One last adventure was what I was craving as the year drew to an end. Since before the Covid era, a few specific experiences had been calling my name, so I set my sights on Europe, where I had built up some vacation time. I was going to build the trip once my ducks were in a row.
The plan was to fly to Paris via Los Angeles. I was fortunate.
Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus has a partnership with Alaska Airlines. Premium cabin redemptions are easy to find on the Shamrock airline and there are no taxes or fees. The redemption rate is usually 4.5x that of the next closest partner.
A very lucky search from a friend turned up a result for only 60K miles from my home base of Seattle to Paris via Dublin. I paid $21.70 in taxes and fees. The business class seat cost $3,300 when it was booked.
The Alaska app and the Aer Lingus website wouldn't let me choose a seat. A quick call to a very friendly Aer Lingus customer service agent addressed the issue, and I ended up in 6 A.
On a nice December evening, I stepped off the curb and into the airport. It took 25 minutes for the checkin and bag drop to take place. It was much better than the economy class line. Premium cabin lines at the security checkpoint for Aer Lingus were relatively short.
The British Airways Terraces Lounge is located at Sea Tac. The lounge was overcrowded because it was responsible for three flights a night. I took a few bites and a drink and walked around the terminal.
The lounge had boarding calls made on time. There was an update 20 minutes later. Five minutes later, Aer Lingus boarded.
My travel buddy and I boarded the Aer Lingus plane.
The cabin is mostly grey and white with pops of green on the seats. The left side of the plane has all direct-aisle solo seats, which makes it great for travelers like me.
The center is arranged in pairs, while the right side alternates between pairs and solo seats, both of which were already unavailable when I called for a seat assignment.
My bag was easy to fit in the overhead bin above.
The pilot updated the cabin with an expected flight time of just under nine hours after a crew member came by with free wi-fi vouchers.
There was a pillow on the seat.
Everything you would need in a pinch was included in the kit.
We left 45 minutes late.
After leaving, the first of two meal services started. There was a full white linen service or a single-tray express option. I chose the full service because I didn't want to go to dinner at home.
Everyone was offered a quasi-express service after the departure delay and a slow start. 80 minutes into the flight, the appetizer and entree appeared. The entree was a coconut curry with squash on rice. I have never had a meal like this on an airplane. My travel mate was a big fan of beef.
The crew was very helpful and friendly. Their efforts were even more impressive since they had been stuck in Seattle for five days after weather kept canceling the flight and the night before had even managed to get airborne.
I had a small dessert and a cup of tea before I fell asleep.
The Thompson Aero Seating seat was the first to be introduced to Aer Lingus. It was difficult to shut a storage cubby door that was worn.
The seat had everything you would expect from international business, including full seating controls, the ability to go full-flat in bed mode, and a handful of limited storage space.
The footwell of the passenger behind you is accommodated by offsetting the seats. The seat is aligned with the side of the airplane so it gives more privacy to the passenger. The seats are not typically the widest, so I felt a tightness in the shoulders while reclined.
I slept soundly for five hours when I had a duvet with me. I slept right through the breakfast service.
I watched a few shows on the flight. The in-seat screen was good. Multiple movies and TV shows were included in the IFE system. It is possible to control the system by touching the screen or using a tethered remote.
If you have the Aer Lingus app you can control the IFE. I wanted to see what it was like.
The service was not available on the flight. I think it's easy to come and easy to go.
It wasn't always possible to use wi-fi on the flight. The speeds came in at.2 up and.8 down when it worked.
It might not have a big impact on an overnight flight if the wi-fi is only intermittently working. I don't think my perspective would be so generous if I had to stay connected or pay for the service.
The flight arrived in Dublin at 2 pm. I made the connection to Paris after deplaning.
I expected Aer Lingus to be somewhere in the middle of the road. I disembarked in Dublin and felt quite impressed.
The aged hard product is need of some attention, but the most disappointing part of the flight was that I didn't get a good night's sleep.
The Aer Lingus A330 flight was one of the better business class experiences I have had recently.
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