Review: Aer Lingus Lounge Dublin Airport

Well it just seems like a bunch of famous Irish people and things they did/ were famous for.

The list on the wall looks like a list of Irish achievements throughout history. Some really dubious ones as well, such as “Airport Duty Free Shopping”...

Not very familiar with Irish culture, are you? The wall is a list of famous Irish people/groups, with one of their accomplishments noted beside the name.

With all the improvements Delta has made in the Skyclubs, I miss packaged cheese 🙁 It used to be fun to grab a couple of those to nibble on a quick flight from LAX-SFO.

You were in that lounge for hours, WHY NOT ASK SOMEONE WHO WORKS THERE????

So many times I've been to Dublin Airport, it feels like home...
Also, Lucky, I appreciate that you publish your trip reports quickly and close together, instead of doing one and then the next one a week later for example. 😀

Ignorant question: what is the second language on the airport signs?

@AJO, duty free actually originated in Shannon airport by Brendan O'Regan. The concept was then spotted by an Irish American, Chuck Feeney who went on to set up DFS which expanded it globally.
As a result of its origins in Ireland, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has a substantial multinational business running duty free shops from North America to Middle-East to Asia-Pacific.

The second language on the signs is of course Irish.

I was told at check-in that passengers cannot use BOTH the pre-pre-clearance lounge and the post-pre-clearance lounge (AKA 51st and Green).

I don't know how they enforce that. Maybe the first lounge scrawls something on your boarding pass?

So if you did both then did you get a special exemption, being press and all?

@Ben, I'm guessing it would be Gaelic

its the Irish language. every sign in Ireland will have wording in english and irish

Its the Irish language. Every sign Ireland will have wording in english and Irish

The second language is Irish!

famous list of micks never heard of them.

F**K TRUMP - you need to get a life. Seriously! And some respect.

I love your reports but I'm honestly shocked and honestly a bit concerned that you can't take one look at a list that includes "James Joyce" and "U2" and instantly realize it's a list of Irish cultural icons. If I were in the final round of "The $25,000 Pyramid" and one of the little pyramid things on the big board said "IRISH CULTURAL ICONS" my 1980s b-list celebrity teammate would say "Ummm... James Joyce... U2..." and I would be all like 'PEOPLE FROM IRELAND!!!" and they would give it to me because I said "Ireland." (This would be post-Joshua Tree, of course, as the airport wall indicates, but still...)

Interesting. The aircraft hanging is an A350, and none of them have been delivered to them yet. Starting deliveries next year

I think you're the only person i know that would deliberately book a flight with a long layover so that they can spend extra time in an airport lounge and try out the showers :-).

Lucky, this is a terrible lounge, but I don't agree that it is fair to describe this as a Flagship lounge. It's a frequent flyer lounge for economy travellers.

Virtually every Aer Lingus business class flight (except Toronto) leaves from the US departure area, so I think your review should judge Green & 51st against what you consider flagship standards.

The DAA lounge next door has a much better shower, although it’s located in the handicap restroom... I will say, I found the friendliest and most helpful lounge gatekeeper there though. Saved me a 5 hour longer layover in the DAA lounge.

There’s a bunch of stuff written on the wall that spans two floors, though I’m not sure what exactly it represents. Does anyone know?

Huh?!?! You mean the list of famous Irish people and what they are known for?

C'mon Lucky. Your better than that.

“There’s a bunch of stuff written on the wall that spans two floors, though I’m not sure what exactly it represents. Does anyone know?”

PLEASE tell me that this admission of ignorance is not real? Surely you don’t have to be Irish or particularly intelligent or cultured to be able to understand the significance of this tribute to famous Irish figures and their achievements?

Perhaps Lucky should just limit his attention to the lounge showers, food, couches and chairs

Wow, I've been following this blog for about 18 months now and I've never commented before, but as an Irishman I have to comment on my disappointment on Ben's complete lack of knowledge on the wall. I cannot believe you have no idea who any of these people are on the tribute to famous Irish people. I mean, not even U2 or Seamus Heaney might give a hint on the meaning of the wall?

Wow, I’ve been following this blog for about 18 months now and I’ve never commented before, but even as a non-Irishman I have to comment on my disappointment on Ben’s complete lack of knowledge on the wall. I cannot believe you have no idea who any of these people are on the tribute to famous Irish people. I mean, not even U2 or Seamus Heaney might give a hint on the meaning of the wall?

Nor the fact that many of the names are quite clearly of Irish origin? You really couldn't put 2 and 2 together?

Sorry folks that I wasn't clear (and that sometimes happens when I publish 10,000+ words in a day). I picked up on the fact that most of the people were Irish, what I didn't get was the connection between them beyond that, the logic to the order, etc. Clearly it didn't come across that way (and going back and reading it I see why), so I apologize. I updated the post for clarity.

It really seems crass and insensitive to call famous people and their achievements a 'bunch of stuff written on the wall'

Instead of belting out 10,000 words a day, nobody would mind if you published 5000 words a day and actually proofread your articles before publishing them.

In October I flew out of Dublin. I didn't even know that Aer Lingus had a lounge or that I could visit it. It sounds like time is better spent in the 51 and Green lounge, which I enjoyed for one item in particular. Looking forward to your review of that.

Maureen O'Hara was a great screen legend, a star. Scarlett O'Hara was fictional.

Lucky, I agree with your review. We flew business class from Birmingham to Toronto via Dublin so got stuck for more hours than we would have wished in this very “non-flagship” Lounge. It shouldn’t matter whether the flights are going to the US or not, this is Aer Lingus’ home base and therefore ALL lounges should be damn good, not just the US bound one! Look at the other IAG airlines and see how they’ve turned their home base lounges into places you do actually want spend some time. Unfortunately our ground experience there has put us off Aer Lingus again even though their in flight service we got was brilliant. If I do try them again I’ll be looking for the shortest connection possible unless I’m US bound and can try the better Lounge.

Sharon,

The reason to give yourself plenty of time at DUB if you're going to the US is that it's hard to predict how long the US pre-clear will take, and some people end up missing their flights.

And you cannot use both Aer Lingus lounges anyway. You have to choose one so obviously it would be the one AFTER pre-clear, i.e. 51st and Green.

Personally I'd want at least 3 hours if connecting through Dublin to the US. Make it two separate flights and you'l save a fair amount of UK APT.

Hi Lucky, when tranferring from T1 to T2 there's also an airside corridor. Probably it's only marked with gate numbers (4xx is in T2), not with a sign saying "T2".

The lounge is being refurbished at the minute, re-opening Sep 1st, should be a vats improvement.