Aer Lingus and Ryanair refunding volcano affected flights

[Black Sheep]

Has anyone found a time limit for applying for a refund. I was due to fly today returning next tuesday. Return flight has not been cancelled but may be.
Would I be better waiting until after Tuesday to apply and perhaps get refunded for both sections

 

[ACA]

Got a lovely email from Ryanair saying that the cost of my cancelled flight would be refunded in full to the card that I paid with within 5-7 working days.

Happy days!! Just thought I'd share

Just checked the Visa and it's in already.... even happier days

 

[fizzelina]

I have a problem on Ryanair site as the refund will go to original method of payment which was a Halifax visa since closed! Tried calling and e-mailing them, no answer. Don't know how to get through to them. My return leg was with Aer Lingus and tried to fill in the form and it didn't send so I just sent an email and we'll see how they reply, dont want refund to original method Halifax visa so looking to actually speak to someone and phones not answering!

The update here is Aer Lingus sent back an automated e-mail saying I should get a reply in 28 days. Got speaking to someone in Ryanair call centre today and I have to write or fax a letter to Customer Service Dept with the reservation number and details that the Visa account was closed including proof in the form of a Visa statement/letter and then they would send a cheque. When I said I wasn't giving them my Visa statement and was it not enough to just ask for a cheque she said they'd probably want the proof!

 

[TLC]

Sorry if this the wrong thread - anyone any idea about a honeymoon booked thru Trailfinders - flights to NY & Miami, hotel the lot! My son married last weekend & ended up canceling their planned trip, where to have gone to London Monday then NY, as they had not chance of getting out until the following week at the earliest (and no guarantee about that either). Tailfinders told them they would lose the hotel & internal US flights anyway, so as they could have lost them again the following week if they didn't get out, they decided to scrub the lot. They did take out the more expensive insurance when booking but were not getting any real help from the company. They have now taken the ferry to France for a week & decided to fight with the travel company/insurance company on their return - as they wanted some sort of peace while away. Anyone any thoughts or ideas on their rights?

 

[oldnick]

I've outlined in another thread the that if one books a "pre-arranged package" then one is entitled to a full refund -nothing else if cancellation is due to force majeure.
(A pre-arranged package is one in which the package organiser has already bought the flight, hotels,cruise places, coach-tour etc etc and outs them togetehr for sale ,usually in a brochure).

If one books different elements with a travel agent that have not been pre-arranged -which I imagine is your case - then in cases of force majeure you have no rights.
That is, if the travel company put together different flights and hotels as per clients requests then its bad luck for the clients.

Its confusing a if you google Package Holiday Act it may make it clearer.

However, having said all that - I frankly cant imagine that Trailfinders really lost money on the hotels. The internal flights maybe but not the trans-atlantic ones -which certainly they should not pay.
I am a midget compared to the giant that is Trailfinders and I only had a few clients who had booked hotels abroad (besides those who had booked tour operator packages) but in every case not one hotel charged me for the clients who could not get there due to the ash crisis.
So i rebooked them all at a later day -most have now gone - with no loss to them on flights or hotels, just exhaustion on my staffs part.

However, the hotels did have the right at the last moment to say "sorry cant refund" but, other than deducting a day or so, it would have be awful to charge for every day in the hotels,

I really believe Trailfinders will rebook at a "reasonable" loss (internal flights and maybe a day or so in hotels).

Regarding the insurance company -no idea; I thought I sold a great policy ,covered "natural catastrophies" but named them -flood, earthquakes, storms,avalanches - and did not name volcanoes. in exclusion clauses it excludes "anything not specifically named".

I think 99% of people -maybe 100% got caught out there and I feel annoyed about, except of the eighty odd people who booked half stuck abroad half couldn't get outwith me not one actually lost money, even though they were greatly inconvenienced, often upset, and some had to cancel.

Am only writing these posts to get anxiety of last week of my chest -then back to sleep !!

 

[TLC]

Oldnick - many thanks for the information much appreciated - now go to sleep!

 

[tyrekicker]

Refund form gone from Aer Lingus website

Does anyone know if Aer Lingus have removed the refund form from their website? Can't find it. Hope they're not trying to wriggle out of refunding customers.

 

[FeuFollet]

They are certainly making it difficult for people to get their money back. We made a request for refund on the 18th April and nothing happened.

We made the request through the website again. Nothing.

We phoned and waited and waited and waited. We phoned again and were told there was no record of the request (that's last week) but that a new one was opened now.

This week we phoned again (and waited and waited) to be told that they don't have access to past booking cancellations and that they would have to check on Monday and call back. Do I believe they will? Am I that naive? Hmmmm. Funny is that I also had to identify the passenger, the flight, routed, date of flight this time around whereas last week the boooking reference was sufficient. But I digress.

Just wondering if anybody else has been subjected to the same difficulties in getting their money back? Or perhaps can anybody share a tale of hope with a happy ending?

Thanks

 

[chuckie]

Aer Lingus Cancellations & Refunds

d2x2, Yes I am also having problems getting my money back from Aer Lingus for flights cancelled during the volcanic eruptions in April. They are certainly making it difficult. Firstly they have set up the refund website such that you can only send e-mails using a proper e-mail client. Using a web-based e-mail account will not work. Secondly I have tried to ask them about the refund through e-mail and have had little success. They keep asking for the details, which I keep sending, but I get no reply.

I think the only way to proceed is to lodge a complaint with the EU commission. There is a pdf document you can download to do this. I am currently going down this road as I do not want to waste any more time with the nice approach. Hope this advice helps!