Latest news with #StormAshley
Extra.ie
a day ago
- Business
- Extra.ie
Army veterans hit out at Aer Lingus over 'ruthless and insulting' refund ordeal
A group of Irish Army veterans has accused Aer Lingus of being 'heartless, ruthless and insulting' as they continue to battle for compensation after their flight from Berlin to Dublin was cancelled due to stormy weather. The Veterans Club of Ireland says its members are being given the 'runaround' by the former State airline over outstanding fees for accommodation, food and taxis which amount to just over €5,000, since last October. According to its spokesman Joe Lynch: 'This is an appalling way to treat former members of the Army and their spouses, people who gave their lives for this country. Treated as a nuisance: The Veterans Club of Ireland. Pic: Supplied 'I have spent over 40 hours – a full week's work – on the phones with customer service staff in Aer Lingus and I'm being treated as a nuisance. It's quite clear to me they would prefer if I would just give up and went away.' The dispute between the Veterans Club of Ireland and Aer Lingus broke out after 22 members, including partners, flew to Berlin for a cultural trip last October. The visit was organised so they could view well known historical landmarks including the remains of the Berlin Wall, the Reichstag Parliament and the East/West crossing point from the communist era 'Checkpoint Charlie'. Aer Lingus, ATR, leaving Dublin airport. Pic: Shutterstock However, while the group were there, Aer Lingus said the return flight had been cancelled due to 'Storm Ashley'. The club, which is based in Drogheda, said Aer Lingus informed them they would have to secure their own accommodation and pay for their own food and taxis. They were told they would be reimbursed upon submitting receipts. But that is not how things worked out, according to Mr Lynch. 'We submitted our expenditure receipts and noticed that Aer Lingus was in no rush to honour them. 'There then began a series of phone calls which, in some cases, I was left holding on the line for up to two hours. In some cases, Aer Lingus customer service staff put down the phone on me. People queuing at the Aer Lingus check in desks at Terminal 2 Dublin. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos 'One of their excuses being used is that they are refusing to pay out on hand-written receipts for taxi fares. 'This was not stated in previous correspondence. They are making us feel that we are trying to obtain the money we are owed by false pretences.' Mr Lynch said the group is owed around €5,000 with individual reimbursements ranging from €350 to €600. 'Ten claims of the 15 submitted allowing for spouses, remain to be settled. This is most upsetting for people who are senior citizens, people who always viewed the former State airline as one of Ireland's great institutions,' he said. Dublin Airport, Aer Lingus check-in area. Pic: Shutterstock FF Senator Alison Comyn, who has worked with the veterans' group before, said: 'I have long known the amazing work carried out by Joe and the other volunteers with the Veterans Club and I am really shocked to think that a lot of their members are still out of pocket nearly eight months after Aer Lingus agreed they are due compensation and refunds. 'I have contacted Aer Lingus and the relevant Government department on their behalf and am hopeful of a swift resolution to this, as these men and women have given their service to their country and community. 'The work of the Veterans Club of Ireland is vital in preserving the dignity, well-being, and camaraderie of former members of the Irish Defence Forces, and I hate to think they are not being treated fairly and with the respect they are due.' An Aer Lingus spokesman said the issue was being looked at and it hoped to shortly resolve the matter. The Veterans Club of Ireland was established in 2018 for former members of the Defence Forces to assist with the mental and physical well-being of ex-servicemen and women and their respective families. It also promotes awareness of the contribution of Defence Forces personnel to Irish society.
Powys County Times
30-04-2025
- Powys County Times
Report released into Talerddig train crash amid Storm Ashley
Four people were seriously injured including the train drivers, one of which was trapped attempting to leave the cab, in a crash that killed a man in Powys. Investigators have released more details about the collision between two Transport for Wales passenger trains which happened near Talerddig, between Carno and Llanbrynmair, during Storm Ashley on October 21 last year. An interim report from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has now revealed that one of the trains had attempted to stop at a passing loop but slid past while braking downhill into the single line, heading towards the other train at 24mph. On the morning of the collision, the Aberystwyth -bound train was stabled in a platform at Chester station which meant the driver did not have access to equipment on the train's underframe including the sander test button and consequently could not be checked. No faults had been reported during various routes to Aberystwyth, Shrewsbury and Birmingham that day. Around 10 minutes after departing from Caersws station at 7.15pm towards Machynlleth, the driver, who had been braking, called the signaller to say that the train was sliding and was probably going to pass the marker. The train then exited the Talerddig passing loop at around 20mph and the speed was increasing downhill despite the brakes remaining fully applied. The other train travelling towards Shrewsbury was told by the signaller to stop and over the next nine seconds the driver applied the brakes then the emergency brake before the collision happened four seconds later. Realising that a collision was imminent, the driver of the train heading towards Aberystwyth moved into the saloon area and warned nearby passengers. Two minutes after the collision the driver made a railway emergency call to the signaller after checking on the passengers. Neither the Machynlleth-bound train which was carrying 31 people, nor the Caersws-bound train with six passengers on board including two TfW staff, derailed in the collision. Significant damage was caused to the front of both trains, however. David Tudor Evans, 66, was suspected to have died from a heart attack, while 22 people were injured, four of which were seriously hurt. RAIB investigators have so far concluded that neither the automatic sander nor the emergency sander on the Aberystwyth-bound train discharged sand in the moments immediately before the collision. The orifice plates, which are part of the sander pneumatic system, were found to be installed incorrectly; both were upside down and one was incorrectly aligned. Both sand delivery hoses were found to be blocked which would have prevented the sand from being ejected but RAIB said there was no evidence of any significant build-up of sand and it had flowed freely when the test button was pressed during subsequent testing. However, no defects relating to the sanders were reported by any of the drivers on October 20 and 21. The last routine maintenance test which could have identified electrical faults with the sander isolation and the low-speed relay was completed nice days before the collision on October 12. The investigation is continuing and a full report is expected at a later date.
Scottish Sun
25-04-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Scots airport ‘in talks' to double daily service to popular destination
Other direct flights from Glasgow have been suggested GLASGOW airport is reportedly in talks with Emirates about doubling its daily service to Dubai. It's hoped the increase in flights could happen over the next two to three years. Advertisement 2 Glasgow Airport boss Kam Jandu hopes to increase flights to Dubai Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd Glasgow Airport boss Kam Jandu said the current Dubai flight was 'a huge deal' for the airport and a 'feather in our cap', according to The Herald. The travel hub chief has also revealed his ambitions for other direct flights from Glasgow. Mr Jandu prioritised Copenhagen, Madrid, Berlin and Milan as four examples. Elsewhere a major airline has launched thousands of flights to and from Scotland next year. Advertisement Budget carrier easyJet unveiled more than 8,000 trips across its network, including 107 destinations in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Millions of seats across more than 138,000 flights between March 23 and June 14, 2026, including for next year's Easter holidays, are now available to book. Over 75,000 flights to and from the UK and over 8,000 flights and 1.5 million seats are now on sale to and from Scotland. Tour operator easyJet holidays is also offering thousands of package holidays for spring 2026 to over 100 beach and city destinations across Europe and North Africa. Advertisement Destinations include beach destinations such as Palma de Mallorca, Antalya, Tenerife and Rhodes, and popular city escapes such as Amsterdam, Barcelona and Paris. All packages include flights and hotel, with 23kg luggage and transfers on all beach getaways. Stomach-churning moment plane is forced to abort landing at Glasgow Airport during Storm Ashley Holidaymakers looking for inspiration can use easyJet's Low Fare Finder. Ali Gayward, easyJet's UK Country Manager, said: "We are very pleased to be putting our spring 2026 schedule on sale today, so that customers from Scotland can book early and enjoy low fares on thousands of flights and brilliant value package holidays for a spring break or Easter getaway. Advertisement "We are fully focused on providing low fares and with seats available from just £21.99 across thousands of flights on hundreds of routes to fantastic beach, ski and city destinations across Europe and North Africa, now is a great time to book with easyJet and easyJet holidays." It comes months after easyJet announced the launch of flights from Edinburgh Airport to the historic city of Bordeaux, France.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Ryanair is refusing to cover all my expenses after cancelled flight - who is right?'
Every Tuesday in our Money blog, we answer questions about your financial problems or consumer disputes. This week, a reader asked what her rights were after Ryanair refused to pay her expenses after cancelling her flight. Elaine asked: "My flight from Cork to La Rochelle was cancelled due to a storm. I had to book a hotel and fly to a different destination, and Ryanair is refusing to pay for all my expenses. Are you able to help me?" Our says... When Elaine got in touch with Money, she also told us that there wasn't another flight to her destination for four days, so she opted to fly to a different destination on an earlier flight (but still two days later). She said a member of Ryanair staff had recommended that she take a taxi into Cork's city centre and stay in a specific hotel because the one at the airport was full, and reassured her that the airline would cover her additional costs. She said she submitted a claim for the following, totalling €435.70: A two-night hotel stay; One dinner at the hotel; One breakfast; One lunch; Two taxis; Fuel costs for the journey from the alternative airport she had to fly to and her house. Ryanair responded to her claim, saying that it had been deemed "expensive" by its policy and that it would only reimburse her €273.70. Ryanair's response My first port of call was to go to Ryanair to see what it had to say. A spokesperson confirmed Elaine's flight had been cancelled due to Storm Ashley and that all passengers were notified and advised of their options to either change their flight free of charge or to receive a full refund. "Ryanair has not 'ignored' this passenger - on 23 Oct, Ms Foster submitted an expense claim to the value of €435.70 and was reimbursed for all reasonable receipted expenses (€273.70) submitted," they said. "This was confirmed to Ms Foster via email, in which we explained why the remainder of her expenses did not qualify for reimbursement." The amount refunded was for part of Elaine's hotel stay (€240), €13.70 for meals and €20 in taxi expenses. In an email to Elaine, Ryanair said it couldn't refund the meals she had at the hotel as they were not itemised, and the other €20 taxi costs were not covered by Ryanair's policy. Passenger rights, what counts as 'reasonable' and making sure you always get everything in writing Under EU regulation EU261, passengers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to rights of care, including "reasonable" expenses for overnight accommodation and meals. However, it does not give a definition of what is considered to be "reasonable" - leaving consumers in a tough spot when it comes to fighting back. Ryanair did not give me an answer when I asked its spokesperson how it defined the term. Consumer expert Helen Dewdney offered her expertise, saying the airline must provide customers with food, drinks, access to communications, a hotel and travel to and from it, if a flight is delayed or cancelled overnight. She explained that "reasonable comes down to what the average person would deem as reasonable", and this could be backed up with evidence showing hotel availability and typical prices for the area. Read more from this series: Passengers must do their best to keep costs down but "if the airline has suggested the hotel, then this cost should be accepted. It is always a good idea to get anything like this in writing in case there are issues later," she added. Dewdney advised Elaine to explain to the airline that this was what was recommended by the staff, with a name if this was taken and the time of day the advice was given. "You will need evidence of all costs, but it doesn't have to be a receipt; it could be a credit card bill, which would clearly show the meal bought on the date and time of the stay," Dewdney said. If this fails, she suggested complaining to Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary by obtaining his email address from "Although he won't respond personally, it will get the matter escalated and provide more evidence should you need to take the matter further," she said. If Ryanair continues not to budge The Irish Aviation Authority's states: "If your air carrier does not resolve the complaint, then you should forward it for the attention of the appropriate enforcement body. "To make a complaint, with the IAA's online customer platform (MySRS). Once registered, complete the online complaint form." If this doesn't work, Dewdney said, another option could be to seek redress through an approved alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service. ADR can help resolve consumer disputes without court action being taken through means such as mediation and arbitration. Different airlines are signed up to different schemes - Ryanair is a member of AviationADR - and you can file a complaint with them . If all that fails, Dewdney said there was always the option of taking the matter to the small claims court. Conclusion The law does provide protection for consumers in these kinds of cases but what this example shows us is that evidence is key - show that you have kept costs down, clearly itemise all expenses and get any promises made in writing. Failure to do so gives wriggle room for the likes of Ryanair - meaning you may have to show a lot of perseverance to get the recourse you feel you are due. This feature is not intended as financial advice - the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about. Submit your dilemma or consumer dispute via: WhatsApp us Email moneyblog@ with the subject line "Money Problem"
Sky News
22-04-2025
- Business
- Sky News
'Ryanair is refusing to cover all my expenses after cancelled flight - who is right?'
Every Tuesday in our Money blog, we answer questions about your financial problems or consumer disputes. This week, a reader asked what her rights were after Ryanair refused to pay her expenses after cancelling her flight. Elaine asked: "My flight from Cork to La Rochelle was cancelled due to a storm. I had to book a hotel and fly to a different destination, and Ryanair is refusing to pay for all my expenses. Are you able to help me?" Our Money live reporter Jess Sharp says... When Elaine got in touch with Money, she also told us that there wasn't another flight to her destination for four days, so she opted to fly to a different destination on an earlier flight (but still two days later). She said a member of Ryanair staff had recommended that she take a taxi into Cork's city centre and stay in a specific hotel because the one at the airport was full, and reassured her that the airline would cover her additional costs. She said she submitted a claim for the following, totalling €435.70: A two-night hotel stay; One dinner at the hotel; One breakfast; One lunch; Two taxis; Fuel costs for the journey from the alternative airport she had to fly to and her house. Ryanair responded to her claim, saying that it had been deemed "expensive" by its policy and that it would only reimburse her €273.70. Ryanair's response My first port of call was to go to Ryanair to see what it had to say. A spokesperson confirmed Elaine's flight had been cancelled due to Storm Ashley and that all passengers were notified and advised of their options to either change their flight free of charge or to receive a full refund. "Ryanair has not 'ignored' this passenger - on 23 Oct, Ms Foster submitted an expense claim to the value of €435.70 and was reimbursed for all reasonable receipted expenses (€273.70) submitted," they said. "This was confirmed to Ms Foster via email, in which we explained why the remainder of her expenses did not qualify for reimbursement." The amount refunded was for part of Elaine's hotel stay (€240), €13.70 for meals and €20 in taxi expenses. In an email to Elaine, Ryanair said it couldn't refund the meals she had at the hotel as they were not itemised, and the other €20 taxi costs were not covered by Ryanair's policy. Passenger rights, what counts as 'reasonable' and making sure you always get everything in writing Under EU regulation EU261, passengers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to rights of care, including "reasonable" expenses for overnight accommodation and meals. However, it does not give a definition of what is considered to be "reasonable" - leaving consumers in a tough spot when it comes to fighting back. Ryanair did not give me an answer when I asked its spokesperson how it defined the term. Consumer expert Helen Dewdney offered her expertise, saying the airline must provide customers with food, drinks, access to communications, a hotel and travel to and from it, if a flight is delayed or cancelled overnight. She explained that "reasonable comes down to what the average person would deem as reasonable", and this could be backed up with evidence showing hotel availability and typical prices for the area. Passengers must do their best to keep costs down but "if the airline has suggested the hotel, then this cost should be accepted. It is always a good idea to get anything like this in writing in case there are issues later," she added. Dewdney advised Elaine to explain to the airline that this was what was recommended by the staff, with a name if this was taken and the time of day the advice was given. "You will need evidence of all costs, but it doesn't have to be a receipt; it could be a credit card bill, which would clearly show the meal bought on the date and time of the stay," Dewdney said. If this fails, she suggested complaining to Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary by obtaining his email address from "Although he won't respond personally, it will get the matter escalated and provide more evidence should you need to take the matter further," she said. If Ryanair continues not to budge The Irish Aviation Authority's website states: "If your air carrier does not resolve the complaint, then you should forward it for the attention of the appropriate enforcement body. "To make a complaint, register with the IAA's online customer platform (MySRS). Once registered, complete the online complaint form." If this doesn't work, Dewdney said, another option could be to seek redress through an approved alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service. ADR can help resolve consumer disputes without court action being taken through means such as mediation and arbitration. Different airlines are signed up to different schemes - Ryanair is a member of AviationADR - and you can file a complaint with them here. If all that fails, Dewdney said there was always the option of taking the matter to the small claims court. Conclusion The law does provide protection for consumers in these kinds of cases but what this example shows us is that evidence is key - show that you have kept costs down, clearly itemise all expenses and get any promises made in writing. Failure to do so gives wriggle room for the likes of Ryanair - meaning you may have to show a lot of perseverance to get the recourse you feel you are due. This feature is not intended as financial advice - the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about.
