Lots of Aer Lingus business class Avios seats to the US have appeared – with low taxes

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• Save East Coast Rewards says:

  18 Jan18 January 04:51

  Does EI use T8 at JFK? If it does it would be good to connect onwards with an AA flight

  • Alex G says:

    18 Jan18 January 05:18

    From their Web site;

    “All Aer Lingus flights will arrive into Terminal 5. If you are connecting from Aer Lingus to another airline please follow the signs for the AirTrain and transfer to your connecting flight terminal. Your bags will be transferred to the connecting carrier and will be ready for pick up at your final destination. Terminal transfers between terminals via AirTrain are free of charge.”

    The pre clearance in Dublin probably compensates for the terminal change at JFK

    • Save East Coast Rewards says:

      18 Jan18 January 05:52

      True. The pre-clearance on the BA1 flight (CWLCY) meant it was a more pleasant experience even though BA at that time arrived into T7 and you had to go to T8 for AA. It’s a shame airside connections don’t seem to exist at JFK.

      My Global Entry application is approved, I just need to get myself over to the US to do the interview (although I read somewhere it can be done in the preclearance area of DUB but I’d still need to go to the US for that)

      As part of the joint venture do EI have any plans for T8?

      • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:

        18 Jan18 January 06:12

        There is a T5-T8 shuttle for Jet Blue and AA connecting passengers for example. And they are strict on seeing each other’s BPs so it’s not a way to lounge hop or go for a look see. I used it last summer when I was moved to B6 after an AA flight got cancelled and they wanted to see actual BPs not some “I’ll collect it it there” spiel.

        EI are currently in T5. No idea if they are due to move to T8 but if they stay in T5 then the shuttle bus might be made available to them.

      • Mark says:

        18 Jan18 January 10:02

        No airside connections anywhere in the US for that matter. Of course immigration and customs clearance at first point of entry is normal in any case, but the US insists that you do that even on an international to international connection.

        • Alex G says:

          18 Jan18 January 14:07

          Forty years ago, I took an Air New Zealand flight from LGW to HNL, changing at LAX.

          The London flight went on non stop to Auckland. When it arrived, it parked up at the next gate to a flight that originated at LAX and went via HNL.

          Pax connecting at LAX did so airside at the gates, where a small Customs & Border checkpoint was set up. Bags were brought to the area by baggage handlers, and taken from you once they had been inspected.

          Don’t know what it must have cost ANZ to provide that service, but it was brilliant. And of course flying was a lot more expensive in those days.

          Worst transfer experience in the US was Toronto to London with AA, transferring in Boston. Had to clear the US Border in Toronto, even though I was going to be in the US for 90 minutes.

        • Mark says:

          18 Jan18 January 14:27

          Yes, preclearance is not necessarily any less painful than clearance on arrival. We’ve done it in Toronto and Aruba – never from Dublin though, so I don’t know how that compares.

        • Rob says:

          18 Jan18 January 14:31

          It wasn’t the fastest in Dublin when I last did it. However …. what it does do is give you certainty. At present, if making plans for your first day, you need to factor in the risk of 3 hours in immigration. As long as your aircraft departs on time from Dublin, you know within a 15 minute or so window when you will be walking out of the airport.

          When I went to NCY in October for the Hyatt event, we actually had two schedules drawn up – one based on me getting straight through immigration (which luckily I did) and one based on a lengthy delay.

      • Kevin says:

        18 Jan18 January 15:02

        I flew LHR-JFK T8 (AA) and did my Global Entry interview there and then. Took around an extra 2 hours waiting in line. The wife met me in JFK and she flew DUB-JFK (EI into T5) arriving as a domestic passenger. She waited 30 minutes at US pre-clearance to do her interview in Dublin. We both got the impression that this service is a “someone doing someone a favour” type thing. I think it’s hit and miss. We walked straight threw immigration on our next trip as others waited an hour to get through. If you are likely to go to the US several times over the next 5 years then it’s worth it.

        Re. EI moving to T8. Can’t see it. They’ve a nice set-up at JFK T5 and I have positioned themselves where they want to be in the world of UK/Ire transatlantic travel. If they rejoin OW that could change but it ain’t looking likely.

  • Blair Waldorf Salad says:

    18 Jan18 January 09:16

    I can’t recall the last time I saw an AA domestic connection off the back of an EI DUB flight. The website prices up United and Jetblue as typical.

• Alex G says:

  18 Jan18 January 05:19

  Anyone know what an open jaw redemption would cost, DUB – JFK – LHR?

• JoeMc says:

  18 Jan18 January 05:37

  You don’t need to apologise about criticising EI for award availability, it was historically very poor. This type of availability is relatively recent and maybe finally EI are offering 2 business seats on each flight as standard versus previously you’d do well to find 1 and 2 were like hens teeth.

• Jenny says:

  18 Jan18 January 06:38

  If using a 2-4-1 voucher on AIL, do you need to book the flight via the AL website or the BA site? If the former, do your Avios need to be in an AL account?

  • Rob says:

    18 Jan18 January 09:19

    BA

• Pj92 says:

  18 Jan18 January 07:19

  If your not using a 241 taxes are cheaper booking through avios.com. knocks around £50pp off of the price shown in the example and is same avios cost.

  • Rob says:

    18 Jan18 January 09:19

    True. Will add.

• John says:

  18 Jan18 January 07:43

  Tried this yesterday… but using 241 voucher from Manchester to Boston came to 1350£ plus 115000 avios . So phoned BA who explained why could not get 160000 avios plus 700£ fare from Aer Lingus. All to do with taxes. So ended up booking BA flights albeit a hassle via LHR.
  Agree and have used booking from Dublin BUT aligning luggage to the transatlantic flight tricky and causes real confusion on return. Fine if staying a night or so in Dublin ( who have the best buskers in the world based in Grafton Street) and rechecking in.
  However a better price than BA if have not got 160000 avios.
  Whatever dates I put in 2 business class seats available which is a significant improvement.

  • NorthernLass says:

    18 Jan18 January 08:28

    I have noticed very high prices from MAN, in economy as well.
    In the past I have seen JFK to MAN for 13k avios plus $130, it seems to be way higher than that now.

    • Mark says:

      18 Jan18 January 14:22

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64315925

  • Mark says:

    18 Jan18 January 10:12

    Booking from the UK adds £191 of UK long haul APD per person of course. The trick would be to DUB-BOS-MAN with a separate MAN-DUB booking, and a night’s stay in Dublin on the outbound if you feel that is necessary to give sufficient margin for a self-connection.

• EvilGazebo says:

  18 Jan18 January 07:52

  Some dates in August to Toronto actually have 3 seats showing. Just taunting me because I need 4 🙂

• _nate says:

  18 Jan18 January 07:59

  60k Avios plus 35 euros taxes from Chicago to London in business a few years back… Goodness knows what the situation is now, but just sayin’.

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