Aer Lingus was founded in 1936 and is the national flag carrier of Ireland. It is headquartered in Dublin and its main hub is Dublin Airport. Aer Lingus operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft, including A319, A320, A321, and A330 planes. The average age of the planes in the Aer Lingus fleet is 8.9 years. All transatlantic Aer Lingus flights on A330 aircraft offer in–flight WiFi and personal entertainment systems. Aer Lingus flies to more than 75 destinations in Europe, North America, and northern Africa. Since 2013, Aer Lingus has carried more than 10 million passengers per year. It also has codeshares with Air Canada, British Airways, Etihad Airways, JetBlue Airways, KLM, and United Airlines.

Online Check-In

Aer Lingus offers online check–in and airport check–in. Online check–in is usually available between 2 and 30 hours before the scheduled flight departure time. Online check–in is limited to between 2 and 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for travel to/from New York (JFK), Boston, Chicago and Orlando. For some other airports, the online check–in is limited to 4.5 and 30 hours before the scheduled departure time. Please consult the Aer Lingus website to be certain of the options. For the following select European routes, Aer Lingus offers 30 day advanced web check–in: flights between Ireland and the United Kingdom; flights between Ireland and Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey; flights between Ireland and Lyon, Nice, Paris, Toulouse, Perpignan, Marseille, Bordeaux; flights from Ireland to Amsterdam, Rennes, and Agadir.

For airport check–in, Aer Lingus recommends arriving 3.5 hours before long–haul routes and 2.5 hours for short–haul routes within Europe. Check–in counters close 75 minutes before departure for long–haul flights (60 minutes for business class travel), 45 minutes before departure for short–haul routes within Europe, and 30 minutes before departure for flights departing Belfast City Airport. Note: the Dublin Airport now offers “evening before” check–in for Aer Lingus flights departing between 6:00am and 8:00am. This allows passengers to check–in at the airport from 4pm–8pm the evening before their flight.

Boarding Information

All passengers are advised to be at the boarding gate at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Passengers traveling to/from Rome or Amsterdam are advised to arrive 40 minutes before and passengers traveling to/from the USA are advised to arrive 45 minutes before. Passengers who arrive late to the boarding gate may be denied boarding. Pre–boarding is offered for passengers who require special assistance, such as passengers who are visually impaired or require the use of a mobility device. For pre–boarding, passengers should contact the Aer Lingus customer staff at the boarding gate. Priority boarding is offered to passengers traveling in business class and Gold, Prestige, and Elite members in the Aer Lingus Gold Circle frequent flyer program.

Frequent Flyer Information – Gold Circle

Aer Lingus offers a frequent flyer program called Gold Circle. Members can earn points by traveling with Aer Lingus or on partner airlines. The number of points earned per flight depends on the booking class, with bonuses offered for business class travel. Points can be redeemed for reward flights on Aer Lingus or partner airlines, or for upgrades to business class on Aer Lingus. The Gold Circle program has three tiers for frequent fliers: Gold, which is received by earning 2,400 in the previous 12 months; Prestige, which is received by earning 4,800 in the previous 12 months; and Elite, which is received by earning 8,400 in the previous 12 months. Passengers who have attained this level of membership enjoy additional perks such as priority check–in and boarding, lounge access, and flight upgrades.

Hand Baggage Allowance

All passengers are permitted one carry–on bag and one carry–on personal item such as a briefcase, purse, laptop bag, or diaper bag. The maximum size for the carry–on bag is 21" H x 15" L x 9" W (55 x 40 x 24 cm); maximum weight is 22 lbs (10 kg). The maximum size for the personal item is 10" H x 13" L x 8" W (25 x 33 x 20 cm). Baggage exceeding the carry–on size and weight limits will have to be checked and fees will apply.

Note: carry–on bag size and weight requirements differ for Aer Lingus Regional services. Maximum size of a carry–on bag for regional service is 18" H x 13" L x 8" W (48 x 33 x 20 cm) with a maximum weight of 15 lbs (7 kg).

Note: pets are not permitted to travel onboard any Aer Lingus aircraft. Pets in carriers with proper documentation and which meet other travel requirements will be placed in the aircraft's hold. All pets must be booked through Aer Lingus Cargo. Please refer to the Aer Lingus website for specific requirements and conditions.

Checked Baggage Allowance

For travel within Europe, checked baggage fees apply for all economy fares. (See below for exceptions). Fees vary according to the item's size, the route and the season. Fees are generally lower when baggage is booked online, being often up to 50% higher for baggage booked in the airport. Passengers may travel with up to three checked bags. Checked baggage fees are partially determined by item size, which is divided into four categories: small (maximum weight of 33 lbs / 15 kg) medium (maximum weight of 44 lbs / 20 kg) large (maximum weight of 55 lbs / 25 kg) extra–large (two bags with a combined maximum weight of 88 lbs / 40 kg). Note: Aer Lingus will not accept individual bags weighing more than 70 lbs / 32 kg.

Exceptions to checked baggage fees: Passengers traveling on a plus/flex fare are allowed one free medium sized bag. For transatlantic travel on Aer Lingus, all passengers are entitled to one complimentary piece of checked baggage. Passengers who book an infant travel within Europe can check one collapsible stroller free of charge. Passengers who book an infant travel to/from North America receive an additional infant checked baggage allowance of 22 lbs (10 kg). The maximum size is 62" (158 cm) in combined dimensions (length + width + height) and the maximum weight is 50 lbs (23 kg). These passengers are also able to check one collapsible stroller free of charge. Passengers traveling in business class or first class are permitted up to three complimentary pieces of checked baggage with a maximum combined weight of 150 lbs (69 kg). Fees apply for additional pieces of checked baggage or overweight baggage. Note that the maximum weight for any checked item is 70 lbs (32 kg). Medical equipment such as wheelchairs, dialysis machines, or defibrillators can be checked for free but passengers must notify the airline at least 48 hours before the scheduled departure time. Please check with the airlines for special preparation requirements concerning such electric and battery operated assistive devices.

Aer Lingus latest reviews from customers

3.2 /5

Total reviews based on: 25

Dublin

London

Dublin - Gatwick ( DUB - LGW )

5.0 /5

Laura

Date 2018-07-13 City USA Age 31-50 Class Economy

Excellent experience. Would use the airline again.

5.0 /5

1 reviews

Rome

Dublin

Fiumicino - Dublin ( FCO - DUB )

5.0 /5

Mary

Date 2018-05-02 City Age Class Economy

Everything was good except the buying of food in the aircraft it was really my first experience to pay for the food in the aircraft since i have been traveling.

5.0 /5

1 reviews

Dublin

Glasgow

Dublin - Glasgow Scotland ( DUB - GLA )

4.0 /5

Date 2019-09-22 City USA Age 51-70 Class Economy

Too little space to sit

2.5 /5

2 reviews

Dublin

Edinburgh

Dublin - Turnhouse ( DUB - EDI )

4.0 /5

Sue

Date 2019-05-27 City USA Age 51-70 Class Economy

Seats are way too small. Whose back is only 20 inches wides? This is not Asia.

3.0 /5

2 reviews

London

Newark - Nj

Gatwick - Newark International Airport ( LGW - EWR )

4.0 /5

Kelly

Date 2018-03-26 City Age Class Economy

They left my bag in London! 3 days without my bag and counting.

4.0 /5

1 reviews

Miami

Dublin

Miami International Airport - Dublin ( MIA - DUB )

4.0 /5

Nick

Date 2018-12-26 City USA Age 51-70 Class Economy

I had to travel to Ireland for my aunt's funeral. I traveled the same day I booked the flight. I thought the price was horribly expensive (approx. $1950). I could not find a mechanism for attempting to obtain a bereavement fare if such an option still exists. Other than that the flight(s) were fine. Nice people working for the company.

4.0 /5

1 reviews

Knock

London

Knock Intl - Gatwick ( NOC - LGW )

4.0 /5

none provided

Date 2019-10-05 City Age Class Economy

not bad for a short hop

4.0 /5

1 reviews

Zurich

Dublin

Zurich - Dublin ( ZRH - DUB )

3.0 /5

The Professor

Date 2019-07-21 City Age Class Economy

Plane was noisy, service mediocre

3.0 /5

2 reviews

Lisbon

Dublin

Lisboa - Dublin ( LIS - DUB )

3.0 /5

Rachel

Date 2018-11-20 City Ireland Age 51-70 Class Economy

The flight to Dublin was delayed by about an hour and the cost of the ticket was too expensive.

3.0 /5

1 reviews

Dublin

London

Dublin - Heathrow ( DUB - LHR )

1.0 /5

Tom

Date 2019-06-02 City Age Class Economy

This was a horrible experience. The booking stated aier lingus. After wasting 20 mins with them we find out it's a british airways flight. Then we find out it's overbooked and we had to wait until.last.minute and rush though security. You need to detail the correct airlines.

1.0 /5

1 reviews

Best flight deal $88 The cheapest flight available with Aer Lingus is $88

Carry-on baggage allowance 22 x 16 x 9 inches The carry-on baggage for Aer Lingus must not be larger than 22 x 16 x 9 inches.

Carry-on baggage weight 22 pounds The weight limit for the carry-on baggage is 22 pounds

Loyalty program Gold Circle Club The airline Aer Lingus features the following loyalty program: Gold Circle Club