I think the extra charges for seating with no added advantage and the added charges for baggage are excessive compared to other airlines.
I had zero issues with the flight. I did have issues with the staff at the airport. We missed out flight due to a delay with another airline. Talking to the staff and trying to get a new flight arranged was challenging. One guy was able to try to help us and got us on a new flight, but other staff was dismissive and clearly let us know it wasn’t their problem. All I kept thinking was… this is why air lingus has such a poor customer service reputation. I will be avoiding this airline in the future.
The boarding process was not good. From check-in, there was only one desk for check-in, which made for a very long line. I asked to print out my boarding pass for the next leg of my trip, also via Aer Lingus, and they said they couldn't. I was unable to do this on the app or online, either. Many fellow passengers I spoke to had the same issue. Because the plane was delayed taking off by 90 minutes, everyone had to quickly go to a desk for their next boarding pass which was chaos. Overall it wasn't a smooth or happy experience.
They specifically asked about my flight from bordeaux to Dublin, which was fine. A little lacking but for a 1 and a half hour flight - it was more than enough. I transferred at Dublin and went to Newark. And wow that flight was incredible.
I liked that I went thru customs in Dublin instead of having to do that in LA.
Aer Lingus unfortunately seems more like a budget airline than a national carrier. The plane was fine. The crew seemed a bit hurried and without that Irish charm (which may be an inappropriate stereotype and maybe not to be expected on a long international flight but other carriers seem to pull it off). My biggest complaint was that my gold status on Alaska Airlines--which gets me into lounges with BA and other partner airlines--was not accepted at lounges in Rome or Dublin, despite Aer Lingus on paper anyway partnering with Alaska. But the flight itself through Kayak was several hundred dollars cheaper than others, so overall, the right decision. Also, be aware that US customs on flights from Dublin occurs in Dublin (like Canadian airports) so if you have a connection or are just departing from Ireland, give yourself enough time (up to 30 minutes) to negotiate all of the lines. Still better than going through customs in the US after a 10 hour flight.
My flight from Dublin was delayed two hours which ment that I missed my connecting flight to Phoenix. American Airlines provided a hotel room and rebooked my flight for 7:30 AM the next day. I didn't get to the room until 11 pm and I had to be at the airport the next day by 5 AM. The airlines did their best but the schedule was challenging for an 81 year old.
Fast and sensible boarding was absolutely amazing. But extortionate wifi and seats that barely moved, making me unable to sleep, didn't do a lot of favors.
No food service. A sandwich at this hour would have been good. My 1st time on AL so didn't look into pre board purchase options.
There was a mixup with our tickets. They said they did not receive payment for them but yet we had seat assignments. We had to purchase last-minute tickets which cost us three times as much. that’s why they got a rated of a one.
