Am considering using aer lingus from Gatwick rather than easyjet in the next week or so as Monarch don't seem to have any flights when I want to fly = does anyone have any views on/experience of aer lingus from Gatwick etc?

Thanks in anticipation.

Very good service but they are terminating the Gatwick- Faro service on February 21st so be careful.
have a look at the topic on them in Chit Chat.

Aer Lingus are very good....but their prices are becoming a clone of Ryan Air "worst practice"

Not for much longer

Bruce Wallis wrote:Aer Lingus are very good....but their prices are becoming a clone of Ryan Air "worst practice"

I believe that Ryan Air already own 30% of Aer Lingus and have wanted to take control for quite a while.
They have been prevented from doing so by the EU equivalent of the monopolies commission and in an attempt to get this view changed they actively urged voters to say Yes in the 2nd referendum on the Lisbon Treaty whereas in the first referendum they took the opposite stance

Cereza - not wholly accurate.

The Irish Government own the balance of the Aer Lingus stock and under pressure from the unions there is an 'unwritten' undertaking that they will never sell to O'Leary & Co. However, in these parlous financial times who knows what a politician will do to impress those with the big cheque book - in preparation for the day when s/he will no longer be a politician.

O'Leary is hell bent on wrestling Aer Lingus away from its owners and you wouldn't bet against him doing it. He is an equally despicable character as Herb Kelleher of South West Airlines in the US found out when he opened his doors to him some years back only to have O'Leary plagiarise every thing he had done and claim all the glory.

Watch this space - O'Leary against the Irish Government - who would you bet on

An unwritten "undertaking" is not worth the paper it isn't written on

I wouldn't put anything past O'Leary !!

without a doubt MO'L is a bit of a tosser but without him most of us would not be in a position to take 2 or 3 breaks every year in CVO

The 'unwritten' agreement has been in existence for over 10 years and nobody has the 'balls' to challenge it - apart from O'Leary - but the 'system' ensures he is not given any leeway. Had he been a Branson with a more pleasing personna - it might be a different story. The power of the airport unions and Aer Rianta with their government lackies see to that - ridiculous.

Nod is absolutely right though - prior to Ryanair, Aer Lingus had a monopoly and usually crushed any newcomer - as well as sky-high pricing - so he has done some good and created affordable International travel for the masses. It's a great shame that O'Leary and Freddie Laker were'n't around together - the airline industry would be a very different place had they been.

cereza wrote:An unwritten "undertaking" is not worth the paper it isn't written on

I wouldn't put anything past O'Leary !!

Is he Irish by any chance?

This is the typical BRIT lets knock anyone who is a success reaction to O leary.
Just how many of us would be able to visit as often as we do, would have purchased property had it not been for for the Ryan Air . Easyjet breaking of the major airlines monopoly.

I am convinced that most of the complaints that people have about the " additional costs " is because they are just plain stupid and can,t be bothered to read whats in front of them.

As in everything in life , you get what you pay for. If you want to pay premium prices fly BA or others .

I am no fan of the Ryan air experience but if money is tight then I will do without the extras that cost.

PS. get ready for another rise in flight prices, air passenger duty increases this year, nothing to do with the airlines.

EMM - Firstly, I am not a Brit and I am knocking O'Leary's business methods - his method of taking credit card payments for one. Yes, he has revolutionised the way airlines price their fares - but not fairly.

You are correct when you point to people being 'stupid' when traveling and not being aware of the 'rules' but not all of O'Leary's rules are plain to see for the infrequent traveler. I never fly with Ryanair because I know his rules and while it costs me more - I think - I don't have to put up with the griping and whingeing of Ryanair passengers.

In the Winter I prefer BA (when their price is right), otherwise EasyJet - it used to be Aer Lingus. In the Summer - Flybe from Southampton - expensive but convenient.

We flew home by Aer Lingus today....very good flight.

I spoke to the cabin senior who told me the route was losing money for the airline because of the competition.
Hence the decision to move onto another, hoepefully more profitable route.

He agreed thar Ryan air could well bid for the slot