Passenger numbers to U.S 'fall off cliff' with Aer Lingus slashing fares to as little as €200
Passenger fares for flights to the US have nosedived, with economy tickets to major American cities such as New York and Chicago now selling for just over €200.
Aer Lingus is currently offering fares as low as €209 economy class to popular US destinations, while business-class prices have been slashed to as low as €800.
The massive price drop comes as many travellers opt to avoid the US amid ongoing political turmoil there. US president Donald Trump. Pic:Traditional business-class travellers are particularly affected as some corporations advise employees to 'avoid US business trips' as much as possible, according to senior corporate sources.
The Trump administration's tightening of its border policy, coupled with riots that have broken out in Los Angeles and other cities, is believed to be contributing to the decline in transatlantic travel.
One high-level decision-maker for a leading pharmaceutical company said they have put a 'hard pause' on business travel to the US in the short term.
The US-based CEO said of the stricter immigration controls: 'It's causing total chaos. Getting a visa is now a job in itself. Then, even if you do get a visa, when you get there, there's no guarantee you'll get in.
'Or if you do, you may face being interrogated at the point of entry and be asked to hand over your devices.
'The reality is that people who go to the US in order to conduct business expect hassle-free travel, as doing deals at a high level is in itself a highly stressed environment. So at our level, we've taken an executive decision to 'hard pause' non-essential travel for the foreseeable.' Los Angeles County Sheriffs stand at their positions as law enforcement clashes with demonstrators during a protest following federal immigration operations, in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles, California on June 7, 2025. (Photo by RINGO CHIU/AFP via Getty Images)
The slump in business-class travel has been further negatively affected by the decline in corporate travellers from the UK, who would transit through Irish airports, who are also avoiding travel to the US.
Tickets for flights to JFK Airport in New York at various dates throughout September, October and November were available for €209 this weekend. The cost of upgrading to business class on the same flights comes to around €800.
In less turbulent times, a business-class seat could cost upwards of €1,800 one way. Flights bound for Chicago O'Hare International Airport were also following a similar price pattern with basic seats starting at around €200. Business-class seats were selling for €798. Tánaiste Simon Harris. Pic:for Empire State Realty Trust
The slump in transatlantic travel comes as US president Donald Trump's regime continues to beef up its vetting process for travellers to the US, from the visa application stage right up to point of entry into American cities.
Earlier this month, secretary of state Marco Rubio's office instructed US consular officers to ask visa applicants to set all social media accounts to public in the event they need to be reviewed as part of the vetting.
Last month the US Citizenship and Immigration Service issued a statement announcing it will be taking into account 'antisemitic activity on social media' as 'grounds for denying immigration benefit requests'.
Mr Trump's tariff threats and his upending of traditional transatlantic diplomatic ties have also affected the numbers now travelling to the US.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
42 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
World's first AI minister to govern in Dubai and oversee ALL state companies in dystopian vision of the future
ARTIFICIAL intelligence is becoming more sophisticated every year, and many people are anxious about robots taking over their jobs. But one Middle Eastern country is taking this to a whole new level, bringing AI right into the heart of its government. 3 The United Arab Emirates will bring an AI system into its cabinet Credit: Alamy 3 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid made the stunning announcement on Friday Credit: AFP 3 Artificial intelligence robot looking at futuristic digital data display Credit: Getty Numerous jobs from customer service to data entry are often seen as at risk to being lost to machines in the near Yet even government ministers may soon have to worry about losing their jobs to artificial intelligence. From next year, the United Arab Emirates will bring an AI system into its cabinet. This will mark the first time in world history that artificial intelligence has had a seat at a nation's top table. read more in tech The National Artificial Intelligence System will serve as an advisory member of the UAE's cabinet. This system is expected to help oversee all of the oil-rich nation's state companies. Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid made the stunning announcement on Friday. He began a lengthy X post with some more routine government announcements. Most read in Tech These included the establishment of a Ministry of Foreign Trade and a name change to the Ministry of Economy to the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. But then the Dubai ruled shared the jaw-dropping news than an AI system would be brought into the fold. Chilling new vid shows world-first 'synthetic human' dubbed Protoclone twitch into life as it flexes its spindly fingers He posted: "We also announce that the National Artificial Intelligence System will be adopted as an advisory member of the Cabinet, the Ministerial Development Council, and all boards of directors of federal entities and government companies, starting in January 2026. "The goal is to support decision-making in these councils, conduct immediate analyses of their decisions, provide technical advice, and enhance the efficiency of government policies adopted by these councils across all sectors. "The world is going through a comprehensive restructuring phase, scientifically, economically, and socially. "And our goal is to prepare today for the coming decades. "Our goal is to ensure continued prosperity and a decent life for future generations." It comes amid a big drive by the UAE to be a top player the field of AI. The country's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 aims to make the country a global leader in the field by that year. The UAE is not the only country looking to further integrate AI into day-to-day life. A "We are building a city where everything, people, buildings, vehicles, is connected through sensors and AI," Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota's Board of Directors, has said previously. "It's a unique opportunity to create a living digital operating system for urban life."
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Renowned Cork pub The Outpost hits market for €1m — but one in five bars for sale tipped to call time
About one in five pubs for sale in Cork will be redeveloped away from the trade because they are no longer viable, an expert in the local property market predicts. The Cork property market has been alive in recent months, with some iconic pubs up for sale. In March, the Flying Enterprise complex on Sullivan's Quay went up for sale for €5.3m, while last week, The Hawthorn by The Lough went on the market, for the first time in 40 years, with an asking price of €1.6m. This week, they were joined on the market by another renowned premises, The Outpost, in Bishopstown. Auctioneer Sam Kingston of Casey & Kingston auctioneers in Cork City is the selling agent for The Outpost, which has an asking price of €1m. Mr Kingston said while he expected The Outpost and other venues could have a bright future in the licensed trade, others are likely to have called time for good. Some pubs are being redeveloped for residential accommodation. 'There are about 50 pubs for sale in Cork City and county at the moment, and I'd imagine that at least 20% of them are non-viable as pubs, just because of location, ageing, and demographics,' said Mr Kingston. 'It's a different market. I'm in this business for 40 years and in that time, I've sold a lot of pubs. A lot of the pubs that I sold years ago in Shandon St and places like that are now closed and have been redeveloped into residential accommodation, and other uses.' Mr Kingston believes The Outpost remains a sound investment opportunity. 'It's 5,000sq ft on quarter of an acre selling for €1m — that is value at €200 a square foot and if you look at the Bishopstown area, there isn't a huge amount of pubs there. There's a lot of new development being done in Waterfall nearby. It might well become a commercial development, but there's a strong possibility that it will work as a pub.' Read More Irish prices on consumer items second highest in EU
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Dublin airport operator warned over passenger cap breach
Dublin Airport operator DAA has been issued with an enforcement order by Fingal County Council for breaching the 32 million annual passenger limit, despite a High Court suspension of the cap. An Bord Pleanála imposed the limit on airport's capacity in 2007 as a condition of allowing it add a second terminal. The move was meant to allay fears over traffic jams on roads to and from the airport, which have since been upgraded. State company DAA applied to the council for permission to increase the cap to 36 million and 40 million in separate applications, but has yet to receive a decision from the planning authority. However, in April the High Court effectively suspended the passenger cap pending the outcome of a legal challenge relating to the limit taken last year by Irish airlines Ryanair and Aer Lingus, and Airlines for America, which represents US and Canadian carriers. READ MORE The cap was breached last year when 33.3 million passengers came through the airport. The council has now issued DAA with an enforcement notice which allows a two-year period to comply with the passenger capacity conditions. [ Aviation regulator drops measure from winter travel plan Opens in new window ] 'The two-year period provides an opportunity for DAA to progress their planning applications to increase passenger capacity at Dublin Airport or take such other steps as they consider appropriate to achieve compliance,' the council said. In response to complaints received that the conditions were breached in 2023 and 2024, the council's enforcement unit initiated a formal investigation to assess compliance. 'A warning letter was issued to DAA, providing them with an opportunity to respond, which they did,' the council said. 'Fingal County Council acknowledges the operational complexities presented. However, the information submitted by DAA does not constitute sufficient grounds to prevent further action. The investigation has determined that a breach of the relevant planning conditions has occurred and remains ongoing.' A DAA spokesman described the issuing of the enforcement notice as a 'sorry indictment' of the planning system. 'The fact that Fingal County Council is sending us an enforcement notice regarding 32 million passengers when passenger numbers will be north of 36 million this year and heading towards 40 million before the end of the decade is a sorry indictment of the mess that is the Irish planning system, particularly when it comes to the most vital piece of transport infrastructure on this island,' he said. DAA said that until the 'broken' system was overhauled the airport was effectively 'hamstrung' and unable to grow Ireland's connectivity. It has called for a complete scrapping of the passenger limit and for the airport to be classified as strategic infrastructure, placing relevant decisions in the hands of a national planning body and not a local authority. 'When it took up office, the Government committed to acting speedily to identify and implement a legislative solution that would remove the passenger cap from Dublin Airport,' the DAA spokesman said. 'The Minister has since also said he will bring forward legislation to solve the cap issue, dispel uncertainty and maintain connectivity for Ireland – and this can't happen quickly enough.' Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien last month said he hoped forthcoming legislation could bring an end to the dispute.
