

United trialled '3-course' single tray biz service on a few of their routes recently to allow for a shorter meal service and more quiet/sleep time for their overnight biz passengers. (Not an economy meal - just pre-plated biz food on a larger tray.

Might be an idea for EI on their shorter transatlantic flights... Can't imagine they're would be much flack from passengers if what they get is still good food.

I did notice (from economy) coming back from Toronto that the lights in biz cabin were still on 3hrs into the flight.

Jamie2k9 · 03-07-2019 10:31PM

Appears Faro has a daily A333 assigned like Malaga for 2020 (up from current 1 weekly).

Bussywussy · 03-07-2019 10:40PM

sherology wrote: »

United trialled '3-course' single tray biz service on a few of their routes recently to allow for a shorter meal service and more quiet/sleep time for their overnight biz passengers. (Not an economy meal - just pre-plated biz food on a larger tray.

Might be an idea for EI on their shorter transatlantic flights... Can't imagine they're would be much flack from passengers if what they get is still good food.

Think they already offer that in EI

Tenger · 04-07-2019 11:31AM

Bussywussy wrote: »

Think they already offer that in EI

They only do that out of the US. I’m guessing as those are thru the night flights.

Bussywussy · 04-07-2019 01:09PM

Tenger wrote: »

They only do that out of the US. I’m guessing as those are thru the night flights.

Ya that's when I was offered it

goingnowhere · 04-07-2019 02:36PM

There is a quick meal offering on the overnight flights, otherwise its the full service. Limited food choice for this option.

sherology · 04-07-2019 04:46PM

goingnowhere wrote: »

There is a quick meal offering on the overnight flights, otherwise its the full service. Limited food choice for this option.

Seems like making it protocol might reduce staff effort and increase the sleep time. No doubt there's a way to streamline the meal service if it's a one person task.

That said, on the LR, with it single aisle, maybe it'll be 1-front/1-back on meal/drink service with two in biz. Time will tell I guess. Arriving this month right?

goingnowhere · 04-07-2019 09:14PM

The key with the 321 is 4 more business seats vs the 757. That could push the balance in favour of another crew member. Revenue wise filling a single extra business seat pays for the extra crew member

The union could demand the established 5 crew on A321, did the A321 have 5 or 6 when in Euro biz all those years ago?

Shamrockj · 04-07-2019 09:43PM

goingnowhere wrote: »

The key with the 321 is 4 more business seats vs the 757. That could push the balance in favour of another crew member. Revenue wise filling a single extra business seat pays for the extra crew member

The union could demand the established 5 crew on A321, did the A321 have 5 or 6 when in Euro biz all those years ago?

It was 7 I'm sure! The 330 was at one stage 11 and with less seats!

Conor84 · 04-07-2019 10:47PM

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Appears Faro has a daily A333 assigned like Malaga for 2020 (up from current 1 weekly).

That seems to make sense with the demand on that route - up to 4 flights a day this year. With extra frames and some transatlantic departures leaving later it seems to be apart of an overall further increase in aircraft utilisation.Also with the shortage of stands at Dublin it makes sense to have another aircraft away before others arrive.

With 2 extra A330s this year will this mean that Aer Lingus will at last have a standby aircraft for transatlantic services? With the extent of the flying programme now they have managed to survive with only a reserve aircraft a few days a week and presumably that is the bare minimum for routine maintenance. One of the new A330s will be required to cover the increase in frequency to Seattle and the transfer of the MSP route to the A330 so I am guessing this is the plan for the second new aircraft unless new route(s) are announced?

I know 4 A321LRs are due soon but how many will there be for peak Summer 2020. This year the original plan was for 4 7575s and 2 A321LR to cover Shannon - Boston and New York and then Hartford, Philadelphia, MSP and Montreal from Dublin. With MSP gone to the A330 that still seems to suggest 5 smaller transatlantic aircraft needed but have only read mention of 4.

Jamie2k9 · 05-07-2019 04:00PM

Indo journalist John Mulligan has pics of A321LR (includ inside) in Hamburg. Guess some sort of press trip. If somebody could link his twitter.

rameire · 05-07-2019 04:07PM

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Indo journalist John Mulligan has pics of A321LR (includ inside) in Hamburg. Guess some sort of press trip. If somebody could link his twitter.

https://twitter.com/JMulliganIndo/status/1147116135718035457

https://twitter.com/JMulliganIndo/status/1147092952558313472

https://twitter.com/JMulliganIndo/status/1147116319269163008

sherology · 05-07-2019 04:07PM

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Indo journalist John Mulligan has pics of A321LR (includ inside) in Hamburg. Guess some sort of press trip. If somebody could link his twitter.

The interior (only interesting one really): https://twitter.com/JMulliganIndo/status/1147116319269163008?s=20

kevinandrew · 05-07-2019 06:28PM

Interesting choice for economy, dark grey by the looks of it.

alancostello · 05-07-2019 06:40PM

kevinandrew wrote: »

Interesting choice for economy, dark grey by the looks of it.

It's the Recaro CL3710, same as Iberia and BA have on their A350s in Economy, so must be the new long-haul economy seat for IAG, it'll get a green/white doily over the headrest which will be the personalisation.

sherology · 05-07-2019 07:21PM

alancostello wrote: »

It's the Recaro CL3710, same as Iberia and BA have on their A350s in Economy, so must be the new long-haul economy seat for IAG, it'll get a green/white doily over the headrest which will be the personalisation.

It looks like (or I thought it looked like) it's just the seat-frame without the padding and covers??? Maybe they're changing the interiors.

kevinandrew · 05-07-2019 07:42PM

alancostello wrote: »

kevinandrew wrote: »

Interesting choice for economy, dark grey by the looks of it.

It's the Recaro CL3710, same as Iberia and BA have on their A350s in Economy, so must be the new long-haul economy seat for IAG, it'll get a green/white doily over the headrest which will be the personalisation.

It seems both Iberia and BA have much more customisation though, BA have their A350 seats in light blue with additional padding while Iberia have chosen a red/brown colour.

Also, don't Aer Lingus already have the CL3710 in their newer A330s?

Tenger · 05-07-2019 09:36PM

goingnowhere wrote: »

The key with the 321 is 4 more business seats vs the 757. That could push the balance in favour of another crew member. Revenue wise filling a single extra business seat pays for the extra crew member

The union could demand the established 5 crew on A321, did the A321 have 5 or 6 when in Euro biz all those years ago?

As noted above, EI had 7 crew on the A321s in 1998-2002. Full service delivered DUB-LHR-DUB. At the same time they had 11 crew on the old A330s, LAX was delivered in 1999.

EI currently have 5 crew on their A321. While I recognise that this is perhaps based on door config and/or capacity, surely the union can use this as precedent for 5 crew on the A321LR.
Personally I feel have 40% of the TA fleet susceptible to "crew illness" is a business risk. They may be doing fine currently with only 4 B757s, but the plan is to have 14 A321LR/XLRs in 3-4 years.

Marcusm · 06-07-2019 10:28AM

alancostello wrote: »

It's the Recaro CL3710, same as Iberia and BA have on their A350s in Economy, so must be the new long-haul economy seat for IAG, it'll get a green/white doily over the headrest which will be the personalisation.

Antimacassar, although few people oil their hair these days.

1123heavy · 06-07-2019 12:05PM

Those seats in economy look horrendously uncomfortable and too close together for a transatlantic flight, my word. I hope it's just the angle but the 330 seats look way more comfortable and less compacted. I don't like the idea of that recaro seat to go over the atlantic with, I can barely go across Europe in one. The current padded seats are very comfortable and more suited in my opinion

Locker10a · 06-07-2019 12:55PM

1123heavy wrote: »

Those seats in economy look horrendously uncomfortable and too close together for a transatlantic flight, my word. I hope it's just the angle but the 330 seats look way more comfortable and less compacted. I don't like the idea of that recaro seat to go over the atlantic with, I can barely go across Europe in one. The current padded seats are very comfortable and more suited in my opinion

Remains to be seen, we can’t really judge from one blurry photo!

Aer Lingus Fleet/Routes Discussion

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