Aer Lingus is the national flight company for Ireland with their hub airport in Dublin. Leaving from both Gatwick and Heathrow, Aer Lingus connects travellers to Dublin, Cork and Shannon as well as a number of other European and North American destinations. It is Ireland’s second largest airline.
Identity Card
- IATA code: EI
- Number of serviced cities: 70
- Main hub: Dublin Airport (DUB)
- Alliance: partnerships exist with JetBlue Airways and United Airlines
- Fleet: 44
- Loyalty rewards program: Gold Circle Club
History of Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus was founded by the government in 1936 in order to provide the first possibilities of air service to and from Ireland. The first flight took place from Dublin to Bristol in May of that same year with a small aircraft with seating for only 6. In 1939 Aer Lingus’ first all-metal aircraft arrived and new service to Liverpool was put in place as well as the first domestic route to Shannon. Aer Lingus celebrated its first transatlantic flight from Shannon to New York in April of 1958, which later became a twice-weekly service. In 1965 the Irish airline began bringing its fleet into the jet era when services to Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Frankfurt began. This same year Aer Lingus took on the lucky shamrock as its logo and painted it on all the tails of their fleet.
In the early 1990s regular service began between Ireland and the USA with the arrival of the Airbus. After the 9/11 attacks, business was severely hit, and since then Aer Lingus has begun concentrating more on their European destinations instead of the USA and Britain. Their first flight to Asia was in October 2005 to Dubai International Airport. In 2006, Ryanair made a bid to take over Aer Lingus; it failed and brought even more public attention to the Irish airline. It began operating more flights to the USA, now to Orlando, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. Today Aer Lingus is cutting back routes and focuses more on its regional services and have opened up a base at London Gatwick Airport.
Travel with Aer Lingus: practical information
Onboard services
- Meals: Hot and cold foods and beverages are available to purchase.
- Entertainment: Newspapers are for sale onboard.
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Baggage Allowances
- Cabin: 1 piece per passenger with weight of 10kgs and dimensions of 56 x 45 x 25cm.
- Checked: All luggages have fees. Passengers can pay online or at the airport from between 12£ to 15£, depending on destination. Each bag has a maximum weight limit of 20kgs. Flights the USA: passengers are permitted 1 bag under 23kgs.
- Excess: All excess baggage is subject to fees.
Discounts and Special Offers
Infants travelling on the laps of their accompanying adults are charged 20£ or the equivalent of a one-way fare on short-haul flights. On flights to the USA, infants are charged 10% of the adult fare. As well there are always low-fares and seasonal specials available on their website and on Liligo.com
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