Their customer service line closes at 18:15 Sunday and 18:30 I get an email telling us our connecting flight to Milan that leaves from Dublin is cancelled and they put us on the same flight a day later. I have a hotel in Milan and Last supper tickets that I would miss. I also have flight insurance. The flight is not for two weeks. I feel they should get me of allow me to book another airline for the same fare. Anyone know what recourse I have? It is maddening to wait until tomorrow to get this straightened out. I do not feel I should have to pay anything extra to get the flight I want.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
Don't panic before you find out what they can do for you. You have a couple of weeks to work it out, and there are rules in place for what you are entitled to from them. They will work with you.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10625 posts
I agree with what Nancy has written that you have a couple of weeks to work this out. Note that Aer Lingus is responsible for paying for your hotel and meals if you are delayed, according to European Union law. If they could send you a day early, would you be able to leave?
Posted by
OP
Norwell, MA, US
46 posts
I could leave earlier although I would rather not pay for an extra hotel night that I had not planned on. I would rather switch airlines and get a comparable flight in terms of time. I was tempted to just cancel and book with British Airways. I noticed some prices have gone up even in the last few hours. As Nancy said I will have to wait and see what they can do for me.
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5457 posts
A cancellation with over two weeks' notice does not entitle you to compensation. (EU261 Article 5). Even if it is only a second over. You are entitled to re-routing, under comparable transport conditions at the earliest opportunity, or a refund within seven days (Article 8). You are also entitled to meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation until your revised flight, plus two telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails (Article 9). You are not entitled to force the airline to re-book you with another carrier as case law currently stands.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
A 12-hour layover will give you a good chance to see a bit of the city. You could take the hop-on, hop-off bus and ride through the whole route (90 minutes), then use it as transportation back to the places you want to explore more.
Posted by
OP
Norwell, MA, US
46 posts
Thank you everyone for the helpful advice and information. I called Aer Lingus the next day. They said they could put us on a 5:45 pm flight which meant a 12 hour layover. Or we could leave a day earlier. Or we could simply cancel. Had their helpline been open on Sunday we would have cancelled and booked Brittish Airways which at that time was about the same price. By the next morning the BA flight had gone up by $800! First we chose to leave a day early but the more we thought about it, that did not feel right. We have to rearrange our itinerary, book another night and miss a day of work. All because AL decides to cancel. Plus my wife would miss her hair appointment! We opted for the later connection and will spend half a day in Dublin. We have never been. I do not travel near as much as I would like. But I have been to Europe many times and have never had this happen. I know Aer Lingus is a great airline but this makes me think twice about using them simply because their connecting flights seem very limited. Thanks again everyone.