Transport

Flying US to Ireland: Tips From A Guy Who's Done it 100 Times

Darragh

28 Apr 2025 — 7 min read

Aer Lingus A330-300 getting ready to fly from Dublin to the US

I'm an Irishman who lived in US for 20 years and after a hundred transatlantic crossings, I've flown every major airline between Ireland and the US in coach and thankfully these days in business class too.

I'm going to show you the four easy steps to pick your best flight to Ireland.

Step 1: Check For Direct Flights

There are non stop flight from 23 US cities to Ireland. If you live within driving distance of one of these airport, consider yourself lucky and book this flight. I never once had this chance in all my flights home.

Every connection increase your chance of a delay, a missed connection, delayed baggage, or even a lost day in Ireland.

So search for flights with no connections and even if it's not your preferred airline, book the direct flight to Ireland.

Even if it's a bit more expensive, book the non-stop flight to Dublin.

Even if you have to drive a little bit to the airport. Book the flight.

You get the idea.

No direct flight from your city? Keep reading.

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Take The Stress Out Of Planning With One Call
Tired of researching your trip? Book an Ireland planning call with me. All your questions will be answered and you'll get a custom itinerary for your perfect Irish vacation. Including flights.

Step 2: Pick Your Wave

All flights from the US to Ireland are red-eye flights. This means your sleep is going to be disrupted right when you need it most. Here's how to make the most of it.

There are two Waves of landings in Dublin from the US.

First Wave 4am-6am

This is rush hour in Dublin Airport. This is when the most transatlantic flights land. I know because I live under the flight path 😢

Book a flight that lands in this wave and book your Dublin hotel for the night before so you can check right in. You're in bed by 6am and by 11am, you're ready to start exploring this fantastic city of ours.

Get it as much for the shower as the sleep. You've just been on a metal tube for hours with 300 others. Now you want to walk around a foreign city for 10 more hours until you can wash? No. Book the hotel.

This is not the time to save a few bucks. The loss of sleep impacts the whole trip. And there's absolutely nothing open at 5am in Dublin. This is not Las Vegas.

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Get all my Dublin hotel recommendations here. Sorted by the type of stay: luxury, budget, city centre, business.

Second Wave 8am-10am

Land 8am-11am. Perfect if you're flying business class. You can actually sleep on the plane with a lie flat bed. And you're ready to explore the city straight away.

In coach? You might get lucky with early hotel check-in. Otherwise, fight the jetlag with activity until your room's ready.

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Stay awake until check-in: Take the Dublin Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
See all of Dublin without any planning or walking. Just sit back and stay awake until your room's ready

Step 3: My Connection Rules

Here are my firm connection rules. Stick to them.

2Hours Minimum: I don't book international connections under two hours. Too many delays these days. Book the longer layover. Less risk of missing the one flight that day to Ireland and losing a day of your vacation.
Weather Smart: Chicago connection in winter? Hard no.
Short Domestic, Long International: Take the shortest domestic flight. The international planes are more comfortable. Relatively speaking.
Connect Close to Home: Miss the last flight? You can rent a car to get home.
One Airline Only: Avoid mixed airline bookings. Airlines will blame each other with you stuck in the middle.

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Need to book your flight?
Compare flights to Dublin on all the airlines (budget to business)
👉 Search Flights on Kiwi

Step 4: Pick The Airline

I've left the most contentious for last. The airlines. People have Swiftie-level loyalty for airlines.

Aer Lingus

I love being on board an Aer Lingus plane. The shamrock on the tail fills my with pride. Their cabin crew are the friendliest in the sky. Their new planes, the A321NEOs, are very modern. It's quite easy to get an upgrade to business class with their bidding system. The bad news is that their website and IT is poor.

Do book Aer Lingus when:
- If you have a direct flight from your city to Ireland.
- To another European city connecting in Dublin
Don't book with Aer Lingus:
- If you need to connect within the US. It will be with a different airline.

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Come on the Jetlag Buster Walk With Me When You Land

☕ Move, breathe, caffeinate. The perfect jetlag antidote
😌 No effort from you. I do the talking, you just stay awake
📅 Available Every Day. I'll work with your flight times

👉 More details

You probably have your own favorite domestic US airline, but here's my experience flying them to Ireland:

American Airlines

They generally use modern 787s to Ireland.
Fly year-round to Philadelphia. Seasonal for other cities.

United Airlines

I fly UA the most. They have the best app & nice Polaris lounges.
But they fly ancient 757s on some Irish routes. Check aircraft before booking.
Read my review of my very eventful EWR-DUB flight in Polaris Business Class

Delta Airlines

Honestly, I haven't flown them since they made Dublin-Atlanta seasonal.
Delta One business class gets rave reviews.

JetBlue

They just started flying to Dublin. No ovens on the plane (seriously), so it's cold meals for everyone. Haven't tried them yet.

Coach or Business Class?

I know this isn't an option for everyone. But I have friends who can well afford business class but refuse to fly it because 'it's not good value'.

Yes, it's more expensive, but with airlines hitting you with fees for everything, the gap between coach and business has shrunk. Once I buy my business class seat, I won't spend another penny from airport to landing. No extra charges for seats or luggage. All meals included in the lounge. Well fed on the airplane. And I can take that second wave flight, sleep on the plane, and skip the cost of the extra hotel night in Dublin.

If you can afford it or it's a once in a lifetime trip, spoil yourself! It turns an ordeal into a comfortable and enjoyable experience.

My tip in Business: Pick the longer route & later second wave flight to enjoy the lie flat bed.

Read my review of the transatlantic business class lounge in Dublin Airport

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Ready to upgrade? Find discounted business class flights to Dublin

Step 5: Stress Free Dublin Arrival

Fáilte go Baile Átha Cliath! Welcome to Dublin. You've landed. You're nearly there. But you're still tired and weary. Here are your last tips to have a stress-free start to your Irish trip.

💼 Need a Hotel? I’ve reviewed the best Dublin hotels

🚖 With a private airport transfer, you know your driver and fare up front

📲 Need an eSIM? Yesim, install now and have data when you land

☕ Calmness of the Lounge Get into 1,300+ lounges worldwide

🚙 Rent a Car Compare Dublin Airport rental rates here

🚑 Travel insurance is inexpensive. Peace of mind is priceless.

🚆 Need a Bus or train? Check bus and train times here

🧳 Luggage Storage. Save your arms & find a place to store your bags

🎉 Go Explore! Here's what to do when you get there

My Dublin Guides

US Destinations from Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport (DUB) offers direct flights on Aer Lingus, American Airlines, Delta Airlines and JetBlue to these US airports.