Review of Aer Lingus flight Exeter → Dublin in Economy

Aer Lingus Regional by Aer Arann, Stobart Air & Emerald Airlines! (2010-2024)

Aer Lingus Regional is a subsidiary of Aer Lingus set up to operate regional flights from Ireland to the United Kingdom and islands in the UK-Ireland Common Travel Area (CTA), the airline also operates the only Irish Domestic flight in the Aer Lingus network, Dublin-Donegal. Since 2022 Aer Lingus Regional is also responsible for their Belfast City operations across the UK using British registered aircraft.

Aer Arann, a regional airline in Ireland operating ATR 42 and ATR 72 were the initial partners on the operation alongside Aer Lingus. They operated for Aer Lingus Regional from the companies formation in early 2010 until 2014 when the Stobart Group bought the airline and rebranded the airline as Stobart Air, the new airline would operate franchise operations for Aer Lingus Regional and Flybe until the company ceased operations in June 2021 due the impact of the Pandemic.

A new company was formed in 2021 and won the bid to take over from Stobart Air in 2023, but with the early demise of Stobart Air in 2021, Emerald Airlines took over in 2022 as the provider for Aer Lingus Regional which it continues to do as of June 2024.

I was putting together a trip to cover some Regional UK Airport's in the South-West to tick them off my 2024 Travel Plans and this gave me a chance to finally try out Aer Lingus Regional/Emerald Airlines- and this is where we start off.

Experiencing Exeter Airport

Well here's a new airport for my travel list- Exeter Airport!

If the branding looks familiar, its because Exeter Airport is owned by City and Regional Airport's which also own Bournemouth Hurn Airport- an airport you might be familiar with from me! I have visited EXT Airport once in the past, but this is my first time flying from here!

Oddly enough, in terms of distance by miles or kilometres, Exeter Airport is closer to Bournemouth Airport than London Heathrow Airport is, but it takes over 2 hours to drive to Exeter Airport from Bournemouth compare to 90 minutes to London Heathrow as getting into Devon or Cornwall counties is all back roads and A-Roads, whereas London Heathrow is accessed more easily via the Motorways M27, M3 and M25.

I quickly passed through the empty arrivals area, I wouldn't be flying into Exeter on this trip, but I wanted to showcase it for this website and those viewing this report who have a curiosity to see what Exeter Airport is like for a passenger perspective!

The check in area has several desks which can be allocated to different airline through the day. A small desk is dedicated for the special operations of the Isle of Scilly Skybus- an airline offering an essential air service using Britten-Norman Islanders & DeHavilland Twin-Otters. A small café to the right of the entrance is available to the public, its a little bit pricey, but its ideal for anyone too early for a flight or someone awaiting a delayed flight.

The day I was flying out appeared to offer a nice diversity of short-haul carriers for the Airport as the departure board was showing flights from not only Aer Lingus Regional, but also the likes of Blue Island, Ryanair, Loganair, the Skybus and Aurigny Air Service. The original Flybe (1979-2020) was head quartered here in Exeter with their main office being located on the Airport Grounds.

I got through security in about 10 minutes and made my way to the departure area, which was quite dreary and dull, one side was occupied by a bar and a WH Smith outlet to the other, a large seating area in the middle for plenty of people as well. I would have hated being stuck in here for ages, but I noticed a sign and I enquire about it with a WH Smith staff member, and made my way to something really amazing!

Unlike most UK Airport's since the early 2000s, Exeter Airport has an Observation Terrace! Its a small space which is outside and offers brilliant Airport and apron views, I took a coffee from the bar with me and set up my camera's and opted to spent the next 90 minutes watching the incoming arrivals (including my own aircraft), making the most of such a luxury for an AvGeek in the UK!

The period I was waiting at EXT Airport for was a busy one, Blue Island ATR 72-600 (Jersey), Ryanair 737-800 (Alicante) and Skybus DeHavilland Twin-Otter (Isle of Scilly) all arrived before my Aer Lingus ATR flight turned up, so I wasn't let down, as well as a small number of private General Aviation planes flying around.

Once my plane arrived, I was off to the gate for boarding. There are six gates at Exeter Airport, and my flight was leaving at Gate 3. I got to Gate three to be buzzed into the waiting area. Seating was available whilst they waited for our flight to be cleared by the cabin crew for boarding across the remote stand.

Aer Lingus Regional EI3331 (EXT-DUB)

My flight was to be operated by an Aer Lingus Regional/Emerald Airlines ATR 72-600 registered as EI-GPO, an ironically fitting registration if you know about Irish history. This aircraft was built in March 2016 and flown as G-FBXD by Flybe for SAS Scandinavian Airlines until Flybe's demise in March 2020, ironically this aircraft was delivered to Exeter Airport where I was to fly on it that morning, eventually the plane got its EI-GPO registration and ended up owned by Emerald Airlines who fly the plane on behalf of Aer Lingus Regional.

Boarding was done using the "open boarding" method as Exeter Airport lacks the jet-bridges, which isn't uncommon at small regional airports in the UK, however on a day like today- I'd be almost offended if they didn't give us an open board- just look at these amazing photos from the walk to the plane from the Terminal!!!

Boarding the ATR from the rear meant I had to go through to the front of the plane to claim my seat, I thought the little mood lights above each row was a cool feature… However I notice the ATR seats are adorned with blue leather, a similar design to their Airbus A320 fleet…

Come on Aer Lingus- you are missing a massive marketing opportunity by not having a dark/emerald green colour material on this seat!

Boarding was finished promptly, despite it being an almost full flight, and having taken my place in Seat 2A, ideal for the propeller view! The pilots began to prepare for taxi and departure, as the plane was being powered up, I saw the Ryanair Boeing 737-800 departing down the runway for Alicante.

We taxied out for departure, passing the parked up West Atlantic Boeing 737-400F which had come in at 4am that morning on a cargo flight. We made our way to the threshold of Runway 08, departing towards the West of Exeter Airport.

It was soon our turn to depart and we zoomed down Runway 08 and took off into an amazing spring day over Devonshire, making a few left turns as we departed Exeter Airport, the clear day offered some amazing views of the rural Devon countryside as well as the little downs dotted around Exeter city itself as we climbed out for the Northerly route toward Dublin!

Our route took us North across Devonshire, we then passed over the Bristol Channel, we then crossed Western Wales before entering the Irish Sea where we'd begin our descent into Dublin Airport.

As we settled in for the sub-1hr flight, the two cabin crew began the inflight service. The Aer Lingus BIA menu was on offer with a somewhat "stripped down" offering for the Aer Lingus Regional flights from Ireland to the UK. The flight was also compounded by the hot water system not being fully functional, so no teas or coffees today- however I was able to get a packet of Tayto Crisps and a can of Cola.

The ATR loo was as box standard and functional as they come, however anyone over 6ft tall might want to proceed with caution when visiting! The tap did work "slightly" despite the issues with the water system- I did however use the hand sanitizer as well for good measure. The toilet design did look quite dated for a plane built in 2016 though, as if ATR hasn't updated the toilet design since the 1990s!

Our descent into Dublin began and despite the brilliant weather in Exeter, Dublin was the total opposite and covered by thick and dull clouds as we passed around Howth, a small Irish peninsular that sticks out of County Swords, the small island is known as Ireland's Eye.

We landed on the Southern Runway at Dublin Airport, Runway 28, after we landed we took a long detour to the rear of Terminal 2, where all Aer Lingus flights operate from. We parked on a remote bus stand and there was a bus ready to take us to the Terminal 2 Arrivals.

I stayed behind a little to be one of the last people off, and I stopped to take a final cabin shot with the plane empty as well as a photo out of a window aft of the wings to show a different perspective, it was then the crew told me and the remaining passengers (two requiring assistance and a family of three with a baby) that a second bus was on the way for us, a pretty cool Airport Transfer I must say!

After exiting the ATR-72 and getting on the very empty Airport Transfer Bus, it was a pretty neat ride around Dublin Airport's Terminal 2 as we made our way to the Arrivals area. I got to see various aircraft including Aer Lingus A320/A330 aircraft, both a Delta Airlines Airbus A350-900 & Boeing 767-300ER and a Boeing 737-300 of Jet2 in the maintenance bay.

We arrived and followed the signs for Arrivals and the passport control check point, it didn't take long to get through passport control as British passport holders can still use the Biometric Gates in the Republic of Ireland, and I was through for the next stage of this trip!

Bonus : Click here display hide

Clayton Hotel & Plane Spotting at Dublin

Dublin Airport is the busiest airport in Ireland, its a major hub for both Aer Lingus & Ryanair. Despite all the flights and its reputation in the country, my biggest gripe with Dublin Airport is the lack of budget friendly Airport Hotels in the area… Seriously its safe to say an Airport Hotel will set you back at least £120+ for one night, which is ludicrous given that at London Heathrow you could still get a night in a hotel for £60-£75, the same with London Gatwick and Manchester Airport… 

Because of this, I often sleep in the Terminal buildings overnight if I have an early departure or I simply do Dublin for a day trip. But on this occasion I found an Airport Hotel for £108 for one night and I was staying long enough the day before to warrant making this purchase, so I thought I'd showcase my Hotel from this Dublin Airport stay- the CLAYTON HOTEL!

I chose this hotel as it had a complimentary Airport Shuttle bus as well as it being on the arrival flight path (or departures as well) and I got some pretty nice spotting pictures on my Canon 80D from my hotel room, the corridor window outside my room as well as outside the main entrance to the Hotel itself…

Plane spotting at Dublin Airport can be quite nice if you're prepared to sit through the constant stream of Aer Lingus A320s and Ryanair Boeing 737-800 which dominate the traffic here, I even spotted an Aer Lingus A330 coming in from Malaga Airport, something Aer Lingus does offer regularly on during the Summer Season, and something I personally would love to try out!

Despite my gripes on how pricey Airport Hotels can be at Dublin Airport, I'll eat my words on the Clayton Hotel as the room I paid for was amazing and massive. Certainly on this occasion I got what I paid for! Comfortable beds and chairs, Wi-Fi in the room as well as plenty of charging ports for my devices and plenty of Teas & Coffees with a kettle for in between watching aircraft, look at the fitting artwork above my bed as well!

There are two nice restaurants available in the Hotel, an Italian Kitchen and a traditional Bar/Restaurant. I opted to visit the latter for a light bite and cocktail before winding down for the night. I had some "Dirty Fries" (which were absolute filth, yum!) from the starter menu with an Old Fashioned, a whiskey based cocktail which I personally favour quite highly. Overall it was a very nice space and the staff were quite friendly, even asking about my trip (they must get some interesting and varied answers).

If you want a cheaper dinner option, you can also go to the garage across the road which offers a fast food restaurant, I went there to grab a donut to go with my coffee the following morning as I wasn't going to be around for breakfast and I didn't fancy trying my luck at any of the cafes or restaurants at Dublin Airport Terminal 1 the next morning!

The Shuttle ran frequently, and I consulted with the reception staff on the times for the bus for my flight plans for the following morning. I opted to get up for 03:30am, make a coffee, get a shower and change before grabbing the 05:00am Shuttle Bus to the Dublin Airport Terminal 1.