Travel Question--Airlines

[rhubarbodendron]

auntie, why shouldn't we kill two birds with one stone? Let us know your itinerary and we'll turn hubby's bruised-ego-trip into a huge board meeting trip for you
Quite a lot of us here are from the UK so that they are just a few miles away and as for us others from the continent it's just a small hop across the Channel.

From my own experience I can wholeheartedly recommend B&B. It's far cheaper than any hotel, the food is better (and more - a home-cooked full English breakfast makes lunch completely superfluous) and you get invaluable insider tips for sightseeing and things to do.

 

[auntiehill]

We are a long way from an itinerary but I will let you know.

To be fair, it's not hubby's "bruised ego trip." It's his "just buried his mother" trip.

 

[Riker'sMailbox]

Ireland is such a wonderful country to visit. I have not ever had an issue with Aer Lingus. I took Ryan Air once from Galway to Dublin. It was fine. I think that most flights are going to be somewhat in the same range of comfort as others, unless you fly first class unfortunately. I am pretty fit and still get uncomfortable. If they do direct flights from Texas to Dublin, can you take a sleep aid to help you just conk out on the flight?

I would love to go back with my husband. He has never been. Most of my trips there were with Irish boyfriends, so we spent time in their hometowns, in addition to the larger tourist destinations. Some of the best memories were in these tiny towns, so I recommend going off the beaten path a little.

 

[auntiehill]

I don't know about sleep aids. I think for the sake of cost, we would fly from Texas to NY and then to Dublin.

 

[Timby]

Indeed, once every 4 hours! DVT is a known hazard of frequent air travel.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (which killed a friend of mine) is caused by a combination of inactivity for more than 4 hours and the low air pressure.

DVT can also be caused by a blood clotting disorder. I have Factor V Leiden and was diagnosed after I wound up throwing 13 PEs and DVTs and was finally sent to the ER with what my then-doctor thought was pneumonia.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

To be fair, it's not hubby's "bruised ego trip." It's his "just buried his mother" trip.

Oh, that's of course a very different matter. I'm very sorry for him

 

[DimesDan]

@auntiehill, if you need help or inspiration for where to go or what to do while here in Ireland, I'll suggest a few things.

 

[auntiehill]

@auntiehill, if you need help or inspiration for where to go or what to do while here in Ireland, I'll suggest a few things.

Sure, I'd love to hear it!

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

When I plan a trip, I try to get as long a layover as I possibly can.

Not just so I can drink gin in the airport lounge (although that is a factor ) but mostly to act as an insurance policy against flight delays. That's the most important thing to me. Better to sit around and wait in the airport than to have to rush to your gate like a bat out of hell (or, even worse, miss your connecting flight altogether).

And about those airport lounges - they're not just for drinking, of course! All of the major airlines have them - United has the United Club, American has the Admirals Club, Delta has the Sky Club, and Air Canada has the Maple Leaf Lounge. I cannot stress ENOUGH how important these things are for long term airport survival. You get free internet, free food (snacks, anyway), free drinks, power outlets where you want them - it's actually really hard to find a handy outlet to charge your devices when you're in an airport - and, of course, PEACE AND QUIET. When you're in one of these lounges, you almost forget you're even IN an airport!

Plus, the lounges all have their own customer service agents to help you if something goes wrong with your flight. So if there's a cancellation or delay, you can just stay in the lounge and let them help you - you don't need to leave the lounge and go to your airline's CS desks. Which are likely to be overcrowded anyway.

Are these lounges you pay for? Because I've never flown anywhere with a provided lounge attached to the airline and I always thought that was business class and up people. I've been in free lounges provided by the airport that you get a ticket to if you're long term layover which was good, and I've also paid for lounges that were again, the airports. None of those places have anywhere to sleep though, the chairs are all upright. I've paid to sleep in a small lounge with big recliner chairs once, it was excellent.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

If I went to Ireland there would be a beer tour.

I've thought about it because there were tons of cheap deals to Dublin recently but, eh.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Are these lounges you pay for? Because I've never flown anywhere with a provided lounge attached to the airline

Yeah, you do have to pay for the lounge. You can either get a yearly membership, or a day pass.

The only restriction is that you have to have a boarding pass for that specific airline (i.e. if you want to get into the United Club you have to be travelling on a United flight). It doesn't matter which class of seats you have - business class, first class, economy, it's all good. Only the airline itself matters.

And oftentimes you can use accumulated air miles (earned through an airline's rewards program) to pay for a yearly club membership. I have never used miles to redeem for an actual flight (although this is also possible - I've just never done it, myself), but they can be very handy to pay for clubs.

Also, speaking of airline rewards programs: You can earn air miles in other ways as well. If you have a particular hotel chain which you are particularly fond of (Marriott, in my case), you can sign up for that hotel's reward program and earn air miles that way, if you're so inclined. And hotel reward programs can get you perks that you wouldn't ordinarily get, such as free Internet (if the hotel doesn't normally offer it).

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

What hotel wouldn't offer free internet?

I looked up the last airport I was sitting around for 9 hours and I do see there is a lounge connected to the airline. It was about 30 dollars or so.. but had the same facilities as the free lounge. Probably better food but there is good cheap food to buy so wasn't that important. I really wanted somewhere to sleep for a few hours.