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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Time has come for daytime flights from US to Ireland - Would boost tourist numbers at a critical time

Posted on Wednesday, November 09, 2011 at 06:44 PM

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London: It is time for a daytime flight from the US to Ireland.

I am more convinced than ever after this trip to London.

I boarded a British Airways plane at 8.30 in New York on Wednesday morning and arrived here in London at 8 p.m local time.

I had time to have dinner, meet a friend and get a full night's sleep and woke this morning feeling refreshed and ready for the world.

Usually when I am flying to Ireland and I have to fly overnight and end up feeling bedraggled and worse for wear for at least a couple of days.
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At least I don't have to go through what many families have to do, sitting around hotel lobbies, sometimes with young kids, waiting for the room check-in time which can often be around 2.p.m.

The flights mostly arrive in around 6.a.m so the hapless family may be at least five or six hours waiting around.

There is no good reason in the world why day-time flights to Ireland cannot happen.

I have heard every argument from crew rosters to plane positioning to hotel rosters but the truth is that the consumer is being overlooked here.

I also think it would do wonders for travel to Ireland with people arriving at a much more civilized hour and getting access to hotel rooms right away.

It is the kind of issue that gets raised every few years but little gets done.

Ye,t at a time when tourism has become a huge factor in the recovery of the Irish economy, it is worth revisiting again

It is so obvious that it would help numbers coming to Ireland immediately.

Whatever airline tries it will benefit greatly I believe

I am certainly all for it -- what do you think?

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Harliemt | Nov 14, 2011, 06:37 PM EST

Each year we travel to Ireland for the month of June. We do this via London on British Air from Boston because we can take the morning flight. This is the civilized way to travel. Unfortunately the following day we fly London to Cork. Convenient, wide awake and ready to start our wonderful holiday. Why can't Aer Lingus do this??? There is nothing like a day flight.

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irelandmusic | Nov 13, 2011, 12:29 AM EST

I would love a day flight also the overnight flight is hard the next day, I feel alot more people would go if there were day flights.

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luckysusan | Nov 11, 2011, 05:42 PM EST

More than anything we would love to see flights from Chicago to Shannon again! Don't care when we get in - just love to land in Shannon and get started west!

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UKIreland | Nov 11, 2011, 12:12 PM EST

I have done it to London once and found it to be very very strange indeed... I felt like I had basically lost a whole day. However, I can definitely see the logic for tourists who arrive tired with a whole day ahead of them.

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borefield | Nov 11, 2011, 06:17 AM EST

I fully agree. A few years ago I took a day flight to London, it was great. I arrived refreshed, had time for a light meal and a short family visit, turned in early, had a good nights sleep and got up the next day like a normal person, not a zomby. Yes, let push for this.

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maryemoore | Nov 11, 2011, 12:19 AM EST

I have taken the day time flight to London and loved it. Got in around 9 PM, family was not inconvenienced in picking me up. Stayed up till midnight, had a good night's sleep and woke up at around 9 AM totally refreshed, not jet lagged and on a normal schedule. Fabulous!

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boydshield | Nov 10, 2011, 04:43 PM EST

Niall, Finally something we agree on! You fly from whatever your place is on to NY or Boston and get on a plane (usually hours later) and then take an overnight flight which gets you to Dublin at about 7:30-8:00 a.m. Hotels usually will not let you check in, your tired and touring is not what you want. As you suggested getting on a day flight and getting to Ireland at a reasonable hour would be grand! Can you make it happen?

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Mairin67 | Nov 10, 2011, 02:36 PM EST

Amen! Would love to see it happen.

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FastEddy | Nov 10, 2011, 11:56 AM EST

1) If the EuroTrash are going to green-tax inbound US aircraft on the jet fuels, forget about extra flights to ireland. In fact if these non-citizen, non-resident, anti-tourist travel tariffs are allowed to continue, expect reduced tourism to Ireland and the continent. 2) If Ireland has a better idea, then Irish airlines should offer it. 3) If this is an Irish Jobs thingy, how about reducing taxes, landing fees, tithes and tributes to those out of town airlines who comply with your "central planning" schemes?

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IAPRINCESS | Nov 10, 2011, 11:42 AM EST

great idea

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Oldwildrover | Nov 10, 2011, 11:26 AM EST

It will probably never happen...as it all has to do with the positioning of planes. Example, the flight that leaves the east coast say at 9.00am would have to sit on the ground overnight...a large fee and non utilization of the aircraft. The present method gives the airline the greatest utilization. Planes do not make money sitting on the ground. However, that said, the proposal would be nice.

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abhainn | Nov 10, 2011, 11:09 AM EST

The overnight flights from the US to Ireland are so convenient because you can have a day in the US, sleep through a long, boring flight in a cramped tube overnight, then leave Dublin airport the next morning to go home for a decent full Irish breakfast to ease back into the Irish dining experience. Then you have a whole day ahead of you. What could be better? Flying during the day is an utter waste of daylight.

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belcarra | Nov 10, 2011, 10:58 AM EST

I think this is the first time iv'e ever agreed with you.

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irishtxn | Nov 10, 2011, 10:47 AM EST

I have to agree with joan1954, I would rather do a direct flight in to Ireland than have to go to the UK! It would be nice to get Aer Lingus(?) to come to the Southern States like Texas!

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joan1954 | Nov 10, 2011, 10:21 AM EST

It may be alright for those who live on the east coast as that is where the various hubs are but for those of us who live in Texas and elsewhere in the south wouldn't do any good.

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