The transatlantic budget airline, Aer Lingus will remove in-flight blankets and earphones from passengers on the cheapest fares from Dublin to North American destinations.
The passengers with the Irish airline’s new “Saver” tickets will also not have the right to select a seat in advance and check in a bag free of charge. The only permissible cabin baggage is 10kg piece of cabin but with this, they will save €40 (£36.80) each way on the next-lowest fares, known as “Smart”.
Aer Lingus, which is a sister airline to British Airways said that it is designed to meet the diverse needs of today’s traveller and ‘Saver’ will offer more choice and flexibility.
Travellers who chose the cheapest option were said that they will receive an inflight meal however for the use of blanket and earphones, they will be charged €3 and €5.
The move reflects the intense competition between budget airlines across the Atlantic. From Manchester, Thomas Cook has created a significant American network. Norwegian is offering a range of US links using wide-bodied aircraft from Gatwick and smaller jets from Edinburgh and Belfast.
British Airways is also cutting seat costs by “densifying” its fleet of Gatwick-based Boeing 777 aircraft. They will squeeze extra 52 passengers on each plane by adding an extra seat in every row of the economy.
Dublin is an increasingly popular choice among British travellers heading for the US and Canada. It is the only major airport in Europe to offer pre-clearance of American passport and customs formalities. With US Customs and Border Protection checks conducted before departure, passengers are treated as domestic travellers when they touch down.
Those who are capable to taking a small degree of risk, they can reduce their Air Passenger Duty liability by buying separate tickets.
