More chaos at Irish airports?
Unfortunately, yes. Technical problems experienced by Aer Lingus on Saturday caused the cancellation of 51 flights and left thousands of passengers stranded in both Ireland and abroad.
What actually happened?
Aer Lingus blamed a “major break in connectivity” at its UK-based network provider for downing its cloud-based IT system. That meant people could not check in online, print out boarding passes, book flights or get anything by way of effective communication from the airline. As a result of the system failure, Aer Lingus had to revert to manual methods for checking people in on Saturday morning. That almost immediately led to massive delays and disruption and saw dozens of flights to and from Ireland cancelled over the course of Saturday.
And is everything resolved now?
Well, that very much depends on what you mean by “everything” and indeed “resolved”. The good news for passengers travelling on Sunday and beyond is the cause of the tech problems appears to have been identified and fixed. Aer Lingus has said the vast majority of its flights are taking off as scheduled as a result.
[ Aer Lingus systems issue resolved but passenger fury over cancellations mountsOpens in new window ]
Well, that’s good then, isn’t it?
It isn’t so good if you are trying to come home to Ireland from overseas or trying to rebook a flight out of Ireland. Passengers in countries such as Bulgaria have been told that they will have to wait a full week before the next available flight home while people who were due to fly home from Rome on Saturday night have been booked on flights next Wednesday. And those people are the lucky ones.
The lucky ones?
Yes, they at least know what is happening. There have been many other people who have been unable to make contact with Aer Lingus or rebook flights and, as a result, have no idea what is happening. Some passengers who have to be in a particular destination at a particular time have felt they have had no choice but to book flights at their own expense either with Aer Lingus or with alternate airlines.
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?
Under EU regulation 261, airlines must offer passengers affected by cancellations a full refund or a rerouting on the next available flight or at a later time that suits the passenger. If you opt for a refund the airline’s responsibility to you ends. If you ask to be put on the next available flight then the airline must provide care and assistance until you can be accommodated on an alternative flight.
What does care and assistance mean?
If you are overseas and trying to get home – or indeed in Ireland and trying to get home – the airline must provide you with meals and refreshments. If necessary it will have to cover the cost of hotel accommodation and transport between the hotel and the airport and you will have to be offered two free telephone calls and access to email.
What happens if my flight is not cancelled but I face a long delay?
If you are facing a delay the airline must also provide you with care and assistance. If you are left hanging around in an airport it must cover reasonable cost of meals and refreshments. If your flight is delayed by more than five hours an airline must offer you the choice of continuing with your journey or a refund of the cost of your ticket.
If I am overseas and can’t get home, what can I do?
If the airline does not provide the care and assistance it is legally obliged to at the moment you need it, you should make your own reasonable arrangements and retain all receipts and use them to claim back the reasonable expenses.
What if I can get a flight with another airline that gets me home sooner?
There was a time when airlines would not allow passengers facing long delays to book with other airlines but they tend to do so now. However, you should always check with airline that it will cover the cost retrospectively and get that in writing.
What did Aer Lingus say about that?
Well, in its FAQ it did address the matter, sort of. “As I didn’t know when this would be resolved, I booked to fly with another airline?,” was the question it asked. And the answer? “Any booking held with Aer Lingus which could not be used will be refunded, you can apply for your refund here.”
That doesn’t really answer my question does it?
No, no it does not.
I checked my bag in with Aer Lingus but ended up flying with another airline?
According to the airline, people have been told to “log a file at Report My Bag and we will return your bag to you as soon as possible”.
How do I claim back expenses?
Passengers should send copies (it is very important the original documentation is never sent in case it goes missing) of all receipts to the airlines on which they booked flights. Submissions should also include booking references, passenger names, original and new flight details.
Am I covered by my travel insurance?
It is possible but it will depend on the nature of the travel insurance and what is and is not covered.
Am I entitled to compensation outside of reasonable expenses?
Generally speaking the issue of compensation depends on why the flight was cancelled. When it comes to flight cancellations, or long flight delays, airlines often try to claim that it is for reasons beyond its control. However it could be argued that a systems crash and inadequate contingency plans are the responsibility of any airline so the “beyond its control” get out clause might not apply.
Who will make the determination?
It is too early to say if the many thousands of passengers caught up in the chaos will automatically get compensation – certainly when contacted by The Irish Times, Aer Lingus was not forthcoming as to its plans in that regard. Ultimately it might come down to decisions made by the Commission for Aviation Regulation which tends to assess compensation claims and often does so on a case-by-case basis.
What has it said so far?
It has issued a statement which says: “If you need to make a claim for expenses, refunds or compensation, contact the air carrier directly. If you do not agree with their decision, you can refer the matter to the Commission for Aviation Regulation and we will deal with it at no cost to yourself. Details of our complaint process can be found on www.flightrights.ie.
“It is important to remember that the Air Passenger Rights team in the commission only deals with flights departing from Ireland and that expenses, refunds and compensation claims should be made initially to the airline.
For flights that do not depart from Ireland, you should contact the relevant National Enforcement Body where the flight departed. A list of other relevant national enforcement bodies can be found [here].”
What level of compensation might I expect?
Compensation is set down in EU regulations and are as follows: €250 for all flights of 1,500km or less; €400 for all intra-community flights of more than 1,500km and for all other flights between 1,500km and 3,500km; the compensation is set at €600.
How do I contact the Commission for Aviation Regulation?
The physical address is Alexandra House, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2 and the website can be found here.
