Many Irish can’t afford to visit Ireland in high summer due to ticket costs

From Orland to Shannon forget it, You have to go to NY BOSTON Or Newark

You should live in the Orlando area we have two flights a week. The bad thing is i work in the Travel Industry and try and do a group with CIE which is a Ireland owened company. It is bad, The fares from this group is 900.00 roundtrip April travel, but I wish the had more days.

I flew Dublin to JFK high season for €460/ $570 return. http://www.aerlingus.com/travelinformation/weboffersfromireland/sale-usafrom229/

reasons to visit Ireland outside of summer months: sure, to save money. But also to avoid the crunch travel season where crowding frays attitudes and fuels carping about too many loud Yanks, etc. overnights are cheaper too, and reservations less necessary, and lines at hotspots are gone. And being from Chicago area myself, our winters make even Feb and March in Ireland feel balmy and relaxing...

Oh Jamie, you dummy! This article is about Irish emigrants getting home! Not plastic Paddys looking for a holiday!

@irishcoffeekid - oh, oh. I'm waiting for Ciaradexy to post that you are NOT Irish, since she thinks it's her job to decide who is and who is NOT "Irish". LOL Good post.

not all irish live in Ireland chiefjustice - just because we live overseas doenst mean we're not still Irish! Aside from that silly comment made, its true about the flights. I used to get home to see my family every summer and was originally paying around $599 (7 years ago) for flights home. Now I'm lucky if i can find one under the $1000 mark. Its got more expensive all year, not just during the summer - even booking in advance (e.g. september for Christmas) there just arent as many cheap flight. My flights in december were usually $499 return from Washington DC to Shannon (via Newark with Continental). I am now paying $900 to $1100 for the same flight at the same time same dates - it gets higher every year. You pay it because you want to get home to see your family but you spend a lot more time trying to time it to get a better deal! The price I pay now is what 1st class was a few years ago so i can't imagine how much those folks are paying!!

Gee, I thouight that the Irish already lived in Ierland

Certainly is a major deterrent. We always go in October which saves us about 1000 USD. We would definitely go more often if the flights were more affordable.

Let Michael O'Leary buy AerLingus and we will get cheaper travel. Look what he has done all over Europe. A friend of mine from Sweden hadn't been home for many years until Ryanair started a service from London. Now he gets home twice a year.

wtf The best thing that could happen is to get Michael O’Leary in charge of some/any airline fling the North Atlantic route. He puts the blame right where it belongs too many taxes and way to much waste and duplication. The white elephant called terminal 2 at Dublin airport in a nightmare even on a good day. On a return flight from Dublin I got in the door of terminal two at 9:15 am online check-in boarding pass in hand. I found the baggage drop line and thirty five minutes later I was on my way up to the security line on the third level. Forty five minutes later I was on my way back down to the lower level for US emigration and customs, followed by another security check which included removal of shoes belts and anything else you can think off. Now I am in favor of security but twice for the same flight is over kill or a job’s/tax collection program out of control. Two hours from terminal door to gate is just out of line. I was hoping to stop at duty free and also have an Irish breakfast before I went on board. I love Shannon airport but they won’t fly you there late fall to late spring; it’s a tax thing to pay for the white elephant at Dublin.

If there is two people there are fairly cheap fares by ship (Cunard) from New York to England. I have seen them as cheap as 700 per person. Check ahead. It's a 7 day cruise but hey you get food and it's an experience. I know if u book ahead you can get some great deals. Just a thought

Aer Lingus is a grease job !!

Flights from Boston to LA is now $400 to $500 round trip. I know the fuel is less expensive in the US but Aerlingus buys its fuel in Boston for the flight to Ireland so the tickets should not be three times higher.

bunkerisland: the reason DUB is less than SNN is because the Irish tourist board wants you to pay for the grand new aeroport in DUB,and the DUB area is wanting your money,i have asked for years why? when the west coast is where most yanks want to go to see the real ireland and is a shorter haul ergo less fuel.