Has anyone here had either good or bad experiences using Air Lingus? We are are on the Best of Ireland tour next September and are looking at their non-stop flight from San Francisco to Dublin. My wife and I used them many many years ago on our first trip to Ireland (mid 80’s) but we had to fly to NY to get our flight to Shannon.
Thanks!
Had a great experience flying round-trip between Seattle and Dublin on Aer Lingus in summer 2019 (we also flew regional Aer Lingus planes between Dublin and Edinburgh). I would fly them again with no hesitation.
I've flown Aer Lingus multiple times (including earlier in October) from Boston to elsewhere in Europe with a layover in Dublin. The experiences has been good. No complaints. Food was decent. Staff was friendly. Checked bags always make it to final destination. I will continue to fly Aer Lingus as long as their prices remain attractive vs. other airlines.
I'm going to suggest that most first-tier airlines, or airlines that you've heard of, will have similar experiences and your chances of a good flight are quite good.
You could always dig around Flyertalk to see what the hardened road warriors think, but it's a fairly simple flight esp. since it's a nonstop.
The one catch if you do some google is they seemed to be owned by BA but have their feet in several alliances, if the miles matter to you.
We flew Aer Lingus in April Dublin to Seattle. I thought it was a fine flight. We flew coach, so no frills but food was fine, services was good, uneventful flight and made it home safely. We would definitely fly with them again.
Aer Lingus is a primo airline. Once I booked a ticket on United to Ireland, but I was flown there and back on partner Aer Lingus. It was among the best flights I ever had -- attentive, good food and easy check-in. In the end, any airline is good that gets you there.
Whether or not this is important to you, be aware that Aer Lingus does not have a contract with TSA, which means there is no PreCheck option in US airports.
I have flown Aer Lingus many times and it used to be my favorite because of their business class. I have flown out of Chicago and LAX and flown back to Toronto as I have a friend I visit near there before I fly home. My last flight was just a disaster going and coming back. My business seat had no electricity, so no entertainment or even light to read. The lie flat seats weren't working because of the no electricity, but they did manage to finally get the seat to lie flat manually. The flight back to Toronto was on one of their new NEO planes and was 3 and 3 with only one aisle which really made using the toilet difficult especially near a drink or meal time. I had been so loyal to them and recommended them to so many folks. So, I wrote an email to them when I got home expressing how disappointed I had been. When I finally received an answer (weeks later) it wasn't even an apology really. It was more of a "well, you know, stuff happens."
We've flown Aer Lingus economy several times, round trip Seattle/Dublin. The flight is no different than most other airlines: seats are narrower than I like, but the food is adaquate, and the service staff is friendly and efficient. The flight is just 9 hours. The very best thing is that Dublin to Seattle, you go through US immigration/customs in Dublin. When you get to Seattle, you walk off the plane and pick up your luggage. No bureaucracy, no hassles.
This thread from a week ago reflects what posters here say…
