 | |
| Brief information | |
| IATA code | EGG |
|---|---|
| Seat | Dublin, Ireland |
| Passenger volume | 10.1 million (2015) |
| aims | Ireland, Europe, USA |
| alliance | |
| Internet | www.aerlingus.com |
history
In 1936 the Aer Lingus Teoranta founded. The name of the airline is an Anglicization of the Irish word aerloingeas (German: Luftflotte). The maiden flight was from Baldonnel Airport, south of Dublin, to Bristol in the UK. Soon afterwards there was a flight to London. In 1940, the new Dublin Airport opened and Aer Lingus moved its headquarters there. All flights were suspended during World War II and the connection to London was reopened on November 9, 1945. Other destinations in England and Scotland followed, and in the early 1950s the first flights to the continent, for example to Amsterdam and Brussels. From 1960, New York and Boston were added to the program as the first transatlantic destinations. In the 1980s Aer Lingus found itself in financial difficulties, which could be solved with route cancellations and layoffs in the staff. But the competition from Ryanair and the attacks of September 11, 2001 again led to financial problems at Aer Lingus and in 2006 the airline went public. Tried in the following years Ryanair to take over Aer Lingus several times. This has been prohibited each time by the Irish, UK and EU competition authorities. In 2015, the International Airlines Group (IAG) the majority of shares and took over Aer Lingus. At this point in time, the IAG already owned the British Airways and the Iberia.
fleet
The Aer Lingus fleet consists only of Airbus aircraft with an average age of 11.8 years (as of February 2017), specifically 34 Airbus A320s, 3 Airbus A321s and 10 Airbus A330s. There are 4 Boeing 757 planes that are used on routes to the USA and are painted with the Aer Lingus logo, but these planes belong to the ASL Airlines Ireland. The destinations in the United States are served by ASL Airlines on behalf of Aer Lingus.
Alliances
Aer Lingus was a member of the aviation alliance from 2000 to 2007 Oneworld Alliance and left this for a realignment of the business areas. There are plans for a re-entry as the airlines belonging to the parent company International Airlines Group British Airways and Iberia are also members of the alliance and thus better synergies could be created.
Route network and hubs
Dublin Airport is the hub of Aer Lingus. Flights are available within Ireland and the United Kingdom. There are also connections to Germany (Hamburg, Berlin Brandenburg, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart and Munich), France, Spain, and the United States.
Classes of carriage
Aer Lingus offers two different classes. In the Economy class Drinks and snacks / food are served on all flights. A selection of games, films and music can be accessed via a touch monitor in the headrests of the front seats.
Passengers in the Business class drop off baggage at separate check-in counters and are left on and off board first. There are free newspapers and magazines, a larger selection of food and drinks and the possibility of using a lounge. The monitors for the on-board entertainment are larger and a larger selection of games, films, series and music is offered. On the transatlantic flights, the seats can be folded down to form a small bed, and there are additional storage options right next to the seat.
Lounges
Business Class passengers and AerClub members with Silver status or higher can use the lounges at Dublin, London Heathrow and New York JFK airports.
Frequent flyer program
Aer Lingus has a loyalty program called AerClub. For every flight you collect points, which you can then redeem for a reward from the shop or a flight. Passengers receive the Standard Card. Passengers who have accumulated enough points in one year will receive the Silver Card or the next higher classes Platinum Card or Concierge Card. Points can also be earned through partner airlines British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and United Airlines.
Check in
Check-ins on European flights close 45 minutes before departure and on transatlantic flights 75 minutes before. Since the baggage check-in and the security check take time, the airline recommends to be at the airport 3 hours before departure. Check in on the internet www.aerlingus.com is also possible, the boarding pass must be printed out and taken with you to the airport. Online check-in is not possible on all routes and there are different deadlines as to when this is possible.
Booking options
On the airline's website www.aerlingus.com, in the travel agency or the various online portals.
