Aer Lingus service numerous destinations in the United States from both Dublin and Shannon. I last tried their transatlantic economy class product 12 years ago and despite being based in Ireland, I rarely use the airline as I don’t earn status in the British Airways Executive Club when flying them.
This time around I was redeeming Avios for a trip to Cleveland, and I decided to take the most convenient route west. It also meant I could use US Preclearance (making arrival in the USA so much simpler) and use the 51st and Green Lounge at Dublin Airport.
Check-In Woes
Who in their right mind thinks it’s okay to have passengers line up for 40 minutes as a general rule at check-in? It seems Aer Lingus do. Standing in the snaking queue, I really missed my frequent flyer status, because I had no choice but to wait. It really rammed home just how much time you save by having status. Lots, it turns out!
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- Aer Lingus check-in at Terminal 2 – the wait is real.
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- Heading down to Preclearance.
Eventually I was seen by a friendly agent, checked-in and I passed through standard security in a few minutes. After that, it was off to US security, followed by US immigration as part of the preclearance festivities. This took another while, and then I headed into the lounge to relax before the flight.
Time To Board
Boarding was handled nicely, starting with the usual pre-boarding for people requiring assistance. Next up were business class and AerClub frequent flyers, then the rear economy cabin, followed by the forward one. It all flowed quite well and soon enough I was on board.
EI125 – Dublin to Chicago (DUB-ORD)
8 October 2022
Airbus A330-300 – EI-EAV – St. Ronan
Seat: Economy 11A
Departure: 16:15 Arrival: 18:45
Selecting a seat costs money and I paid the ridiculous €79.99 fee to sit in 11A, which you can see on the seat map here. It afforded nice views for what was going to be a day flight.
Transatlantic Economy Class Cabin
There is plenty of room if you’re short and slim like I am, so I never find things to be too cramped. It would be different story for many other people, but they’re not reviewing this flight and I found the seats adequately comfortable.
At the seat is a pillow and teeny tiny earbuds for the entertainment system. Happily the sound quality was surprisingly okay and I lucked out and got two sets, which came in handy when the person sitting next to me managed to tangle hers in her seat.
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- Looking across the cabin.
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- Plenty of knee room for me.
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- Entertainment options.
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- A teeny packet containing earbuds.
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- Tray table with a mark.
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- There is Wi-Fi on board.
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- Sitting pretty and ready to go!
Speaking of my seatmate, she could not work out how to turn the screen on. She noticed mine was working and asked how I did that, so I just replied “I touched the screen”.
To her credit she laughed and did that, commenting she is a user interface designer by trade and how she couldn’t believe she couldn’t work that out. It was amusing!
Let’s Go!
Once everyone was on the flight, it was time for the safety demonstration. Naturally we were advised to check out the safety card, which was quite raggedy after a busy summer season.
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- Cover!
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- Lifejackets!
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- Slides!
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- Water!
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- Up in the air, I fly, zoom, zoom, a-zoom-a-zoom-zoom!
Shortly after that, we headed to the active runway and headed off into the evening sky. As we were flying west, we were running from the sunset all the way.
Dinner Is Served
Aer Lingus charge for drinks in transatlantic economy class, which meant there was no way I was having any alcohol, especially after paying to select a seat. During the first drinks run, I had water which was accompanied by pretzels.
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- Here it is!
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- A peek inside.
Next up, it was time for dinner and the options were Beef Stroganoff or Chicken in a pepper sauce. This is the stereotypical “Chicken or beef?” that airlines have offered for decades. I went for the chicken and it was delivered with a smile.
The pasta starter had lettuce underneath it and it still managed to be extremely dry. I thought the chicken was very average and found the entire dish had very little to no taste at all. The bread was dry, even with butter but the dessert was nice.
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- Dinner as delivered.
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- Three courses, count ’em!
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- This is the Chicken Breast with pepper sauce.
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- Pasta salad and a white chocolate and raspberry mousse dessert.
Interestingly, the tray is non-slip so the elements remain in place. However, the tray on the back of the seats has no little raised lip on the passenger end, as you find on some airlines. This meant when we climbed during the meal service, the entire tray slid towards me and had nothing to catch it.
Toilets, Ice Cream and Landing Snacks
After dinner, people were served tea and coffee and they got about five rows in before suspending service. The paper cups for some people were leaking and at least three or four people had this happen. It was deemed too dangerous to continue, so people were offered cold drinks instead. Not long after, I visited the bathroom and found it to be normal.
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- It’s an Aer Lingus toilet!
During the flight the cabin temperature was kept excessively warm, which made for an uncomfortable journey. Part way through, everyone was offered ice creams, presumably to eat while watching movies. This is a really nice touch and is something other airlines like Qantas do.
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- Time for ice cream!
Near landing, it was time for a snack service. The crew offered “a wrap”, which turned out to be a hot Chicken Tikka pastry, which was a pleasant surprise.
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- Here’s my snack!
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- Another one.
This was sooooo good! I inhaled mine with relish and really wanted more. As a crew member passed by, I asked for another one and he remarked, “Oh, you must be hungry!”. I would have agreed to anything to try it again and my wish soon came true. This was by far the nicest food on the flight. Yum, yum! Once done, the cabin was cleared and we landed in Chicago on time.
Overall Thoughts
The Aer Lingus transatlantic economy experience is a mixed bag. The check-in line was annoying to begin with, yet that was expected. As I had a connecting flight, online check-in was never going to work, so I had planned for this. Boarding was fine and the crew service was really decent.
However, a hot cabin is really gross when flying in the dry rarified air of a pressurised cabin. It’s unpleasant all round and does not make for a charmingly relaxed flight. I’m really glad I thought to bring my own water bottle to keep hydrated on the journey.
Food was edible and that is about as far as I can compliment it. The ice cream and pre-landing snack were the standouts, while the main meal and starter were decidedly average and tasteless. Seat comfort was adequate – it was uncomfortable eventually, but anyone sitting for most of eight hours will find that.
What do you think of Aer Lingus transatlantic economy class? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Wondering if you could please go into depth about the earphones?
Are they dual jacks or would headphones you used to get with iphones be sufficient?
I believe these were dual jacks, which you can just make out in the picture. When you have them in your ears, the sound quality was very good really. You would be fine using these during flight.
On Aer Lingus, is it worth it to upgrade seats from economy to premium? Or alternatively, is it worth it to upgrade from the back of economy to the middle of the plane?
Aer Lingus does not have a premium economy product, but their business class is of a similar standard to other airlines across the Atlantic, with lie-flat seats etc. It is worth upgrading if you think it’s worth the extra costs. The seats in economy are all the same, so it doesn’t really matter where you sit. If you move forward, you’ll get served food quicker and be off the plane slightly ahead of everyone else. So it really depends on what you value really. I hope that helps!
Hi, nice blog! I’d like to know if is there any possibility for me to use one of your images on my website? I used to make animations for the Aer Lingus screens at the airport but I don’t have any pictures from it. I’ll give you credit. Thanks in advance.
Hello there! Yes, of course – you can use any image you like, so feel free to do so. You’re very welcome!
Lover this detailed review. Thanks for sharing! I am going on my first flight with them so very helpful.
Thanks very much, I’m glad you found it useful. I hope you have a great flight!
HI! Considering flying with AL over BA purely on a cost basis. What was the entertainment/screen options like vs BA?
They are similar enough when it comes to new releases and so on, but I am not sure which would have more content, as I have not compared them directly in this area.
Thanks for this nice review! Regarding the legroom: how tall are you?
Do you think the seat/food is any different to BA?
I can choose between Aer Lingus A330 and BA A380 for my TATL flight – about the same price. I think BA seat fees are a bit higher – but drinks are free!
I’m 5’7″ / 170cm tall. So if you’re taller, there’ll be less space of course. I think the comparison is a bit much of a muchness, but I’ve found the food to be better on BA. If you like a drink, you should weigh up the costs. I think the A380 will be a better ride though, as it’s more modern and far quieter inside. Hard choice!
I flew DUB-YYZ on their 321 neo earlier this month, the main meal offerings look to be the same. The cabin was similarly kept hot throughout, which made for a very unpleasant journey despite being on a new plane.
A friend of mine also flew back from the US on Aer Lingus and commented the same to me. She said it was also very warm on board, so it must be just what they do. I don’t love it. Thanks for the comment!
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Very detailed review. I and my family recently traveled with them from Dubrovnik to Boston through Dublin. I find them to be fine value for what you pay, as long as you don’t mind connecting through Ireland – their fares tend to be competitive and their product is fine.
I’m glad you enjoyed the review. I would agree, they are fine enough value for what you pay and the service is decent enough. Thanks for the comment!