The orderly procession of hundreds of uniformed Aer Lingus pilots from Dublin Airport to a nearby hotel for a meeting early yesterday contrasted sharply with the chaos inside the terminal.
There were long queues in the departures area, particularly at an Aer Lingus desk, where passengers hoped they would be helped to secure seats on other airlines. Some were rushing to catch connecting flights from London, others were trying to secure seats for coming days, and many were simply queuing for information.
Those seeking information were angry that when they telephoned the helpline number issued by the company they were met with a voice message saying it was no longer in service. It advised callers to dial another number, 0818 365 000, which was constantly engaged.
Mr Kevin Killier, who was travelling to Amsterdam for the weekend, said he couldn't contact the airline but through somebody he knew at the airport he managed to get placed on another airline by the company.
He still had to queue for 1½ hours to change his ticket. "I'm not sure if I will travel with Aer Lingus again. They are constantly in trouble."
Mr Ottmar Wernecke, a German businessman based in Dublin, said he tried to change his ticket on Wednesday, but after queuing for 1½ hours in the afternoon he decided to return that night, having been told the Aer Lingus desk would be open until 10 p.m.
When he arrived at 9.25 p.m., he wasn't allowed join the queue. It was already too long. "For me time is very precious and Aer Lingus is not reliable. I'm not flying with them again."
Most sympathies lay with the pilots rather than the company.
Ms Sarah Berkeley, who was trying to change a flight she had booked for Saturday, said she couldn't understand why Aer Lingus had to cancel flights for two days after the strike.
There were also long queues at the Ryanair desk, with many passengers trying to make alternative travel arrangements.
A spokesman for the company said its flights were "choc-a-bloc" as a result of the Aer Lingus dispute and it had decided to lay on an extra London-Dublin and Dublin-London flight today.
Other Aer Lingus staff were uneasy about the implications of the company's "lock-out" plans for today and tomorrow.
According to a member of the company's cabin crew, there were even rumours that the company could be put into liquidation and bought by its chief executive, Mr Willie Walsh, a former pilot, and recreated as a low-fares airline.
To cater for extra demand from passengers over the Bank Holiday weekend, Irish Ferries will operate an additional sailing of its high-speed Dublin Swift ferry service from Dublin to Holyhead, departing Dublin Ferryport terminal at 23.30 p.m. today and returning from Holyhead at 2.30 a.m. tomorrow.