For the subsequent sector of my Iceland to The Residence through Cambodia journey, it was time to fly Aer Lingus’ A321LR AerSpace on the 80-minute flight from Paris (CDG) to Dublin (DUB). For these not acquainted, AerSpace is Aer Lingus’ premium seating on regional flights.
By way of comfortable product, AerSpace is nothing thrilling, as you simply get a free drink and snack from the purchase on board menu. What’s completely different is the onerous product, and that differs vastly between planes. When you fly in AerSpace on an A320, you merely get a seat within the first row with a blocked center. However as I see it, what’s so superior is that Aer Lingus flies a bunch of A321LR/XLRs on brief European routes, and the flat beds on the entrance of the aircraft are offered as AerSpace.
It’s robust to beat getting a flat mattress on a brief flight inside Europe at an reasonably priced value, so I’d take into account this to be a terrific worth product. Let me emphasize that I’ve individually reviewed the Aer Lingus A321XLR enterprise class expertise, which is how these seats are marketed on lengthy haul flights (with a very completely different service expertise).
How I booked my Aer Lingus AerSpace ticket
There’s no method to redeem factors instantly for Aer Lingus AerSpace, so I paid money for this section of the journey. I booked the next flight for $212.11 in AerSpace:
11/05 EI521 Paris to Dublin departing 10:30AM arriving 11:15AM
For my specific flight, this was round 50% greater than the worth of the most cost effective financial system fare. I thought-about that to be a superb deal, particularly since AerSpace comes with a lot of inclusions (like a full dimension carry-on).
This was a section I wanted with a view to join two lengthy haul flights, as I arrived in Paris in Etihad’s A380 The Residence from Abu Dhabi (AUH), and was connecting in Dublin to Aer Lingus’ A330 enterprise class to Boston (BOS).
Aer Lingus AerSpace lounge & boarding
In idea, Aer Lingus AerSpace passengers get lounge entry, although solely at choose airports. Sadly these days Aer Lingus doesn’t provide lounge entry at Paris Charles de Gaulle, and it’s one of many few airports in Europe the place that’s the case, which isn’t preferrred.
On the plus aspect, I’ve gotta say, Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle is a mighty good place to move a while. Doesn’t this gate space mainly appear like a lounge (and even nicer than many lounges)?
So I grabbed a cup of espresso at a restaurant within the terminal and powered up my laptop computer within the gate space, and it was each bit as nice as being in a lounge.
My flight was departing from gate 24, and in keeping with my boarding move, boarding was supposed to start out at 9:55AM, 35 minutes earlier than departure.
To my shock, at 9:20AM boarding was referred to as, with AerSpace passengers being invited to board first. I used to be genuinely confused, and questioned if I had checked out my boarding move flawed, and 9:55AM was really the departure time.
As my boarding move was scanned, I requested the gate agent if the flight was leaving from a distant stand, since there was no aircraft on the gate. She checked out me confused, so I rephrased, and requested if we needed to take a bus to the aircraft. She responded to that by saying “no,” and indicating that the aircraft was leaving from the gate in entrance of us. Hmm, okay…
Ultimately, the inbound plane solely landed at 9:20AM, and made it to the gate at 9:25AM.
All of us stood within the space main as much as the jet bridge for practically 20 minutes, as boarding of the plane lastly began at 9:40AM. Curiously, boarding additionally occurred by means of ahead and rear doorways, so whereas some passengers used the ahead jet bridge, others went down a set of stairs, throughout the apron, after which walked up the rear stairs.
This all appeared like an enormous manufacturing to board a flight that was largely empty, the place boarding wrapped up 40 minutes earlier than departure… just for us to then sit there for that total time.
Aer Lingus A321LR AerSpace cabin & seats
I boarded the Aer Lingus A321LR by means of the ahead door, and turned proper into the enterprise class cabin… or, AerSpace cabin, because it was marketed on this flight. The cabin consists of 16 seats, unfold throughout 5 rows, in an alternating 2-2 and 1-1 configuration.
It is a staggered configuration, and particularly, is predicated on the Thompson Aero Vantage platform. I’ve reviewed these seats in nice element, so gained’t discuss an excessive amount of about them this time round.
Whereas the pairs of seats are nice for these touring with a companion…
…it’s onerous to beat the throne seats when touring alone, so I assigned myself seat 5A, the rear left throne seat, within the second to final row of the cabin.
Every seat has a 16″ seat again monitor, a tray desk that folds out from the aspect of the seat, AC and USB-A charging, and particular person air nozzles.
Suffice it to say that this can be a huge step up out of your typical intra-Europe enterprise class.
Aer Lingus A321LR AerSpace leisure & Wi-Fi
Aer Lingus’ A321LRs boast seat again leisure, with films, TV exhibits, audio, and video games, on demand. The system has a wide variety, and I didn’t take too many photos of the display, since there was a little bit of a glare on this brief daytime flight. As a substitute, I simply saved a watch on the map characteristic.
Aer Lingus’ A321LRs even have Wi-Fi accessible at a price, although it wasn’t performing on this flight.
Aer Lingus A321LR departure from Paris
This flight wasn’t full in any respect, so boarding wrapped up very quickly, after which we simply needed to watch for an prolonged interval, for our scheduled departure time. At 10:10AM the captain made his welcome aboard announcement, informing us of our flight time of 80 minutes, and our anticipated departure in round 10 minutes.
Certain sufficient, at 10:20AM the primary cabin door closed, with seven of the 16 AerSpace seats occupied. Then at 10:25AM, we started our pushback, at which level the security briefing was carried out.
At 10:30AM we started our taxi out to runway 9L, which took a while.
There was a little bit of site visitors, together with two planes in particular Star Alliance liveries!
Certain sufficient, at 10:45AM we had been cleared for takeoff, and had a really brief takeoff roll.
It was a shocking day round Paris, and I cherished the views on the climb out. The seatbelt signal was turned off round 10 minutes after takeoff.
Aer Lingus AerSpace meals & drinks
The Aer Lingus AerSpace comfortable product is pretty minimal. Aer Lingus has a purchase on board idea on intra-Europe flights, often known as Bia. I gained’t submit the entire menu right here, because it’s 68 pages, however you’ll find it right here.
The concept is that AerSpace passengers obtain one complimentary meals merchandise, and one complimentary drink. To be clear, this isn’t like enterprise class, the place there’s limitless service, however as an alternative you’re restricted to considered one of every merchandise, and it’s simply a part of the general service movement within the cabin.
It’s odd, as a result of Aer Lingus has a large choice within the purchase on board menu, however then lots of the choices simply aren’t accessible. My first three choices all ended up not being catered, so I simply opted for a espresso and a muffin. I a minimum of appreciated the right milk pouches, since so many airways don’t have that.
Aer Lingus A321LR AerSpace toilet
Aer Lingus has a bathroom on the entrance of the A321LR. Not like when this cabin is marketed as enterprise class, although, this toilet isn’t really reserved for AerSpace passengers, as it may be utilized by anybody onboard.
It was good that the elevated Jo Browne facilities from lengthy haul enterprise class flights remained within the toilet.
Aer Lingus AerSpace service
I’ve at all times had fairly good service on Aer Lingus, although maybe that additionally displays my typically optimistic notion of Irish tradition. I discover that Aer Lingus crews are usually pleasant, enjoyable, and wish to have a superb time, and this crew was no exception.
I’ll say, I don’t suppose I’ve ever seen a crew spend as a lot time participating in galley banter as this crew did, a minimum of proportional to the flight size. For the roughly 40 minutes we had on the bottom, plus for a lot of the flight, 4 crew members had been simply within the ahead galley chatting and laughing loudly.
It’s good to see folks having fun with their jobs and the folks they work with, so it didn’t hassle me, particularly since they carried out the little service required (although it might be a special story on an in a single day flight). But it surely was positively noteworthy how they need to’ve collectively spent over an hour within the galley simply chatting.
Aer Lingus A321LR arrival in Dublin
At 10:30AM Dublin time (there was a one hour time change in comparison with Paris), the captain was on the PA to announce that we had been at 36,000 toes and close to Manchester, and can be touchdown in round 40 minutes, at 11:10AM, with a ten minute taxi after that.
Certain sufficient, we began our descent round 10 minutes after that, after which the seatbelt signal was turned on round quarter-hour later.
The views on strategy had been stunning…
As predicted, we touched down at 11:10AM on runway 10L, after which we arrived at our gate at 11:15AM.
From there, I headed to the US Preclearance facility, in anticipation of my Aer Lingus A330 enterprise class flight again to the US.
Backside line
Aer Lingus’ A321LR AerSpace product might be top-of-the-line worth premium flight experiences in Europe. AerSpace as such is kind of only a bundled financial system expertise, and is nothing particular. Nevertheless, Aer Lingus operates a significant variety of A321LR/XLRs on intra-Europe flights, that includes flat beds within the entrance of the cabin. If you will get on a kind of flights, you’re in for fairly a deal with, because it’s in a special league than the A320 expertise.
Admittedly the comfortable product isn’t a lot to get enthusiastic about, with the airline seemingly struggling to truly have lots of the objects within the purchase on board journal. For that matter, the entire boarding course of was very unusual.
Both means, you’ll be able to’t beat the worth of this expertise, and I do suppose AerSpace on the Aer Lingus A321 affords worth.
What do you make of Aer Lingus’ A321LR AerSpace cabin?
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