Aer Lingus flight times changed

Just tried consumer connect & apparently we have no rights - the airline can change flight times etc. So much for the bull on the agreement aer lingus & aer arann have about providing consumers "with more choice" - gangsters!!
 
TLC said:
Just tried consumer connect & apparently we have no rights - the airline can change flight times etc. So much for the bull on the agreement aer lingus & aer arann have about providing consumers "with more choice" - gangsters!!
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Flight still up for both Friday and Monday at time you wanted.(Think some one in Aerlingus would take them down with the calls they are getting)

The timetable is the same. Are prices got up again since this morning?

Bascially moving people who have already paid a low fare to a later flight.

They have to be breaking some agreement if that flight takes off around them times next February?
 
I'm checking around to see if any group can give me advice about what they are doing - may as well try!
 
I would be looking at breach of contract. There is a solicitor that likes taking them down a peg or two. Remember when they were offering business class by mistake for €5? AL tried to welch on the deal but in a dramatic climbdown they had to honour the deal.
 
They're not breaching contract - it's in the T&C that flight times can change. Their contract is to get you from Dublin to Edinburgh, and they have offered you a way of doing that.

Another well known airline have been known to change flights by 5 mins just to bump off the low fares passengers when a big event comes up.
 
Fair enough if the flight is cancelled, but in this case the original flight still exists and they are accepting bookings at a much higher rate. How do they have the right to bump the people who got in early?
 
Moral Ethos said:
Fair enough if the flight is cancelled, but in this case the original flight still exists and they are accepting bookings at a much higher rate. How do they have the right to bump the people who got in early?
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It seems to be very clear cut. I don't understand why Liveline feel that it's not worthy of featuring on their show.

At the very best, it's extreme sharp practice. At worst, it's fraud.

I think you should write to their customer service department setting out the facts and asking for an explanation.

Homer
 
I've actually done that this morning - we'll see what happens. Thanks to all for the comments
 
Thanks Moral Ethos - I might just do that - I've fired a letter off to Aer Lingus, as there doesn't seem to be any email for complaints on their website - only for compliments (???) & to their partner in this enterprise Aer Arann & sent an email to the aviation authority (in for a penny etc.). I'll see what happens.
 
Just in case anyone is interested I didn't receive a reply from Aer Lingus yet, but I also emailed Aer Arann, this is their reply & my reply to them - to which I did not receive any reply:
Thank you for your recent e-mail.
Due to the New Franchise Agreement between Aer Arann and Aer Lingus which came into effect in March 2010 in which Aer Arann Aircraft and Crew will be used for Aer Lingus operated flights, unfortunately Aer Arann have no control over the flight times or dates as the schedules are now set by Aer Lingus.
Please contact Aer Lingus directly on:
0818 365 044 (irl) 0871 718 2020 (uk) www.aerlingus.com

I can certainly appreciate your annoyance and do apologise for same. I have passed your comments to our Head of Network Planning for his information but if I can be of any further assistance to you please do not hesitate to contact me again.

My reply to above

thank you for the reply. It does however make a mockery of the statement made by Paul Schütz, Aer Arann Chief Exectutive, who welcomed the franchise agreement saying;
"Our combined brand power and quality products make it an excellent service for passengers and we look forward to welcoming both new and existing Aer Arann and Aer Lingus customers on board our flights from today”.

On the 28th of March 2010.

Fine words!
 
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but my understanding of what happened is as follows.

Aer Lingus flight (let's call it EI205 for argument's sake) was due to leave in time to get you there for the match. This was then re-scheduled to a much later time. A new flight was then introduced (presumably with a different flight number - let's say EI204) that is now available at a much higher cost than the price you paid and that leaves at more or less the same time as was originally scheduled for flight EI205. Is this correct?

If so, then I don't see how they can dress it up as a schedule change. I hesitate to use words such as fraud (as I don't want to cause problems for AAM), but at the very least it is a major breach of trust with the airline's customers.

Please keep plugging away. They should not be allowed to get away with this.
 
I agree with the last posters comments. And i'm very surprised that the people at 'Joe Duffy' didn't want to take it on. Are you sure they are clear what was involved? From my reading of it it seems very straightforward. And while Aer Lingus might well be within their rights to do this it leads to very bad customer relations and does nothing for customer loyalty. Maybe that day is gone now.
 
This seems suspicious to me too. Conor Pope at the Irish Times might well be interested. Drop him a line.
 
Homer said:
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but my understanding of what happened is as follows.

Aer Lingus flight (let's call it EI205 for argument's sake) was due to leave in time to get you there for the match. This was then re-scheduled to a much later time. A new flight was then introduced (presumably with a different flight number - let's say EI204) that is now available at a much higher cost than the price you paid and that leaves at more or less the same time as was originally scheduled for flight EI205. Is this correct?

If so, then I don't see how they can dress it up as a schedule change. I hesitate to use words such as fraud (as I don't want to cause problems for AAM), but at the very least it is a major breach of trust with the airline's customers.

Please keep plugging away. They should not be allowed to get away with this.[/QUOTE

You have it nearly right - booked the early flight the Fri - leaving at 10.45 return Monday early flight 12.45. There were 2 flights advertised on both days out 10.45 & 7.00 return 12.45 & 9.00. Email with change to later flights on both days, when I rang was told it was a "schedule" change & only 1 flight going each day - at the later times. Of course this is untrue - still 2 flights each day but at a much higher cost than we paid. I know I'm like a dog with a bone - but I hate to let it go!!
Thanks for all the advice all.
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TLC said:
Homer said:
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but my understanding of what happened is as follows.

Aer Lingus flight (let's call it EI205 for argument's sake) was due to leave in time to get you there for the match. This was then re-scheduled to a much later time. A new flight was then introduced (presumably with a different flight number - let's say EI204) that is now available at a much higher cost than the price you paid and that leaves at more or less the same time as was originally scheduled for flight EI205. Is this correct?

If so, then I don't see how they can dress it up as a schedule change. I hesitate to use words such as fraud (as I don't want to cause problems for AAM), but at the very least it is a major breach of trust with the airline's customers.

Please keep plugging away. They should not be allowed to get away with this.[/QUOTE

You have it nearly right - booked the early flight the Fri - leaving at 10.45 return Monday early flight 12.45. There were 2 flights advertised on both days out 10.45 & 7.00 return 12.45 & 9.00. Email with change to later flights on both days, when I rang was told it was a "schedule" change & only 1 flight going each day - at the later times. Of course this is untrue - still 2 flights each day but at a much higher cost than we paid. I know I'm like a dog with a bone - but I hate to let it go!!
Thanks for all the advice all.
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Thanks for the clarification. To go back to my earlier example, and using flight numbers EI204 and EI205, is this a reasonable summary of what happened?

  1. They merged EI204 and EI205 into a single flight leaving at the later time originally scheduled for EI205.
  2. They then introduced a new flight leaving in or around the time that flight EI204 was scheduled.
If this is correct, then the net outcome is the same, but they way they went about it is slightly different. I still think what they have done is totally wrong and they should not be let get away with it.
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Hi,

Joe Duffy wouldn't feature the issue because the flight we got moved onto is €100 dearer than the flight we were moved off, according to Aer Lingus's website, if doesn't make sense as you'd think Aer Lingus would be delighted to move us back to the cheaper flight as they could get more money for the later flight!!! These flight should book out, as it is a 6 Nations Rugby weekend.
I contacted Conor Pope via the email address given for his slot on The Ray Darcy Show on Today FM ([email protected], I think), but I have not received a reply yet.
The problem is there is no regulation to stop airlines doing this, they always refer to their T&Cs.

To be honest I'm over it at this stage, I have resigned myself to the fact I will have an extra 8 hungover hours in Edinburgh!
 
Just for the crack - wld you keep us all updated if you get any reply - I'll do the same.
Actually, I'm just wondering why I'm bothering - I'm not even going to Edinburgh it's my husband & his buddy!!!
 
Write to Pope via the Irish Times. He's more likely to check that email address himself - the TodayFM one probably goes through producers. I'm not in the country so can't see the print edition of the paper but his email address is probably in there. Likely to be either [email protected] or [email protected].
 
Just in case anyone interested - got an email today from Aer Lingus (after firing off another letter) & flights changed back to the original - Result!!! Thanks for all the comments & advice
 
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