Earlier this year, Andrew took a bucket list trip to Scotland to play golf with his brother and attend the Open Championship. This trip occurred when travel still wasn’t back to 100% so flying out of Orlando meant limited options. Therefore, Andrew first travelled to Baltimore where he joined his brother on a flight out of Dulles in Washington, DC, to Scotland by way of Dublin, Ireland. Read on for our experience flying on Aer Lingus and RyanAir.
Booking Our Flight
Since we booked a golf travel package, flights were one of the few things we had to book separately. Luckily, flying out of the Washington, DC area gave us quite a variety of airlines from all over the world. From Dulles, we had a handful of choices flying to Edinburgh, Scotland. There were no direct flights at the time so the best options included connections through London or Dublin. After looking at all of the connection options and prices, we went with Aer Lingus (and one leg on RyanAir) through Dublin, Ireland.
There were a few connection options with Aer Lingus from Dublin to Edinburgh but they created too tight of a connection or were way too long. Because of this, we decided to book one leg of the trip with RyanAir. The other three were with Aer Lingus.
For Aer Lingus, we opted for the “Smart Fare” which had less restrictions and included one checked bag. Our second bags (golf clubs) cost $65 for the flights to and from Washington, DC. We also paid for extra legroom on the transatlantic flights which were $115 each person both ways. Unfortunately, RyanAir canceled our Dublin to Edinburgh flight about two weeks out so we booked last minute with Aer Lingus and paid more than most. With bags and no extras, it ran $385 USD.
Our RyanAir flight from Dublin to Edinburgh was roughly $200. Booking with them is similar to Spirit Airlines in that you only pay for what you want so the base fare is cheap but there are plenty of add-ons (for us it was two checked bags each).
The Airline Ambiance
The Plane Environment
When most people think of flying overseas, they think of very large planes. However, that is starting to change with more fuel efficient and reliable aircraft being able to fly over large bodies of water. Aer Lingus, from a few US airports, flies the Airbus A221 NEO, which is a single aisle plane. These planes are new so expect a nicer experience than older versions of the Airbus A321 to include better lighting, ambient music when boarding, and what seemed to be bigger overhead bins.
This was about as dark as it got during our overnight flight across the North Atlantic in early July.
Service & Comfort
The check-in folks in Washington, DC, were nice but the folks working in baggage claim were terrible. Andrew’s brother’s bags did not make it on our plane and the employees couldn’t tell him if they even made it to Dublin or if they were still in Edinburgh. They also had no clue when they would get to DC (they did a few days later). One thing to mention is that these are contract employees and not directly employed by Aer Lingus. The staff in the Dublin and Edinburgh airports were much friendlier and helpful. Also, all of the flight crew were very friendly.
Upon boarding, we were provided a pillow and wired headphones that connect to the setback entertainment screen. I used the headphones on both flights, the sounds was pretty good, they stayed in my ears just fine, and the cord was plenty long so I could lean all the way back without any issues.
In-Flight Entertainment
Aer Lingus offers quite a selection of movies, TV shows, games, and music on the inflight entertainment screen along with a USB port. There is also the typical flight map feature showing the planes location, distance to various airports, ETA, speed, altitude, etc. The selection of movies was quite large as I watched two movies on the way out and two on the way back.
While we didn’t use their app, they do offer the Are Lingus Play App available on Android and Apple. Once passengers board the plane, they pair the device to the seat-back screens once you get on board.
Once connected, passengers can:
Browse the content listings from your device and build a playlist.
Launch and control content from your device to the in-flight entertainment screens.
Continue your movie or TV programme from where you left off on a previous flight.
Stay updated on your flight information from your device.
I can see where this would come in handy if you fly Aer Lingus often. Also, it is nice to not have to reach forward every time you want to control the screen.
Setback Entertainment Screen.
Provided Head Phones and Pillow
Our Seats
Washington to Dublin & Back
Both Andrew and his brother are over 6 feet tall so upgrading to extra legroom was a must on these long flights. We both chose window seats in the exit rows over the wings. Since we both have wide shoulders and wanted windows to sleep against, we sat in the same row but on opposite sides of the plane. The exit rows provided plenty of leg room, even with my backpack under the seat in front of me. We were in the seat for around 8 hours and it was comfortable the entire flight.
There were two things that really stood out on the newer A321s. The first was the seats are one inch wider, and the second is this plane seemed noticeably quieter, especially when it came to engine noise. As a bit of an Aviation nerd, I have to say I like the A321 NEO more than the Boeing 737 MAX.
Dublin to Edinburgh
The flight from Dublin, Ireland to Edinburgh, Scotland was only 45 minutes so we opted not to pay for more legroom. The seats did not have power adaptors or a TV but since the flight was so short, that really didn’t matter to us. We were comfortable enough for tall guys and the leg room and width was exactly the same as most Southwest planes (for our American friends) and roughly two more inches in legroom than RyanAir (for our European friends).
Upgrade Option
Aer Lingus did something leading up to our flight that I hadn’t seen before. We received a couple of emails stating that their were a few first class seats still available for our flight from Washington to Dublin and if we wanted to “bid” on them, we could go to their site and do so. We didn’t do this but the way I read it was that at some point, they just chose the highest bidders for those seats. Also, it seems they didn't get many takers because we were given the opportunity to upgrade to first class during our online check in for roughly $350 each for the outbound flight. While it was tempting, especially being an overnight flight, we both passed.
Our ride to Dublin.
Beginning our long journey home.
In-Flight Meals
Drinks
On some airlines, alcohol is complimentary on transatlantic flights. However, Aer Lingus does not offer that but they do have a full bar passengers can purchase from. Non-alcoholic drinks are complimentary.
Meal Service – Washington to Dublin
About an hour into our flight, we were served dinner. Drink service was offered first followed shortly afterwards by the meal which consisted of:
Salad w/ dressing.
Choice of Chicken with roast potatoes, carrots and a creamy sauce or Seasoned beef with rice.
Dinner Roll.
Chocolate Rasberry Mousse.
About an hour before we landed in Dublin, we were served a granola bar and water along with coffee, tea, juice, etc.
Chicken w/ potatoes, carrots, & creamy sauce.
Breakfast shortly before landing at Dublin.
Meal Service – Dublin to Washington
Right after we took off, we were served sour cream and chive pretzels and drinks.
The lunch options didn’t match the menu shown on the screen and I didn’t write them down when they said them. However, I went with the beef bolognese, pasta salad, and dessert.
About an hour before landing, we were served quite the robust snack. This included a Sweet Chili Chicken Wrap and Chocolate Crispy with drink service.
Beef Bolognese.
Chicken Wrap and Chocolate Crispy.
RyanAir
You get what you pay for! I have flown multiple budget carriers within the US and they were fine but RyanAir is a little tough to handle. First off, I’m amazed I didn't accidentally book a limo, hotel, or other travel package because checking out was painful. After we chose our flight and seats, we had to endure page after page of offers for car rentals, hotels, travel insurance, etc. that we had to decline before we could check out. When it came to the aircraft, if you can get past the very bright yellow interior, we then had to contend with a very tight seat. Flying RyanAir did the job considering it was only a 40 minute flight but any longer than that would have been difficult.
One word of caution, after they cancelled one leg of our trip, they provided a link to request a refund. The site was having trouble and I had to go through the process three times before I could actually get the refund.
Boarding using stairs and both doors at Dublin Airport
Just a neat picture of boarding using the rear door
About Dublin Airport
Dublin is a fairly large airport but there were plenty of signs (in Gaelic then below that in English). There are two main areas, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, though they are connected. Terminal 2 seems to be mainly for non-EU flights. There is plenty of shopping, a handful of lounges, and quite a few restaurants.
One thing that passengers see here that we don’t see too often in the US is using stairs to board the plane. Stairs also allow boarding and deplaning using both the front and rear door, which seems to make the process move quicker.
Customs
Getting through customs on our way was easy but going home was a little trickier. When we landed from DC, we got right off the plane, went straight through customs without a wait, picked up our luggage, and made our way to Terminal 2 to check in for our RyanAir flight to Edinburgh.
Coming back from Scotland, the plane parked on the ramp so we deplaned, boarded buses, and were dropped off at a door in Terminal one. Since we were flying Aer Lingus all the way through, we went to a different customs desk, then down another set of stairs that dumped us into the departure terminal. From here, we had access to all of the shops, dining, and our gate.
One major benefit of flying through Dublin to the States is that you pre clear customs. This means that to board the plane home, we had to go through US customs located on the lower level of the Terminal. We did this during the rush when a lot of flights were heading west so it took some time but the lines moved quickly. Once we landed in Washington, DC, we were able to get off the plane and go straight to luggage pick up.
Dining
There are plenty of dining options with one exception. In the departure area of Terminal 1, there is a glaring lack of dining options. There is one small sit down restaurant on the lower level shortly after clearing customs, and a little snack shop upstairs. Passengers do have access to all of the main terminal shops and dining but that is quite the walk if you’re short on time or your departure gate is at the very end of the terminal, which ours was. Outside of that, there were plenty of options to choose from, especially if you have a few hours to kill between flights.
Shopping
The amount of shopping at Dublin Airport is quite astonishing. We had a long layover on the way to Scotland including a two hour delay so we had plenty of time to peruse the offerings. We went through every store in Terminal 2 and were impressed with that selection. Then we wondered over to Terminal 1 and became a bit overwhelmed with the options. A few highlights for us included multiple well stocked Irish Whiskey Stores (when in Ireland), the Guinness Store, and a general Ireland branded store.
Dublin Airport Shops
Dublin Airport Shopping
Whiskey Collection Store at Dublin Airport
Security
Since we were changing airlines on the way to Scotland, we had to retrieve our bags and check in with RyanAir. Because of this, we had to go through security in Dublin. There were a few differences here that stood out compared to the states.
The first being that all medication needs to be in one single clear plastic bag. I wasn’t aware of this but they provided me with a bag to put everything in while still in line.
The second major difference was how passengers get ready to go through security. There are multiple individual stalls that passengers go to, grab a bin from below, place their items in it, then slide the bin towards the middle where a conveyer belt takes the belongings through security. This is something that would be great to see in the States as it would keep the line moving and would allow faster folks with less stuff to not have to wait on slower groups with more items.
Original Dublin Airport Terminal
About Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is smaller than Dublin but still boasts plenty of dining and shopping options. They also have one of the coolest control towers I have seen.
Customs
We did not have to clear customs when we landed in Edinburgh. We got right off the plane (using stairs similar to Dublin) and went straight to baggage claim.
This next point may seem silly, but I am going to make it and push for every airport to implement this! Edinburgh has a red line about 5 feet from the baggage claim carousel stating “please stand behind this line until you see your luggage” and are retrieving it. Everyone we were waiting with for bags followed this suggestion. I have never understood why people hover over the carousel waiting for luggage when they could just as easily wait a few steps back until they see their bags.
Dining
We flew out pretty early in the morning so not all of the restaurants were open but there was plenty to choose from for a quick breakfast. Here is a full list of restaurants at the Edinburgh Airport.
Shopping
While Edinburgh doesn’t quite have the shopping selection as Dublin, there is still plenty to buy. There was a good selection of the usual duty free jewelry, make up, some clothing, and of course, Whiskey. This gave me an opportunity to use up the last of my Scottish currency.
Security
Security at Edinburgh was exactly the same as Dublin where there are individual stalls so passengers can take their time going through security without holding up the line and the same requirement to bag up individual medications.
Rental Car
There is a shuttle that runs between the rental car facility and the terminal. The ride takes about 5 minutes from the terminal to the rental car lot and a little longer on the return trip as the shuttle stops at one of the hotels on the way.
Edinburgh Airport has one of the coolest control towers!
Final Thoughts
We would definitely fly Aer Lingus again, especially knowing that all flights going from Dublin to the US pre clear customs. Anyone having endured customs at Dulles Airport in Washington, DC can appreciate this. The planes were nice, the flight crew friendly, and now that air travel is pretty much back to normal, we can fly Aer Lingus out of Orlando.
Baltimore as we climbed out of Washington, DC.
NYC from 35,000 Feet
The final day of our Scotland trip was spent in Edinburgh, which is about 40 minutes south of St. Andrews. We toured the Edinburgh Castle, the Haunted Vaults, and had a couple good meals. Read on to see if this visit was as good as our first time in Edinburgh.