This was my 1st time travelling Business on Aer Lingus, I had been upgraded using the 'bid for an upgrade' process and was successful for €410 which I don't think was too bad!
I arrived in good time before the flight as I know US Preclearance had been busy in recent weeks. This is such a bonus when flying from Dublin, guaranteeing you can breeze through Arrivals stateside and get on with your holiday.
I'd been in 51st & Green (the lounge at US departures) before and I really like it here! You can get a decent breakfast, barista coffee and a cocktail (well it is a holiday) and the views of DUB apron and runway are superb!
I went to board on time but there was a 40 minute delay so I returned to the lounge for a quick cup of tea before boarding.
Aer Lingus EI-105 DUB-JFK Airbus A330-300 EI-GCF
The cabin was spacious on boarding and crew seemed friendly, I had been trying to get a "throne" seat at check-in but none were available, there was nobody beside me today so privacy wasn't an issue! I had a glass of champagne will boarding was completed and browsed the menu. Orders were not taken at this stage. Amenity kits aren't pictured, because to be honest it wasn't great. The bag was cheap and unbranded and most of the products seemed quite flimsy. The only thing I really liked were the Voya lip balm and moisturiser. The amenity kits are more PY than J!
Today's full menu:
Then we had an additional delay (80 minutes), as a passenger on board was taken ill. We taxied to a remote stand and the passenger was helped off by paramedics. There had to be some additional paperwork completed as the aircraft was pre-cleared for the US. We got back on our way though and take-off was smooth.
Inflight service commenced with Hors D'Oeuvres and a drink from the bar - I opted for more champagne - and orders were taken for Dinner. I opted for the chicken served with a basil risotte, which was really tasty, the wine selection was also great and I had a NZ Sauvignon Blanc with my dish. I couldn't manage dessert afterwards!
I settled back and watched some movies. The IFE selection was ok… I thought it could have been slightly better but still found plenty to entertain me for remaining few hours of the flight.
Aer Lingus offer an Afternoon Tea service prior to arrival. I thought this was excellent! The scones were warm, and portion size with 3 small (but tasty) sandwiches was just right. I fine with Business Class flying there is just too much food. I flew Delta transatlantic last year and found myself rolling off the plane and then had more food offered on the connecting flight to LAS, so I was really careful not to overeat this time!
Arrival in Jetblue's Terminal 5 was a breeze, bags were very quick out (take note Dublin!) and I was at the AirTrain and on my way to downtown NY in no time!
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Verdict
Aer Lingus
8.9/10
Cabin9.0
Cabin crew9.0
Entertainment/wifi7.5
Meal/catering10.0
51st & Green - U.S. Pre-clearance lounge
10.0/10
Comfort10.0
Meal/catering10.0
Entertainment/wifi10.0
Services10.0
Dublin - DUB
8.4/10
Efficiency10.0
Access7.0
Services8.5
Cleanliness8.0
New York - JFK
7.0/10
Efficiency10.0
Access4.0
Services8.5
Cleanliness5.5
Conclusion
Overall this was a great experience, the delay was a little inconvenient but it couldn't be helped, I'd like to think fellow passengers would be understanding if I was the ill passenger. The food and beverage offering was amazing and the Business Class seat was excellent. I'd highly recommend the "bid for an upgrade" service. The cabin was approx 30% empty so I would say if I had bid a bit lower I still would have gotten the upgrade. And I was delighted to have the chance to fly Business on my national carrier! :)
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Hi Iolar, thanks for sharing your first report here. Nice to see a report on EI Business class. I think before this one, I may have been the only one to post EI Business reviews (on the English site anyway). I really enjoyed their Business class product and found it better than BA in many respects. Agree with you that the amenity kit is closer to Premium Economy levels, but most everything else, like the hors d'oeuvres, is high-end for TATL Business class. 410 EUR is a decent deal to upgrade, especially if the original price of the ticket was good.
Althogether a good first report! Just a quick tip for future report--pics look better in landscape mode on the site. Hope to see more reports from you in the future.
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102 reviews
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Althogether a good first report! Just a quick tip for future report--pics look better in landscape mode on the site. Hope to see more reports from you in the future.
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