To celebrate retaining its status as Ireland’s only 4-star airline, Aer Lingus is offering up to 20% off flights to Spain, Italy, France and Portugal using the exclusive promo code ‘4STAR2019’. The code can be used on bookings made between 17 and 24 June 2019 for travel (including return) between 15 July and 30 September 2019.
In recognition of the airline’s consistent quality and excellent guest experience, Skytrax, the international air transport rating organisation, has once again rated Aer Lingus 4-stars as a result of its ongoing investment in enhancing the guest’s experience at every touchpoint of their journey, from booking at aerlingus.com to their transit through airport and inflight.
Having first achieved a 4-star rating in 2016, making it the first and only Irish airline to receive such a prestigious rating, Aer Lingus has since made a range of investments in its inflight offering, digital platforms, airport services and staff training to maintain this position in the Skytrax World Airline Awards.
Enhancements On the Ground
Over the past few years, investment in new Aer Lingus airport facilities has included an Express Bag Drop service at Dublin Airport, designed to make travel as seamless as possible. The service enables guests to self-tag and check-in their bags once they have their boarding card printed or downloaded to their mobile, cutting the time guests need to spend in the check-in area by at least 66%.
The airline has also invested in a new and more efficient Flight Connections Centre with seamless connections from Europe and the UK to its destinations across North America. Connecting via Dublin, Aer Lingus guests can experience the benefit of US Immigration Preclearance before they depart, which allows them to arrive into the USA like a domestic passenger, avoiding any lengthy queues.
Enhancements in the Air
Investment in inflight services has resulted in improvements in entertainment content, new touchscreen seat back screens, new earphones, and better food and drinks offerings on long-haul flights.
Recently, there has also been a roll out of new ambient mood-lighting in cabins. The LED mood-lighting system aims to help guests relax on flights, with a dim lavender used during take-off and the cruise and a simulated sunrise for when it is time to wake up. AerSpace, a premium short-haul travel experience, has also recently been unveiled by the airline, designed to give guests more space to work and relax, with the middle seat remaining free.
In addition to calling out these significant investments in its independent audit, Skytrax also noted that Aer Lingus staff, both on the ground and in the air, were a stand-out attribute of the airline’s position as a 4-star airline.
Mike Rutter, Chief Operating Officer, Aer Lingus, said: “We have worked hard to maintain the 4-star rating originally awarded in 2016 by maintaining and improving our high standards of service to guests. Our guest experience is constantly evolving and improving as the needs of travellers today are ever-changing.
“Looking forward, we are confident that we will maintain and further improve our guest experience, as we continue to execute our ambitious growth strategy. For example, soon we will roll out a full Business Class product refresh, 20MB of free WiFi for long-haul Economy Class guests, and complimentary beer and wine for long-haul Economy Class guests.”
Aer Lingus joins a select group of only 42 airlines worldwide, and only 14 in Europe, that also boast a 4-star guest experience. The airline is also the only 4-star airline connecting Ireland and North America.
