Review: Aer Lingus Airbus A321XLR Business Class Dublin to Washington DC

Aer Lingus was supposed to be the launch customer of the Airbus A321XLR. Unfortunately a rare incidence of industrial action at the airline meant that this honour went to Spain’s Ibera instead.

The new aircraft feature an updated business class seat, which makes it familiar yet new. I was heading over to Washington DC to see friends, and only realised I was on the new plane when I boarded the flight.

What’s an Airbus A321XLR anyway?

Everything old is new again and narrowbody aircraft are once again plying the Atlantic in droves. An XLR is just an Airbus A321neo with an extra fuel tank in the rear so it can fly longer distances.

The acronym stands for Xtra Long Range and it is useful for airlines who want to access smaller markets. Above is a video showing the Aer Lingus version with a little bit of a cabin tour.

Dublin Airport

Check-in was a breeze and I was quickly through Fast-Track security and into the departures area. Passengers going to the United States avail of US immigration pre-clearance, which means when you arrive, you collect your bags and go. I can’t emphasise enough just how convenient this makes travelling to the USA.

Passing through there was also very quick. For a change I was only asked a few questions – “How long are you in the USA? Who are you seeing? How do you know this person?”. After that it was down to the 51st and Green Lounge, which is operated by the airport. This lounge is being closed for renovations from October so this was my last visit in its current form.

The Airbus A321XLR Cabin

Boarding commenced on time, with the usual special assistance people going first. Business class was next and I was quickly on board and stowing my cabin bag.

EI117 – Dublin to Washington Dulles (DUB-IAD)
20 August 2025
Airbus A321XLR – EI-XLT – St. Mella
Seat: Business Class 3K
Departure: 12:50 Arrival: 15:50

As you enter the aircraft, there is a feature thing on the roof. Part of the pattern is replicated in the forward toilet, so you will see that later on. Aer Lingus have 16 seats arranged in pairs and singles as you can see on the AeroLOPA seat map here. Seats are 6’5″ long, are 22″ wide and have a massage function, which is actually pretty good.

The 4K screen is noticeably better than screens of the previous generation, plus they are touch screens. Handy! There are decent enough headphones, a duvet and a plump pillow for each passenger. Other enhancements on this version of the seat are the personal mirror and the place to hang the headphones.

Amenity kit, menu and free Wi-Fi

Business class passengers receive an amenity kit, which is pleasant enough. I’d hardly call it groundbreaking, but it does the job. The eye mask in particular is pretty nice. The menu was handed out by the crew and both a main meal and something before arrival are offered.

Happily there is wireless Internet available and best of all, it’s free for those up front. I used it during the flight and found the speeds to be very good.

Entertainment and the toilet

For a change I had a really good peruse of the movie options. Plenty are available with a good mix of classics, 80s movies and a well curated selection of LGBT themed films.

Unfortunately the film I selected was modified for content. I absolutely will not watch a movie on a flight if it has been changed for one reason or another. From an artistic standpoint I think it’s incredibly rude to the film makers and personally I hate to think I am missing bits.

Lunch Service

Like any airline worth their salt, Aer Lingus has a drinks service once airborne. This comes with drinks biscuits and a little pot of onion jam from Burren Balsamics. During the pandemic I would regularly order their balsamic vinegars to throw over pasta, which I find very lovely!

For the meal, I selected the “Thick-cut smoked salmon with dill and pumpkin seed couscous, pink grapefruit and a light dusting of sumac spice on a bed of tahini yoghurt.” Being the hungry sort, I also asked if I could have the “Smooth, creamy leek and potato soup, finished with slow-cooked creamed leeks”, if they had any left over after the service, to which they duly obliged. The main meal was the, “Succulent six-hour braised blade of beef in a rich jus, served alongside crushed celeriac, sauteed wilted greens and thyme-roasted carrots”, while for dessert it was “Apple and caramel domed-mousse enriched with apples and custard on a vanilla sponge, drizzled with caramel.” All in all, the meal was very nice, though I thought the presentation of the beef was lacking!

Another meal before landing!

Time passed quite swiftly, and during the flight I had some snacks from the snack basket and one or two more drinks. Soon enough we were nearer to landing and it was time for the next service. This was billed as – “Chicken gyoza on an Asian-style noodle, carrot and ginger in a light plum sauce. Plus… A delicious trio of sweet treats – White chocolate and raspberry mousse profiterole, Chocolate brownie with a whiskey glaze, Dainty salted caramel cupcake.”

Since I’d had a full meal only a few hours before, this was perfect. I rather like gyoza and that plus the cakes was a perfect finish to the flight. We landed in Washington on time, deplaned without incident and then waited at baggage claim for a fair while before the bags arrived. It was then off to the Washington Metro to downtown for me.

Overall Thoughts

The Aer Lingus Airbus A321XLR provides a comfortable flight in business class. Seats are spacious and comfortable, with nice frills such as the duvet and generous pillow. With the 4K screen and decent headphones, there is plenty to do and it all comes together for a relaxing flight.

On board service from the crew was friendly and obliging, as it usually is when flying Aer Lingus. I enjoyed the meal service, with the only minor quibbles being the presentation of the beef main (it looks a bit stingy and a bit weird) and the fact I would have liked a third choice for dessert as neither option really appealed. Luckily everything tasted great, so quality was very good.

Have you flown Aer Lingus business class before, be it on the Airbus A321XLR or another plane? How do you find it? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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Featured image via Airbus.