Best carrier to Usa

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JdmSpec

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Hi Guys

Im looking to head over to Nyc for a week (never been stateside before) with my brother and a few mates.The thing is my bro is a very nervous flyer and has only ever flown between here and the uk.

Im wondering is there any carrier more so thats better than the other,the choices seem to be Aerlingus,delta or continental.

Checking reviews Delta seem to be slated a fair bit,are they really bad?

Can anyone give me some more info on the flight itself ect so that i can try ease his mind of what to expect and how long the flight is ect?

Also,when do the christmas celebrations kick off?would be cool to be there for any light uo ceremonys

Cheers
 
Christmas in NYC tends to start the day after Thanksgiving, they are very efficient in switching from one holiday to the next. For the official times and dates, try posting on the NYC forum on tripadvisor.com

As for carriers, here's my take, totally just a personal opinion.

Continental - they fly a narrow bodied plane into Newark from Dublin. Newark is a nice airport but all the money in the world could not get me to sit for 7 hours on a plane with three seats either side of a single aisle. Way too claustrophobic for my liking. Not ideal for a nervous flyer I would think.

Aer Lingus - I gave up flying with these years ago so cannot really comment on their current service.

Delta - I fly 15-20 Delta sectors a year and have yet to have reason to slate them. Their cabin crew tend to be older so more friendly and more chilled IMO. The aircraft has 2-3-2 (or 2-4-2) seats so 2 aisles and it feels less cramped. You probably won't have seat back entertainment on your aircraft (not sure if AL do either?).

These are the three carriers with direct flights from Dublin. My choice, no question, would be Delta.

Airline food is airline food, well in economy anyway so no huge differences there. Alcohol you pay for on board, though I think Delta do give you one free drink with dinner.

Flight time is longer going over than coming back, about 7 hours over and 6 hours back. Depending on your flight time you will probably get lunch, a snack during the flight and something else about an hour before you land. If it's overhead screens you'll probably get 2 films during the crossing. A nighttime flight is usually dinner after takeoff and breakfast before you land but there should be snacks available during the flight too.

Think that covers most of your questions. HTH
 
I have flown with delta too and would have no hesitation in recommending them. Very helpful and pleasant cabin staff and the plane is a nice comfortable size.
Just another point to - as far as i am aware, the food and drink on the Aer Lingus flight is not included, whereas on the Delta flight all food and minerals were included. Please correct me if i'm wrong though
 
Thanks for the info guys,
Looking at the end of november/start of december with delta i see there flying a 757 which is 3-3 on the seating,im wondering how un/comfortable it would be?

For the sake of my bro not feeling any worse would the bigger option of AL be better?
 
continental is a great airline.pricy at time but the service is 100%better than arelingus. anytime my dad goes by plane my mom gives him a valium.
 
From www.seatguru.com which may be useful

Airline - Aircraft - Pitch - Width
Aer Lingus - A330-220 - 31" - 17.00"
Aer Lingus - A330-300 - 31" - 17.00"
Continental - 757-200 - 31" - 17.2"
Delta - 767-300 - 31-32" - 18.00"
 
JdmSpec said:
Thanks for the info guys,
Looking at the end of november/start of december with delta i see there flying a 757 which is 3-3 on the seating,im wondering how un/comfortable it would be?

For the sake of my bro not feeling any worse would the bigger option of AL be better?
Click to expand...

So the rumours are true then, I had heard talk of Delta flying 757s out of Ireland. This is not good news! Like I said, no money could pay me to sit on a 3-3 aircraft for that long!

Looks like AL might be your best bet then, as for me it'll be Air France via Paris from now on, unless Delta haven't put 757s on the Atlanta route so I can go that way. Am a Skyteam frequent flyer so tend to choose airlines within the alliance.
 
The 757's seem to be on from the first of november untill around april then its the 767's back.

I wouldnt actually mind flying to the uk and going from there but unfortunatly its not going to be an option with my bro unless he secures an endless supply of valium from the doc!

So looks like Al it will be,just to clarify you get a meal included but softdrinks and alcohol you pay for?Also when you get the jfk is there much fumbling about or is it fairly quick to get in and out of?
 
Depending on how many of you are going - more than 5 for example well worthwhile going the stretch limo route - not v expensive (around 80 dollars including tips), otherwise you could get a shuttle bus at around $19 each. Leaves you to hotel door. There are loads of guys waiting at JFK with the shuttle buses. Another alternative is to take the airtrain + subway at $7 each

Lots of info here

[broken link removed]
 
JdmSpec said:
So looks like Al it will be,just to clarify you get a meal included but softdrinks and alcohol you pay for?Also when you get the jfk is there much fumbling about or is it fairly quick to get in and out of?
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Soft drinks should be free on Aer Lingus but you pay for alcohol. I am open to correction on that but I have never yet heard of an airline charging for non alcoholic drinks on a trans-atlantic flight.

As long as you're not on the afternoon Aer Lingus flights you should be through JFK quite swiftly. The issue is that US immigration in Dublin closes around lunchtime and the later flights have to clear immigration in the US.

Provided you do immigration in Dublin all you need to do in JFK is walk through customs, hand your form in and out you go.

For car transfers we've used Carmel Limos and Dial 7 limos, both have websites where you can pre-book your car. Much more pleasant than a yellow cab after a long flight!
 
Allowing that they are all pretty good carriers with decent safety records - Why would you care, outside price and departure times?? As far as the carriers from Ireland to US are concerned there is very little difference. I prefer the US carriers personally
 
AL is 2-4-2 configuation with 2 aisles. Nervous flyers would be best in the middle of the "4" as you cant see much outside the plane from there. I would also fly direct rather than taking plane to London, Paris etc. and going from there - nervous flyers tend to hate landing and take off, so better not to double the number of each.

Personally I would prefer to fly into JFK with immigration done in Ireland. I'm not sure that this is an option with Newark - anyone confirm?

As for planes. While I'm not a great fan of the AL transatlantic fleet - very poor in flight entertainment, I hate 757s. They seem to have a very cramped feel about them and for some reason or another dont feel as sturdy as other planes.
 
I'm not sure that this is an option with Newark - anyone confirm?
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From the continental.com website
[broken link removed]


CUSTOMS:

"Continental Airlines flights from Dublin and Shannon are pre-cleared by United States Customs and Border Protection. Due to the additional time required for this process, please ensure you arrive at the airport for check-in at least two and a half hours before departure. United States Customs and Border Protection will complete the baggage inspection process upon arrival in the United States."

TRANSFERS AT NEWARK:

"All Continental trans-Atlantic flights arrive in Terminal C. All customers, regardless of their final destination, must claim their checked baggage and then proceed for clearance through U.S. Customs and Border Protection agricultural/customs control.


Connecting Passengers: If you are connecting to another flight and have baggage to recheck, continue to the Baggage Recheck area, located beyond the exit and to the left. If you do not have baggage to recheck, please proceed directly to your departure gate. If departing from Terminal A or B, you may ride the monorail located two levels above the arrivals hall.
Note: During the summer season, some international flights may arrive in Terminal B."
 
JdmSpec said:
So looks like Al it will be,just to clarify you get a meal included but softdrinks and alcohol you pay for?
Click to expand...

You mightn't even get a meal. When I flew Aer Lingus back from New York a year or two ago our "breakfast" was a cup of orange juice.
 
Brooklyn said:
You mightn't even get a meal. When I flew Aer Lingus back from New York a year or two ago our "breakfast" was a cup of orange juice.
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Not true, you do get a meal on Aer Lingus. Meal is served about 1hr into the flight. Complimentry soft drinks and tea/coffee also offered at this time. Alcholic drinks must be purchased.
Close to landing, there is another service. On the way to the US - this is a scone and a cup of tea (if I remember correctly) while on arriving in Ireland - it is an orange juice.
Previously the landing meal was more substantial but this has been cut back in recent years.

The service on AL/Delta/Continental and American out of Ireland is broadly comparable in my experience. Choice would be a function of cost, schedule and preference for wide body (2 aisle) or single aisle aircraft.
 
soy said:
Previously the landing meal was more substantial but this has been cut back in recent years.

The service on AL/Delta/Continental and American out of Ireland is broadly comparable in my experience.
Click to expand...

I fly to America once or twice a year, nearly always on a different carrier. None of the others have cut back their "landing meal" to a cup of orange juice.
 
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