tcreath

I'm trying to figure out if trans-atlantic Aer Lingus flights between Chicago and Dublin have the in-flight entertainment systems at each seat in economy? I checked out seatguru.com, but Aer Lingus is not listed, and the Aer Lingus website is of little help. While the entertainment systems aren't as nice on the way over (as we both take Ambien and sleep), they really make the return flight home more enjoyable. The plane, both directions, is an Airbus Industrie A330. Does anyone know about this?

A general question: how does Aer Lingus compare to, say, American? We are considering a similar American Airlines flight as well. Also I noticed that Aer Lingus is part of the OneWorld Alliance. If I book through Aer Lingus will I be able to get my miles?

Thanks!
Tracy

lawchick

Personal screens in business.
Over head screens in cattle

tcreath

Thank you very much for the response. That was what I was afraid of. Can anyone else respond to my other questions?

Thanks!
Tracy

rkkwan

AA uses 767-300 for ORD-DUB. No individual screens in coach either.

aa.com has information about collecting AAdvantage miles. Only Y, H & K fares in economy earn AA miles. Other discount fares don't.

tcreath

Thank you very much. I am looking at the Aer Lingus website. How do I know which fare class my fare falls in?

rkkwan

After you choose your flights, you'll come to the page with the final price. Near the bottom, they want you to check a box to acknowledge you understand the fare rule. Click on the fare rule, and you'll get a new window. In the bottom, the "Fare Basis Codes" are displayed.

For example, I picked 1/8 - 1/13. The outbound cost like $319, and the return $129. The codes are listed as:

KLUSOBE - EI124
RLUSOBE - EI125

The outbound is therefore a "K" fare that earns 100% AA miles; retunr is a "R" fare that earns nothing.

lawchick

If you book quickly you can get the flight for about 300 bucks incl. taxes. Thats pretty good!

Gardyloo

And to answer the other half, Aer Lingus has a pretty bad reputation for comfort and service in coach, not that AA hasn't degraded its own coach product a lot in the past year.

You'll get full AA miles on any AA flight, unless you buy from some discounter or bucket shop that sells some of the (very rare) fare classes that earn nothing. (You would be highly unlikely to see these if you buy through aa.com or one of the main agencies like Orbitz et al.)

wojazz3

I didn't find aer lingus any les comfrtable than American.

aggiegirl

In my opinion, Aer Lingus is very no frills and the service by the flight crew was not good at all. The flight "entertainment" was also disappointing. On the Baltimore-Shannon flight, they do not have personal screens.

tcreath

Thank you all so much for your replies. I ended up going with AA. By the way, I got 2 roundtrip tickets Chicago to Dublin for $804.00! We leave March 17 and come back on the 26th. In the end I wanted the full miles (saving them up for a New Zealand trip) and I booked on AA with my AA credit card so I should get some bonus miles.

After much debate (we were debating between Croatia and Ireland) we decided to go with Ireland as we don't have as much vacation time as we originally thought we would have. It will be our first trip to Ireland, and we are so excited!

Thanks again!
Tracy

Melissa5

wojazz3, I heard you, and since I'm about to have flights booked on Aer Lingus for Ireland, I appreciate your comment that you found Aer Lingus as comfortable as American.

The best airline I have ever flown on was Lufthansa. So far nothing else I have tried since then has compared. (That was June 2004, at the suggestion of my AAA travel agent.)

Boy have prices gone up since June 2004! (for July 2006 travel they have really gone up.) Also, I don't know why, but we can't get reasonably priced airfare any more from San Diego to LAX. it would be like around $255 a person, times 4 people! And Los Angeles is only a couple hours drive from us! It's cheaper for us to drive up to LA, get a hotel that apparently offers free parking for the duration of your trip, then return to that hotel after we fly back and get our car! (I learned this from my AAA travel agent.)

Although I book my trips on my own, I sometimes use my friendly AAA travel agent for booking overseas flights, because she's experienced and books flights all the time, she knows the latest of which airline is doing what, and she knows which airlines her latest customers have been happy or unhappy on.

I just read over what I said above, and I used the words AAA travel agent 4 times now! No, I don't work for AAA. But if you're a person like me, who has some travel phobias (like refusing to fly for 3 years, that was me, and getting claustrophobia on planes), finding the right travel agent, who is friendly and experienced but NOT pushy, can really get you started with loving travel.

If anyone wants to know how to find a good travel agent, you want to choose the busiest one, who never has a moment of free time...she/he will be the best one, that's why they are busy. I tried several and actually chose mine because she was patient with my travel phobias and didn't make me want to run screaming out of the office like some of the others had! She was knowledgeable and friendly. She didn't need to be pushy because she always has plenty of sales. She's always helping somebody else when I come in. (A good sign!) She actually helped me start flying again. Now I book most things on my own. wow I have gotten way off the subjct.

Anyway thanks wojazz3!

Melissa5

tcreath, have fun in Ireland!

I just got tickets for Aer Lingus LAX to Dublin (and then on to shannon.) Returning Dublin to LAX. Sometimes I book my own flights on-line but this time had my AAA travel agent do it.

I asked her about upgrades like those entertainment systems everyone is talking about. She told me that even when you know what type of plane you will be on, you could have an individual plane that has been upgraded, and another one that hasn't been upgraded. It is impossible to ensure that you will definitely get one of the upgraded ones, apparently. (I think this would be true for any airline.)

12perfectdays

Melissa5
We took Aer Lingus in October LAX to Dub and although our flight there had the overhead screens, coming back we had the individual screens.

The last 2 years we've taken American Airlines to Kauai, HI and all was well. I really did not notice a difference in coach on both planes in regards to room. The AA planes seem a little nicer looking on the inside but over-all I felt that the food service and customer service from Aer Lingus was above our American Air experiences.

The few times we needed anything from the attendants they were quick to help. I plan to use them again if the fare is right for our next Ireland trip!

Dawn

Melissa5

Dawn, nice to hear from someone who has taken the Aer Lingus flights between LAX and Ireland. Thanks for taking the time to share. Sounds like both tcreath and I can each be satisfied with our airline decisions, as AA and Aer Lingus each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

As for me, I'm happy to hear you were pleased with the food service and customer service on Aer Lingus, and that you would fly them again. Maybe we will get the individual screens on one leg of our trip like you did...I've never had them before.

Shadow

Melissa-on our flight to Dublin this past April we had the screens coming and going...on our flight to Dublin last month (yes, I went 2 times this year) we only had the indiv. screens coming back..Dub-LAX....so, you never know!
Shadow