This week, we dive into another option for flying to Europe with Aer Lingus. Flying out of Ireland, this carrier makes for an interesting option for a number of reasons. First, both Dublin and Shannon are U.S. Customs and Border Protection Preclearance airports. Second, the carrier is known for being reasonably low cost. While it does not deliver a superlative business class experience, the consensus among reviewers is that the experience is comfortable and with good value. Read on to learn more about our new Aer Lingus business class reviews and what you can expect if you fly this carrier.

As a reminder, Premium Travel Insider aggregates reviews from around the web and scores them on a 1-3 scale. A 3 indicates that a given category exceeded reviewer expectations, a 2 indicates it met expectations, and a 1 failed to meet expectations. We evaluate a variety of categories, the most important of which we call the “Big 5” that are most important to a premium travel experience: seat, food, drink, service, and in flight entertainment. You can learn more about our methodology here.

The Top Line

According to our new Aer Lingus business class reviews, the airline scored a 2.40/3 overall, which is “great,” with a “Big 5” score of 2.02/3. These scores were not well correlated at all. A big driver of this difference is that reviewers generally found the service categories to be acceptable and unmemorable, with a solid seat. However, due to the good cash and points redemption values, most reviewers were happy with their flights and recommended the airline.

The key takeaway is that if you’re expecting a premium business class experience, you will not find it on Aer Lingus. If you’re looking for comfort and good value, then you’re likely in luck. With 10 reviews from nine sites and an overall level of detail of 1.90/3, we have moderate confidence in the accuracy of this assessment.

What’s Great

Nearly every category came in with a 2.00/3 score, meaning it met expectations, with the exception of food, which came in at 2.10/3. However, the numbers sometimes lose context. The seats—particularly on the 757 and the new A330—were generally praised as being roomy and comfortable. While not industry-leading, they got the job done. Also notable was that business class passengers get 400MB of free WiFi. The WiFi scored 1.80/3, and while a bit below average, it was generally viewed as usable, and the generous allotment of free data was also viewed as a nice perk.

What’s Not

The amenity kit scored below average at 1.67/3, with some reviewers critiquing the content, and others feeling that it looked and felt cheap. Although the food scored 2.10/3 overall, many reviewers found the main courses—whether fish or beef—to not always be the best. However, the other aspects of the meal were generally praised.

Is Aer Lingus business class worth flying?

Based on our new Aer Lingus business class reviews, our verdict is that this product is worth flying if you can get a well-priced fare. The airline seems to hit the sweet spot of getting the job done while providing a comfortable hard product. If you’re flying business class and not looking for an “experience” flight, that’s usually all you need. If you want something fancy, this is probably not the option for you.

Check out the full Aer Lingus business class reviews page for details or look at other business class reviews for alternatives. 

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