Aer Lingus is Ireland’s flagship airline. It has a proud tradition of supporting Irish tourism while bringing the diaspora home. The airline serves destinations across Europe, North America and the Caribbean.
The airline’s fleet favours Airbus, with A330 planes on long-haul routes and A321neo on medium-haul flights to North America. On short-haul routes, Aer Lingus operates A320 family planes. Flights within Ireland and the UK are on ATR 72-600 turboprops.
I’ve always enjoyed my Aer Lingus flights, not just because of the cabin product, which meets a good standard. The airline’s cabin crew has always been welcoming and friendly, which can make such a difference.
Aer Lingus short- and mid-haul flights
Flying Aer Lingus on short- and mid-haul flights is about the same as flying with other European flagship carriers in terms of comfort, though tall passengers may find it a bit tight. The airline’s A320-family planes are set in a one-class 3-3 configuration with 43 cm wide seats set 76 cm apart.
If you want more comfort, I’d suggest booking the AerSpace fare tier, which has dedicated seating in the front row. It’s a standard Euro-Business Class with the middle seat blocked.
Aer Lingus flies the A321neoLR on some longer European routes, which offers wider seats, more legroom, a 23 cm in-flight entertainment screen and power outlets. On the A321neo, the AerSpace fare gets you the long-haul Business Class seat in a private cabin. Other perks include a more generous baggage allowance, flexibility for flight changes, fast-track through security and lounge access where available.
Classes and services on long-haul flights
Aer Lingus offers two classes of service on its wide-body planes and the long-range A321s. It has a single class of service on other narrow-body planes and the regional fleet, though you can book a special front-row fare, which offers some nice perks.
Business Class on long-haul flights
I find Aer Lingus Business Class on long-haul flights quite comfortable. Besides a great seat, you get lounge access and other perks that make the higher fare worthwhile.
Overall, the airline’s Business Class seats are better than average – 56 cm wide, with a 196 cm lay-flat bed. The cozy duvet bedding ensures a good night's sleep.
To keep travellers refreshed, Aer Lingus offers an amenity kit with essentials, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm, hand cream, eye mask, socks and earplugs.
Seating tips on Aer Lingus Business Class
Aer Lingus arranges Business Class cabins differently from other airlines, allowing couples a window seat while ensuring singles get all-aisle access. To do this, the airline mixed up the cabin layout, alternating between 1-2-2 and 1-2-1 rows, with six rows in the cabin. This leaves only 2K, 4K and 6K with a window and no direct aisle access.
Aer Lingus used the same strategy on the A321neoLR, though I find the result is somewhat less favourable. This 2-2 1-1 cabin has only four single seats. The others are doubles. That means window seat passengers need to climb over the person beside them. If travelling alone, I’d forgo the view on this plane in favour of aisle seats.
Also, while the single seats offer more personal storage, the footwell is narrower. Taller passengers may feel a bit crowded at the feet when trying to sleep.
Economy long-haul flights
I’ve found Aer Lingus Economy cabins are somewhat more comfortable than others for long-haul flights, mainly because the seats are wider. The separation between seats might make taller passengers feel a bit cramped. For a 5-hour or so flight, I find it’s not bad, and the fare is significantly less expensive than Business Class. Still, I’m sharing some tips to find better seats.
Better seating on Economy flights
On the Airbus A321neoLR flying routes to and from North America, you’ll find Economy seats in a 3-3 configuration. They are also 45 cm wide and 79 cm apart, though exit rows 14 and 15 offer more legroom.
In-flight dining
Business Class in-flight dining on long-haul flights
Economy in-flight dining on long-haul flights
Aer Lingus will serve a meal and a snack on transatlantic routes. You can enjoy a warm breakfast sandwich on longer flights to several European destinations. A choice of orange juice, tea or coffee will also be provided. Alcoholic beverages are available for purchase and are not included in the complimentary service for Economy Class.
Economy in-flight food and beverage on short-haul flights
Aer Lingus sells food and beverages on most intra-European flights. The offer is reasonably good and includes some hot sandwiches and even an Irish breakfast of bacon and sausage with bread (no eggs). Overall, the prices are about what you might pay for food and beverages at the airport.
In-flight entertainment
Aer Lingus' in-flight entertainment is on the higher end overall. The long-haul Business Class features a 41 cm high-definition touchscreen display and noise-reducing headphones, while the economy class has 23 cm screens, plus USB and AC power outlets.
I find the airline offers a fairly good selection of new-release movies, programs, music, games and even LinkedIn learning courses. With the Aer Lingus app on your smartphone, you can pre-select your in-flight playlist. If, like me, you’ve ever regretted the in-flight entertainment being cut off right in the middle of a good movie, you can use the Aer Lingus app to pick up where you left off on a later flight.
Wi-Fi and power
Aer Lingus lounges
The Aer Lingus Green Lounge at Dublin Airport (DUB) has spacious seating arrangements and a laid-back atmosphere. Travellers will have access to more than 7,000 newspapers and magazines via the PressReader app while connected to the lounge Wi-Fi. Shower facilities are available and fresh towels are provided. Get a barista coffee or a croissant and just relax. The food and beverage selection is pretty good. It's located in Terminal 2. If you're travelling to the US, 51st&Green Lounge through US pre-clearance is a better choice so that you can relax on the other side before your flight.
In my opinion, one of the nicer features of traveling Business Class with Aer Lingus from Canada to Dublin is getting to the Revival Lounge in the Terminal 2 arrivals hall, near baggage belt six. If you have a meeting directly after landing, you can stop there and freshen up before heading out. The lounge even offers a steam pressing service for your shirt or suit while you shower.
Business passengers and elite loyalty program members can access partners’ VIP lounges, including the elegant Air France-KLM lounge in Toronto, which includes a complimentary buffet and shower facilities.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
