Business Class Cabin – Airbus A330
Oh, the pure joy of turning left on an aircraft. The Aer Lingus cabin crew were immediately welcoming and showed me to my fabulous seat: 2A on the outbound and 6A inbound. The configuration in Aer Lingus Business Class is 1:2:1, providing plenty of privacy for solo travellers as well as open-aisle access. The branding is light and bright, and I loved the shamrock motif on the front wall panel.
My seat was next to the window with storage to my right. With a vacant double seat across the aisle, I enjoyed my own private and very generous space. And thanks to the ample 22-inch seat width and generous 6.5ft lie-flat seat, even the longest of legs will be able to stretch out.
The seat was comfortably supportive with an easy-to-use control panel that boasted a fabulous massage facility. Relax, Upright and Sleep options also meant I could position the seat in a variety of angles, whether I was eating, resting, sleeping or watching some of the 120 hours of entertainment on offer via the 16-inch Panasonic touchscreen (the hand control is located in the armrest).Aer Lingus supplies noise-cancelling headphones, although I chose to use my Apple earphones as they are lighter on my noggin.
The personal charging points and USB outlets are sufficient and there is space for a mini-tablet on a pullout tray under the screen.
I loved the small cabinet for personal items, and the magazine/laptop storage – there’s even storage for shoes. Aer Lingus Business Class seats are your office, your private restaurant and your bedroom all in one luxurious and well-designed space.
Falling asleep later, I welcomed the cotton-rich pillows and blanket.
Service and Cuisine
The flight attendants on both my outbound and inbound flights were extremely professional, courteous and regularly checked on passengers between meals. Once on board we were offered a glass – with generous refills – of Jean Pernet Champagne, water or orange juice. Lunch menus were also handed out at this point, as well as amenity kits and blankets. Special meal requests can be ordered up to 24 hours in advance of the flight.
The tray table, as I discovered, is discreetly sited between the seat and the storage compartment. Large enough to hold a tray and several drinks, as well as a magazine. White linen tablecloths also feature the Shamrock logo. Classy.
The amuse bouche to accompany my Champagne was tasty (olives, meat, cucumber, fish paste) as was my Barton Bordeaux – a fruity mélange of Merlot/Cab Sauvignon/Cab Franc/Petit Verdot.
I enjoyed a delicious prawn cocktail with salad for starters; the bread roll and butter were also very good. Mains choices were fishcake, roast Parmesan chicken or beef fillet medallions. I opted for the delicious fishcake with tartar sauce and green beans. The chicken and beef also received appreciative nods from fellow diners. Eschewing the raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake, I dived into the cheeseboard with its fab apple and plum chutney, accompanied by a Sandeman port miniature.