Flying Air Lingus

It is becoming more and more difficult for me to find new airlines to fly with but when I was going to Shannon in Ireland there were only three options when traveling from Stockholm, BA but then changing airport in London which wasn’t even an option, Ryan air which I do not fly on business trips and Air Lingus from Heathrow. Air Lingus had not an ideal connection from Heathrow when coming from Stockholm and since my tickets were not booked under one reference I could not check in luggage without picking it up and when going to UK although you are on a connecting flight you need to go pass the boardercontrol. But I had a lot of hours to kill and I spent the day working from the lounge in London so in the end I was perfectly fine with the route.

Booking procedure

I booked my returnticket from Heathrow to Shannon at the airlines website about ten days before it was time. I was not doing any research to get the best price and probably I could have found a better deal through any agency but the 150EUR I paid I thought was fair enough. Everything is extra though. If you want a bag bigger than the 10KG carry on one you have to pay, same thing if you want a special seat which was about 17-18 GBP. I don’t care where I sit so I didn’t do any extras. In order to have a smooth experience with check-in I downloaded their app and checked in there. I could choose my seat from the free ones and got a window seat both on the way to Shannon and from.

Air Lingus

Air Lingus is an old company dating back to the 1960’s and have had many owners. Nowadays the airline is to the majority owned by IAG (International Airline Group) but it is not a member of any alliance. The homebase is Dublin, Ireland. One of the most funny facts about the airline I think is the callsign which is “Shamrock”. The fleet is an Airbus fleet with mixed aircraft types from A330 to A321LR and A320/A320Neos. Routes are from Ireland to the US and in Europe. When I worked at Lutfhansa back in 2009 I was actually working with Air Lingus and their widebody’s so it was extra fun to fly with them, ten years later though. At that time they had a base at Shannon but that is not the case as of today.

Inside the plane

I had never been into an Air Lingus plane before and was greatly surprised when I entered their A320Neo at Heathrow. I thought it would be cheap Ryanair looking interior but it was not. There were even some premium seats at the first rows but the only visible benefit was a bit much more space. My spot was located a bit further down the aisle.

The seats looked like heavy weight seats but they were really comfy. I love when there are headrests that you can bend for your comfort and I fell asleep almost immediatley. I cannot even remember that I watched the takeoff.

The legspace was also generous. My legs are not the longest ones (colleagues call me “taxben” due to short legs and that I run quite fast) but also taller people would fit perfectly in these seats.

Food & beverage

On the shorthaul flights you need to pay extra if you want something to eat or drink. Nothing is included not even water or coffee. The meny was not that exciting if you are not into greasy cousine from the British islands. Or what about sausage or bacon?

Impressions of Air Lingus

I had two good flights with Air Lingus. The flights were both on time, the seats were comfortable and the crew was there but we didn’t interacted at all. I would have loved to have a USB charger in my seat but other than that I am completely satisfied with my Air Lingus flight and could recommend it if you want to travel from Ireland. For those traveling from Shannon and Dublin to the US with Air Lingus the biggest benefit is that there is US pre-clearance so you can just walk into the states without bothering about waiting for US immigration upon arrival. Anyone else how have tried the Irish airline?

/ Pernilla that just had her first flights with Air Lingus