Aer Lingus has just revealed plans to launch two new transatlantic routes in the summer of 2024, and they’re to the hubs of a Star Alliance and SkyTeam airline.
In this post:
Aer Lingus reveals 2024 transatlantic expansion
As of the summer of 2024, Aer Lingus will begin flying from Dublin to both Denver and Minneapolis, with both flights already bookable. Let’s take a look at the details of each of these new routes.
Aer Lingus’ Dublin to Denver flight
As of May 17, 2024, Aer Lingus will start flying 4x weekly between Dublin (DUB) and Denver (DEN). The flight will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, with the following schedule:
EI59 Dublin to Denver departing 4:15PM arriving 7:00PM
EI60 Denver to Dublin departing 8:45PM arriving 12:30PM (+1 day)
The service will cover a distance of 4,392 miles, and is blocked at 9hr45min westbound and 8hr45min eastbound. Aer Lingus intends to use an Airbus A330-200 for the flight, featuring 266 seats, including 23 business class seats and 243 economy class seats.
This route will be served year-round. Denver is a new destination for Aer Lingus, as this wasn’t previously served.
Aer Lingus’ Dublin to Minneapolis flight
As of April 29, 2024, Aer Lingus will start flying 4x weekly between Dublin (DUB) and Minneapolis (MSP). The flight will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with the following schedule:
EI89 Dublin to Minneapolis departing 2:20PM arriving 4:55PM
EI88 Minneapolis to Dublin departing 6:45PM arriving 8:25AM (+1 day)
The service will cover a distance of 3,735 miles, and is blocked at 8hr35min westbound and 7hr40min eastbound. Aer Lingus intends to use an Airbus A330-200 for the flight, featuring 266 seats, including 23 business class seats and 243 economy class seats.
This route will be served year-round. However, there will be changes between seasons. As of the winter 2023 season (starting in late October 2023), the route will be served daily with Airbus A321LRs. Minneapolis represents a resumption of service for Aer Lingus, as the airline operated this route in the summer of 2019, but then it was cut during the pandemic. Now it’s making a return, five years later.
My take on Aer Lingus’ transatlantic expansion
Aer Lingus is an airline that has grown considerably over the years. The carrier’s long haul network consists exclusively of transatlantic flights, so it’s one of the few European airlines that basically doesn’t even look east for long haul expansion.
The airline expanded hugely before the pandemic, but as you’d expect, it has taken the airline years to build back its network. At this point Aer Lingus has resumed just about all of its pre-pandemic transatlantic flights, plus it has launched service to Cleveland, in addition to this announcement. In total, Aer Lingus now has 18 routes to North America, which is mighty impressive.
Keep in mind that Aer Lingus is nowadays part of the oneworld transatlantic joint venture, with American, British Airways, Finnair, and Iberia. You wouldn’t really know it, though, given that the airline isn’t part of oneworld, and doesn’t even offer reciprocal perks with American. The whole thing is a very strange business arrangement, and I don’t understand the lack of closer cooperation, despite schedule and price coordination.
What’s my take on the two new routes that Aer Lingus has chosen?
- Denver has one of the top 10 Irish populations in the United States, and the only other transatlantic joint venture partner with long haul service from there is British Airways; it’s also a major hub for United (Star Alliance)
- Minneapolis is a bit more surprising, since it doesn’t have as big of an Irish population, and is a Delta (SkyTeam) hub; interestingly no other transatlantic joint venture partner has service out of there, so I have to imagine there are significant incentives involved, since this is one of the first transatlantic markets being served by Aer Lingus before British Airways
I’m curious to see if these two routes prove successful for Aer Lingus.
Bottom line
As of May 2024, Aer Lingus will launch new flights from Dublin to both Denver and Minneapolis. The flights will operate 4x weekly with Airbus A330s for the summer season. Then as of winter, the Minneapolis service will operate daily with Airbus A321LRs.
It’s always cool to see Aer Lingus expand. We’ve known that Denver was one of the next major markets that the carrier was exploring, while the Minneapolis route marks a resumption.
What do you make of Aer Lingus’ new routes to the United States?
St.Paul has a fairly substantial Irish population. But also the Twin Cities has a number of corporations with ties to Ireland, especially in the medical device sector.
As an Irishman living in the US for 18 years I’ve had a curse of EI introducing service not long after I leave a metro area on two occasions. DEN being the latest. It was long rumored pre-pandemic. Living in NC I’ve heard rumors they may try A321 service to RDU, and I hope they do. It would be nice to have an alternative to AA’s seasonal and poorly timed nonstop from CLT-DUB.
Saint Paul has a huge Irish population
Delta have added msp to dub from early May 2024
Worst airline service ever. Flown twice. Once was double charged and no response from multiple requests for refund (had to credit card chargeback). Second instance the connection flight in both directions did not exist (JetBlue flight number on booking hadn't flown for months)
Also would add that EI as a hub is quite well-placed for Scandinavian connections from MSP---akin to Icelandair. Wish they'd drop a 321 into DTW...
Don’t forget that BA is short of aircraft too, so Aer Lingus is a good proxy for new routes at the moment.
Minneapolis to Dublin makes sense because there are several medical device manufacturing corporations that have facilities in both Minneapolis and Ireland. Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Surmodics, and Abbott are a few that I know of.
Also Kerry Gold amongst a number of other large agricultural concerns both here and in Ireland have offices in the Twin Cities area due to the very established ag-food sector here.
Terrible airline. A few weeks ago it was more than an hour in line to check in at Dublin. They had surly agents, which is stunning for Ireland. The people behind us missed their USA flight because of the line (and no they didn't call that flight at close-out) and the airline then charged them big bucks to fly home .... 3 days later. And zero OneWorld benefits. The flight itself is fine other than...
Terrible airline. A few weeks ago it was more than an hour in line to check in at Dublin. They had surly agents, which is stunning for Ireland. The people behind us missed their USA flight because of the line (and no they didn't call that flight at close-out) and the airline then charged them big bucks to fly home .... 3 days later. And zero OneWorld benefits. The flight itself is fine other than the expected inedible food, but they really suck if anything goes wrong.
BY the way, if you're flying to Ireland, the Dublin airport crowds are a horror show, while Shannon airport is a pleasure. If I lived in MSP I'd connect to Shannon before taking a nonstop to Dublin. USA customs preclearance are in both places.
Do you still have to walk out onto tarmac and climb up stairs for connection to Birmingham at Dublin airport.?
Important to note that EI is not part of OneWorld, so they are not entitled to give you OneWorld benefits. Sounds like an awful experience tho, do you have an option to check-in online like FR?
St Paul (Minnesota) continues to have a large Irish population and a long standing travel agency specializing in Irish tourist travel. A major Minnesota health care conglomerate joined hands with its Irish counterpart. This flight will do quite well and MSP business travelers would wish that Are Lingus could join the Sky Team alliance. Pre clearance will streamline business travel.
Other airline hub raiding with its own geographically well positioned hub is a big part of EI’s business plan
I believe the DEN route was close to happening pre-pandemic. My understanding was that they were waiting for more planes (321XLRs) to free up A330s to launch this route. Glad to see it launch finally with the plan to operate year-round.
Now where is that TK flight they teased a year ago...
I wish they'd just officially join One World. I know it's not that easy though.
Minneapolis is a business route I believe.
For Minneapolis, apparently the local... business groups or politicans identified Ireland as a destination with lots of demand but it was underserved. One of the big corporations previously headquartered in Minneapolis moved a large part of their operations to Ireland for tax reasons.
The route apparently did VERY well (it previously operated with a 757 before quickly switching to a 330), and I for one am glad to see it return.
I think it's important to mention the pre-clearance facility at DUB. This makes connecting there a very attractive alternative. Crossing the Atlantic and arriving at a domestic terminal is sheer bliss.
Hi oh mention that Aer Lingus had an on again off again approach to service, implying you think
These may not last. Can you please point to routes which were recently started and stopped? I can’t think of any, and given that you question Aer Lingus’s commitment to these routes long term I’m
Interested to see the evidence on which you base your assertion.
*You, not “oh hi”
Because there isn’t any, really. To my recollection, Aer Lingus has cut its transatlantic network twice in the last 20 years. The first occasion was the GFC, when LAX and SFO were axed (since resumed). The second was the pandemic, when MSP, BDL, and MIA were axed (all since resumed). I think we can give them a pass for doing so at times when many other airlines were doing the very same.