New routes, new Dublin Airport CEO and a boost for Tourism Ireland in September – is travel back? Eoghan Corry talks travel this month. 

This month we saw new routes announced from Dublin, Shannon and Ireland West Airport, as well as a new low cost carrier announce trans-Atlantic flights from Belfast. Getting to the sun this Christmas is not cheap, and neither will car hire be in 2023. Tourism Ireland reported 900k international visitors during September, Dublin airport gets a new CEO and Aer Lingus has some thinking to do. All this and more when Eoghan Corry talks travel this month.
 

Merrily on high, VERY high.

This year’s Christmas flight prices have taken off to somewhere higher than Santa’s sleigh flight path trajectory. The Canary Islands, which (let’s admit it) is our ONLY sun-sure winter option that does not involve flying for longer than your average pre teen can manage (I hear you, fans of Agadir, but we are talking numbers here), turned very pricey for Christmas week, thanks to a combination of enhanced demand and lower seat availability.

A travel agent sent a family to Punta Cana for Christmas rather than Lanzarote because the price was lower. Yes, THAT bad.
 

The ghost of Christmas Past.

Is the arrival of Omicron this time last year still spooking the aviation industry? Ryanair announced a summer schedule with great aplomb, later than we were used to before Covid came to unsettle our nerves, but it looks a little incomplete compared with what we were used to in the good old days BC (Before Covid).

Greek routes were then added piecemeal. Shannon got Naples and Porto, each two weekly, out of nowhere. Are there more to come?
 

Wheels and roundabouts of misfortune.

The rental car crisis of 2022 abated quite rapidly when the schools returned in September, but what of 2023? All indications are that car hire is still tricky and the big fleet buy-ins of January are not even possible in the current market conditions. Try to hire a car in Malaga in July and you are paying 40pc more than pre-pandemic levels.
 

Aer Lingus have some thinking to do.

It will soon be squeaky bum time for the 2023 summer schedules. We are told more negotiations are afoot by both of our main airlines, but, as it stands, the slanty shamrock has effectively withdrawn from combat on short haul for next summer, with just 20 routes, compared with their impressive trans-Atlantic portfolio of 16 routes. Of course, more announcements are due in the coming weeks in both directions when fleet availability is sorted out.
 

 
That raises questions for both Aer Lingus and its hub airport Dublin, which will, if the trans-Atlantic model that has served the shamrock so well continues to grow, become the self-connecting capital of Europe. That means retrieve your bag and check it in again. Which leads us back to the baggage hall, where all separation stories begin, a sort of antidote to Zhivago’s in the old days (ask your grandad).
 

Inbox for Dublin Airport’s new CEO.

Former Ryanair executives are popping up in the oddest places, the latest installation is Kenny Jacobs as CEO of Dublin Airport authority. It does not always end well: as with Michael Cawley at Failte Ireland and Peter Bellew at Easyjet. Expect Kenny’s relations with his former boss to go through some testing times.
 

 
There has been some media concert about the offloading of summer staff in recent weeks, but Kenny’s concerns, like his (unfairly) much maligned predecessor only begin the week after St Patrick’s day, when there are bags to load and airbridges to wheel into place. That gives him a fair winter, hopefully without mishaps, to think about things. If anything goes wrong, expect that abiding image of him in the toilet cubicle to resurface on social media.
 

Biblical Bulletin.

The big announcement at World Travel market was the return of Dublin to Tel Aviv direct, two weekly from El Al Israel Airlines from March 16 increasing to three weekly in on April 18, thus squaring off one of the most obvious major missing destinations out of Ireland since Buck Whalley went to play handball against the wall of Jerusalem (another nightclub reference, ask your dad).
 

 
Flights take off from Dublin 21.30 and arrive 05.00. The service should be safe. Ryanair, who operate 25 routes to and from Tel Aviv, shy away from sector length of more than two hours.
 

Belfast the new Keflavik?

Is there no escaping Andrew Pyne? When last we met him, he was heading up the Chinese/Australian owned Cobalt, a wannabe quasi-national carrier for Cyprus that failed as spectacularly as Air Cyprus had done a few years previously.
 

 
Previously, he was involved with Avianova, the Russian low cost carrier that operated an all Irish fleet and perished under pressure from S7 in 2011 and Wow. Which gives us a hint of what we might expect from Ireland’s latest start up, Fly Atlantic, a trans-Atlantic operation fed by flights from the neighbouring island under an English CAA licence.

Start-ups have a tough time here, with Easyjet already installed in Belfast, Ryanair operating 100 routes from Dublin and Aer Lingus offering 16 trans-Atlantic and the lowest unit costs of any airline engaged in the ferociously competitive trans-Atlantic market. Delta are also looking at restarting the Minneapolis route developed by Aer Lingus. 
 

 
For a period in 2016 Iceland looked like it was going to be the entry point for cheap one-stop USA flights. Turning Belfast into Keflavik is going to take deep pockets and a lot of luck, as well as pluck, with no pre clearance and APD, although it is in abeyance, not having gone away (you know).
 

Is travel back?

Those that love to speculate whether travel is back have had a good month. World Travel Market, declared in its own eyes the biggest travel fair in the world, a reasonably safe claim while ITB Berlin is in abeyance, was a lively event with lots of countries exhibiting their wares (we stopped by for a chat with Iraq).
 

 
The Irish stand reported brisk trade, not least because the stand was confined to 40 last year and had 100 tourism partners this year. The data is hopeful too. Tourism Ireland reported 900k international visitors during September. This was 7pc behind the same month in 2019, but an improvement on the 19pc lag in the year to date.
 

 
Dublin airport’s figures are also running 10pc behind 2019 levels, much of the slippage on trunk routes such as London. Dublin airport’s slots applications for next year suggest 30.1m seats. This sounds hopeful until you consider that slots do not always translate into passengers, of which there were 32.9m in the year before the pandemic.

Internationally, only Greece is reporting more airline passengers than 2019. Numbers next year are unlikely to pass the levels we passed back in 2017. No. Travel is NOT back.
 

New for winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sarah Slattery – Travel Expert (@the_travel_expert)

Dublin Airport’s new routes for winter, a reminder because there are some surprises amongst the seven:

Asturias, Castellon, Genoa and Klagenfurt are operating twice weekly with Ryanair. Ryanair is also flying thrice weekly to Rovaniemi until March – charter flights also operate this route pre-Christmas.

Emerald Airlines are offering daily flights to Southampton and Aberdeen, to add to the existing flights with Eastern and Logan air respectively.
 

Missed last month’s post? Eoghan Corry talks travel here:

Read: Eoghan Corry talks travel – October 2022

Flight cancellations, lost luggage, lack of hotel beds and more – Eoghan Corry talks travel this month. 

It has been a summer, says Eoghan Corry. Nobody was sure what shape the holiday season would take, but the travel industry, always full of surprises, threw in a few extra twists for us this year. So there is lots of things to ruminate about as we face into the last few weeks of the summer schedules. Rumination with a view, if you like. 

1. Ryanair are roaring.

“Fortune favours the bold,” is a slogan that could have been thought up by Michael O’Leary. Not many, at least outside the control room in Swords anticipated the scale of Ryanair’s passenger growth in summer 2022.
 
The headline figures compared with 2019 show two things: Ryanair’s readiness to snap up the business of returnees to travel and the caution of the opposition. Ryanair’s policy of keeping its aircraft certified, its pilots licensed and its cabin crew employed through Covid meant that it did not hit the staffing crisis faced by almost everyone else on the departure board.
 

 
It meant that Ryanair, for a time during summer at least, were the second busiest airline in the world. And because it flies point to point and does not do transfers, it did not get caught up in the lottery of lost bags.

Ryanair monthly passenger rate increases got bigger as their rivals floundered in the heat of summer, 5.4% ahead of 2019 in April, 9.2% in May, then 12% 13.5% and 13.4% in June, July and August, at a time most airlines are expecting to report lower numbers than three summers ago.
 

 
What next? An ambitious schedule has already been published for 2023. Ryanair is anticipating two new aircraft a week between now and March, although Boeing seem to be able to deliver only half that number unless something improves in Seattle.
 
It is well positioned to face a further rise in fuel price this winter, and willingness to turn its back on Frankfurt Main and Zaventum shows it is still prepared to pull out of an airport deal if the terms are not right.
 

 
That means more of the same: cheap headline prices, but be prepared to be shaken down on ancillaries. Some of the fares on offer for summer 2023 are surprisingly high. And Christmas is off the scale.

Read: Book Ryanair flights with 50% deposit on family fares
 

2. Lingus are not laggards.

When BA, Lufthansa Air France and Easyjet assessed the rosters in May and made the call to cancel thousands of scheduled flights, Aer Lingus decided not to do so and flew straight into a series of well publicised sickness shortages.
 

 
The short term cancellations caused by staff absences, at their peak, caused disruption that was no greater than a moderate weather event. The problem was that 27% of their flight cancellations were at less than six hours’ notice, bad news for both airline and passengers.

Another difference was that Aer Lingus publicised their problems, while Air France, American, BA, Eurowings, United, SAS and Westjet quietly cancelled without drawing attention to themselves.
 

 
When they thought nothing else could go wrong, someone in England dug up the cable that links the booking reference to the cloud, 800 gigabytes of oppression. There is an ongoing problem for Aer Lingus, the interface between their once state of the art Astral system and the front end website and app.

For the future: expect earlier cancellations and (maybe) fewer press releases.
 

3. Cold cases.

The baggage mountain in Dublin airport became a social media meme of its own this summer. Musicians, golfers, brides and even a dead parent’s ashes were all sucked into it at some stage, like an otherworld villain from a 1950s B movie.
 

 
Many, though not all of the problems, were caused by bags that failed to make the transfer flight in Heathrow, Amsterdam and, especially Toronto, among other places.

Baggage handlers were slow to staff up and thwarted by red tape. The issue now is that the problem is likely to taper on, with Heathrow saying their woes will spill on until next summer.
 

 
Our tech-heavy baggage system was designed for efficient airline operations and enough beefy men to actually lift the bags. Neither situation prevails at the moment.

Read: How to prevent lost luggage when travelling
 

4. Hotels are overheated.

Forget the burgeoning energy bill. It is hot in the lobby. Dublin’s hotels went into the recover knowing they were about 3,500 rooms short of demand.

They also had up to 80% of their stock already taken with deferrals (about 25%), tour ops (35%) and government contracts (about 17%) while 2.4% of hotels chose not to reopen at all. That left 6% of rooms, one sixteenth of the total, for walk in business.
 

 
To ramp the temperature up further, it was a summer of 30 concerts, three times the number we danced at 2019, with the likes of the Eagles and Garth Brooks likely to draw the very cohort of customers hotels spend a lot of their marketing budgets trying to attract.
 

 
All this was not going to end well, and country hotels are blaming their cosmopolitan colleagues for the PR disaster that ensued. The hoteliers knew the figures before the first check in of summer. How did they allow it to go so wrong so quickly?
 

5. Cruising’s breakers yard blues.

We remember, if not always fondly, the iconic budget cruise ships of the past. Okay, some of these elderly maidens were short on space, long on years and in need of a makeover, but for many Irish people they provided their first cruise.

This summer they all paraded off to the breakers’ yard, the CMV Magellan and Marco Polo and Fred Olsen’s Boudicca, while Black Watch has become an accommodation ship.
 

 
Royal Caribbean’s original Monarch and Sovereign of the Seas, later sailing for Pullmantur, also tugged off to Davy Jones’ locker, or as Luke Kelly used to sing, Fiddler’s Green.
 

 
While there is plenty of excitement at sea this autumn, with 17 new ships including the marquee launches of RCCL’s Wonder of the Seas, Celebrity Beyond and Norwegian’s Prima, Princess announcing its new Sphere-class and MSC Seascape to follow in a few weeks, the crisis that hit cruising more than other aspects of travel has cleared the quays of the smaller older ships that used to offer low budget options.
 
Read: How to choose the right cruise for you
 

6. Covid hasn’t gone away (you know).

Few things cause as much dismay at a departure gate as the unexpected news that a flight still requires masks., A surprising number still do. Germany is the latest to drop masking requirements on flights, next Saturday. But remember Asia is still largely closed, Africa and South America still complicated, and local restrictions can still bite us in the earlobes.
 

 
Travel insurance has never been as important as now. Make sure it covers covid, including the isolation period before you fly home.

One of the distractions of the summer is the complication experienced by passengers boarding cruise ships, whose Covid insurance was deemed inadequate by the gangway attendants. Being right is no use if you lose the argument as you walk the plank.
 

7. Garda blues about passports.

Nobody could say it aloud, but when the great passport delay hit the headlines, one body of gentlemen were to blame. Finding the Garda that signed the witness form for first time applicants proved as elusive as the first salmon catch on the Moy.
 

 
While all the systems that we use to issue passports have been updated, and sideshows such as a printing machine in Cork hit the headlines, the logjam was caused by the old fashioned phone call to a Garda who was not due to be rostered until Tuesday next or has been promoted to a bigger job.
 

 
There is no certainty the window dressing of “closer liaison” will solve this problem. Get that application in as soon as the new-born baby arrives.
 

8. Three strikes and we are all out.

The summer round aviation strikes were more about headlines than about the havoc those promised. Ryanair’s Med-based cabin crew strikes were staged by tiny unions who did not have the muscle to cause enough cancelations to impact their schedule. SAS pilots and Belgian cabin crew were the exceptions, but neither affected mainstream holiday destinations.
 

 
An exception is the French air traffic control. Three unions are competing in terms of militancy and there is an uncertain political balance. This means that we can expect half of the flights to and from France and a significant number of overflights to places like Reus to be affected by two further strikes.
 

 
There is nothing airlines can do about this except cancel the required 50p% of their schedule and appeal to Brussels to allow neighbouring countries take command of overflights. It should not be that difficult.

Eoghan Corry

Missed out on a summer holiday abroad this year? Can’t wait to get back travelling? Check out my top picks to help you plan a well deserved winter family holiday.

I am delighted to team up with Aer Lingus to showcase the wide range of family holiday destinations available this winter. I can’t wait to enjoy a family holiday abroad again, and for those who feel the same – this post might help! Whether you are looking for some winter sun, a trip to Disneyland Paris, or want to bring the kids skiing for the first time, I have lots of winter family holiday ideas for you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sarah Slattery – Travel Expert (@the_travel_expert)

1. Sun and Fun in Lanzarote

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lanzarote is a great choice for a winter family holiday. The year round sunshine, long sandy beaches, and low rise buildings have been attracting Irish visitors for many years. There are many resorts to choose from, I have stayed in Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca and loved both.
 

 
Puerto del Carmen is located less than 10 minutes from the airport – this is a Godsend if travelling with small children. Rancho Texas Park is also located here, and there is an open air cinema and inflatable water park at the beach. 

Read: Top things to do in Puerto del Carmen with kids

I love watching the sunset in one of the many great restaurants in the old town. Depending on the age of your kids, there is a fabulous playground here so you can enjoy a pre or post dinner drink, while they play happily away in front of you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Playa Blanca is often described as the sophisticated choice, as there are many luxury hotels here, as well as a stylish marina. You can also catch the ferry to Fuerteventura from Playa Blanca. 

Book here
 

2. Hit the Slopes in Austria 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I have always loved skiing and was delighted to bring my kids skiing for the first time in 2019 – in fact it was the last trip we took overseas!

We travelled to Söll in Austria and got great value flying into Munich with Aer Lingus. I booked ski-school for the kids and they learned so much in just three days. We were able to use the chair lifts and ski down the mountain together on the last day – it was a great experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sarah Slattery – Travel Expert (@the_travel_expert)

Read: Top tips for family skiing

Aer Lingus has great value airfares to Munich. We booked a private transfer to Söll and the journey time was just 90 minutes. This is an economical way to enjoy a family ski holiday this winter.

3. Visit Disneyland Paris at Christmas time

Disneyland Paris is a superb family holiday at any time of year, but there is something even more magical visiting during the festive season. We visited at Christmas time a few years ago and would highly recommend it. Christmas songs were playing throughout the parks, there were gorgeous Christmas decorations everywhere, Disney characters were decked out in their festive costumes, and the firework displays were spectacular.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This year Disneyland Paris’ Enchanted Christmas runs from 13^th November to 9^th January 2022. The Parks will be transformed into a winter wonderland throughout this time, so you don’t travel over Christmas to experience the magic.

Read: Top tips for visiting Disneyland Paris

Book here
 

4. Enjoy a city break in Lisbon

When it comes to city breaks with kids, Lisbon is up there with the best of them. In fact our first family trip overseas since 2019 will be to Lisbon and the Algarve in October.  

I suggest exploring this gorgeous city using the hop-on hop-off trams, and make sure to stop at Castelo de Sao Jorge. Castles are usually a big hit with kids and Castelo de Sao Jorge is no exception. As well as stunning views over the city, children will enjoy exploring its walls and cannons.
 

 
I also recommend a visit to Sintra. It has numerous designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but Luke and Alex loved the lesser known Quinta de Regaleira. There are underground tunnels, waterfalls and a magical castle here – it was a feast for their imaginations.

If the weather is good you can take a trip to the beach, but don’t panic if you have a rainy day –  Oceanário, one of the world’s largest Aquariums is in Lisbon.

Lisbon also offers some superb dining options for families – don’t miss Time Out Market, and you should find the cost of living very reasonable priced compared to prices at home.

Book here
 

5. Luxury and relaxation in Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria is renowned for its year round sunshine, but it can be quite windy depending on which part of the island you are in. Did you know that the south-west coast of the island is the most sheltered?

The pretty town of Mogan is not only one of my favourite resorts in the Canary Islands, but it is also renowned for having the warmest temperatures in the winter time, due to its sheltered location.

If you are looking for a luxury family winter holiday, where you can relax and enjoy the sun, then this is the location for you. The 5-star Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Mogan is one of those rare finds  – a luxury hotel that caters well for families.

The hotel has three restaurants, two swimming pools, as well as a kids splash pool with water jets. There is also a luxury spa onsite, so you should come home well and truly relaxed.

Book here
 

 
I hope this post on some of my favourite winter family holidays will inspire you to book a trip away soon.
 
This post on winter family holidays was sponsored by Aer Lingus, but all views, as always, are my own. Prices are correct at the time of issue but are subject to change. 

Great news! Aer Lingus allow free changes across all fare types for summer 2022.

Have you missed foreign travel over the last two years? Can’t wait to book a holiday for next summer? Well now you can! Aer Lingus have announced that they have extended their flexible booking policy until 31st January 2023. Aer Lingus allow free changes on all flights, regardless of fare type, as often as you like, until seven days before departure. 
 

 
It gives us peace of mind knowing that if we book flights now, and need to change dates or cancel, our money won’t be lost. Here is the full low down on their latest announcement, there are, of course, a few T&Cs to watch out for, and I’ve even added in a top tip too!

The free changes are unlimited…

Kudos to Aer Lingus to allow free changes across all fare types, and these are unlimited – you can change flights as often as you like. Free changes are available on ANY flight, to ANY route on ANY fare type (Saver, Plus, Smart, Advantage and Flex) departing before 31st January 2023. You must change the outside seven days of departure, and a fare difference may apply.
 

Vouchers are available on selected fare types

If you decide not to travel, you can apply for a voucher if you have booked a Plus, Smart, Advantage, Flex or Business class fares. See differences in fare types here.

If you have booked a Saver fare you can NOT apply for a voucher. If you wish to cancel and have booked a Saver fare, you can change dates free of charge (fare difference may apply), as per above.  
 

Top Tip: Book a Plus fare if purchasing checked baggage and seat selection.

If you are booking an Aer Lingus flight, it is worth comparing prices to your chosen route between a Saver fare and a Plus fare. The Plus fare includes 20kg checked baggage, seat selection and priority boarding, as well as the option of going standby for an earlier flight if required.

If you know you need to check-in a bag and wish to pre book seats, it might be a better option to opt for a Plus fare, as this also gives you the option of applying for a voucher (which are valid for five years), if you wish to cancel your booking.
 

Refund is only available on Advantage fares

If you book an Advantage fare you can apply for a refund if you simply decide not to travel. Refunds are not permitted on all other fare types, if you no longer wish to travel. If, however, Aer Lingus cancel your flight due to a disruption, you are entitled to refund on all fare types as per EU regulation 261.

Read: How to get a refund if your flight is cancelled
 

Remember always check the latest travel restrictions. 

It is important to note that many countries have restrictions in place, and may require vaccination certs or negative covid-19 tests on entry. Passenger locator forms are also required to be filled out prior to departure for most countries. See Aer Lingus country by country travel information here.
 

Like this post? You might like:

How to save money on Aer Lingus checked baggage

Top 10 tips for travelling during Covid-19

Sarah

Shopping online these days? Fancy some new loungewear or toys for the kids? Collect Avios at home now, and pay for flights with Avios later in the year.

I love online shopping, no hassle with parking, no crowds and no queues! However, with more and more retail stores closing, shopping online is no longer a lifestyle choice, it is a necessity. So why not take the opportunity to collect Avios at home when you shop online?

We all want something to look forward to, and having a nice pot of Avios to spend when we are back travelling again sounds good to me! Avios don’t expire as long as you collect or spend at least one Avios point every 36 months. I recently paid for flights to Spain in July and it was so easy!

See how to pay for flights with Avios here.

 
For anyone who is not familiar with Avios, it is the travel reward currency of Aer Lingus’ AerClub and other international airlines. As an AerClub member, you can collect Avios in a wide range of retail, travel and leisure partners. You can then use these Avios to pay for Aer Lingus flights and other travel related services.

Read my beginners guide to AerClub and find out why you should join.

If you still haven’t joined AerClub, now is the time to do it. There are so many ways to collect Avios, but in this post I am going to show you my top three ways to collect Avios at home.  

1. Collect Avios at home in over 100 online stores via the AerClub estore:

I have been collecting Avios via the AerClub eStore for many years now. I find it is the easiest way to boost my Avios balance. You can collect up to 12 Avios for every €1 spent, and there are over 100 online stores to choose from. However, if you haven’t used the AerClub eStore yet, there has never been a better time to start… AerClub members who haven’t shopped online via the eStore before will get 20% Bonus Avios on their first transaction! 

High Street Fashion & Sports Stores: 

Fancy some new loungewear or sports gear? Get the latest looks from the biggest online fashion stores such as River Island, ASOS, Pretty Little Thing, Boohoo.com and Nike – and collect Avios at the same time.

TV & Tech:

Spare time on your hands? Now is the time to gather all those photos off your phone and turn them into a photo album. Photo companies, Snapfish and Optimal Print are also AerClub partners.

Fancy a new phone or tablet? Want to connect with your loved ones via Zoom? Perhaps now is time to invest in technology for your parents. You can collect Avios with Currys PC World, Apple and iTunes via the AerClub eStore. TV has never been so popular – you can also collect Avios with SKY and NOW TV.

Toy & Book Stores: 

The latest blockbusters, toys, games, or stationary, are all available at Eason. The Lego store, which has the largest collection of Lego online, is also an AerClub partner –  just what you need to keep the kids entertained over the next few months.

Department Stores: 

With Brown Thomas, Arnotts and Debenhams retails stores now closed, you have no option but to shop online. So why not collect Avios at the same time? Marks and Spencer is also available via the AerClub eStore. With a wide range of clothes for adults and children, as well as some great sleepwear and home comforts, there is always something to buy in M&S.

Shop here
 

2. Collect Avios at home when you shop online at SuperValu

Did you know that you can collect Avios by shopping in SuperValu, both online or in store? Many of you may know that SuperValu have their own reward currency called Real Rewards, but did you know that one Real Rewards point equals one Avios? 

In fact right now they are worth even more – Avios have just launched a bonus offer with SuperValu! If you convert your Money Back Vouchers or Real Rewards into Avios before the 4th of May, you will receive an extra 50% bonus, so if you convert 1000 Real Rewards points, you will receive 1500 Avios.

It is so easy to convert SuperValu Real Rewards points to Avios. You can convert them on the SuperValu Real Rewards app or on the SuperValu website in minutes.  

Read: How to convert SuperValu Real Rewards and Money Back Vouchers to Avios

See more here
 

3. Get up to 18,000 Avios by subscribing to The Economist for 1 year

Want to keep up to date with current affairs around the world? The Economist weekly newspaper focuses on world news, international business, and politics. Right now you can get up to 18,000 Avios for a one year subscription. AerClub members can choose from a print or digital subscription and earn 15,000 Avios, or subscribe to both print and digital and collect 18,000 Avios. Offer ends 31 May 2020.

See more here

This post on how to collect Avios at home, was sponsored by Avios, but all views, as always, are my own.

Like this post? You might like:

10 Ways To Collect Avios

5 Ways To Spend Avios 

Sarah

I love a good travel-hack but this one has to be one of my favourites! Read on to see how to save money on Aer Lingus checked baggage.

When I travel to Europe I like to fly with Aer Lingus, but one thing that I don’t like, is the price of Aer Lingus checked baggage. When travelling alone I usually travel light and bring cabin baggage, but when travelling with kids, I like to check in cases and let them bring their own luggage too.

 
We, like many families usually opt for two 20kg checked bags between us. If travelling mid-haul to places like Spain, Portugal etc the cost is €80 return for a 20kg checked bag, so the total is €160 for two bags. If travelling to the Canary Islands the cost is even higher, at €110 return per checked bag, therefore €220 for two bags.
 

 
Now prepare to be amazed….
 

This is how you how to save money on Aer Lingus checked baggage!

 
Instead of selecting one 20kg bag per person, select 40kg checked baggage under one name. The cost changes from €160 to €140 on mid-haul routes and €220 to €170 on longer flights. That’s a saving of €50 if you are travelling to the Canary Islands, simply by using this travel-hack!

You will see that it clearly shows that the 40kg you have selected is to be made up of two 20kg bags. This is exactly the same as if you selected them separately, only they are both allocated to one passenger instead of two! It is such a great travel hack but I’m bet you are wondering how you never spotted it before?
 
Book Aer Lingus flight here
 

5 More tips to save money on checked baggage fees:

Invest in a lightweight cabin-sized bag.

Try to bring hand-luggage only. Invest in the lightest case on the market! As soon as the kids are old enough, ditch the trunkies and buy them one too. I have a samsonite light-shock cabin case and I love it. It is super light but the frame is expandable so I can fit much more into this case, than cases of similar size.
 

 
I find if I am travelling to hot climates where jackets and boots are not needed, I manage easily to travel with only this case. I have a portable luggage scales and I bring it with me to avoid any worries that my case might be over-weight on the return. You can buy them for less than €10.

Purchase sun-creams and toiletries in the airport once you pass through security.

One of the main reasons people purchase checked baggage is because you cannot bring liquids more than 100ml in size in your hand luggage. However with Aer Lingus new cabin bag policy, you can check in your cabin bag for free, which means you can bring liquids with you, once you check in your bag.
 

 
If you need to bring you bag on board with you, you will pay up to €8.99 for the privilege. If you are going on a sun holiday you can pick up sun creams in Boots once you pass through security. Simply slot them into your hand luggage before boarding and avoid the hassle at security.
 

Select different cabin-baggage on your outbound and inbound flights.

If travelling to places where you are likely to be doing a lot of shopping, select a 15kg checked bag on your outward journey and a 25kg checked bag on your return journey. Similarly if you are planning a Christmas shopping break to the USA you can select add an extra suitcase to your booking for the return journey only.

Always book checked baggage online.

Most airlines charge much higher rates if you book baggage at the airport, so always make sure you have your baggage booked before you go. Some airlines charge more if you add on bags at a later stage, so if possible try to book baggage at the time of booking.
 

Check airlines baggage policies when booking flights.

More and more airlines are not including checked baggage in their cheapest airfares, but some still do. Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and many others have generous baggage allowances, while some low-cost carriers even charge for hand luggage.

It is important to check with the airline before you book, in some cases it might be better value to flying with a premium airline.

 
I hope this guide, how to save money on Aer Lingus checked baggage, and I hope it will see you saving lots of money on upcoming trips! Let me know in the comments below if you do.

Like this post? You might like my top 10 travel hacks here.

See more travel tips here.

 
Sarah

Would you shop in Boots without an Advantage card or Tesco without a Clubcard? So why fly with Aer Lingus without joining AerClub? Check out my beginners guide to AerClub below and find out why you should join! 

If you have booked an Aer Lingus flight within the last few years, you have probably been asked to join their frequent flyer programme, AerClub. I assuming if you haven’t joined AerClub yet, its because you thought you had to fly regularly with Aer Lingus to get the benefits. Believe me, you don’t! My beginners guide to AerClub will explain why.
 

 
Even if you have no plans to fly with Aer Lingus this year, you can still join AerClub, trust me, the benefits are worth the effort. Don’t worry if you have left it late to join, with this beginners guide to AerClub, you will be saving money off your next Aer Lingus flight in no time.

The benefits of joining AerClub:

AerClub has over one million members. Avios is the travel reward currency of AerClub, which is also used by other international airlines such as British Airways & Iberia. As an AerClub member, you collect Avios points when you fly with Aer Lingus and their partner airlines, as well as with a range of other retail, travel and leisure partners.
 

 
Then you can use Avios to save money off Aer Lingus flights. Let’s use one of AerClub’s partners, Marks and Spencer, as an example.

If you spend €100 online with Marks and Spencer via the AerClub eStore, you will receive 400 Avios. The AerClub eStore is an online shopping portal, where you shop in the same way as you would normally shop online, but instead of searching directly on the Marks and Spencer website, you access it via the AerClub website.
 

 
There is no extra cost to you for shopping in this way. I should also point out that the 400 Avios that you will receive for spending €100 with Marks and Spencer online, is actually the M&S standard reward rate with Avios. During promotions this rate will be much higher.
 

 
You can then use these 400 Avios to save money off your next Aer Lingus flight. There is no filling out forms, no application necessary, simply select ‘Pay With Avios’ when booking an AerLingus flight on AerLingus.com or via the Aer Lingus app. See more in this guide to AerClub and Avios in this short video.

See how to pay for flights with Avios here.

How to collect Avios

As well as collecting Avios when you fly with Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and other airlines, you can also collect Avios when shopping in Kildare Village ,Decathalon and online, via the AerClub eStore. I’m not talking about obscure boutiques, I mean your favourite retailers like M&S, ASOS, River Island, Apple, as well as Currys, Disney and JD Sports.
 

 
You can get Avios when you travel too, for example when you book car hire with Avis or Budget and also with a range of hotel partners. Fancy afternoon tea in the Merrion Hotel, or want to treat yourself in Appleby Jewellers? Yes you guessed it, these are all AerClub partners too! I accumulated over 100,000 Avios in this way and used them to upgrade my flight to Orlando this year.

See more ways to collect Avios here

See tips to boost your Avios balance here

How to spend Avios

Once you accumulate Avios, you can use these to pay for reward flights, hotels, car hire and travel experiences. You can also use them to part-pay for Aer Lingus flights. So even if you have only accumulated 400 Avios, you can use these to get a discount off your next Aer Lingus flight.

See more ways to spend Avios here.

How to Join AerClub

If by any chance you have not joined AerClub yet – now is your chance!  It is so easy to join, simply click here. By joining AerClub you will enjoy the benefits of being part of a global network of partners and you can pay for flights with Avios. You can also use Avios to pay for hotels, car hire and travel experiences.

Where can I see my membership number and Avios balancee.

Once you have joined AerClub, log in on AerLingus.com with your username and password, where you will see your membership number, Tier Credits and Avios balance. You can also log in on the app to view your membership number and account details.

Note it can take up to four weeks for Avios to be shown on your balance, depending on where you have collected them. For hotels and car hire, your Avios will be added to your account after you have completed your booking.
 

What are AerClub Tier Credits?

As well as rewarding you with Avios, AerClub reward their frequent flyers with Tier Credits. Tier Credits are only given when you fly with Aer Lingus. If you can manage to collect 301 Tier Credits in one year, you will move from a Green Tier (the basic introductory level) to a Silver Tier and can avail of huge benefits, like business class check-in and even flight upgrades. 

See more tips and tricks to boost your AerClub Tier Credits here.

 
I hope that you enjoyed my beginners guide to AerClub and that it will help you to accumulate lots of Avios. This post was oroginally sponsored by Avios in 2019, so details are subject to change.

Sarah

Did you know you can collect Avios at Kildare Village? Shopping is a great way to boost your Avios balance and get closer to that next trip away!   

Have you a special occasion coming up or fancy some nice beachwear for your holidays? Kildare Village is the perfect place to pick up something special at discounted prices. Popular stores including Michael Kors, Karen Millen, Kurt Geiger, Superdry and Mint Velvet are all here and offer discounts of up to 60% off retail prices. You can also accumulate points in sports stores, homewear and even restaurants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Kildare Village (@kildarevillage) on Mar 4, 2019 at 12:03am PST

To put this into context, if you spend €100 at Kildare Village, you will receive 125 Avios. However AerClub run promotions throughout the year with bonus Avios and exclusive discounts, so watch out for my newsletter to ensure you are kept up to date about these. You only need 8000 Avios for a return flight to Paris and 26,000 for a return flight to New York (you just need to pay taxes, fees and charges). You can also use Avios to pay for hotels, car hire and travel experiences. See five ways to spend Avios here.

Why I love shopping at Kildare Village

Not only can I save up to 60% on retail prices and collect Avios at the same time, but I also love the outdoor village atmosphere. It is a much nicer shopping experience than being in a large shopping centre. There some great dining options too, including Saba and my personal favourite, Dunne and Crescenzi. There are over 100 brands in Kildare Village now and each time I visit it seems a new boutique has opened. I have my favourites, Ted Baker, UnderAmour and Kurt Geiger, but I am also enjoying accumulating a full set of Samsonite luggage. It is also the best place to buy a designer hand bag, the savings are amazing compared to high street stores. I rarely leave without something for the kids too, the sports shops are superb and Ralph Lauren always has great bargains for special occasions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“You had me at Coach” The moment you know, they know you. 💕

A post shared by Kildare Village (@kildarevillage) on Feb 8, 2019 at 1:42am PST

My Avios journey

I have been steadily growing my Avios balance over the last two years and I now have 68,000 Avios. I just need another 5,000 Avios for two business class upgrades with Aer Lingus to New York, for myself and my husband –  I just need someone to mind my kids! Most of my Avios points were accumulated by shopping, for more details on how to get flights and upgrades by shopping click here. In case you didn’t know, Avios are a reward currency that are used by many airlines including Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia, as well as various hotel websites and high street stores. See the many ways to collect Avios here.

How do I collect Avios at Kildare Village?

Once you have joined AerClub, simply present your shopping receipts and AerClub card or number, to the Welcome Lounge in Kildare Village and the staff will register your purchases. Avios will be credited to your account within 40 days. 

Collect Avios at 11 other villages around the world

Kildare Village is a member of the The Bicester Village Shopping Collection, which has 11 villages around the world, including London, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Shanghai and Paris. You can collect Avios in all of these locations too, so if you are planning a city break anytime soon, or a trip to Disneyland Paris, make sure you pay them a visit. For a full list of locations click here.

Still not joined AerClub?

If by any chance you have not joined AerClub yet – now is your chance!  It is so easy to join, simply click here. By joining AerClub you will enjoy the benefits of being part of a global network of partners where you can collect Avios and turn them into reward flights, car hire and travel experiences. See the many ways to collect Avios here.
 

I hope this post helps you to collect Avios at Kildare Village,  you never know I might see you there! This post was sponsored by Avios but all views, as always, are my own.

Sarah

Looking to boost your Autumn wardrobe or doing some early Christmas shopping? Why not shop via the AerClub eStore before the 21st of October and collect 500 bonus Avios!

AerClub, the frequent flyer club of Aer Lingus, have launched a new-look AerClub eStore. You can shop over 100 brands online and collect Avios from the comfort of your own home! Shopping via the AerClub eStore couldn’t be easier, simply log in using your AerClub log in details, and see all your favourite brands in one place! You won’t pay any more for shopping this way. Prices are exactly the same, but you will accumulate Avios while you shop. And now if you shop via the eStore before the 21st of October you will also collect 500 bonus Avios, so you have the perfect excuse to try it out!

Note this bonus will be issued on the first qualifying transaction only, i.e you don’t get 500 extra Avios every time your make a purchase. For those of you who are used to shopping via the Avios eStore note the promotion will not apply here – you need to shop via the AerClub eStore to collect the 500 bonus Avios.

Bonus Offers from Marks & Spencer & Eason

Some retailers are giving additional Avios during the promotion period so it’s a win-win! Marks & Spencer are offering 7 Avios for every €1 spent instead of the usual 4 Avios, and Eason are offering 8 Avios for every €1 spent instead of the usual 5 Avios. To put that into perspective if you spend €100 in Marks & Spencer you will collect 700 Avios plus a bonus of 500 Avios! So maybe it is time to stock up on some cosy knits from M&S or some light reading from Eason – just what you need for winter nights in.

How to spend Avios

You only need 8000 Avios for a return flight to Paris and 26,000 for a return flight to New York (you need to pay taxes, fees and charges). You can also use Avios to pay for hotels, car hire and travel experiences. See five ways to spend Avios here. I am a big fan of Avios and I have already collected over 60,000 Avios, most of which were accumulated by shopping. For more details on how to get flights and upgrades by shopping click here. In case you didn’t know, Avios are a reward currency that are used by many airlines including Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia, as well as various hotel websites and high street stores.

I have picked some of my favourite retailers that I use to shop via the AerClub eStore, but click here to shop all stores.

Lookfantastic: 7 Avios  

Stock up on your winter essentials from beauty store Lookfantastic. Whether it’s the latest skincare products, haircare remedies or maybe a new GHD in time for Christmas. Why not collect Avios while you shop? Click here to shop the AerClub eStore

Marks & Spencer: 7 Avios for every €1 spent

 From underwear to winter woolies, cute kidswear to men’s polo shirts – there is always something to be bought in M&S.  Click here to shop the AerClub eStore

Eason: 8 Avios for every €1 spent

Easons have 25% off Autumn blockbusters so not only will you save money but you can collect a whopping 8 Avios for every €1 spent! If you purchase Jamie Oliver’s new cook book, you will collect 168 Avios plus 500 bonus Avios!  Click here to shop the AerClub eStore

River Island 3 Avios for every £1; Asos & Boohoo 3 Avios for every €1; Pretty Little Thing 5 Avios for every €1 spent

Looking to get a new winter coat or something for this year’s Christmas party season? Get the latest winter looks from the UK’s biggest online fashion stores and collect Avios at the same time.  Click here to shop the AerClub eStore

Adidas: 10 Avios for every €1 spent

Superstars, the latest Stella Mc Cartney gym gear, or kids football boots, there is something in the Adidas store to suit everyone. With a whopping 10 Avios for every €1 you spend, you can collect 1000 Avios buy purchasing a new pair of Superstars and also receive 500 bonus Avios!  Click here to shop the AerClub eStore

Groupon: 7 Avios for every €1 spent

Groupon has every type of gift imaginable. From restaurant vouchers to teeth whitening deals, short breaks to mobile phones, Groupon is your one stop daily deals website. Collect 700 Avios for every €100 spent on top of their already discounted prices.  Click here to shop the AerClub eStore   

Apple: 2 Avios for every €1 spent

Fancy a new phone, iMac or apple watch? Perhaps you are thinking of treating the kids to new iPads for Christmas? Collect 2 Avios for every €1 spent.  Click here to shop the AerClub eStore

How do I join AerClub?

For those of you who haven’t yet joined AerClub, this is the perfect time to do it. Simply click here to join AerClub, it couldn’t be easier!

T&Cs

500 Bonus Avios are given when you shop via AerClub eStore between 4th – 21st October inclusive. Bonus will be issued on first qualifying transaction only. One Bonus per customer. Certain retailer exclusions apply, see individual retailer pages within the AerClub eStore for details. All hotel, travel bookings and subscription purchases are excluded from
this Bonus Avios offer; see full list of excluded retailers at AerClub eStore terms. Avios will not be awarded on items that are returned or cancelled. We accept no responsibility for fulfilment of transactions and delivery of goods; therefore please
check delivery timescales with individual retailers. Standard AerClub eStore terms and conditions apply. Bonus Avios will be credited to your account in a separate transaction to the standard Avios collected, by Friday 14 December 2018. Avios are issued and redeemed in accordance with Avios terms and conditions. Click here for further details.

Click here to shop the AerClub eStore

This post was sponsored by Avios, but all views, as always, are my own.

Sarah

Collect 50% extra Avios with SuperValu when you convert your money back vouchers or Real Rewards points to Avios, before the 13th of September!

SuperValu have just sent out their money back vouchers so the timing couldn’t be better for their latest Avios promotion! I am delighted to tell you that you can collect 50% extra Avios with SuperValu when you convert your money back vouchers or Real Rewards points to Avios, before the 13th of September. Instead of collecting the usual 100 Avios for every 100 Real Rewards points converted with SuperValu, you can now collect 150 Avios. This means that if you have accumulated 1000 Real Rewards points or have received €10 in money back vouchers, you can get a whopping 1500 Avios!  You need to convert your money back vouchers online and you can use the SuperValu app to convert any new Real Rewards points accumulated before the 13th of September. You will collect 50% extra Avios either way! See here for more details or check out this short video.

How to spend Avios?

There are many ways to spend Avios. You can spend them on flights with Aer Lingus and partner airlines, and there are thousands of destinations to choose from. When you have accumulated 8,000 Avios you can book a return flight to Paris, while 26,000 will give you a return flight to New York. Note these exclude taxes, fees and charges and are based on off-peak travel. If you don’t have quite enough Avios for a flight, you can pay the rest in cash. For a full list of destinations and how to spend your points, click here.

You can also use Avios to upgrade economy tickets to business class or book hotels, car hire or travel experiences. Read this post for five ways to spend Avios. For those of you who have been following me on my journey, I am delighted to say that I have accumulated 55,000 Avios now and I plan on spending some of them on car-hire later in the year. Most of my Avios were collected by shopping cleverly and taking advantage of the many promotions that Avios run during the year – such as this one! For anyone who is not familiar with Avios, read my first post about how to get flights and upgrades with Avios points and start your journey now.

Looking to sign up?

If you are already an AerClub member, your existing log in and password will suffice. For those who have not yet joined, join Aer Lingus’ frequent flyer club – AerClub. Why not download the free Avios app too, it will allow you book flights on the go, check your Avios balance and find out where to collect.

This post was sponsored by Avios, but all views, as always are my own.

Sarah

Combining my two favourite pastimes, travel and shopping – to say I am excited is an understatement! I have teamed up with Avios to tell you how to get flights and upgrades with Avios points!

For years I have been hearing from friends and family in the US and the UK about how they have so many air-miles, yet they only take one holiday a year. Getting flights and upgrades with Avios is now something we can all do, even those who don’t travel often. Avios are a reward currency that are used by many airlines including Aer Lingus, British Airways and United, as well as various hotel websites and high street stores.
 

 
When you collect Avios points you can use them to get flights and upgrades, with any of their partner airlines. Some of you may have already joined Aer Club, the Aer Lingus frequent flyer program, and may have collected Avios points already, but did you know you could collect them in other outlets too?
 

 
It costs from 37,000 Avios to upgrade to business class to New York with Aer Lingus For most of us flying business class to the USA was a pipe dream, but with Avios it is now attainable.

Kildare Village, Decathlon and Appleby are just some of the Irish suppliers that have all joined the Avios reward programme. Fancy a trip to Kildare Village? Now is your excuse to go, you can collect Avios points with every purchase!
 

 
Have you a special occasion coming up? Make sure you pay a visit to Appleby Jewellers. It really is that simple. Kildare Village will give you 5 Avios for every €4 spent and Appleby will give 1 Avios for every €1 spent.

Read my post on the ways to collect Avios for more partner details.

It doesn’t end there…  AerClub have an eStore!

When I say this is going to change the way we shop, I really mean it! You can also get rewards for on-line purchases in hundreds of high street stores, hotel websites and Apple!  Right now Marks and Spencer are giving 4 Avios points for every €1 spent, Debenhams are giving 4 Avios per €1, ASOS 7 Avios, and travel website Expedia are giving a whopping 10 Avios per €1.
 

 
Once you are an AerClub member you can access the AerClub eStore with the same log in and password. Simply click on your favourite stores and shop online in the usual way. It won’t cost you any more to shop this way but your purchases will be tracked, and your Avios account will be topped up with points!

So how many points do I need for a flight, I hear you say….

There are so many variations, depending on when and where you travel, but currently 8,000 Avios points will get you a return flight to Paris. For 17,000 Avios you can have a return flight to the Canary Islands and if you can save 26,000 you can have a return flight to New York. Note these are based on off peak travel and exclude taxes and charges. For full list of date bands click here.
 

 
This may sound a lot but I accumulated 40,ooo points  in just one year! With the exception of three flights to Spain, all of my points were accumulated by shopping in SuperValu (unfortunately no longer a partner), Kildare Village and via the eStore.
 

 
Avios regularly have promotions on to make it even easier to collect points. Suddenly a business class upgrade on my flight to New York is possible…

How to sign up.

If you are already an AerClub  member, your existing log in and password will suffice. Collect Avios by logging in with your AerClub details and clicking through to the eStore. For those who have not yet joined, you can join AerClub here. Why not download the free Avios app too, it will allow you book flights on the go, check your Avios balance and find out where to collect.
 

 
If you have any questions please comment below and I will get back to you. It really is that easy to get flights and upgrades with Avios points! 

Like Travel Tips? See more here.

This post was sponsored by Avios but all views, as always, are my own.

Sarah

With tons of special offers available and a desire to have something to look forward to, January is the best time to book a holiday. Check out my top tips and deals for booking Summer holidays that I discussed with Ivan Yates on Newstalk.

Compare like with like.

I say this time and time again as this is the biggest mistake people make when booking holidays online. When comparing package holidays with holidays you design yourself, make sure you include baggage charges, airport transfers and local taxes. Tour Operators like Sunway , Topflight and TUI Holidays will offer packages with no hidden extras, so make sure the ‘deal’ you think you have found online is really as good as it seems.

A 20kg checked bag costs €110 to Lanzarote in the Summer with Aer Lingus and airport transfer costs to some resorts in the Algarve and Majorca can also be extremely high, so make sure you add these to the cost of the basic flight and accommodation before you compare with a package holiday.

The same applies to long haul holidays. Sometimes specialists like Tropical Sky will be able to offer cheaper packages than if you bought a flight and hotel separately. Some low cost carriers charge high amounts for baggage, allocated seating, even meals, on long haul flights. Compare these with airlines such as Turkish Airlines who include a generous baggage allowance, all meals and even drinks on board.

Check the total flight duration.

You may find a special offer on a particular website to Los Angeles or Thailand but when you book it you will find that it takes you 24 hours to get there! Sometimes the lowest airfares have many stopovers and can take double the time of a direct flight – make sure you read the times!

Check one way and return airfares.

When booking a flight make sure you check both one way and return airfares. With Aer Lingus and Ryanair for instance, you may find it is cheaper to fly out with one airline and home with another. This can also be useful for good flight times, one airline may have better times on the outward journey and another on the return. 

Skycanner will combine all airlines so you can automatically find the best airfares and quite often the lowest priced journey will be with two different carriers. Skyscanner will also show you carriers that you may not have thought of, i.e Vueling who fly direct to Barcelona from Dublin or Iberian Express who fly to Madrid.

Like these tips? See more here.

Some of the best sales / deals available.

Aer Lingus annual seat sale is on until the 16^th of January offering up to 50% off selected European airfares and flights to the USA from €209 one way, if sold as part of a return ticket. Apparently they have reductions on 3 million seats!

TUI Holidays ( formerly Falcon Holidays ) is offering 1000’s of free child places with a low booking deposit of €75.

Attraction Tickets Direct have a Win Win promotion. If you pay a €25 deposit on theme park tickets to Florida and the price reduces when you are due to pay your balance, you will be charged the lower price. If the price increases ( due to currency fluctuations or general price increases ) they wont charge you any more. Hence the term win win – you can’t loose!

Topflight has a ski and summer sale with discounts across all seasons and destinations including ski holidays and a wide range of holidays to Italy.

Click&GO.com is offering €1 deposits on holidays booked with Aer Lingus, departing 10 or more weeks from the booking date. A further €150 deposit is due 4 weeks after booking and the balance is payable 10 weeks before departure.

Royal Caribbean Cruises is offering buy one get one half price, plus free deluxe drinks packages on selected sailings. They are also offering 25% discount on the 3rd and 4th passengers, which is ideal for families.

My Top 3 Top Long Haul Picks:

Sunway is offering a seven night all-inclusive stay in the Dominican Republic from €875 in May. Price includes flights and hotel for 1 week, with all meals and drinks included. Upgrade to the 5* Dreams Punta Cana for €1189. Click here for more details:

Tropical Sky is offering a seven night all-inclusive stay in the Maldives from €1499 including flights and speed boat transfers. Click here for more details:

Travalue has a 12 night holiday to South Africa with accommodation in Cape Town, the wine lands and the Garden Route, with 9 days car hire, and a safari for 2 nights on a full board basis, from €1695 in May or June. Click here for more details:

Like these deals? See more here.

Sarah

Dublin airport has just celebrated it’s best ever year in 2016 and there are lots of new routes announced from Dublin, Cork and Shannon. It seems Irish airports are set for another bumper year.  So where are the top holiday destinations in 2017?

It looks like firm favourites, Spain and Portugal will remain the most popular short haul holiday destinations. Every other month we are hearing about new routes to the USA so American holidays will probably be the next biggest crowd pleaser. Short break enthusiasts will welcome the 9 weekly flights to Iceland and if you haven’t visited Athens or Amsterdam yet, 2017 might well be the year to do it. Cruise holidays are gearing up for another year of growth and the 14 weekly flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi as well as the new daily Qatar airways service from Dublin to Doha, ensures long haul holidays will be easily accessible. Here are my picks for holiday hot spots in 2017!

Spain

Ireland’s favourite holiday destination never disappoints. Culture vultures or party animals enjoy the numerous choices for city breaks and beach holidays. Why not combine both though? The Costa Dorada looks like it could be the big winner this year. There are flights from Dublin, Shannon, Cork and Knock serving Reus, Girona or Barcelona and Sunway and Falcon Holidays both offer package deals to Salou and Cambrils. The combination of the iconic city of Barcelona and the opening of Ferrari World at the already popular Port Aventura theme park, make it an ideal choice for all the family.

Portugal

Another Irish favourite, the Algarve has almost fifty flights per week from Irish airports, in the peak Summer months. Aer Lingus have added a new service to Porto, and Lisbon is already a popular city break destination. It looks like lots Irish holiday makers will be flocking to Portugal in their droves in 2017.

Italy

Lakes, mountains, cities and beaches, Italy has something to offer all holiday makers. Lake Garda is becoming more and more popular with families as there are numerous self catering and camping options. The Amalfi Coast is always a popular honeymoon destination and the islands will attract couples looking for an upmarket holiday. Sunway have introduced a direct flight to Sardinia for 2017 which should keep the beach enthusiasts happy, and the growing trend for authentic experiences will ensure that Irish numbers to the region of Puglia should continue to grow.

Greece

Always great value for money and appealing to the masses, the Greek islands should have many Irish visitors in 2017. There are direct flights to Zakynthos, Corfu, Crete, Rhodes and Kos with Falcon Holidays and flights to Athens with Aer Lingus, Ryanair and Aegean airlines. This should ensure Athens will be a popular city break destination but also allow easier access to the sought after islands of Santorini and Mykonos.

USA

Flights to the States have grown to unprecedented levels. New routes to from Aer Lingus to Hartford and Miami and extra flights to Los Angeles, Orlando and New York, should translate into a bumper year for Irish tourists to the USA. The addition of low cost flights with Norwegian Air from Cork to Boston and New York, as well as WOW air flights via Iceland, should ensure lots of good deals for Irish holidaymakers. San Francisco is celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the iconic ‘summer of love’ with a year of events and festivals in 2017. And would you believe Elvis is dead 40 years this year… sure makes me feel old! Why not pay tribute to the ‘King of Rock and Roll’ by visiting Memphis during ‘Elvis Week’, between 11^th and 19^th August. See American Sky for details.

Mexico

Mexico is one of our most popular long haul destinations. Falcon Holidays are offering direct flights from Dublin for those looking for a two week holiday in the summer months. Many choose to fly via America and combine with a city break in New York or Vegas. I think Mexico will continue to be as popular with Irish holidaymakers in 2017.

Iceland

WOW air introduced flights to Reykjavik in 2015 which proved to be a resounding success. People chased the Northern lights and swam in the Blue Lagoon, with lots of positive reviews. So much so that WOW have decided to increase flights from Dublin and add on a service from Cork. It looks like Iceland will remain popular in 2017 for weekend breaks and as a holiday destination.

Cruises

One of the fastest growing sectors in the travel industry is set for another bumper year. The competition has never been greater. Most major cruise lines have dedicated Irish websites now and many travel agents and tour operators have dedicated cruise departments. Free all inclusive drinks packages, half price kids offers and even free flights, will I am sure, entice Irish holidaymakers to cruise in 2017. New destinations like Cuba will make it easier for visitors to visit Havana without paying the increasing accommodation costs. River cruises are also proving popular for discerning clients. For those who don’t want to fly there are even cruises operating directly from Ireland in 2017.

Croatia

For those looking for somewhere a little different but still close to home, Croatia will be a top choice. The stunning city of Dubrovnik has always been a favourite but now there are flights to Split and Pula with Aer Lingus, as well as Zadar with Ryanair. Falcon Holidays have also announced package holidays to Croatia and specialists Croatia Tours continue to offer a wide choice of package holidays to the region.

Middle East and beyond

With two direct daily flights to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi and now a new daily service to Doha with Qatar airlines, getting to Asia, Africa and Australia has never been easier. No lengthy lay overs in Heathrow and prices should reduce too!

South Africa

Ethiopian airlines‘ Dreamliner aircraft made many news reports when they offered cheap direct flights from Dublin to Los Angeles this year. They have now added extra connections from their hub in Addis Ababa to South Africa. This means that flights from Dublin to Cape Town should be easily accessible and hopefully well priced too.

They are my thoughts on the top holiday destinations in 2017 but please comment below if you have any more to add 🙂

Sarah

Looking for a break in July or August? Check out my top picks for last minute holidays as seen on TV3’s Sunday AM.

Availability to the popular destinations (Spain & Portugal mainly) in July and August is always scarce, and this year is no exception. However, there is increased capacity with Aer Lingus and Ryanair so airfares are quite low. In fact Aer Lingus have a seat sale with up to 25% off European flights during August & September, if booked by midnight on Monday, 25th July. If you are prepared to go off the beaten track and stay somewhere further from the resort centre, you can pick up good deals on last minute holidays. I found that Italy is better value than Spain and Portugal at the moment, here are my top picks.

Italy Deals:

Crystal Holidays are offering a  2* Hotel in Lake Garda, the Miravalli, from €340 per person on the 6^th of August. This is a basic hotel but located in the heart of Garda, so it’s perfect for anyone who just wants to use the hotel as a base. If you want to upgrade your hotel, Topflight have a Summer sale until the 29^th of July with savings of €420 per person. They have Sicily, Lido di Jesolo and Sorrento on sale in August as well as Lanzarote, the Algarve and Madeira.

I like the 3* Astoria Hotel, Sorrento, it’s €789 on the 7^th and 14th of August. It is situated right in the heart of Sorrento, it is great value for such a fantastic location. All of Topflight’s prices include flights, transfers and checked baggage. Click here for more details.

Family Holiday:

Menorca is surprisingly good value for the next few weeks. With short day time flights and very family friendly, it is an ideal choice for a family holiday. Sunway are offering package deals where transfers and checked baggage are included, staying in the popular Binimar apartments. They are a nice low rise complex, close to the town centre and the beach and have a small splash park on site. The price for 2 adults & 2 children on the 31^st of July and 7^th of August is €1876. Click here for more details. 

Mid to late August:

With some kids back in school as early as the 24^th of August, the last week of August is best time to pick up a bargain holiday. The Aer Lingus sale has some great airfares so you should be able to pick up a package deal to Spain or Portugal for less than €400. If you fancy Greece, Falcon Holidays are offering a week package deal to Zakynthos from €399 on the 30^th of August, staying in the popular Katerina Palace Hotel. Click here for more details.

ClickandGo.com have matched the low airfares with some good city breaks too. I like this one in Madrid, it combines sightseeing, sun and shopping all in one! Fly with Aer Lingus and enjoy a three night stay in a four star hotel for only €247 on the 15th of August. Click here for more details.

5 Tips to find a last minute deal:

1. ClickandGo.com have a ‘dealfinder’ on their website where you can select sun holidays or city breaks within 30 days, 60 days etc and it will list all holidays that they have available.

2. Use Ryanair’s ‘fare finder’ and Skyscanner’s ‘everywhere’ searches for any destination under a specific price range. Use hotel aggregators such as Trivago & Tripadvisor to search many accommodation websites for the same hotel.

3. The Irish Travel Agents association’s website combines top travel agents offers so you don’t need to search lots of different websites. And I offer my best last minute deals in my best travel deals post which is published every Tuesday on thetravelexpert.ie 🙂

4. Compare like with like. Remember a package holiday with a Tour Operator such as Falcon Holidays or Sunway includes airport transfers and checked baggage. A 20kg checked bag to the Canary Islands with Ryanair is €100 during July and August, so that ‘cheap deal’ you thought you found, might not be so cheap after all.

5. And finally always check with your local travel agent – they are searching late offers day in, day out and will probably know immediately what is the best value at any given time.

All prices are correct at the time of issue but are subject to change.

Sarah

Tired of the same old holiday destinations? Check out the new routes from Irish airports in 2016 and try something new this year!

Dublin Airport

We are finally seeing some new longhaul routes from Ireland, something that will be widely welcomed by Irish holidaymakers. Falcon / Thomson holidays will operate a dreamliner aircraft direct to Cancun (Mexico) and Montego Bay (Jamaica) while Air Canada Rouge will offer direct flights to Vancouver for the first time.  Aer Lingus have also introduced direct flights to more US destinations,  Newark, Los Angeles and the surprise choice, Hartford. Ethiopian Airlines are also flying direct to Los Angeles so there should be plenty of choice for people looking to get to the Sunshine State this year. Blue Air will be flying to Cluj (Romania), Ryanair will operate to the Spanish coastal city, Vigo and Aer Lingus will fly to Montpellier in France. There are also extra flights to Athens with Aegean Airlines and Ryanair, perhaps Athens will be on many peoples city break list this year? Aegean Airlines will also be offering online connections to the bucket list destinations of Santorini and Mykonos. And finally, Aer Lingus have added capacity to the popular holiday destinations of Pisa and Murcia, until now these were served by Ryanair only.

Cork Airport

Cork airport has announced 400, 000 additional seats available for 2016 and the airport was recently named as one of Europe’s best airports. New routes for 2016 include Cardiff, London City, Leeds Bradford in the UK and Dusseldorf, Germany. Families will welcome direct flights to Nantes and La Rochelle in France and Menorca in Spain, which is operated by Stein Travel. Direct flights to Madrid with Iberia Express should suit people looking for a short city break and Norwegian Air is hoping to fly from Cork to Boston, however this is still subject to US approval. There is also talk of a Cork – New York service in the near future – so watch this space!

Knock Airport ( Ireland West)

Falcon / Thomson Holidays are flying direct to Salou for 2016, something that has delighted families living in the West of Ireland. The flight will operate weekly from the end of June until the 16th of August. Knock airport will also offer new direct services to the popular cities of Edinburgh and Birmingham this year.

Shannon airport

While there are no new routes from Shannon in 2016, extra capacity has been announced to many holiday destinations such as Malaga (Costa del Sol) and Faro (Portugal) as well as popular routes such as Heathrow and New York. 2015 was the third successive year of passenger growth at Shannon airport and this trend will surely continue in 2016.

So there you have it, no excuses for resting on your laurels this year – go somewhere new in 2016!

Sarah