Aer Lingus classifies itself as a "value" carrier, meaning it's not a discounter, like JetBlue, but its costs are lower than those of legacy competitors such as SwissAir and Lufthansa. For the record, the Hartford flight is one of three routes that will be flown by a contractor, ASL Airlines, but, Butler stresses, "It's the full Aer Lingus experience" with Aer Lingus-employed crews.