Aer Lingus Review: Affordable, But Why Did I Feel Dizzy After Landing?

ABBEY: For our trip between the UK and Ireland, we chose Aer Lingus, Ireland’s national airline. The flight itself was quick and efficient—just a little over an hour, making it one of the fastest ways to travel between the two countries.

We flew on an ATR 72, a twin-engine turboprop aircraft that’s commonly used for short regional routes. At first glance, I’ll admit I had my doubts—the plane looked smaller than I expected, and I wasn’t sure how it would handle the journey across the Irish Sea. But once we boarded (from the rear of the aircraft, which was a unique experience!), we quickly settled into our seats.

Since the flight was short, there were no in-flight snacks or entertainment, which was totally fine. It was a simple sit-sleep-fly-land kind of trip—straightforward and stress-free. In no time, we touched down in Ireland, ready to explore!

And just like that, Aer Lingus got us safely and smoothly from the UK to Ireland—and back again. 

Aer Lingus small aircraft with visible propeller during boarding from Edinburg to Dublin

WILL:  If you’re choosing between budget airlines in Europe, Aer Lingus often comes up as a step above Ryanair. That’s exactly why we booked it — hoping for a more stable and slightly more premium experience. The airline is operated by the same parent company as British Airways, and based on our research, delays were said to be less intense than Ryanair’s.

So, did Aer Lingus live up to the expectations?
True enough — we had a delay. Just a classic budget airline kind of delay, no drama. But the real surprise? The aircraft!
It was a cute little plane with 2-2 seating. Abbey immediately noticed something odd — the propeller was visible, not your typical enclosed type. He’s not a fan of that setup (understandable!), but hey, we were off to Dublin, so we just rolled with it.

Flight was short and thankfully smooth. 
The return flight to London Heathrow was on a bigger aircraft. We were excited — a bit more legroom, a more solid-looking plane. I even managed to sneak in a nap.

But somewhere during descent… whoa.

I woke up with a weird kind of headache. At first, I thought it was just a quick air pocket, but then came the dizziness. The kind that makes your head feel light and floaty — not in a good way. 😵‍💫
Sadly, it didn’t fade right away. The sensation lingered through our layover and into the long-haul flight back to Singapore.

If you’re someone who’s prone to motion sickness or vertigo, take note: descending on certain flights might stir things up a bit.
It’s affordable, and if you’re flying short-haul around Europe, it does the job. Just manage expectations, bring motion sickness remedies (or your favorite peppermint oil!), and you’ll probably be just fine.
Each flight is different. Sometimes smooth, sometimes… spinny. 😅
Try it yourself — and let me know if you also feel like you’re floating after landing. Haha!

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Aer Lingus

(W) https://www.aerlingus.com/html/en-IE/home.html

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