Airline fails to find aircraft for hire

ATTEMPTS BY Aer Lingus to hire alternative aircraft to offset the effects of tomorrow’s threatened industrial action were largely unsuccessful at the weekend.

The airline said attempts to find alternative travel arrangements for passengers would continue today and in the coming days, “but all we can offer now is a full refund”.

It is understood the airline’s difficulty is in sourcing alternative aircraft and pilots at short notice in the Northern Hemisphere’s busy summer period.

Ryanair said it would not be in a position to “wetlease” aircraft to Aer Lingus as all 260 planes in its fleet were flying.

Up to 30,000 passengers per day could be affected by the Aer Lingus dispute as company pilots warned they will not work on days that they are not on the roster or on annual leave days, and would report for duty one hour later than their rostered reporting times.

Aer Lingus said it was trying hard to make alternative arrangements for passengers but in the absence of such arrangements it had put a comprehensive refund or flight-changing system in place.

Customers will be offered a full refund of all taxes and charges but may have to wait up to a month to get their money back. The airline said this was because each transaction would only be part automated, and would have to be individually monitored for auditing purposes.

Those who want to change their travel dates or to claim a refund should go to aerlingus.com where a “ticker tape” display contains a link to the relevant page.

Those seeking a refund are asked to fill out an online “flight disruption refund form” and to fill in their booking references.

They will also be asked if they wish to claim a refund for return as well as outbound journeys. A full list of passenger names is required, as is the contact e-mail address and phone number of the lead passenger. In addition, the flight details – the destination and departure airports and the flight numbers of the outward and return journeys – are also needed.

Those seeking to change dates are asked to follow a link to the website’s Manage Your Booking section.

The facility is valid for bookings for travel on June 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th.

Travellers stranded abroad who had been hoping to fly back to Dublin will be compensated by the airline for “reasonable” accommodation costs. A spokesman said, however, that refunds would apply only to passengers who were a considerable distance away from their homes as the airline could not be expected to accommodate Dublin residents who turned up for flights departing from Dublin airport.

The Aer Lingus website said Aer Lingus regional services, the Washington/Madrid service and services to and from Belfast International Airport will not be affected.