I flight very often, which is one of the reasons for the name of this blog "TrendFLY holic".
I think I can say I flew with every single low cost company: Ryanair, Easyjet, Monarch… but by far my favourite one is Aerlingus. An Irish company that I discover in one of my frequent flights to Malaga. I was in the first plane which was baptised. Yes, it sounds weird, I couldn't believe it either when the pilot who was a woman said when we landed that we will be received by the press and two fire trucks that will wet the plane. The next day it was in all local newspapers.
Buying a flight ticket is like going shopping. You know that when you pay expensive you will receive an excellent service, you can carry almost two hand luggages, nice and comfortable seats, cabin crew uniforms are fitted… If you fly with Iberia, British Airways, United…is like going shopping to Burberry, DKNY, Armani… of course if you go first class it is like going to Chanel, Loewe or Balenciaga.
But let's be realistic, everyone likes more for less and these new low cost companies let us make more trips for the same money that we would pay for one trip in first class. Is the same concept that Zara, H&M, Primark: consumption is the priority. Although we love to complain when we buy a GAP jumper cause is plenty of bubbles after wearing it a few times we continue to go… the same for the flight companies. How many times did we hear people, included me, complaining about Easyjet flights being delayed, Ryanair tiny seats and millimetre luggage restrictions?… And yet we still go on flying with them.
Sometimes, once in a while, we find nice brands that make fashion clothes, fit us like measure-made and are as cheap as a high-street mass market brand. In that moment we feel like a pirate who found a treasure. I felt the same when I discovered Aerlingus. The only flight company to have such a nice airplane where you can sleep in peace with no aircrew who will disturb you cause they want to sell to you stupid lottery like in Ryanair. The most amazing detail is the resthead: you can regulate it as you need and if you want to sleep don't worry about neck pain cause your neck will be straight.
You have a Cara magazine to read, you have a pocket on the front seat to dispose things (no pocket on Ryanair), and very important too: crew people are most of the time lovely and smiling. What else could you possibly ask for?
When you have that "luxury" service at high street price you don't want to change, you become loyal to that brand and feel happy and proud of your purchase. Unfortunately fashion brands and air companies don't survive only with few "followers", they need to sell enough to become profitable. I was deeply sad when I tried to buy my return tickets and was able to buy only one way cause they decided to stop to fly to Malaga. I spoke to the boarding guy, to the air crew and even to the pilot and expressed my disappointment cause I really loved that company. Now I am seated in a Ryanair tiny seat, the girl next to me has her luggage under her feet, I had to pay 40€ cause my luggage was 1 cm extra large, I am in a bad mood, people speak very low…. :(
Aerlingus…why did you leave me alone ?!!!
RIP: 3 january 2012 Flight EI 902 6:35 am seat 6 A
