Aer Lingus has postponed the start of its new transatlantic service from Manchester to New York and Orlando due to international borders opening later than expected. The routes, which were set to launch on July 29th, will now be set back to September 30th.
Transatlantic flights delayed to September
After setting a launch date of July 29th for its new transatlantic services from Manchester, Aer Lingus has been forced to delay the launch until late September. The carrier, citing “international borders opening later than expected,” has rescheduled the launch for September 30th. There are still travel restrictions in place in the U.S for visitors from Europe, although authorities are working on a solution.
The two U.S destinations on the cards this year are New York JFK and Orlando from Manchester Airport. The airline is also set to fly to Boston starting in the summer of 2022.
In a statement, Aer Lingus said,
“Due to international borders opening later than expected, Aer Lingus is postponing the start of new transatlantic services between Manchester Airport and New York JFK and Orlando. New services to Barbados will launch as scheduled.”
Aer Lingus also has plans to fly direct to Barbados. This service will remain unaffected by the postponement and will go ahead as planned on October 20th.
The airline added,
“Aer Lingus remains fully committed to its services from Manchester Airport, and looks forward to launching to New York and Orlando on 30th September, and to Barbados on 20th October.”
Passengers will be compensated
Disappointed travelers booked with Aer Lingus for the summer will be compensated by the airline due to the postponement. Passengers will be entitled to a full refund, voucher compensation (with an added 10% value), or re-booking on another Aer Lingus service.
Aer Lingus added in a statement,
“Our dedicated teams are contacting customers directly and offering a full refund, re-accommodation on an alternative service, or the option of a voucher with an additional 10 percent, for use across the Aer Lingus network over the next five years.”
Transatlantic flights for the A321LR
When announcing its new U.S flights, Aer Lingus noted it would be the first carrier to operate the Airbus A321LR between the U.S and the UK. With its initial launch date of July 29th, Aer Lingus was set to pip JetBlue to the post. JetBlue’s much-anticipated New York – London service is scheduled to launch on August 11th and will also involve the A321LR.
However, with the Aer Lingus launch now set back to the end of September, JetBlue is set to become the first airline to fly the A321LR between the U.S and the UK. According to ch-aviation, Aer Lingus has seven A321LR’s and is awaiting one more for delivery. On the other hand, JetBlue has just two in its fleet, with a further 13 on order.
Aer Lingus’ A321LR’s will offer 16 business class seats and 168 in economy. Simple Flying analyzed the rise of the A321LR on transatlantic flights, which now has over 10,000 transatlantic flights scheduled for this year and counting.
Are you excited about Aer Lingus’ transatlantic services this year? Where would you like to travel to most? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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