Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [631]
Ryanair ( 01-609 7800; www.ryanair.com) Ireland’s no-frills carrier with inexpensive services to Britain and continental Europe.
Nearly all international airlines use Dublin as their hub within Ireland. Airlines flying into and out of Ireland:
Adria Airways (www.adria.si)
Aer Árann ( 1890 462 726; www.aerarann.com)
Aer Lingus ( 01-886 8888; www.aerlingus.com)
Air Baltic (www.airbaltic.com)
Air Canada ( 1800 709 900; www.aircanada.ca)
Air France ( 01-605 0383; www.airfrance.com)
Air Malta ( 1800 397 400; www.airmalta.com)
Air Southwest (www.airsouthwest.com)
Air Transat (www.airtransat.com)
American Airlines ( 01-602 0550; www.aa.com)
BMI ( 01-407 3036; www.flybmi.com)
British Airways ( 1800 626 747; www.britishairways.com)
City Jet ( 01-870 0300; www.cityjet.com)
Continental ( 1890 925 252; www.continental.com)
Delta Airlines ( 1800 768 080; www.delta.com)
EasyJet ( 048-9448 4929; www.easyjet.com; Knock only)
Etihad Airways ( 01-477 3479; www.etihadairways.com)
Flybe ( 1890 925 532; www.flybe.com)
Flyglobespan ( 01-874 7666; www.flyglobespan.ie)
German Wings ( 01-865 0125; www.germanwings.com)
Iberia ( 01-407 3017; www.iberia.com)
Lufthansa ( 01-844 5544; www.lufthansa.com)
Luxair ( 01-477 3479; www.luxair.co.uk)
Malev Hungarian Airlines ( 01-844 4303; www.malev.com)
Ryanair ( 0818 30 30 30; www.ryanair.com)
S7 Airlines ( 01-663 3933; www.s7.ru)
Scandinavian Airlines ( 01-844 5440; www.flysas.com)
Swiss Airlines ( 1890 200 515; www.swiss.com)
Turkish Airlines ( 01-844 7920; www.turkishairlines.com)
US Airways ( 1890 925 065; www.usairways.com)
Tickets
The emergence of the no-frills, low-fares model as the future of European air travel has made cheap tickets the norm rather than the exception. For point-to-point travel, the best deals are almost always available online – indeed, Europe’s largest carrier, Ryanair, will penalise passengers who don’t avail themselves of the online services (including check-in) – but more complicated travel arrangements are best handled by a real live travel agent, who knows the system, the options and the best deals. Be sure to check the terms and conditions of the cheapest fares before purchasing.
ONLINE BOOKING AGENCIES
Best Fares (www.bestfares.com) American site offering discounted airfares and hotel rooms.
Cheap Flights (www.cheapflights.com) American- and British-based site that lists discounted flights and packages.
ebookers (www.ebookers.com) Irish, web-based internet travel agency.
Expedia (www.expedia.co.uk) Microsoft’s travel site.
Opodo (www.opodo.com) Joint booking service for nine European airlines.
Priceline (www.priceline.com) American, web-based travel agency.
STA Travel (www.statravel.com) International student travel agency.
Travelocity (www.travelocity.com) American, web-based travel agency.
Australia & New Zealand
There are no nonstop scheduled air services from Australia or New Zealand to Ireland; generally it’s cheapest to fly to London or Amsterdam and continue from there. Most fares to European destinations can have a return flight to Dublin tagged on at little or no extra cost. Round-the-world (RTW) tickets are another good bet and are often better value than standard return fares.
The Saturday travel sections of the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age newspapers advertise cheap fares; in New Zealand, check the New Zealand Herald travel section.
Recommended agencies:
AUSTRALIA
Flight Centre ( 133 133; www.flightcentre.com.au)
Shamrock Travel ( 03-9602 3700; www.irishtravel.com.au)
STA Travel ( 1300 733 035; www.statravel.com.au)
NEW ZEALAND
Flight Centre ( 0800-243 544; www.flightcentre.co.nz)
STA Travel ( 0508-782 872; www.statravel.co.nz)
Canada
Air Canada is the only carrier flying directly to Ireland, from Toronto to both Dublin and Shannon. Your best bet for cheaper fares may be to connect to transatlantic gateways in the USA or to fly to London and continue on to Ireland from there. Check the travel sections of the Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Montreal Gazette or Vancouver Sun for