EI0167 LHR-DUB 17 JUN 15 (ECONOMY)

As we had booked an ex-DUB to SFO combining BA and VS, we booked our positioning flight with Aer Lingus. We would normally stay at LHR for one night anyway, but I didn't want to rush so we added an extra night and stayed 2 nights at the Radisson so we could arrive the night before our DUB return flight and relax, then crash out in the hotel after those 2 flights.

Our outbound was due to leave at 15:50 and arrive at DUB at 17:10 giving us 2 hrs 15 mins for transfer to our return flight.

Well we did it, but it was hairy! The EI flight was delayed, except there was no info posted or announced. We could all see the plane sitting by the gate in T2 but no boarding calls, so we waited, and waited, in a terminal with no air-con, and I was cooking slowly, getting hotter and hotter and not in the good way.

Eventually boarding was called and was fairly quick, but we were about 45 minutes late leaving. The captain told us they'd been delayed arriving into LHR because of air traffic queuing at LHR and LHR had requested they delayed departure from DUB.

From there on in it was a bog standard flight, with nothing stand out. Arriving late into DUB T2 at the same time as another flight, we get to the passport desks and the Garda have only 2 desks open for 2 full flights, and the line we chose had a jobsworth who was scrutinising everyone. Another 20 minutes of our time gone, walked through and got help with finding our way to T1 and off we ran. I suddenly thought "sh1t" I don't have any euro cash for coffees etc, as we rocked up to security. Another 10 minute wait.

Once through I remembered that we were flying Club Europe with BA so had lounge access. But I had to go online to find out which lounge, and off we went. We had 20 minutes in the lounge. In that time I downed an espresso, a VAT and a coke and munched on a chocolate muffin, before we spotted our gate had been posted and off we ran for boarding.

Next the BA trip report.

[buns]

A bit of a scary stary

Hope the remaning sectors are much calmer

buns

Oh dear. Not a relaxed start

[honey lamb]

Our outbound was due to leave at 15:50 and arrive at DUB at 17:10 giving us 2 hrs 15 mins for transfer to our return flight.

Well we did it, but it was hairy! The EI flight was delayed, except there was no info posted or announced. We could all see the plane sitting by the gate in T2 but no boarding calls, so we waited, and waited, in a terminal with no air-con, and I was cooking slowly, getting hotter and hotter and not in the good way.

Eventually boarding was called and was fairly quick, but we were about 45 minutes late leaving. The captain told us they'd been delayed arriving into LHR because of air traffic queuing at LHR and LHR had requested they delayed departure from DUB.

From there on in it was a bog standard flight, with nothing stand out. Arriving late into DUB T2 at the same time as another flight, we get to the passport desks and the Garda have only 2 desks open for 2 full flights, and the line we chose had a jobsworth who was scrutinising everyone. Another 20 minutes of our time gone, walked through and got help with finding our way to T1 and off we ran. I suddenly thought "sh1t" I don't have any euro cash for coffees etc, as we rocked up to security. Another 10 minute wait.

Once through I remembered that we were flying Club Europe with BA so had lounge access. But I had to go online to find out which lounge, and off we went. We had 20 minutes in the lounge. In that time I downed an espresso, a VAT and a coke and munched on a chocolate muffin, before we spotted our gate had been posted and off we ran for boarding.

Next the BA trip report.

Bretty, Bretty, Bretty! If only you had consulted me beforehand I would have advised you against such a short connection time! I am an expert in the vagaries of flying EI - in fact I could probably get a Ph.D in it!! Yes, in theory you have plenty of time to connect especially as the walk between T2 and T1 is shorter than the walk to some of the gates in T1 from security!!

Look, take my example and experience. OK, I fly from Cork and the same plane shuttles backwards and forwards between there and LHR four times a day. OK, Dublin has more planes doing the same shuttling (and I suspect each plane does four rotations also as the flight times are similar but I would need to confirm this) but the same principle applies. From Cork flights are scheduled to depart for LHR at around 7.30am, 12 noon, 4pm and 8pm give or take 15-20 minutes each side depending on whether it is a winter or summer schedule. Fine and most of the time it works but - and it's a big but - the first flight arrives in LHR at the tail end of a major bank of flights from the four corners of the world and let there be a delay anywhere and ATC requests that the EI flight delays take off. If I hear there has been a storm on the east coast of America overnight, I know I'm going to be delayed on the early morning flight - and even the later flights will be delayed for that same reason. I cannot tell you how many times we have been held on the ground ready for departure and held back for that reason - and Dublin has the same issues which then has a knock-on effect in LHR and subsequent flights.

So, if I have a flight leaving before noon, I will not rely on that early morning flight but fly out the night before and stay in a LHR hotel - I've had too many near-misses to do otherwise; although for an evening departure from LHR, timetables suggest the 4pm flight, I take the noon one. In other words, I pad my schedule.

A few years ago, I was to meet my niece off a DUB flight in LHR to connect to a JNB one. Our flights were due to arrive within 10 minutes of each other but hers was delayed for the above reason - it had been a first flight out of DUB. In fact the flight scheduled to arrive in LHR after hers arrived beforehand.

I'm surprised you found T2 in LHR hot. I would have thought that being just under 12 months in operation that the air-con would have been fine.

Bog standard flight and no mention of G&T? Don't you know that bog standard on an EI flight is, "It took off, I had a G&T, it landed"

Passport desks in Ireland are a joke, especially in DUB. Ireland is part of a Common Travel Area and, OK so they have to monitor people coming from EU countries with other passports but by and large you should have been waved through. At one stage in Dublin before T2 was built it was an absolute joke as they had no facilities for domestic flights and I had to show my passport on a flight from Cork to Dublin!!!!

What lounge did you use?

I'm starting my trip off next week with a ryan air to DUB (eek I know!) before a BA to LCY!

Thank you dear lady Honey Lamb, I shall in future seek out your wisdom. At least we made it, but it could've been a whole lot worse if there'd been any further delay. Hey ho.

Tony the lounge is called Dublin Exec Lounge, in T1 after security turn left and the stairs / lift are on the left opposite the shops. Open until 21:00.

Have a good trip.

[honey lamb]

Tony the lounge is called Dublin Exec Lounge, in T1 after security turn left and the stairs / lift are on the left opposite the shops. Open until 21:00.

Have a good trip.

Erm, Bretty (and tonty), there are two security areas in T1 and the lounge is between the two of them. Not having been post-security in T1 for a few years, I can't give you a guide as to which one you will have used but as a rule of thumb, when you exit the security area, look to the right, If the corridor you are on is short, it's to the left; of it looks like a shopping High Street, turn right.

Crikey, that does sound fairly stressful but you made it obviously

You did well to consume all that in just 20 minutes of lounge time