TheJournal.ie is reporting a story that on the one hand doesn’t surprise me, but on the other hand is kind of shocking.
RyanAir is to stop all its flights between Dublin and Cork, which effectively means that there will be no flights between Cork and Dublin. (Unless another airline steps in)
RyanAir claim that people are opting to drive (are they?) instead of fly.
RyanAir are a commercial entity, so it’s their choice to run routes if they want to or not. If they weren’t making enough money on a route they’d have to cut it eventually and focus on the ones that are profitable ..
But if you’re based in Cork and need to fly to somewhere that isn’t served by Cork airport, do you really want to drive to Dublin first?
Is the train an option? (From what I recall the last train from Dublin to Cork was relatively early .. )
One further issue is with booking IrishRail.ie tickets, you can get a discount ticket for specific times, but if you travel at a later times because your plane is late then you are SOL.
The AirCoach takes about 5 hours from Dublin to Cork, and isn’t a great option.
Aer Arann used fly the route, after Aer Lingus didn’t want to do it, then Ryanair moved in and squeeze Aer Arann out.
It’s a rather disappointing move IMHO. Not having a flight will also hinder tourists getting to these places 🙁
Didn’t Aer Lingus take over all the Aer Arann routes?
Here’s another way to look at it – the same applies for trains but I think driving is the better option for employees (and directors)
If you grab the 7:30 am flight from Cork Dublin (arr: 8:20) – you probably want to be a the airport by 7:00. You still have to get into Dublin cc (€25 via Taxi?). You then have to get back and you have to be back on time for the return flight. So €100 (return flights) + €50 in taxis.
I drive Limerick to Dublin for early meetings. I can go from my house and be at the Red Cow/ M50 within 1h30/1h45. It costs about €12 in diesel (at 4.4l / 100km and its about 200km from my house). But you can claim €25 each way as mileage – so that’s a total cost of €50 to the company and a net profit of €38 to the employee. Ok, it’s not big money but to me its much better. You can leave (when you want). If you wake up 10 minutes late, you don’t miss the train/plane – you’re just going to arrive ten minutes late.
David
If you’re flying via Dublin from Cork then it’s a different matter entirely.
For someone going to Dublin for a meeting driving or taking the train would make more sense to me.
Michele
“But if you’re based in Cork and need to fly to somewhere that isn’t served by Cork airport, do you really want to drive to Dublin first?”
Ryanair don’t do connecting flights. And they strongly advise customers against making up their own connections by booking a flight from A to B and then a separate one from B to C.
Ryanair’s Cork to Dublin flghts were never intended for people who want to fly onwards from DUB… and as others have pointed out there are easier and more convenient ways to get to the centre of Dublin from Cork.
Hi everybody!
I am really in shock here! I am a Limerick lad that has lived in Sweden for so many years that i lost count. Anyway, I booked a rare flight to Ireland for Christmas and was a first appalled by the prices from here to Cork (not to mention the heart failure inducing prices to Shannon) So i will be flying to Dublin and taking the train to Limerick.
Now here is where I get shocked and speachless- To fly from the capital to Cork and/Shannon is NOT possible!!!! They want me to fly to Briston and change there. I have been searching for hours and i am wondering if my internet has a virus or something. Because it is a normal thing to be able to fly from the capital to one of the three major airports in the country….. isn’t it??!!
I may be spoiled by my years in Scandinavia or maybe I am looking at this the wrong way.-….. but it is a disgrace that a country of Irelands size does not permit that travelers be able to fly internally. And i don’t accept any excuses that the international recession put a damper on things!