Fair play to Aer Lingus

Brendan Burgess

Brendan Burgess

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I have booked a last flight back from London with Aer Lingus in about two weeks time and I was nervous that it might be delayed or cancelled.

They emailed me today offering me a full refund.

So I booked a flight with another airline instead and took the refund. (Well I tried to get the refund but the site is a little bit busy.)

Brendan
 
Thanks, Brendan.
I have a flight back from Italy in 11 days time, and am considering the same offer that you availed of.
However, the new flight will be considerably more expensive, so assuming I don't take up their offer & they cancel the flight, am I right in saying that I will be able to claim under the EU Scheme ?
 
My flight was only £20 dearer and was more suitable. London City Airport instead of Heathrow.

If they cancel the flight, you can claim.

But I would prefer to have some certainty over my travel arrangements.

If they don't cancel your flight, but it's delayed a few hours, you might not get compensation.

The trade union should be made liable for the compensation for any delays, not the airline.

Brendan
 
Brendan Burgess said:
If they don't cancel your flight, but it's delayed a few hours, you might not get compensation.

The trade union should be made liable for the compensation for any delays, not the airline.

Brendan
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Agreed. The employer accepted the Labour Court's recommendation and the Union didn't, yet the employer is punished for the Union's intransigence - three cheers for the European Commission!

Moving that on a bit further, every time that the French air traffic controllers have one of their periodic little strikes (strikes that, I believe, affect only non-French airlines) either they, or the utterly incompetent French Government should be liable for compensation, not the wholly innocent airlines.
 
Marsupial said:
Agreed. The employer accepted the Labour Court's recommendation and the Union didn't, yet the employer is punished for the Union's intransigence - three cheers for the European Commission!
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Curious about role of European commission - why three cheers to them ?
 
picorette said:
Thanks, Brendan.
I have a flight back from Italy in 11 days time, and am considering the same offer that you availed of.
However, the new flight will be considerably more expensive, so assuming I don't take up their offer & they cancel the flight, am I right in saying that I will be able to claim under the EU Scheme ?
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I had flights cancelled 2 years ago this week due to baggage handlers in Bordeaux. Aer Lingus refunded the fare as alternative flights were unsuitable. Compo was refused and the flight compo company couldn't get anything either. Travel insurance eventually covered other expenses. What compensation do you think you could claim for?

We have flights to the US booked for end July. If they cancel any leg, will they cancel both?
 
I am due to fly with Aer Lingus on the 24th and back on the 1st. Should I just wait and see what happens?
 
I am flying on the 29th, travel insurance expires on the 30th, accommodation booked from the 1st. No alternative flights that I can see. Nightmare scenario!

I need to call Multitrip and keep all my fingers and toes crossed...
 
i have flights booked - Cork to Dubrovnik for mid july, and accommodation will take 2K approx from me (booking.com) on 2th july

i have no idea what to do , i personally would like to cancel my aerlingus booking and rebook non-direct flights with ryanair, this is a pain but at least i wouldn't be left hanging. its expensive to do this and getting more expensive as i approach july.

of course , aerlingus flight might be ok, but i probably wont know until after 2K has gone for accommodation.

do i ride out the storm and just wait until aerlingus email me, and just book more expensive flights now?

i have VHI multi trip travel insurance booked well before the strike action, can i claim accommodation from travel insurance if aerlingus cancel my flights and i decide not to go (or cant get flights)?

total nightmare, and not something anyone wants to be doing 3 weeks from a holiday planned months ago.
nice one aerlingus / pilot union
 
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Family hols to France, flight on the 3rd. Car hire etc booked already. Think I'm going to wait and hope for the best.
 
Pilots are only striking 8 hours on one day. Working to rule only means not doing anything beyond what they are contractually obliged to. In response to this, the airline cancelled up to 20% of flights. Hard to reconcile that with the company saying they are not short pilots and there isn’t a problem with their junior pilots starting on less than 60k….wouldnt believe most of the claims of either side to be honest….
 
Sunny said:
Pilots are only striking 8 hours on one day. Working to rule only means not doing anything beyond what they are contractually obliged to. In response to this, the airline cancelled up to 20% of flights. Hard to reconcile that with the company saying they are not short pilots ....
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Not if you understand how rostering works.

Imagine that the "work to rule" bunny's flight is delayed somewhere in Europe. He sits on the ground for a couple of hours and then announces to the 180 passengers that "sorry folks, my roster is up, so I'm not flying that crate back to Ireland. Thanks for flying with Aer Lingus"
 
Marsupial said:
Not if you understand how rostering works.

Imagine that the "work to rule" bunny's flight is delayed somewhere in Europe. He sits on the ground for a couple of hours and then announces to the 180 passengers that "sorry folks, my roster is up, so I'm not flying that crate back to Ireland. Thanks for flying with Aer Lingus"
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Eh? So you saying a pilot can deliberately sit on the ground at a foreign airport, lose a takeoff slot, take up a stand for a few hours for no legitimate reason and claim work to rule? Yeah that's how it works alright......

If the flight is delayed and the pilot is out of hours or the cabin crew are out of hours, under law they are perfectly entitled not to fly. Rosters have nothing to do with it. Airline crews can only legally work a certain number of hours in the day. What the pilots won't do anymore is use their discretion (can be used under certain circumstancss) to work outside of those hours. That's work to rule. Nothing to do with not working contracted rosters including delays. Its to do with working outside legal hours. I wouldn't do overtime if I was in dispute with my company. Would you?
 
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Sunny said:
Eh? So you saying a pilot can deliberately sit on the ground at a foreign airport, lose a takeoff slot, take up a stand for a few hours for no legitimate reason and claim work to rule? Yeah that's how it works alright......

If the flight is delayed and the pilot is out of hours or the cabin crew are out of hours, under law they are perfectly entitled not to fly. Rosters have nothing to do with it. Airline crews can only legally work a certain number of hours in the day. What the pilots won't do anymore is use their discretion (can be used under certain circumstancss) to work outside of those hours. That's work to rule. Nothing to do with not working contracted rosters including delays. Its to do with working outside legal hours. I wouldn't do overtime if I was in dispute with my company. Would you?
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Whatever. You win. Happy?
 
Aer Lingus "absolutely cannot” afford to cave into pilot demands for a 24 per cent pay increase, Willie Walsh, a former chief executive of the airline, has warned.

The reigning director general of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) said that he would “struggle to have sympathy” for pilots as they prepare for industrial action, and highlighted the potential toll of a strike on the company’s bottom line. Walsh, who joined Aer Lingus in 1979 and was appointed chief executive in 2001, said that the currently conflict is “very, very risky”, as the airline stands to lose more aircraft as the row progresses.

International Airlines Group (IAG), Aer Lingus’ parent firm, previously said that it intended to stall delivery of new aircraft to the Irish carrier until the pilots’ pay row is resolved. [Business Post]
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In passing, it was pleasing to hear my hypothetical scenario (post # 15 above) being corroborated on Morning Ireland earlier today.
I hope that the programme wasn't swamped by arguments from uncomprehending listeners!
 
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I am sure they were as the quote from Willie Walsh you linked has absolutely nothing to do with your ridiculous post about pilots saying 'their roster was up so they are not flying that crate home'.... as some part of work to rule.

Flight crews or cabin crew don't get to decide not to work just because a flight is delayed. That's not how airline rosters work. Just because it says finished at 7 doesn't mean they only work past 7 out of the goodness of their heart. They are obliged to keep working.

They can however refuse to work over their legally mandated hours if they feel fatigued or if they simply don't want to work past them. They are legal hours set by IAA and not roster hours.
They don't have to log into work on their days off to see roster changes just like I don't have to log into work on my days off.
They don't have to answer work calls on days off just like i don't have to answer work calls on my days off.
They don't have to accept changes to rosters outside what is contractually allowed or volunteer for extra duties. Again just like the majority of employees. That's work to rule.

And if Aer Lingus can't cope with the above without cancelling 20% of flights, aer lingus have an issue with staffing levels.

If you don't understand that distinction, maybe you should stop making comments on something you obviously don't understand. Or else set up a rant in letting off steam.......
 
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