Aer Lingus to Launch 2 New Routes to North America
Aer Lingus is growing its North American route network. Beginning in summer 2019, the Dublin-based carrier will launch nonstop service from its DUB hub to both Montreal (YUL) and Minneapolis (MSP).
In an announcement on Wednesday, Aer Lingus detailed plans that beginning on July 8, 2019, it'll launch nonstop service between Dublin (DUB) and Minneapolis (MSP). Then, on August 8, 2019, it'll resume nonstop service between DUB and Montreal (YUL), a route that it served from 1966 to 1979.
The DUB-MSP route will be operated by one of the carrier's Boeing 757 aircraft and will offer daily service. The route will operate on the following schedule:
- EI89 Dublin (DUB) 2:10pm Departure ⇒ Minneapolis (MSP) 4:55pm Arrival
- EI88 Minneapolis (MSP) 7:00pm Departure ⇒ Dublin (DUB) 8:40am (+1) Arrival
Aer Lingus' 757s feature two cabins: business and economy. In the economy cabin, you'll find 165 standard seats in a 3-3 configuration, with each offering 31 inches of pitch and 18 inches of width. In the business-class cabin, you'll find 12 lie-flat seats in a staggered (1-1 / 2-2) configuration, featuring "throne" seats (similar to JetBlue Mint). Check out a full review of the 757 business-class experience here.
Meanwhile, the DUB-YUL route will be operated by one of Aer Lingus' A321LR aircraft and will offer daily service. The route will operate on the following schedule:
- EI99 Dublin (DUB) 6:50pm Departure ⇒ Montreal (YUL) 8:50pm Arrival
- EI98 Montreal (YUL) 10:20pm Departure ⇒ Dublin (DUB) 9:40am (+1) Arrival
Aer Lingus' A321LR is soon to be the newest aircraft in its fleet, taking delivery of its first in the second quarter of 2019. At this time, the configuration of its A321LRs remains unknown, however, it's possible that we could also see a lie-flat product similar to its 757s installed on the newer aircraft. Aer Lingus plans to take delivery of four A321LRs in 2019 and will add a total of 12 to its fleet over the next few years.
Flights on both of the new routes are now bookable on Aer Lingus' website. Round-trip fares from Minneapolis to Dublin seem to hover around the $762 mark.
While the Montreal route launches on August 8, the carrier's schedule is only loaded until that date, meaning only one-way tickets are bookable at this time. One-way fares for the inaugural YUL-DUB flight are CAD 426 ($326).
Alternatively, you can use miles on these flights. British Airways Avios can be used, but specific redemption amount will vary based on when you're traveling and to where. Alternatively, United MileagePlus miles can be redeemed for 30,000 miles one-way in economy or 70,000 miles one-way in business.
Wednesday's announcement is the latest in a slew of North American route additions for Aer Lingus. In October 2017, Aer Lingus announced that it was set to launch service between Dublin and Philadelphia — a route that commenced in March 2018. The carrier also recently added nonstop flights to Seattle and Miami.
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