Aer Lingus passengers who had their flights cancelled at Dublin Airport are entitled to claim back compensation after a major technical issue.
Aer Lingus’s check-in system at Dublin Airport went down on Saturday, leading to the cancellation of more than 50 flights, with several thousand travellers impacted as a result. According to Aer Lingus, today they operating a "normal schedule" today and customers affected by the weekend's technical issues can apply for a refund or change their travel plans.
In a statement, a spokesman for Aer Lingus said: "Latest flight info is available on our website and travel app. Customers impacted by this weekend’s disruption can apply for a refund or change their travel plans free of charge via our call centres and our social media channels."
Read more: Dublin mum and autistic son among those still stranded in Turkey following Aer Lingus chaos
Under EU regulations, if a flight is cancelled for any reason, and regardless of when the passenger is notified, the airline must offer the choice between:
1) Re-routing as soon as possible, subject to availability, free of charge. 2) Re-routing at a later date. 3) A full refund within seven days.
If a flight is cancelled and a passenger chooses to be re-routed as soon as possible, then they are entitled to meals and refreshments, hotel accommodation and transfers between the airport and hotel as required. If the airline does not provide these, and the passenger ends up paying themselves, the should keep the receipts as they are entitled to a reimbursement of reasonable expenses.
Financial compensation depends on the flight length and the reason for the cancellation. It differs to care and assistance obligations, and generally ranges from €250 (short-haul, less than 1,500km) to €600 (long-haul, over 3,500km).
For passengers who have had their flights disrupted, the following steps may apply:
- Visit the aerlingus.com website and fill out the 'Disrupted Flight Refund Form'. This form applies to passengers who have had their flight cancelled due to a disruption.
- Contact Aer Lingus through their social media channels on Twitter @AerLingus
- Contact their call centres: when in Ireland on (01) 761 7834; the UK on 0333 004 5000; Continental Europe: Austria:+43 12 06 09 26 75, Belgium: +32 25 85 52 43, France +33 18 69 95 728, Germany: +49 69 94 51 89 915, Italy: +39 06 89 38 65 02, Luxembourg: +35 23 42 08 09 055, Netherlands: +31 707 006 106, Portugal: +351 21 3665399, Spain: +34 918 362265, Switzerland: +41 44 52 46 766
- If passengers are dissatisfied with the website or use of the form, they can seek arbitration by visiting Flighrights.ie an officially appointed website. That should be the first stop for people who have difficulty getting their out-of-pocket expenses compensated.
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