The airline quietly deployed Lie-Flat Throne Suites 8 on short-haul European routes this summer.

Aer Lingus It is one of the most famous operators of long-range narrow fields. Previously flying Boeing 757-200s across the Atlantic (one of the few airlines in Europe to do so), it now has eight Airbus A321LRs in its fleet and also flies six improved A321XLRs. These 14 long-haul Airbuses will allow the airline to launch new routes to smaller destinations such as Hartford, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and more.

The jet has had a huge impact on the Irish flag carrier, further establishing its position as the leading airline for US-Europe connections. But the challenge with this aircraft is figuring out what to do with it between flights.

Due to their location in Ireland, many of the flights operated by these aircraft are on the shorter side and their smaller size can reduce journey times to outlying areas. This means they spend more time on the ground in Dublin, but the aircraft only makes money when they are flying. That’s why Aer Lingus plans to put some of its long-haul Airbuses on short-haul flights to Europe.

Analysis of Aer Lingus’ A321LR/A321XLR fleet

Credit: Shutterstock

By fleet, Aer Lingus currently operates eight A321LRs and six A321XLRs. Both are powered by the most powerful version of the CFM LEAP-1A and are very similar to each other. The main benefits are Airbus A321XLR It boasts longer range, more cargo space, and higher payload capacity. This makes it an ideal aircraft for tackling more challenging routes to smaller destinations, while the A321LR is more than sufficient for the rest.

Aer Lingus’ A321LR and A321XLR have identical interiors and can accommodate a total of 184 seats, including 16 business class seats and 168 economy class seats. It also features the same seating as Business Class (Thompson Aero Vantage), but the A321XLR’s seats feature modernized screens and USB-C charging ports. Meanwhile, the A321LR is equipped with the Collins Aerospace Meridian for economy, while the A321XLR is equipped with the Recaro R3.

Apart from this, another difference between the two on the inside is that the A321XLR has a new Airbus Airspace interior with a larger XL box, improved mood lighting and new sidewalls. The A321LR features the internals of the older A320 family. However, for the most part, the interiors of the two planes are essentially identical, with the A321XLR being slightly modernized with a larger overhead bin, and with the exception of the A321XLR’s longer range, they are largely interchangeable.

European routes operated by this aircraft

Credit: Shutterstock

Within Europe, the A321LR and A321XLR are primarily being deployed from Dublin to Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam, Oslo, Manchester, Venice and Munich at the time of writing. We also fly from Shannon to Paris and London Heathrow. Because Aer Lingus does not fly the standard A321neo in short-haul configuration, all Aer Lingus flights that appear online as being operated by the A321neo have a long-haul interior.

The economy cabin is a significant upgrade as it offers seatback entertainment and more legroom than the A320-200s/A320neos that Aer Lingus uses on most intra-European routes. However, the biggest upgrade is to the business class cabin because the Thompson Vantage has fully lie-flat seats. It is popular with long-haul narrowbody operators and is also used on Aer Lingus’ Airbus A330 aircraft. This is a suitable international product available on several 2-hour and 3-hour routes.

Aer Lingus sells the seats on this flight under the ‘AerSpace’ brand, the same brand used in standard European premium cabins. The service and meals are the same as on flights operated by the A320-200 or A320neo, but with no additional surcharges specific to A321LR/A321XLR flights, customers can easily enjoy a much higher standard of product as long as they choose to fly on these aircraft types.

AerSpace products from Aer Lingus

Credit: Shutterstock

AerSpace is the standard branding used by Aer Lingus on premium airline tickets within Europe, regardless of the aircraft type/product actually sold. The A320-200 and A320neo are the airline’s main aircraft types, and their premium offerings consist of economy seats with a blocked middle seat. Only the front row is marketed as AerSpace, the aircraft lacks seatback entertainment and the overall experience falls somewhere between economy and business class.

Passengers with AerSpace tickets enjoy dedicated security checkpoints and lounge access. As previously mentioned, onboard hard products are blocking the middle seats on the A320-200s and A320neos, and Aer Lingus will only sell four seats from these aircraft to AerSpace. During the flight, AerSpace passengers receive one complimentary drink and a complimentary snack. AerSpace tickets include free changes, automatic standby, carry-on baggage, checked baggage, and are refundable.

The product is not as high-end as the business class cabins offered by many other European airlines on short-haul routes because the meals are less comprehensive and the seats are not in private cabins. However, despite the hard product improvements for the A321LR and A321XLR, the seats are still sold as AerSpace. Aer Lingus sells all 16 seats as AerSpace, which is beneficial for both passengers and the airline as it generates significantly more revenue than the A320-200 or A320neo.

Business class within Europe

Credit: Shutterstock

Most full-service European airlines offer business class on short-haul flights, but these are usually configured as economy seats with a blocked middle seat. The cabin’s size is adjusted dynamically, allowing airlines to optimize cabin size for each flight, and airlines typically install removable curtains. Additionally, some airlines offer more legroom in the first half of their aircraft and their soft offerings are generally much better than what Aer Lingus offers with their AerSpace tickets.

However, while business class within Europe as a whole is not much different from economy class, regional business class in the rest of the world often consists of larger recliner seats in a four-row arrangement with more legroom. This includes North America and Australia, and in Asia, many airlines offer recliners and some offer fully lie-flat seats for short-haul flights. However, some Latin American airlines are blocking middle-class seats and selling window/aisle seats as premium products.

However, within Europe turkish airlines It offers an armchair with a narrower body than the typical ‘Eurobusiness’. Eurowings We also operate a sub-aircraft of Airbus A320neos with recliners. The plane has two rows of recliner seats, with a typical European business class product in the back. According to reports, lufthansa is now looking to install similar seats on some of its narrow-body aircraft, and some airlines are using international lie-flat seats to rotate their widebody aircraft on short-haul flights.

Other European airlines offering short-haul liveflats on narrow bodies

Credit: Shutterstock

The majority of ITA Airways’ fleet of narrowbody aircraft is equipped with the standard Eurobusiness product, but the airline also operates eight Airbus A321LR aircraft. ITA Airlines Installation of 12 business class seats based on Stelia Opera SA, a reverse herringbone lie-flat seat designed for narrow bodies with direct aisle access. It also features a truly premium economy cabin with three rows of reclining seats, as well as seatback screens and USB-C chargers in all cabins.

These planes are primarily used for flights to Africa and the Middle East, but are also commonly used within Europe. This includes Paris, Athens, Amsterdam, Barcelona, ​​Madrid and London Heathrow at the time of writing. ITA Airlines occasionally deploys the A321LR on domestic routes. However, it has been reported that these operations have not necessarily been profitable for ITA Airlines, so it is possible that the aircraft will eventually be removed from flights within Europe.

TAP Air Portugal It also operates the Airbus A321LR on some routes within Europe. Based on the Thompson Vantage, with 16 business class seats and a total seating capacity of 171, the vehicle is regularly deployed between Lisbon and London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Madrid, Amsterdam, Barcelona, ​​Paris Orly and Munich, as well as Lisbon, Porto and Funchal. Once again, TAP Air Portugal’s standard intra-European business class consists of blocked middle seats, so this product represents a significant upgrade.

However, unlike Aer Lingus and ITA Airways, TAP operates a significant fleet of standard A321neos aircraft in traditional short-haul configurations, making it more difficult to determine which flights include its long-haul product. Instead, you have to rely on the seat map and the A321LR does not consistently operate the same flights on the same days. Moreover, there is always the possibility of equipment replacement.