Plug access on Aer Lingus flight to SFO

TarfHead

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I am travelling to San Francisco with Aer Lingus later this year. It is an 11 hour flight so the facility to re-charge devices would be welcome.

As far as I have been able to ascertain, the plane will be an Airbus A332 and a third-party website (SeatGuru) indicates power outlets are available.

My question is .. are plug outlets or USB ports available in Economy on Aer Lingus flights using the A332 plane ? If plug, are they for US plugs or a square 3-pin ?

Thank you
 
SeatGuru says one power point between two seats in Economy. Fingers crossed. Am venturing to San Fran at the weekend so I will let you know!
 
Thanks for your reply.

Safe trip, and I'd love to hear about what facilities are available in Economy.
 
Flight over was very pleasant. Food was better than expected and an empty seat beside me made for a very comfortable flight. I didn't do so on this flight (I have done so on the return) but there is the option to pre-book a meal - so I will let you know if I think it is worth it. There is a plug (UK/IRE three pin socket) between every two seats. It is rather hidden though, it is below the seat level on the leg between the two. The in flight entertainment was grand though I had a bit of an issue with the sound on one of the seats, I was able to change to the other seat (not always an option though). The headphone jack is the double one - they do supply them of course. Plane was emptier than I expected but that may have just been luck!
 
Portable power banks are a wonderful thing, particularly when travelling and should do the job nicely if you can't use a power point on the plane. I just keep mine in my handbag and it's been a life saver on the many occasions when my phone has failed to last the day!! Just make sure you buy the highest capacity you can afford particularly if you're charging the likes of tablets.
 
.. There is a plug (UK/IRE three pin socket) between every two seats. It is rather hidden though, it is below the seat level on the leg between the two.

Thank you so much for getting back to me on this question. It's a family holiday and the two teenagers were getting 'the sweats' with the prospect running out of digital distractions :D.

I hope the rest of your trip goes well.
 
Thanks. We have an growing arrayof power banks but, for a flight of 11 hours, a mains outlet is preferred.
 
Just on power banks -- there are IATA guidelines (which are also the Aer Lingus rules) limiting individual carry-on batteries to 100 Wh (watt hours), and a maximum of two spare lithium ion batteries per person. Between 100 and 160 Wh are permitted with advance notification and written approval, anything else is prohibited. Batteries in checked luggage are prohibited, of course.

Most power banks are under 100 Wh, but a few are not. Your power bank may or may not show the Wh rating. If not, take the more common milliAmp-hour (mAh) rating, multiply by the voltage and divide by 1,000. For example:

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Trip was fantastic TarfHead, thanks. San Francisco is a wonderful city with so much to see and do. Though if you think Dublin has a homelessness problem it is dwarfed by the situation in San Fran. I've been there before but I think it is worse now. From the areas I saw, it was very noticeable down Market Street and around Union Square. It was appalling around the Civic Centre and in the Tenderloin district (which you are best off steering clear of anyway). I didn't encounter much by way of aggression and I saw very little that made me feel unsafe or threatened but it is not pleasant or comfortable to witness such appalling destitution and mental health issues playing out in public. It is cheek by jowl with the hotels down town so I would suggest booking a place to stay out of the city. Try finding somewhere along one of the MUNI lines so you have good access to the city. There are also the cable cars, the street trams, an extensive bus network and the BART available (though that can be a bit rough across on the East Bay). The local travel card is the Clipper card, an adult card is $3 for the card itself and you top up like the Leap card. The cable cars are much more expensive than the other options (though definitely a must do!). If you are there before April 1st head over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, there is a tall ship under construction there and it is free to wander in and have a look (though they are happy to receive donations!). The very friendly volunteers that are building it are happy to give you a personal tour and it is fascinating to watch the work in progress. Another freebie is the Cable Car Museum, you can wander in and watch the cables being driven around the city and find out about the history and workings of the cars. There are three cable car lines and they are not quite the same (a different style of car runs on the California line). The Powell Hyde and Powell Mason lines are usually busier but it is fun to do both - especially downhill! A trip on the cable cars is of course a must (though it is quite a pricey one!) but do the F-Market street car too. Visit the Boudin Bakery down on Pier 39 to see the iconic SF bread being made. It is delicious and you have to try a chowder in a bread bowl for a real SF experience. Pier 39 is a bit touristy and can be very packed in summer but it is still worth visiting and the ferry to Alcatraz leaves from nearby - remember to book that one well in advance as it books out. Stop by the Ferry Building and wander the fantastic food market they have there - you'll find no shortage of places to eat in San Francisco. Chinatown is a must visit for the sights, sounds and smells of the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and stop off at Old St Mary's - one of the few buildings left standing after the 1906 earthquake. Also visit North Beach, especially for the Italian restaurants. Of course there is also the Presido, Golden Gate Park, Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, Coit Tower (erected in tribute to the fire fighters), Lombard Street, Nob Hill, MOMA, Twin Peaks, the Castro, Haight-Ashbury... and so many others without even leaving the city!

Oh and the pre-order meal on the return flight was certainly pleasant and I think worth it :)
 
Thank you for that comprehensive response. We're travelling in June and are splitting 3 weeks across Seattle,Portland and San Francisco. Now that the flights are booked, the next challenge is finding suitable accomodation :eek:
 
I haven't been to Portland, but I have been to Seattle (and there was a very nice tea shop with whole wall of Barry's tea hidden in Pike Market behind the over-rated "original" Starbucks - the true original was burnt out, what you see is a facsimile!) - the Underground tour is worth doing (though it may be a smidge risqué as it deals with the Seattle underbelly) as is the Boeing Museum of Flight and the [broken link removed] - those two are in totally opposite directions so you need to plan them on separate days.

Good luck with accommodation - it will be pricey! As I said, you are better off out of Union Square where most of the downtown hotels are concentrated, it is overpriced and cheek by jowl with San Francisco's netherworld, make use of the public transport network and look at places further out, if you want close to downtown, stay north of Market St (aside from the Tenderloin area). For further flung options... in addition to the buses, trams, cable cars I mention above, there are also ferries (Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay) and the commuter Caltrain to San José - all extend your options for accommodation way beyond downtown and will give a more authentic San Fran experience.
 
Thank you for that comprehensive response. We're travelling in June and are splitting 3 weeks across Seattle,Portland and San Francisco. Now that the flights are booked, the next challenge is finding suitable accomodation :eek:
I stayed at the Hotel Beresford on Sutter Street. Basic, but central and well-equipped. There is a lovely diner opposite and to the right of the hotel, on the corner. Cheap as chips. I would avoid walking into the Tenderloin area at night - even in the daytime it's a bit rough, lots of beggars and drunkenness. I also did a trip to Muir woods (giant redwoods) and sausalito town with a drive across the GG bridge. Another great trip is to Berkeley University which is accessed by the BART (SF DART!) You can wander into some of the college buildings, and the town of Berkeley is lovely. As Socrates says, If u plan to do Alcatraz book now. A visit to Twin Peaks is nice too, and you can wander back towards the Castro to connect to the F-Market car back to the bay area. I
 
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