Aer Lingus has put on sale more flights to the US and Canada next summer than in any previous year. While it'll have 15 routes, a reduction versus summer 2019, it has added two new routes and grown most existing airport-pairs. We check it out.

Aer Lingus plans its most US/Canada flights

Next summer, the Irish flag carrier plans 7,782 flights to the US and Canada. That's up by 10.9% versus summer 2019 (S19) and over double what it had back in S11, according to OAG schedules information.

The picture is a bit different if seats for sale are examined. While it will still have a record number, they're up by 'only' 6.4% to two million. The difference is partly because of equipment changes which have resulted in the fewest seats per flight to date, and also partly from growth.

Aer Lingus to North America (1)
Flights and seats are up versus summer 2019. Source of data: Cirium.

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The fewest seats per flight yet

In S19, narrowbodies had fewer than four in every 100 Aer Lingus flights across the North Atlantic, with the B757-200 (leased from ASL) primarily used. The first A321LR was delivered in July 2019 and was utilized between Dublin and Hartford from August onwards.

Next summer, the A321LR (Aer Lingus' sole remaining long-haul narrowbody) will have 44 in every 100 flights. The type will be deployed on eight routes, the same number as the A330, from Dublin, Shannon, and Manchester. Interestingly, the A321 will have only two departures from Dublin to JFK: on March 27th and May 1st.

The higher use of narrowbodies has pushed seats per flight to 257, down from 268 in S19. It's a drop of 4%, clearly meaning that growth (higher frequencies, new routes) accounts for the difference.

An Aer Lingus Boeing 757-2Q8, registration EI-LBS, flying low below the clouds.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace / Simple Flying

Fewer routes than previously, though

Next summer, Aer Lingus has 15 transatlantic routes: 11 from Dublin and two each from Shannon and Manchester. The carrier began Manchester to JFK on December 1st, while Orlando will launch on December 11th. Both will be served next summer. However, Boston, which was originally slated to begin in 2022, now won't.

Despite the two additional links, Aer Lingus' transatlantic offering is down from 16 routes in S19. Hartford, Miami, and Minneapolis are no longer served. It's unclear if they'll return and whether Dublin to Montreal (an obvious A321LR route) will materialize. It probably will in time.

Aer Lingus has doubled Dublin to Dulles to twice-daily, with the A321LR replacing the single-daily A330 service. Rather than a 12:35 flight to Dulles, it'll now leave at 12:25 and 16:20, similar to the times to Boston and JFK for connectivity reasons. Meanwhile, flights from Shannon to JFK and Dublin to Orlando are up by 30%. Only Chicago will have fewer services.

Aer Lingus S22 US/Canada network
Aer Lingus' North Atlantic network is now from three European airports. Image: OAG Mapper.

A week next August

Looking to the week starting August 15th, Aer Lingus has the following network. From Dublin, by far the busiest time of day for US/Canada departures is between 16:00 and 16:59, with Boston, Chicago, JFK, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Washington all having flights then.

  • Dublin to Boston, JFK, and Washington Dulles: twice-daily
  • Dublin to Chicago: 12 weekly
  • Dublin to Los Angeles, Newark, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Toronto: once-daily
  • Manchester to JFK and Orlando: once-daily
  • Shannon to Boston and JFK: once-daily
  • Dublin to Orlando and Seattle: five-weekly

Have you flown Aer Lingus long-haul? Share your experiences in the comments.