best airline between Edinburg and Dublin

Ryan Air does not seem to be anybody's favorite, but it gets you there. See also www.skyscanner.com.

I avoid Ryan Air due to the nickel & diming, that cattle drive feeling, and generally glum attitude of the flight attendants; but they are sometimes convenient. Beware that Ryan Air is super strict on baggage, including carry-ons. They charge you if you don't check-in online, they charge for the boarding pass if you don't print at home, they charge for everything.

Whatever you choose, be sure to read all of the fees and baggage info carefully.

We did Aer Lingus (Aer Arann) from Edinburgh to Dublin last August. Good flight, good service, no problems.

It's easy to avoid RyanAir's extra charges - follow their rules. It's that simple. Pay attention to the weight/carryon rules, the check-in deadline, and everything else. You can check in for your flight and print your boarding pass days in advance, so there is no reason not to do so. They have always been on time or early when I have flown with them, and the flights are short enough that you really don't need snacks and drinks (but you can buy them if you want). I will play their game every time if it gets me a $20 flight.

We flew Aer Lingus last year with no issues so we decided to re-book this year with Aer Lingus. I almost booked Ryanair but it didn't seem that the fares were that much different once I added in checked luggage and seat selection. However, we did have the benefit of two pieces of checked luggage and seat selections free through to all of our destinations because the intra-Europe flights were booked in conjunction with a transatlantic flight.

If you can pick an Are Lingus flight around the same time of a competing Ryanair flight, you will save time and money on your trip from Edinburgh to Dublin. I didn't mind my Ryanair experience....it was almost like a "right of passage". You may have a good experience or a bad one on Ryanair but you will quickly find yourself in the company of many on both sides of the divide.

I'm not really sure how you could save time, since both airlines use the same airports, the security procedures are the same and take the same amount of time, and the flights are the same length.

Where time can be saved is at the airport. Since Aer Lingus does not charge a baggage fee for the first checked bag, the baggage process is quicker. Granted, you can pay that fee in advance with Ryanair but if you didn't or you decided later that you wanted to check a bag, you will have to take care of that at the airport. Aer Lingus also uses the newer Terminal 2 and appears to have a larger customer service presence to help with other issues that may crop up. True, the airlines fly the same routes that are equal distance apart...I have just personally found the Aer Lingus process to be more streamlined and efficient. They were also named one of the safest low cost airlines in the world this year. Still, Ryanair is a great option.