I weighed up all my available options for getting to and from DUB. FR from LPL, EI from MAN or EI from LBA. Lots of flights to choose from. I opted for EI from MAN in the end. Booked a 'Plus' fare type which offered 25kg of checked baggage which would be enough for me. You can either book a Plus fare which incudes 1 x 25kg bag or book the low fare and then pay extra at check-in for 1 x 25Kg. Also a bit of novelty being able to check-in online 30 days before your flight too, never done that before!!! Apparently advance check-in is only available on certain routes. I bagged SEQ 1 for the outbound flight but only SEQ 8 for my return flight on July 12
With it been an 08:00 departure from MAN, I'd stayed at the Crowne Plaza again with a parking package the night before (got another room upgrade to the exec rooms thanks to my IHG Ambasabor status
). They also comp'ed my the extra day parking I needed as I'm away for a total of 16 days and the parking packages are always 8 or 15 days. I literally left work at 14:00 on Friday and drove straight to MAN as work is on the way for me so seems silly to finish work, go home only then back-track to MAN, especially with it being a Friday. Traffic on the M66/M60 was pretty light and I arrived at the Crowne Plaza by 14:40.I set my alarm for 05:00, though having worked a 6-2 shift the last 2 weeks, I was awake by then anyway. Got the shuttle bus to T1 and I was at EI check-in just before 06:00. I was trying to work out the last time I'd actually been through MAN T1, I *think* is was around 20 years or so now, other than picking my parents up from there last year. It's usually T3 or occasionally T2 normally for me when departing MAN. I was glad to see T1 also has an air-side smoking cage as T2 does, still nothing in T3 though!
The EI flight was departing from gate 4, one of the non-air bridge gates MAN T1 still has. The flight flashed up on screen around 07:10 and it's only a short walk to the gate area from the main departure lounge. The in-bound flight arrived on stand around 07:20 and boarding started a few mins later once the arriving pax had all got off. Boarding was basically a free for all though with only 173 pax it didn't take long to board as they where using both the forward and rear doors. No surprise to see the A320 cabin is basically the same as VLR cabins though in different colours.
We pushed back a minute or two before 08:00 and we were airborne a few mins later. It's only a 40 min flight to DUB from MAN. Snacks and drinks where on sale during the flight, though not many people where bothering.
Landed at DUB T2 on-time at around 08:40, though we had to wait a few minutes for a stand to become free. A short walk to immigration where there where no queues for EU passport holders. Bags where coming off within 5minutes and 5 minutes later I was outside enjoying the warm sunny weather here. T2 is a great terminal. Just had a quick wander across to T1 to get my bearings as that's where BA depart from. T2 is much nicer so I've come back to T2 to camp here for a while until my BA flight this afternoon back to LHR.
All in all a great flight and a good start to my West coast trip. 1 flight down, 9 to go for this trip
I flying all the way back up to DUB and then EI again to MAN for my flight home (though I'm over-nighting in DUB coming home) as it's just as easy for me to do that rather than short check my luggage to LHR.
Regards
James Mitchell
James Mitchell
