Aer Lingus Just Gave Dolly Parton Her Own Flight Number

Aer Lingus has renamed one of its transatlantic services in honor of country music’s best-known figure. From October 25, the airline’s Dublin to Nashville service carries the flight number EI95, a nod to Dolly Parton’s songwriting and her years of literacy work. The return service from Nashville to Dublin is EI92. Travel Extra reported that the idea came from Aer Lingus Cabin Manager Jamie Durnin, which makes it a staff-led tribute rather than a marketing campaign handed down from the top.

The airline has attached a practical gesture to the number. According to Travel Extra, every child on board the first EI95 service will receive a book, linked to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the program that mails free books to children from birth to age five. Aer Lingus’s Chief Operations Officer, Adrian Dunne, described the renumbering as a simple but lasting way for the airline to honor Dolly, suggesting the number is meant to stay.

The change is cosmetic in one sense. Flight numbers do not alter the aircraft, schedule or price, so travelers do not need to rebook anything. It could affect how the flight shows up in your calendar or app, though, and anyone who has a saved itinerary under an older number should check that their confirmation still matches, especially if they plan to use airport kiosks, trackers or automated check-in links.

Why Nashville? The route links Dublin with Dolly Parton’s home state of Tennessee. Special flight numbers are a low-cost way to give a route personality and attract attention, a tactic other airlines have used before. For fans of Dolly Parton, a little Tennessee storytelling at 35,000 feet may be a pleasant way to start a vacation.

Sources: Travel Extra, IrishCentral