Help! 7 hour layover in Dublin airport with teenagers. What to do?

[Uniquenpeek]

Thanks to Aer Lingus' appalling customer service we now have a 7 hour wait in Dublin airport. Flying Manchester to Dublin, then Dublin to JFK. Aer Lingus moved our Manchester to Dublin flight forward but because it's a change of less than 3 hours they want to charge over £4400 to move us to a later flight from Manchester to Dublin.

Are we allowed to leave the airport? Should we leave the airport? Head into a nearby town? Book an airport hotel so we can at least chill out while we wait? Have considered booking new flights separately from Manchester to Dublin but worried they might reallocate our connecting Dublin to JFK if we don't check in at Manchester. Can't even book in the airport lounge as it's closed for refurb.

Anyone had similar problems? Not the best start to our holiday, but lesson learned, I will never fly Aer Lingus again.

Yes, why not go into Dublin for a few hours, fun little side quest on the journey.

All the airlines are terrible for moving flights, if you book far in advance you’re more likely to be hit by it. Happens to me multiple times a year.

They will definitely reallocate your flights if you don’t board at Manchester and also likely cancel any return portion so absolutely don’t do that. All airlines do this.

I don’t know if you can leave the airport but even if you could it barely seems worth it. You need to be there three hours before to do the pre clearance so once you’ve got into Dublin City you’ll only have an hour or two.

Over the decades I’ve had hundreds of airport/airline irritations. The best course of action here is acceptance. Use the time to charge your phones and iPads, get a burger, stretch your legs and watch a movie.

If you have never been to Dublin a meal and drink in Temple Bar will be fun.

Guessing suitcases will go straight through without you?

I would taxi to temple bar (30 mins) - find food and have a drink at the actual Temple Bar (2.5 hours) then taxi back to airport (30 mins).

I am a Dubliner and completely would say go nowhere near Temple bar, all you do is pay extortionate prices for the joy of saying you were there. Horrible place anyway.

Are you sure alll the lounges are under refurb? Granted I dont know when you are flying but I cant see any of them being refurbished at all currently. 7 hours from landing gives you a good 4 hours to do as you wish as you will need 3 hours to be in pre clearance. If you wanted to leave and go somewhere for lunch there are countless hotels around or even if you wanted somethihng like burgers and cocktails if you look at Airside retail park 5 mins away and hop in a cab. You could go into dublin city centre of course its 20 mins or so away from the airport.

I stand corrected yes two of them are closed but there is also The liffey lounge and Martello lounge if you wanted to book either of them instead of leaving the airport.

Exactly what @DancingNotDrowning said.

This.

What time do you land in Dublin and then onwards to the USA? I'd use the opportunity to go and get a half decent meal before heading through US Customs as there is nothing after that bar a very sad sandwich bar by all accounts. There is quite a nice restaurant/bar overlooking the runway doing pub food like bangers and mash that sort of thing. For personal reasons I've been through Dublin airport a lot in the past year and while it got old after a while, a spot of duty free, a nice meal and a film will kill a lot of time.
If your flight is latish a good meal will mean you can just sleep on the plane and arrive bright eyed and bushy tailed to head into NY.

If you can spend a couple of hours in Dublin I’d go for it. Focus on one place to visit and have a meal. What are your kids interests? Kilmainham gaol is amazing. There’s loads of threads on here too. Dublin castle… take your pick. And avoid the hell hole that is Temple Bar.

I think that those suggesting a trip into town are not recognising that you have to go through US pre clearance which takes up to 1 hr. If you have to collect your bags and do the whole security malarkey then 3 hours is recommended.
It does look like there's an app though that might make life easier. Don't forget to delete all your social history media saying what an arse Trump is though
https://www.dublinairport.com/flight-information/travelling-to-usa

You can indeed get into Dublin City centre in 20 mins in a cab. It can also take 1hr in rush hour....

I would not, in a million years, consider a jaunt into Dublin City centre. You would need to take a taxi or a bus for that (Dublin airport does not have a train/metro connection) and then would be at the mercy of traffic congestion, accidents etc delaying your return.

Book into a lounge as early as possible (there are some still open) and sit it out.

I would book a lounge but do not leave the airport.

Very useful information. Thanks.

Good to know about the food options post US customs. Great advice thankyou. 👍

I would also say not to go into Dublin .I'm Irish and due to flight times I have spent probably days at Dublin airport waiting for my connecting flight in the past few years .My brother decided last summer that he wasn't hanging around the airport and went into Dublin also for something to eat .He barely made it back as some accident happened and then all the traffic backed up .There were no taxis available and even though he only had a flight within the EU with carry on he barely made his flight .You and all your family have to go through customs .So you will have to be there three hours beforehand anyway .There may be a delay on your flight from Manchester .Just buy a book or a magazine and relax .

I would not go into the City, by the time you journey in and out it would not be worth your while and you are at the mercy of the traffic.

You may have to collect and recheck your baggage. When we flew out of Dublin we had to go to check in desk but there was also a man going up and down the queue looking at passports and putting stickers on the back of them. You may have to do the same

You also may have to go through security which can be time consuming. Eat before going through preclearance. Preclearance can also take a fair bit of time.

If you can/are allowed to leave the airport there is a small town called Swords right next door. There is a castle and a couple of pubs and restaurants. Not glamorous like Dublin but close by so no traffic to delay getting back and at least more exciting than the airport.

Don't bother leaving the airport. Those few hours will whizz by as it's not THAT much longer than flying direct from Dublin via pre clearance anyway. As others have said, book a lounge that's open, eat your fill, read, watch a movie, use the loos, freshen up and head down to the US Customs pre clearance.

There is not enough time to leave the airport AT ALL, and can you imagine the stress of being stuck in traffic on the way back and possibly missing your flight? Not worth it. Leave Dublin for another day.

And it's not just AerLingus that move flight times either. They are all at it, depending on when you book initially, and global issues too. I'd prefer a few hours more than a very tight connection personally.

I would go to a nearby hotel for a meal.
Don't go into Dublin City, you can't get a train from the airport and if there is an accident on the road you'll not get back in time.

I guess its up to you if you want to risk leaving the airport. Most times security and preclearance are very quick in my experience, and accidents aside traffic is unlikely to be very busy at 1pm (assuming you are on 4,40pm jfk flight). Preclearance does close at some point (I am not sure what time exactly - I think it might be 4 pm) and we once had some friends who left the airport to tour but the preclearance had closed since they cut it very fine. But if you aim to be at the airport 3 hours before you should be absolutely fine. (because in most cases even 2 hours is plenty)

Not familiar with Dublin airport lounges but just so you know, you can go very easily from terminal one to terminal two both before and aftter security so if there is a lounge in t1 thats open you can go there.

You can check the lines at dublin airport security on the dublin airport website. I fly weekly from Dublin airport and have not experienced any lines at all recently. Maybe 10 minutes at busy times. And you can bring liquid through so no need to throw out any guinness.

Another touring option is Howth - gorgeous views and lovely fishing village. Its 25 minutes from dublin airport.

I wouldn't recommend sightseeing in Central Dublin. But if you decide, pre book a taxi for a trip through the Port Tunnel and visit EPIC which is close. Its the emigration museum so is US themed and a break from the airport. Port Tunnel traffic is usually lighter so less likely to get caught in traffic and run the risk of missing your flight.

Oh god no I wouldn’t leave the airport

traffic in Dublin can be awful could be an hour to the city - will take you ages to even get out then you’d be in the city and eaten into possibly 2 hours of your time then you’d need an hour to get back - leaving you very little time

also taxis are super pricy

security could take ages etc

just get a lounge and relax

Re pre clearance times I have been through in ten mins and I’ve queued for three hours. When it is bad it is really bad.

I certainly would not travel to Dublin city centre. This place is very near the airport though and if open might fill a few hours over a pizza. runway28.ie/

Don't leave the airport. The pre clearance can take ages, and I'm sure it'll take extra long now with all the extra immigration checks in the US. Dublin is the third worst city in the world for traffic so unless where you're going is walking distance (and there isn't much in walking distance) then I wouldn't do it. Traffic is very unpredictable in Dublin now. There isn't really high peak and low peak anymore, just bad and worse.

Don’t go into the city centre - it’s grim. A taxi to a nice seaside town like Malahide will take about 20 mins, you’d be going against the traffic, and there are nice shops, cafes, a coastal walk, a marina and a great Castle to tour, all within easy walking distance… it’s the size of a large village (gone posh) really……

or for a wilder, more windblown seaside trip ,go to Donabate ( about 25 mins?) and have lunch at the Tides Hotel. Down some steps to a massive beach and dunes… or take a short cliff walk towards Portrane.