What’s it like flying Aer Lingus AerSpace from Dublin to Amsterdam?

Aer Lingus AerSpace can be quite competitively priced and this trip from Dublin to Amsterdam cost around €115. AerSpace includes Fast Track security, lounge access, hold baggage, the middle seat free and complimentary food and drink. It’s a nice enough proposition.

You can find this class offered on selected routes in Europe, a list of which you can find here. It is designed so that business class connections on transatlantic flights have an elevated experience, but you can also purchase seats where available.

Aer Lingus Lounge

You can check-in online up to 15 days before departure with Aer Lingus, as long as you have a Plus, Advantage or Aer Lingus AerSpace fare. It also is available early if you have selected a seat on a Saver fare, so I had checked in days before my flight.

Fast Track security at Dublin Airport is blindingly quick and I was through in seconds and headed off to the lounge. It is pleasant enough and I had some barista coffee and a snack. The food selection is not extensive, but there are yoghurts, biscuits and other things. My full review of the lounge can be found here.

The Bus To The Extra Gates

There are a block of gates that are separate from the rest at Dublin Airport. You head down to a boarding gate in the terminal and you board onto a bus. That takes you to the separate area, and later on you walk to the plane parked outside. It’s a bit of a palaver, but it is what it is.

EI604 – Dublin to Amsterdam (DUB-AMS)
21 July 2023
Airbus A320 – EI-DEJ – St. Kilian
Seat: AerSpace 1A
Departure: 09:55 Arrival: 12:35

After climbing the steps, I showed my boarding pass to the friendly cabin crew and took my seat in row 1. The overhead lockers have a blue stripe over the front row, with text denoting they are reserved for AerSpace customers.

Aer Lingus AerSpace Seating

On the Airbus A320, the AerSpace seats are the same as economy with the middle seat free. That is in contrast to the international Airbus A321neo aircraft that offer full lie flat seating.

Still, it is comfortable enough and having a seat beside you free is always nice. Soon enough everyone was on board and the pilots apologised for our half hour delay, as the plane had been late coming from Edinburgh. Next we had the safety demonstration and headed into the sky.

AerSpace Food And Drink

Guests travelling in Aer Lingus AerSpace are permitted to have a complimentary selection of food and drink from the Bia Menu. You are limited to one item of food and one item of drink and I hear online that the hot breakfast is not included.

Since my flight was before 11am, I asked during boarding if they had any breakfasts, but they did not. Instead they said I could have the sausage roll or the ham and cheese toastie.

Shortly after take-off I was asked what I’d like and I chose a Gin and Tonic and the Sausage Roll. I was offered a choice of Bombay Sapphire or the Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin and went for the latter. It was really delicious served over ice and you get two drinks out of one bottle of it and one can of tonic.

The crew apologetically advised they were out of the Sausage Roll, so it was the Ham and Cheese Croque for me. As usual, it was quite delicious, though I would have liked to have something different for a change. Still, no big deal!

Flying And Landing

Once the meal was done, the rubbish was collected efficiently and it was near enough to landing. There was a run on the front toilet, with people standing quite close to me in the aisle while waiting.

Eventually, we descended and landed in Amsterdam. Naturally we were on the furthest runway from the terminal, which is a good 15 minute taxi away. Happily we arrived on stand and were off the plane quickly enough.

Overall Thoughts

Aer Lingus AerSpace is a great proposition for a European flight. All the perks, such as Fast Track security, baggage included, lounge access, middle seat free and complimentary food from the buy on board menu make it very worthwhile, particularly if you can get it at a decent price.

Where possible, choose a flight on the Airbus A321neo to get the big seats, but these are few and far between as they’re regularly busy flying to the United States. Even so, it’s a cut above economy class even if it’s not quite business class and it appears to be popular. All four seats on my flight were sold out for example.

Service from the cabin crew was ultra friendly, which is a hallmark of flying the Irish carrier. It makes flying with them a real pleasure.

What do you think of AerSpace at Aer Lingus? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

Like planes? See my “Does anyone remember” series.
Flight reviews your thing? Mine are all indexed here.
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Featured image by William Derrickson via Wikimedia Commons.