Whilst BA has yet to make an announcement, Aer Lingus will be flying some Dublin and Hamburg flights from February on behalf of British Airways.
I assume that these will be ‘economy only’ services with Club Europe passengers downgraded. On the upside, economy food and drink may be free (or will Aer Lingus impose their own usual prices?). The crew and pilots will be Aer Lingus employees and the plane will be an Aer Lingus aircraft.
If you have any BA Dublin or Hamburg flights booked from mid February then you may want to check your bookings.
Here is an example to Hamburg from ba.com (click to enlarge):
This is presumably linked to BA’s two current operational issues – some short haul planes are out of service to ‘have more seats rammed in’ (that’s the technical term, apparently) whilst others are being used at Gatwick to fill the slots acquired from Monarch which are on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis.
If you are booked on an Aer Lingus flight, BA should give you the option of cancelling or moving to another flight if you call.
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Looks like a straight forward DUB-LHR-HAM-LHR-DUB-LHR-DUB pattern on one aircraft
I could imagine that it would just be EI BoB rather than freebies – pretty much the same offering
The aircraft for this is reportedly sourced from the Belfast summer base – so worth a mention for NI readers that you’ll probably be on an outsourced aircraft from “ASL Airlines” – same outfit who operate other EI flights on narrowbodies to the US
Grrrr…… CE LHR-DUB 2nd March, CE DUB-LHR 5th March.
Will we still get CE TPs ?
Possibly via the “original routing credit route” . You could move to a BA service if the times suit – it’s only x2 returns they’ve replaced not all
Not only will nothing be free in an Aer Lingus plane, they are likely to charge you in Euros too … That is if you ever get off the ground with their track record of cancelling flights when fully loaded, doors shut and cabin lights dimmed for pushback!!! Never known such a shambles. I now fly BA to BHD, hire a car and drive down if I have to go to Eire.
I don’t recognise that description of EI at all – their operational performance is generally very good in my experience over many years flying back and forth between London and Dublin (and Belfast and Cork)
You know you can still fly BA to DUB, or even O’LAir.
Speaking as someone who flies DUB-LHR/LCY twice a week, every week. I can assure you BA are significantly worse out of DUB than EI are
Why would you not fly BA to DUB from Heathrow or City?
I suspect the standard EI BoB menu will be offered to passengers. Let’s see what happens in Club. EI still have decent size galleys and ovens so they could provide the BA product in CE. The middle seat would still be blocked. No table or curtain though.
Why free food and drink? EI short haul EDI to DUB certainly charges for everything so can’t imagine them missing the option for cash here! 😉
OT: but related – the extra slots that BA are doing from Gatwick to Gibraltar – (previously Monarch) are being operated by Titan.
Jet time are operating out of Heathrow this summer too,
BA are also hiring in their own subsidiary Cityflyer (who normally operate LCY) to cover some Gatwick weekend routes. Has to be an arms length sub hire to stay within union agreements.
My LHR -DUB in May looks unchanged so far. Return is DUB-LCY on BA city flyer so don’t expect to see that change.
OT though Aer Lingus has this too. It looks like Schiphol Amsterdam is looking at Clearing US customs and immigration at Schiphol airport.
Quite a few airports put their hands up didn’t they? Wasn’t Manchester in as well? The problem as I understand it is that the airport must pay for EVERYTHING – including the salaries and housing costs of the US immigration officials. Unless your US flights are confined to a small window of the day you are looking at a lot of people to provide 7 / 365 coverage.
Is it? AMS was looking at US preclearance in 2015, but I thought the talks fizzled out because the government was anti-Trump.
I read a forum post that BRU was going to agree something with the US in 2018.
In my view, ARN is likely to introduce US preclearance facilities before AMS, if either airport goes forward at all.
Interestingly, MIA is planning to introduce Cayman Islands preclearance, though it looks like it won’t be a permanent facility with the Caymans officers just flying out and back on the same flight.
OT: does anyone have a Airbnb referral link to share? I remember seeing one on HFP in the past but can’t locate it.
Thanks!
http://www.airbnb.co.uk/c/newu5651
£25 for you
It’s in the right hand sidebar! But feel free to use Frenske’s as Anika just books more time off work in order to spend it all if you use hers 🙂
OT, but thought I’d ask:
I currently have an AMEX Gold and am thinking of using the link people have shared in comments to upgrade to Plat for the 20k bonus. If I haven’t received a specific invite from AMEX to do ti, would I still get the points? If so, could someone please reshare the link?
Yes
https://www.americanexpress.com/uk/content/platinum-charge/upgrade/
Thanks!
I have been thinking about this, as hopefully going to get another gold in before rules change. I was going to do the upgrade, but my thinking now (having never had a plat before) is that it would actually be better to not go down this road, and instead leave the Plat as a card I have never had before – and as such eligible for the full opening bonus in the whatever the future world looks like.
Beware that the wording for plat states that having held any MR enrolled card (this includes gold) in last 6m will preclude you from the signup bonus
OT but related – have booked an Aer Lingus flight to Toronto through Executive Club using avios, and now basically can’t access the booking online – only most basic stuff (ie not seat booking) through BA and not at all through Aer Lingus, where it comes up as a technical issue. Aer Lingus staff says it’s because it an avios booking, so nothing to be done. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this always the way for Aer Lingus avios bookings? Fairly annoying if so!
Aer Lingus will be using a different record locator to BA. If you can’t see the Aer Lingus record locator on “manage my booking”, contact BA and ask them for it. You can probably then use that locator on the Aer Lingus website.
Yeup, it’s a well known problem, I’m afraid. Avios actually tickets on BA 125- stock, so it’s texhnically a “travel agent” booking as far as EI’s antique systems are concerned.
Some people have had luck getting seats assigned, but not many.
Ah thanks, was afraid of that. Have been trying to get seats booked as travelling with children…was told someone would do it and email me, but not holding out hope!
Ah thanks, was afraid of that. Have been trying to get seats booked as travelling with children…was told someone would do it and email me, but not holding out hope!
OT – worth the upgrade (using Avios) from CW to First, on 5-hour flight LHR to TLV? Boeing 777. Travelling with my family (wife + kids aged 2 & 4).
I’m thinking “yes” as on a 2-4-1 so only 22,500 Avios extra for all of us. And get access to Concorde room / seat selection / bit more luxury.
Welcome thoughts though!
Wouldn’t you be better in CW where you can get the middle block of four seats, you can see your children, they can see you, and they will be close to each other?
Yeah I did think that (assuming can book a 4-seater – am BA Bronze, and not paying £££ to choose seats!!). But just seemed a decent opportunity to fly First…
I’d say go for it. For that price, for 4 of you is very good. Doubt you’ll get much cheaper opportunities…
Similar thought from me. My wife (never turned left on a plane before) and I are using Avios and Amex 2-4-1 voucher to fly LHR to JFK, out Club World, back First. Downside is no Tier points earned for me. Could I subject to availability use extra Avios to upgrade outward leg to First and earn Tier points, as well as Concorde Lounge etc? First World problems territory I know!
You’d get CCR access. No TPs
I just looked at EDI-DUB yesterday for mid-Feb travel.
It is the same Aer Lingus flight, but almost £100 more if you book it via BA. Be warned!
O/T: is there a was to print itinerary details for 2015 trip that I no longer have the booking ref for? I can see it in my ‘flightpath’ on the BA website but get no more info. BA call centre cut me off twice, then put me through to India who gave me duff info on how to get access to the itinerary. I need evidence of my travel for a particular trip.
Avios statements go back 3 years on the BA site, so if you select the appropriate time period the info should be there
Apologies for the OT but no Bits today. I will be going to a conference in Miami in April and can either stay in the JW Marriott Marquis or the Hotel Beaux Arts, Autograph Collection. I am Gold through the Amex Plat. Any views on which one to choose or likely benefits from being Gold? Thanks
Ditch them both and go for Conrad, one of the best hotels in the world.
Sadly it’s for a conference so corporate policy is to stay in the conference hotel(s) only.