Jaunted - Tag: aer lingus

Fly Ireland to US for 5, Business Class? Nearly!

amandak — 2008-04-21T09:00:02-05:00

A few hundred people thought all their Christmases had come at once last Wednesday when they booked business class fares with Aer Lingus, flying from Ireland to the United States for just €5 (US$8).

In the spirit of Malaysia Airlines' recent bargains this was, of course, a mistake. Blame it on a "technical error."

Unlike Malaysia Airlines, however, Aer Lingus won't honor the accidental tickets. At first, they just canceled the bookings altogether, but now they are offering the passengers economy class seats for the price they paid. There's still a chance of a class action against the airline, but yet again, we're just sad we missed out on such a bargain. Bring on the technical errors!

Related Stories:
· Aer Lingus to Honour €5 Seats [Irish Times]
· Aer Lingus Sells €5 Flights [Lost Weekend]
· Aer Lingus coverage [Jaunted]
· We Missed Malaysia Airlines Missing "1" [Jaunted]

[Photo: akanekal]

JetBlue Teaming Up with Aer Lingus

pbb — 2008-02-01T10:02:07-05:00

First it was ze Germans and Lufthansa. Now JetBlue is teaming up with the Irish in the form of Aer Lingus. Starting April 3, passengers will be able to buy tickets connecting the US to Ireland via JetBlue's hub at JFK in New York. There's been no mention thus far of ticket prices.

While Aer Lingus operates Airbus aircraft like JetBlue, they likely won't have the same in-flight entertainment. (The LiveTV system used in the States is ground-based and so it would be useless over the Atlantic.)

Both airlines are claiming that transferring at JFK will be "seamless," but we're a little less than convinced. True, the AirTrain makes it easy enough to transfer between Terminal 4 and Terminal 6--for flyers who know the airport well. But we can imagine more than a few missed connections among passengers less familiar with the maze that is JFK.

Related Stories:
· JetBlue and Aer Lingus To Set Partnership [WSJ]
· Lufthansa Thrills JetBlue, Confounds Us [Jaunted]
· Inside JetBlue's New Terminal 5 [Jaunted]
· JetBlue coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Cubbie_n_Vegas]

Who's the King of the Lost Luggage?

amandak — 2007-12-14T09:35:01-05:00

There's a long list of complaints people often make about airlines, but a recent study by the European Consumer Centre confirms that lost luggage problems top the list, at least in Europe.

In the survey, they found that 33% of all complaints from passengers were about lost luggage, and that the number had doubled since 2005. The biggest offenders were Ryanair and Aer Lingus--funny, because we always thought British Airways was the champion of lost luggage. (Perhaps we got that mixed up with their terrible record of flight punctuality?)

The European Consumer Centre thinks that the penalties airlines pay over lost luggage should be higher, and that there should be a mandatory emergency payment made to all passengers when their luggage is lost. But wouldn't that spoil the fun of trying to use the same set of clothes for three or four days?

Related Stories:
· European Carriers to Receive Harsher Penalties [eTravel]
· Another Bad Day for BA [Jaunted]

[Photo: jasonpearce]

Jaunted Readers Wanna Know: Can I Carry On My Guitar?

pbb — 2007-09-25T13:30:01-05:00

We cover the world of travel non-stop, so we like to think we know a thing or two about airlines. But every now and then we get a question that stumps us, so we're putting it out there to see what you have to say. Our reader Anne wants to know:

I am flying tomorrow: Lyon to Dublin on Aer Lingus. Can I bring my guitar in its soft case aboard the plane? I do not own a hard carrying case.

According to Aer Lingus, musical instruments need their own seat if they're too big to be called hand baggage. And a guitar and case would exceed the 56 cm by 45 cm by 25 cm limits on carry-on bags. Officially, the airline doesn't care if you bring a guitar on board, just as long as it's under the maximum size.

But guitars are funny things, and we've seen our share on board a number of airlines. Our plan of action would be to act extra-polite when checking in and hope the desk agent looks the other way. But remember, Aer Lingus is becoming a low cost carrier, and those LCCs love to nickel-and-dime. So no matter how nice you are, getting that guitar on board isn't a sure thing.

Related Stories:
· Aer Lingus Baggage Policies [Official Site]
· Aer Lingus coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: odegaard]

No Lucky Irish At Aer Lingus This Week

amandak — 2007-08-20T09:40:25-05:00

The national Irish airline, the needs-a-name-change Aer Lingus company, is in chaos right now: conflict over a proposed change of base to Belfast along with the connected salary and working conditions have sent pilots into a two-day strike, beginning tomorrow. All long-haul flights have been canceled and other services are being run on a limited basis.

At the same time, Aer Lingus has been getting a few nasty comments on the web. Guess that is what happens when you start charging for online seat selection, anything up to £10 per leg.

But don't worry, despite the nasty message you might get from the Aer Lingus website if you don't assign yourself a seat and pay up, you can still fly. Ponying up for a seat assignment simply is not part of your contract of carriage.