Latest news with #AerLingus
Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
‘The worst customer service experience of my life': Tales of Aer Lingus travel trouble
It being the height of summer, it is hardly surprising that travel is on the minds of many, although we are not convinced that plans to jet away to sunnier spots or memories of holidays just finished are behind the recent spike in complaints about Aer Lingus . A couple of weeks back we highlighted the story of a reader called Cathy who was left hungry on a transatlantic flight , having had the temerity to fall asleep ahead of the in-flight meal service. Aer Lingus did resolve the issue to her satisfaction but her story prompted quite a few other readers to get in touch to share stories of how they had been let down by what was once our national airline. Here are just some of them. First up is Joanne who admitted her story was going to 'seem like very much a first world problem' but she was prompted to share it because of 'the recent proliferation of Aer Lingus AerClub advertisements enticing new customers to join' and said it was 'driving me a little round the bend when I've been completely shafted by AerClub despite having spent thousands with Aer Lingus through business and personal travel in the last few years'. READ MORE Joanne has been a member of the Aer Lingus AerClub loyalty scheme for more than three years and usually chooses Aer Lingus for all her air travel. She has had Silver tier AerClub status since 2023. [ Would you want to be woken for an in-flight meal of rubbery pasta? Opens in new window ] 'Before the new Tier Credit period began on April 1st I was tracking my tier credits and planning travel to ensure (as I was so close) that I would fly enough sectors to ensure elevation to Platinum tier, which would unlock more benefits,' she says. 'I flew all the flights needed but noticed that one flight on March 13th was missing and never awarded the credits. Within a week I submitted my first missing credits form.' She says she is 'not joking' about having called the Aer Lingus AerClub line approximately 20 times since, 'and, as nice as some of the agents are, I can get absolutely no answer or update on when my case will be reviewed. 'It seems forever destined to stay 'in the queue'. After three months with no movement whatsoever I can only assume I've been totally shafted and Aer Lingus have no intention to update my status and award me the credits I'm owed.' We contacted the airline and in a statement it said Joanne's AerClub tier credits 'were not automatically assigned at the time of booking due to a technical error. However, our customer's AerClub account has now been fully credited, and as a gesture of goodwill, we have extended their Platinum membership status until 2027.' [ 'I am really disappointed in how Aer Lingus treats customers when things go wrong' Opens in new window ] The next story is far more serious and comes from a reader who contacted us on behalf of her recently widowed mother who is in her 80s. A couple of years ago her parents were in Malaga when her mother's sister had a fall and needed surgery. She was told things were not looking good. Our reader called Aer Lingus and 'spoke to a great chap and he assured me that, although we had to pay for new returns, we could claim this back, if my aunt died, and if we could provide a death certificate'. The woman did pass away but there was a delay in issuing the death certificate and in the interim our reader's father also died suddenly. Our reader was left to chase the refund. In March of this year she mailed Aer Lingus and was told that because her parents had flown home with Aer Lingus from Malaga in September 2023 there was no refund due. It turns out that while the return flight, which was changed for September 22nd from the original date of September 26th, was paid for in full, the Aer Lingus agent used the same booking reference. [ An Aer Lingus passenger's 26-hour trek home, and eventual refund Opens in new window ] 'I've tried to use the refund online service, but as the booking reference shows they did take flights, and no nuance about the flights being paid for separately, their computer says 'no' each time. I've sent an email asking to speak with a person as it needs a light touch and a bit of investigation, but I got the standard reply back: sorry, cannot help you, you flew.' 'Aer Lingus extends its deepest sympathies to the family for their loss and apologise for the delay in resolving their query,' the company said in a statement. 'While Aer Lingus policy requires a government-issued death certificate for bereavement related refunds, given the extenuating circumstances of this case, we are liaising with the family and will accept alternative available documentation to process the refund.' And finally, there is Marc, who has also been given the runaround by Aer Lingus. 'Last August my wife, our three kids aged four, three and eight months and I flew to France with Aer Lingus for a comping holiday. On arrival at Brest airport we realised Aer Lingus hadn't loaded our bags on to the flight in Dublin,' he begins. 'This happens, but it was particularly challenging for us as travelling with three young kids.' He repeats that such things happens but says the 'subsequent experience with Aer Lingus, however, was beyond disgraceful'. He says that after multiple calls to find out where their luggage was and when it might get to them, he was able to establish that they were scheduled to arrive five days later 'on the next direct flight into Brest airport. This is despite multiple flights to nearby airports and even connections via Paris in the intervening days. 'My family's situation didn't matter to them and it was impossible to speak to a direct Aer Lingus employee on this.' Marc says that in the meantime the had buy food and also clothes for their children in the nearest town 'to get us through the first few days of the trip'. 'I kept receipts for most items but not all, which was my mistake, in hindsight. Once the bags arrived I was advised to raise a 'delayed baggage claim' to get refunded for my costs. I did this immediately. You won't be surprised to hear I only heard back from them last week on this – while on this year's holiday. We flew Ryanair – apart from some delays due to French ACT, so far so good. 'I did send a mail [to Aer Lingus] once a month, asking as to the status of my claim – no response, of course. I doubt a human read it.' Marc had submitted claims totalling €160 'to cover food, clothing, toiletries and a bike rental to cycle into the town to purchase these items'. He says he accepts that the last one could be seen as stretching things but, given the circumstances, he figured it was reasonable. 'When I heard back from them last week I was told only €13 was refundable because the other receipts didn't explicitly state they were in euro, even though it was clear they were from a French supermarket, and, in the case of bike rental, were not itemised,' he says. Marc managed to find a clause in EU legislation that states 'inclusion of currency is not mandatory in French receipts' and he sent the full receipt for the bike rental. 'I received a mail the next morning to state that a 'full and final payment' of €13 had been made. When I responded again I got an automated mail saying the case is now closed and this email won't be read. 'What shocked us is that Aer Lingus positions itself as a family-friendly, national carrier who cares about its customers. The staff at the check-in area in T2 are some of the most courteous and professional people I have met and always go out of their way to help when they see us coming with lots of bags and kids hanging out of us. It has always been a trigger to fly Aer Lingus up to now. 'This experience was the polar opposite of it, and as well as being the worst customer service experience of my life, it does a huge disservice to these people too.' In response, Aer Lingus said it 'reimburses reasonable expenses such as the purchase of essential items such as clothes or toiletries in the case of delayed baggage, but does not refund cost of meals. We fully understand the inconvenience of delayed baggage, particularly for a family travelling with young children, and have offered [our reader] a gesture of goodwill on this occasion as a valued customer.'
Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
‘On your bike': Aer Lingus treatment of reader with young family ‘does the airline's own staff a huge disservice too'
It being the height of summer, it is hardly surprising that travel is on the minds of many, although we are not convinced that plans to jet away to sunnier spots or memories of holidays just finished are behind the recent spike in complaints about Aer Lingus . A couple of weeks back we highlighted the story of a reader called Cathy who was left hungry on a transatlantic flight , having had the temerity to fall asleep ahead of the in-flight meal service. Aer Lingus did resolve the issue to her satisfaction but her story prompted quite a few other readers to get in touch to share stories of how they had been let down by what was once our national airline. Here are just some of them. First up is Joanne who admitted her story was going to 'seem like very much a first world problem' but she was prompted to share it because of 'the recent proliferation of Aer Lingus AerClub advertisements enticing new customers to join' and said it was 'driving me a little round the bend when I've been completely shafted by AerClub despite having spent thousands with Aer Lingus through business and personal travel in the last few years'. READ MORE Joanne has been a member of the Aer Lingus AerClub loyalty scheme for more than three years and usually chooses Aer Lingus for all her air travel. She has had Silver tier AerClub status since 2023. [ Would you want to be woken for an in-flight meal of rubbery pasta? Opens in new window ] 'Before the new Tier Credit period began on April 1st I was tracking my tier credits and planning travel to ensure (as I was so close) that I would fly enough sectors to ensure elevation to Platinum tier, which would unlock more benefits,' she says. 'I flew all the flights needed but noticed that one flight on March 13th was missing and never awarded the credits. Within a week I submitted my first missing credits form.' She says she is 'not joking' about having called the Aer Lingus AerClub line approximately 20 times since, 'and, as nice as some of the agents are, I can get absolutely no answer or update on when my case will be reviewed. 'It seems forever destined to stay 'in the queue'. After three months with no movement whatsoever I can only assume I've been totally shafted and Aer Lingus have no intention to update my status and award me the credits I'm owed.' We contacted the airline and in a statement it said Joanne's AerClub tier credits 'were not automatically assigned at the time of booking due to a technical error. However, our customer's AerClub account has now been fully credited, and as a gesture of goodwill, we have extended their Platinum membership status until 2027.' [ 'I am really disappointed in how Aer Lingus treats customers when things go wrong' Opens in new window ] The next story is far more serious and comes from a reader who contacted us on behalf of her recently widowed mother who is in her 80s. A couple of years ago her parents were in Malaga when her mother's sister had a fall and needed surgery. She was told things were not looking good. Our reader called Aer Lingus and 'spoke to a great chap and he assured me that, although we had to pay for new returns, we could claim this back, if my aunt died, and if we could provide a death certificate'. The woman did pass away but there was a delay in issuing the death certificate and in the interim our reader's father also died suddenly. Our reader was left to chase the refund. In March of this year she mailed Aer Lingus and was told that because her parents had flown home with Aer Lingus from Malaga in September 2023 there was no refund due. It turns out that while the return flight, which was changed for September 22nd from the original date of September 26th, was paid for in full, the Aer Lingus agent used the same booking reference. [ An Aer Lingus passenger's 26-hour trek home, and eventual refund Opens in new window ] 'I've tried to use the refund online service, but as the booking reference shows they did take flights, and no nuance about the flights being paid for separately, their computer says 'no' each time. I've sent an email asking to speak with a person as it needs a light touch and a bit of investigation, but I got the standard reply back: sorry, cannot help you, you flew.' 'Aer Lingus extends its deepest sympathies to the family for their loss and apologise for the delay in resolving their query,' the company said in a statement. 'While Aer Lingus policy requires a government-issued death certificate for bereavement related refunds, given the extenuating circumstances of this case, we are liaising with the family and will accept alternative available documentation to process the refund.' And finally, there is Marc, who has also been given the runaround by Aer Lingus. 'Last August my wife, our three kids aged four, three and eight months and I flew to France with Aer Lingus for a comping holiday. On arrival at Brest airport we realised Aer Lingus hadn't loaded our bags on to the flight in Dublin,' he begins. 'This happens, but it was particularly challenging for us as travelling with three young kids.' He repeats that such things happens but says the 'subsequent experience with Aer Lingus, however, was beyond disgraceful'. He says that after multiple calls to find out where their luggage was and when it might get to them, he was able to establish that they were scheduled to arrive five days later 'on the next direct flight into Brest airport. This is despite multiple flights to nearby airports and even connections via Paris in the intervening days. 'My family's situation didn't matter to them and it was impossible to speak to a direct Aer Lingus employee on this.' Marc says that in the meantime the had buy food and also clothes for their children in the nearest town 'to get us through the first few days of the trip'. 'I kept receipts for most items but not all, which was my mistake, in hindsight. Once the bags arrived I was advised to raise a 'delayed baggage claim' to get refunded for my costs. I did this immediately. You won't be surprised to hear I only heard back from them last week on this – while on this year's holiday. We flew Ryanair – apart from some delays due to French ACT, so far so good. 'I did send a mail [to Aer Lingus] once a month, asking as to the status of my claim – no response, of course. I doubt a human read it.' Marc had submitted claims totalling €160 'to cover food, clothing, toiletries and a bike rental to cycle into the town to purchase these items'. He says he accepts that the last one could be seen as stretching things but, given the circumstances, he figured it was reasonable. 'When I heard back from them last week I was told only €13 was refundable because the other receipts didn't explicitly state they were in euro, even though it was clear they were from a French supermarket, and, in the case of bike rental, were not itemised,' he says. Marc managed to find a clause in EU legislation that states 'inclusion of currency is not mandatory in French receipts' and he sent the full receipt for the bike rental. 'I received a mail the next morning to state that a 'full and final payment' of €13 had been made. When I responded again I got an automated mail saying the case is now closed and this email won't be read. 'What shocked us is that Aer Lingus positions itself as a family-friendly, national carrier who cares about its customers. The staff at the check-in area in T2 are some of the most courteous and professional people I have met and always go out of their way to help when they see us coming with lots of bags and kids hanging out of us. It has always been a trigger to fly Aer Lingus up to now. 'This experience was the polar opposite of it, and as well as being the worst customer service experience of my life, it does a huge disservice to these people too.' In response, Aer Lingus said it 'reimburses reasonable expenses such as the purchase of essential items such as clothes or toiletries in the case of delayed baggage, but does not refund cost of meals. We fully understand the inconvenience of delayed baggage, particularly for a family travelling with young children, and have offered [our reader] a gesture of goodwill on this occasion as a valued customer.'
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Business
- Extra.ie
Ryan Tubridy: Trips to Limerick and Cork remind me how I enjoy Irish hospitality
One of the great things about spending so much time in London is an enhanced appreciation of and for Irish hospitality. I marvel at the way Irish hotels (especially family concerns) are run with such warmth, passion and customer care. In my experience, this doesn't exist in great abundance in the UK. That isn't to say the British experience isn't polished and professional. It simply lacks warmth, an intangible resource that Irish hospitality has to its fingertips. Ryan Tubridy. Pic: Nick Edwards I landed at the perfectly formed and extraordinarily well-run Shannon Airport on Wednesday evening (after an impeccable flight with Aer Lingus, whose staff remain the best I've ever flown with, bar none) and from the get-go, the warmth I'm talking about was obvious. I bumped into some staff on my way to the car park, and they were beaming with happiness and so professional in the way they carried themselves. I had the loveliest chat with Mike, who took me to my hotel in Limerick. Along the way, we chatted about the landmarks, from Bunratty Castle and Durty Nelly's to the River Shannon and King John's Castle. We covered the current political scene in both Ireland and America before our brief but enjoyable journey came to an end as we landed at the Savoy, a beautiful, central and modern hotel in the heart of the city. Ryan Tubridy. Pic: Instagram/Ryan Tubridy I was greeted by the owners, Ronan and Anne Branigan, whose reputation for being among the best in their business precedes them with great justification. I was pretty late checking in, but found time to pop into O'Mahony's Bookshop, which has been in business for 100 years and is still thriving. I just about made it in time to say hi to the staff, who filled me in on what the big sellers are and how business is going in general (very well, thankfully). I did a radio show from the shop 15 years ago (I think!) so I always have a soft spot for the place, which remains a family-owned business, giving it that wonderful air of book-loving authenticity. Terry Wogan. Pic:From there, I strolled down by the riverside where I paid my respects to the Terry Wogan statue and, not too far away, the Richard Harris statue – two proud sons of Limerick, pictured above right, well remembered by the good people of the city. I also found time to pop into a tattoo parlour. Don't worry, I wasn't 'inked'. A tattooist got in touch with me on my Virgin radio show when he heard I was going to be in Limerick and asked me to pop into his pal if I was passing by, so I did and a selfie was had. (Thanks to Jake, who may still be in shock after he saw me coming through the door.) I asked Instagram followers (God, I hate that word in this context) for suggestions of things to do in Limerick, and I was inundated. I had to write a list and promise to return and spend more time here to properly visit the city. Ryan Tubridy. Pic: Nick Edwards I did manage an early morning run along the three bridges and the city was at its most beautiful and calm. We did the radio show from our sister station, Limerick Live 95, which was a great experience and allowed me to meet the cracking crew who populate that brilliant station. A quick visit to the Richard Harris exhibition at the Hunt Museum and a speedy tour of King John's Castle was all I could fit in but it was well worth the time. I was well looked after before I had to hop in a car and head for Cork city, where I had a very chilled afternoon reconnecting with a city I hadn't been in for years. I checked into the history nerd's favourite hotel, the Imperial, and then to dinner at Jacob's with the Cork 96 and Onic bosses, who filled me in on the comings and goings in the byzantine but never boring world of Irish radio. Pic: Ryan Tubridy/Instagram It was a lovely, convivial gathering and the word 'Sláinte' was heard many times, but I didn't hang around as I was on duty at Cork 96 the next morning, and I had a particularly big job the following night, so it was back to the Imperial with me in good time. The radio show went off without a hitch, and from there, I was on the road again, but this time, bound for beautiful Bantry and the West Cork Literary Festival. I'm a sucker for a book festival so when they asked me to come and interview Graham Norton on Friday night, I didn't put up an argument. We checked into the breathtaking Seaview House, where that welcome I've mentioned a few times in this diary was in evidence at every turn. Another family-run hotel, this time it was the gracious Ronan and Suzanne O'Sullivan who looked after our every need. My one regret was that it was only a one-night stay. After an early and thoroughly enjoyable dinner with friends, it was time to go and interrogate Graham, whom I've interviewed many times over the years and who treated me to a delicious lunch when I first landed in London. The event was sold out a long time ago, the place was packed, and the craic was mighty. Graham was in exceptionally good form, and the crowd lapped him up. Photos, chats and vino followed, and a tremendous night was had by all. Kudos to the festival organisers who pulled together a relaxed, easygoing and intriguing series of events. It's one that will run and run. From Bantry, it was back to Dublin to spend some time with the important women in my life, who I am happy to say are my favourite people in the world. I'll head back to London this evening, safe in the knowledge that family is king (and queen) when it comes to hospitality, hotels and the heart.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Planners just cannot win at Dublin Airport
Who'd be a planning commissioner – resigned forever to being pilloried by one side of an application or another? Or in some cases, as with Dublin Airport , both. A decision this week to allow 50 per cent more night-time flights in a shorter 'night-time' window at Dublin Airport alongside a new quota system for noise seemed tailor-made for airlines that have been concerned about maintaining current levels of service at the airport, never mind expansion. But no, they were not happy at all, at least not with the new, higher limit on flights, characterising it as a new, second, passenger cap. They are particularly concerned about limits on flights in the generally busy 5am-7am morning window. Airlines are already fighting a separate 32-million-a-year limit on the number of passengers than can use the airport. Both it and the now-modified night-time limit on flights date back to conditions on the original planning permission for the airport's new north runway. That permission dates back more than 15 years and yet in all that time no one, not the airport operator (the DAA ) nor any of the airlines – especially Ryanair and Aer Lingus for which it is a critical hub – conducted a concerted campaign to address what were always likely to be severely limiting conditions. Only when the runway opened was there any realistic effort to address the new realities of passenger and traffic numbers at the airport. And so here we are. For their part, residents around the airport – or at least one of the residents' associations – were also dissatisfied with the latest decision, saying it will only increase pollution and noise, making their lives more difficult. It's hard to see what would satisfy local residents. The airport authority is already investing millions of euro buying the worst-affected homes and funding increased noise insulation and is, in any case, restricted in its flight paths. And the truth remains that many, if not most, of those living under those flight paths have bought their homes long after the airport was well established as Ireland's big point of entry for air passengers. For now, everyone is threatening to challenge the latest decision in the courts. Meanwhile, in the absence of any political leadership n the issue, the reconstituted planning appeals board, An Coimisiún Pleanála , must resign itself to the view that whatever it decides, the whole mess will be its fault.
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Business
- Sunday World
Aer Lingus announces three new flight routes from Dublin and Cork airports
New winter routes are set to take off from Dublin and Cork during airline's winter schedule Aer Lingus has announced new winter flights from Cork Airport to Geneva and Prague, as well as a new seasonal route from Dublin to Turin. The three are on sale now with fares from €49.99 each-way, the airline said. Flights from Dublin Airport to Turin will operate weekly from December 21 to March 29, offering access to the ski resorts of Italy's Piedmont region. These include Via Lattea (The Milky Way), Pila in the Aosta Valley and Bardonecchia. From Cork, flights to Geneva will operate once weekly from December 20 to March 28. A popular city break, the Swiss destination also links skiers with resorts like Morzine and Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. The Prague service will run from October 23 to March 26, with two flights a week on Thursdays and Sundays from Cork. Cork Airport said Aer Lingus also plans to increase the frequency of its Lyon route to a twice-weekly service, operating from December 20 to March 28. It follows news that KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will add a third-daily service from Cork to Amsterdam Schiphol over certain periods this winter. Aer Lingus crew members (L-R) Catherine Cooke, Laurence O'Callaghan, Jonathan Rath and Susan Kelly celebrating the news in Cork. Photo: David Creedon "Winter breaks or 'coolcations' are growing in popularity among Irish consumers,' noted Susanne Carberry, chief customer officer at Aer Lingus. The announcements follow another new Aer Lingus route announcement, from Dublin Airport to Cancun in Mexico. It will operate for four months from January 6. The airline is currently at the peak of its busy summer schedule, and has been advising customers to drop off bags the evening before they fly at both airports following 'an exceptionally busy" period for the airline at Dublin. The seasonal service allows customers booked on early flights (between 5.30am and 8am) to drop off their bags at certain times the evening before travel. Last month was the busiest ever June for passenger numbers at both Dublin and Cork, and Aer Lingus saw a 10pc rise in the number of its customers checking in for early-morning departures compared to the same period last year. Cork Airport recently launched a €200 million capital development programme to enable it to cater for over five million passengers in years to come. Aer Lingus cabin crew members Amy Casey and Lauryn Hamilton celebrating the new routes. Photo: Naoise Culhane Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 17th
