Aer Lingus - business class

[clairedent]

hiya - british airways flights are too expensive for time we want to go to Orlando so looking at booking Aer Lingus from Dublin in business class. Looking at the plane layout it looks as though there is a slight divider between seats. As travelling with a 5 year old I want to be able to see my son without obstructing views and also want to hold hands mid flying. Has anyone flown in their business class to advise? Many thanks.

 

[saintrob]

We've flown business class on the Orlando route with Aer Lingus. The seats were in pairs with no obstruction between either seat. I did hear that there were some upgrades due to happen in the business cabin so I don't know if this would affect the seat configuration. The cabin was fabulous by the way!

 

[albuhay]

In the old cabin there was no divider between the seats. However, the new cabin does have dividers but they can be pulled back. I'm not sure if all of the planes have been upgraded yet but you can see some pictures/video of the new cabin here and get an idea of if it would suit you guys .

 

[DISWolves]

We are flying DUB - MCO for our third time this year. 2015 we had the new cabin config and it was much better all round. Lots of space, great IFE and free wifi on board. The seats are lie flat whereas the 2014 cabin had a 15 degree slope. The new seats also have inbuilt massage.
The new seat layout is 2 - 2 - 1 across the cabin and then 1 - 2 - 2
The personal seat space is bigger than BA cabins. No problem with the seat dividers
Have a look here

 

[ABZDisneyFan]

We are big fans of the Aer Lingus business class product & will be flying with them again on our next trip.
I'll get the disclaimer in now that we haven't flown in the new cabin but from the reviews & photos that I have seen you'll have no problem with the dividers.

 

[Ironbark]

I've been Aer Lingus business class a couple of time with my little boy, now 3. The new seats are much better, they allocated us a pair at the front right of the cabin, and I put DS in the window seat, so he has to climb over me to escape! You'll definitely be able to see and interact with him.

 

[Tahariel]

I know this thread is about the business class; but has anyone flown economy with Aer Lingus? I've never flown with them before and am a little worried. It'sa long flight and I want it to be as good as possible. Don't think we'll be able to afford an upgrade to business :/

 

[Woodview]

Aer Lingus is one of the best Airlines ......... in economy.

Plenty of leg room seat back Screens ... choose your movies... Free earplug headsets .. Up to date movies .. etc & Classical Music.

Free soft drinks ..... Pay for beer & wine . An O.K. dinner .. you could have 2 if you ask..

A light snack before landing .

Free selection of seat when booking ( Restrictions on Exit Rows )

Best of All you clear Immigration & Customs in Dublin ..... so you arrive as a domestic passenger.

## AER Lingus Transit passengers from U.K. & Europe have a max ten min. walk to Duty Free concourse with food area & then

go down to Pre Clearance & Immigration area.

Your luggage is Booked right through from your Departure airport ( In U.K. or Europe ) to USA.

You will be asked to " Identify " your luggage by The Immigration Person , which will be on a Screen in front of you.

NO IDEA what happens if Luggage displayed is NOT Yours.



###### NOTE if Traveling from U.K or Europe with Ryanair you will arrive In Terminal One

This might have a different way of getting to the Duty Free & Pre Clearance , Customs & Immigration Area.

..................

We have used this route Dublin to Orlando many times over the last 9 years ..... we travel Bus from Cork direct to Airport.

 

[Tahariel]

Thank you so much for this detailed answer

We'll be flying from Newcastle via Dublin, so all nice and relaxed for us - hopefully. It was mainly the comfort of the economy class I was worried about.

 

[Gareth& Hayley]

I've flown transatlantic with BA Club World, Virgin Upper Class, Aer Lingus Business (old version), Virgin Premium Economy along with Economy on Virgin, Aer Lingus, Thompson, Thomas Cook and American with a finial destination of MCO or SFB. We've tried almost everything for our flights out to Orlando and have a strong sense of what we like and don't like.

The older Aer Lingus business class is an excellent product for day flights; the mix of seat comfort along with IFE, food and service is excellent value given the roughly £1,500 return fare (LGW>DUB>MCO>DUB>LGW). Obviously the chance to Pre Clear Immigration in DUB is a positive but the benefit is lost if you typically fly out on the pre-11am flights from the likes of LGW because the flight gets in several hours later.

Only a few things let Aer Lingus and the old business product down for me;
- Flight times out of DUB to MCO are later than I would like and they do not fly everyday
- The business lounge at DUB is very average and before pre-clearnce so you can't maximise your time there
- Seat comfort is very good but only for day flights; night flights aren't great with the not so lay flat bed
- Privacy when a solo travel (an observation as we always fly as a couple)
- Connection time when traveling back home can be too long (based on my route; others will vary)
- Having to take a connecting flight on the way back reduces the benefit of being able to sleep on the flight home
- Indirect flight. We missed our connection in DUB to MCO due to fog at BRS so had to fly to BOS then down to MCO the next day.

The new business class product looks like a winner based on what has been reported. The fact the bed is now fully lay flat and wifi onboard are tempting me back if the price is right - I would suggest the new product (if it only builds on the old version) is better than BA Club World. Virgin UC wins hands down for the best overall experience but the bed isn't the most comfortable. Taking the connection out of the mix and considering the typical fares Aer Lingus Business would be my choice.

The experience in the Aer Lingus economy cabin is above average but I wouldn't opt to fly this route because of the connection after a night flight unless cost was a big factor.

From my experience in business class;

Lounge: Virgin Upper Class - Club House
Bed for Sleeping: BA Club World
On Board Food: Virgin Upper Class
Most Comfortable Seat (Day Flight): Virgin Upper Class
Cabin Appearance: Aer Lingus
Cabin Layout: Virgin Upper Class

 

[Tahariel]

Thank you very much for the in-depth answer. Sadly can't afford the business class but I feel more assured about flying with Are Lingus now