The Irish airline Aer Lingus is selling cheap round-trip tickets between its hub in Dublin and many other cities in Germany, Spain, France, Italy and Switzerland. These trips can be purchased in both directions at the same price.
This fare allows you to check a 10 kg bag for free. Wanting more luggage would break this deal, as another checked bag (20 kg) costs around €120 round-trip – a ridiculous price. Apparently, your 10 kg bag cannot exceed 24 x 40 x 55 cm.
You can find these prices between October and March, although the availability depends on the destination. Once you select your dates, our search form will lead you to Aer Lingus’ booking site, where you can book your flight:
Here are some example prices for round trips from Dublin:
The flights are usually operated with Airbus A320 family aircraft. As mentioned before, these tickets include 10 kg of luggage, which will have to be checked in, and a personal item that you can bring onboard.
Search & Book
You can find the available dates on Google Flights. There seems to be quite good availability to most destinations between October and March. You should book these flights directly on Aer Lingus’ website.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Cover Picture: © Aer Lingus