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Dublin Airport Bus Service Changes

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    #1022
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,578 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121994063#Comment_121994063

    I didn’t mean now as it’s long after the event but rather yesterday at the time. No one would even have been the wiser about your identity as you didn’t need to link the tweet here but could have merely referenced it.

    Sometimes there’s a bigger picture to life and I’d personally value helping someone out more than making a point about Aircoach and their very clear shortcomings which I agree fall well short of what you’d expect of a bus company,

    It’s a rather sad point in society where people don’t see helping others out as a civic thing to do. But hey that’s just me.



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    #1023
    monument
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,073 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    Back on topic, please. The topic isn't why a boards.ie user isn't posting something on Twitter… devnull has already answered the question far more than anybody would expected to.

    Thank you,

    moderator



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    #1024
    mickmmc
    Registered Users Posts: 202 ✭✭mickmmc


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121912168#Comment_121912168

    A comparision between Go Bus and Aircoach - Cork Dublin

    I travelled on Gobus Cork to Dublin Airport for the first time recently for timing reasons.

    I was disappointed to find that the Volvo 9900 on the route had no footrest. I find it great to rest your legs on the footrest for this long journey. Also, the Volvo 9900 seat was a bit hard. The leg room is good with a table and net for storing items.

    The Tourismos on the Cork route are a fine coach with a footrest, comfortable seat and good heating. The drawback of the Aircoach Tourismos is that the legroom is limited.

    I find the Panthers are terrible for rattling and have poor heating. The Tourismo has solved those issues for me at least on the Cork route.



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    #1025
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,540 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009127#Comment_122009127

    I’ve used both, the new Aircoach Merc and the Citylink/Gobus Volvo 9900 same weekend.

    The new Aircoach Mercs are terrible, the fact that I’ve only used in once and have religiously used the Citylink service a dozen times since says it all!

    Yes, no leg rest, sort of a personal thing, it does mean more space for luggage. I’ve never really liked or used them, but I’m sure you/other prefer it.

    But no table, no net, no plug sockets, no curtains and the USB ports being overhead is all pretty rubbish and cheap. Folks having to hold their phone in their hand for three hours with the USB cable dangling down sucks!

    I also didn’t find the seats are particularly comfortable.

    But by far the worst is the legroom, I’m not a tall person, but it is far too cramped and it makes the whole experience miserable on a busy coach. The guy next to me had to spread his legs wide to fit, thus encroaching on my space too making it uncomfortable for us both. When I was on it there were lots of miserable looking folks with legs uncomfortably squeezed against the seat in front of them or trying to dangle the legs out in the passage way (which is helped by the Aisle seats able to move out).

    Maybe it would be somewhat okay on a quiet coach, if the seat next to you was free, but a busy coach it is miserable.

    The Citylink Volvo 9900 is VASTLY superior IMO, no comparison. I go to Cork monthly, I was on the Aircoach Merc almost a year ago and haven’t been back!

    Post edited by bk on


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    #1026
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,592 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122009127#Comment_122009127

    The problem with the Tourismo is it could and should have been a good coach for them and a vast improvement on Panthers. But expecting to get a full sized wheelchair lift and a toilet and 53 seats in the shortest variant was a stupid decision but honestly does not surprise me considering how much the company has regressed over the years in terms of the onboard environment

    They either had to go for a slightly longer variant or cut a row of seats. But their unwillingness to compromise and their penny wise and pound foolish decisions are at fault here. Look at how much they threw at the Galway route and Derry route so far. Some of that money would have been far better spent on going for the longer Tourismo with USB ports in the right place and still having curtains. But instead they spent a fair whack on premium coach model only to heavily scrimp on the spec. Nuts.

    Sadly being 6ft3 the Aircoach Cork service is the last option for me these days as the experience does not offer a pleasant experience.



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    #1027
    ULEZ23
    Registered Users Posts: 300 ✭✭ULEZ23


    on the old Volvo 9600 you could slide the seat out an inch or two towards the aisle via a lever under the seat. Majority of travellers didn’t know this comfortable feature



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    #1028
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,540 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122012761#Comment_122012761

    Including myself! Despite taking the 9700’s for years, I didn’t know this!

    Not that you really needed it, they had plenty of space.

    The reason I know the Aircoach Mercs have it is because when I was on it the driver went down the rows showing people how to do it and even help them do it. Which was great of him, but a clear sign that they knew people were very uncomfortable with the legroom on it.

    BTW do the 9900’s have this feature?



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    #1029
    p_haugh
    Registered Users Posts: 1,135 ✭✭✭p_haugh


    ...

    https://m.independent.ie/business/were-flying-everything-is-ahead-of-schedule-dublin-express-on-track-for-record-growth-amid-looming-parking-shortage-at-airport/a310054567.html

    Wonder what new routes/locations they could potentially serve...



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    #1030
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,592 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122137538#Comment_122137538

    One of the key paragraphs there is the fact that they have now done a deal with Ryanair as the airline market is one of few commercial areas they didn't have cornered.

    They are very much actively commercially and I've heard from a number of sources they are looking at possibilities to grow the business by organic growth, potential acquisitions and tenders. They have a dedicated staff member now whose sole job is to grow the organisation via these three strands.

    I wouldn't be surprised to see DX to grow substantially over the next few years, they've got people who know the way things work and are commercially very savvy and are prepared to really have a go and think outside the box. At first I was sceptical about them coming to Ireland but they've proven me wrong.



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    #1031
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,592 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    Aircoach Update

    • On the subject of Aircoach, they've had vehicles around south Dublin a fair bit recently doing what appears to be test runs for possible changes to their 700/702/703 routes. For several days it was the same time every day that they were doing loops of various places so it suggests some changes may well be on the cards in the future.

    • Aircoach have also relaunched the coach tracker, but I cannot say the UI is great. All it does is allow you to pick the scheduled time of your departure from your stop and then shows you where all the coaches are on that route on a map. Even when you click a coach on the map it only shows the time that coach was due to leave the terminus and there is no functionality to give an ETA of when the coach might arrive. Being able to see them on the map is helpful, but for a tourist it really would be helpful to show an estimated time. Considering how long it's been down for, it's disappointing.

    • Student tickets are no longer available on the 704X/705X. However the way they've gone about this is really poor. If you select a student rather than an adult on the booking system and select a to/from point on these routes, it simply tells you no services are found. Which makes it look like no tickets are available. Surely it's not too hard to simply do what they do on the 700, which is not even allow a student ticket to be selected on the home page?




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    #1032
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,592 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122015473#Comment_122015473

    It's certainly an option on the spec, but I don't know about the GoBus ones. Typically the one time I got it in the last few months there was a sub!



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