Aer Lingus has cancelled several flights after IALPA pilots served notice of an indefinite work-to-rule over a pay dispute, impacting 20,000 customers.
The action is due to commence just after midnight on Wednesday 26 June and IALPA pilots will also take part in an eight-hour strike on Saturday 29 June.
Aer Lingus is contacting affected customers outlining their options to navigate next week’s industrial actions by pilots.
At least 4,000 passengers per day will be affected and 124 flights.
What are the options for passengers?
Aer Lingus said passengers who booked directly with it need to go online to the ‘Manage Trip’ option on the website or mobile app.
There will be a number of options and the latest information is available in that section, the company said.
Passengers who booked directly with their Aer Lingus are being offered the option of changing their flight for no additional cost.
However, some may still have to make an additional payment for their new flight, which the airline will later reimburse.
The other options are to apply for a refund voucher or simply to request a refund of the full cost of the booking.
It is also open to passengers whose flights are cancelled to apply for compensation.
However, the right to compensation only applies after the company has cancelled the flight.
Passengers have no entitlement if they change their booking before cancellation.
According to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), passengers affected by the IALPA action will be covered.
On its website, the CCPC advises: “If your arrival is delayed by more than three hours, or if the airline cancels your flight with less than 14 days’ notice, you are entitled to compensation.
“This doesn’t apply in ‘extraordinary circumstances’, such as severe weather, or strikes by companies other than the airline, for example, air traffic controllers or baggage handlers.
“When a cancellation is due to a strike by staff of the airline you have booked with, such as pilots or cabin crew, then the ‘extraordinary circumstances’ exception does not apply.
“This means that passengers who have a flight cancelled with less than 14 days’ notice due to an internal airline strike are entitled to compensation.”
A customer is entitled to compensation depending on how long their flight is, €250 for short-haul flights to €600 for long-haul flights.
“It’s very important for consumers not to rebook ahead of cancellation as Aer Lingus is under a contract to get them where they are supposed to go.
“All the evidence is that this will apply but it makes it much more expensive for the airline.
“They could be paying a maximum of €600 per passenger on a cancelled flight,” Editor-in-Chief of Travel Extra magazine Eoghan Corry said.
For passengers, the ongoing uncertainty will also have soured the experience of upcoming trips for some, especially for those looking forward to holidays abroad according to Chief Executive of the Irish Travel Agents Association Clare Dunne.
“Apart from the inconvenience, the disruption is taking the joy out of looking forward to a holiday away.
“It’s some help that Aer Lingus are getting lists (of affected flights) out there a few days in advance. It gives people time to make plans, as opposed to arriving at the airport to find out their flight is cancelled, although that can still happen too,” Ms Dunne said.
She said passengers who booked with travel agents should go back to their agents for the latest information and to see if packages can be changed.
“If it’s a package, the travel agent will try to sort it out along with the flights. They will do the work on behalf of their customers,” Ms Dunne said.
She advised those who booked accommodation themselves to make changes as soon as they have updated flight plans.
“Those who booked separately should contact their accommodation provider to try and amend their booking and those with insurance should check if travel disruption cover is included.”
However, she added not every policy has that cover included and the policy would have had to be taken out before 13 June, when it became known that Aer Lingus pilots voted in favour of industrial action.
