Fuck me, I’m stressed even reading it. Aer Lingus need to offer the family something as a goodwill gesture here. A free trip home (without incident) this Christmas
That’s appalling, hope they at least get reimbursed for taxis etc
I honestly think if that happened me, I would have ended up in a police cell in Heathrow.
Not even Ryanair’s customer service is that bad! But then again, when I think about it…
I think I’d be institutionalised after that ordeal
That is absolutely shambolic, I’m fairly certain I would have caused an incident in Heathrow and been arrested by airport police if I had to deal with this total incompetance.
I’ve flown Aer Lingus plenty of times and never had issues but christ if I had something like that happen I wouldn’t touch them with a bargepole again.
There’s no reason to fly either aer lingus or British airways other than snobbery. They’re just shitter versions of Ryanair with treble the price
Sounds like wild systemic failures. Thank God for the EU ending protectionism. Imagine going back to a time when there was no competition.
Aer Lingus has gone downhill a fair bit recently. On our last few flights we’ve had delays, lost bags, absolutely incompetent (online) customer service, and really high prices. On top of that, does anyone know why they’ve removed the seat pockets? Not a major complaint, just curious.
I’ve had my own issues somewhat similar to the his with Aer Lingus.
Once while visiting a friend in America, a snowstorm snowed in a couple states for a few days on the east coast. Understandably, it was mayhem trying to get a hold of aer Lingus on the phone to sort something out but it took 4 days and many, MANY hours long phone calls and getting hung up on to get through to them to eventually being given the run around for another 2 FULL DAYS. It got to a point where I made 4 back to back hour long phone calls , being on hold, to eventually get out through to an aer Lingus answering machine that had another phone number to call to fix the issue of a flight home.
The phone number was to American airlines customer service. I wasn’t even booked with them at all, neither connecting flights. They were very understanding though and couldn’t have been more helpful and they actually got me a flight home with them after 7 days of being stuck.
The flight when I got to Roanoke airport was also overbooked by 1 passenger too with a child and since I was already stuck for 7 days I figured fuck it, I don’t mind waiting an extra couple hours to let them go home. Ended up getting back first class to Dublin and a light voucher from American Airlines for the troubles.
Oh and I got fired from my job when I got home because I “took an extra week off”.
Never received any communication from aer Lingus in any form afterwards despite my attempts.
Since then I’ve had a number of other problems with them with lost luggage, seat bookings not being done right, horrible service on flights, you name it. Unfortunately I’m stuck in a situation where friends and family live in cities that they happen to be the most affordable airline to go there so.
Fuck aer Lingus. They’re a dog shite airline barely treading above ryanair in quality that masquerade as a something of distinction because of their former reputation while they were state owned.
[deleted]
That was a painful read. So many times individuals tried to intervene and do the right thing but the systems just wouldn’t let them. Prime example:
“The check in staff member said ‘I am check in and I am holding this flight open for this family’. But again they were told check in was closed.”
I tried to summarise but Jesus Christ..
1. Christchurch to London (Fine)
2. London to Belfast attempt #1 (Cancelled)
3. London to Belfast attempt #2 (Suitcases arrived 2 days later. Stroller arrived 17 days later).
4. Belfast to London attempt #1 (Aer Lingus say Emirates have booking, Emirates say Aer Lingus have the booking, Aer Lingus ignore check in staff at Airport. Check in staff try to check family in manually but check in automatically closed and Aer Lingus wouldn’t let them check in).
5. Belfast to London attempt #2 (Rebooked onto last flight of the day to London, plane delayed 30 mins to accommodate them. Check in system wouldn’t allow their infant to be checked in. Flight had to leave while waiting for a duty manager).
6. Belfast to London attempt #3 (Next day, get on flight to London to get flight to NZ via Doha. They were told they needed to pick up the London-Doha boarding passes in London).
7. London – Doha attempt #1 (On arrival to London they were told Aer Lingus made no booking for them to get to Doha, were sent to a desk at Terminal 2 with no-one on it and missed flight).
8. London – Doha attempt #2 (Next day, showed up early to Terminal 4 to check in. Qatar Airways say Aer Lingus never confirmed the booking. Had to go to Terminal 2. Rebooked on a flight home via USA but transit visa website broke down and kept refreshing. Flight missed. Another flight with Emirates booked for later that day)
9. London – Dubai attempt #1 (Before checking in, they realised the onward date from Dubai was for December 2023. Aer Lingus also never listed the infant a passenger. There were no extra seats on the plane. Were sent to Terminal 2 to the Aer Lingus desk).
10. London – Belfast attempt #1 (Family tried to head back to Belfast to regroup but Aer Lingus said this would void the booking and all money would be lost).
11. London – Belfast attempt #2 (Service rep manages to get them a flight to Belfast but their luggage does not make it despite assurances)
12. Family then contact Pricewatch
13. The next day Aer Lingus arrange a taxi to Dublin Airport and first class flights back to NZ.
13 comments
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Fuck me, I’m stressed even reading it. Aer Lingus need to offer the family something as a goodwill gesture here. A free trip home (without incident) this Christmas
That’s appalling, hope they at least get reimbursed for taxis etc
I honestly think if that happened me, I would have ended up in a police cell in Heathrow.
Not even Ryanair’s customer service is that bad! But then again, when I think about it…
I think I’d be institutionalised after that ordeal
That is absolutely shambolic, I’m fairly certain I would have caused an incident in Heathrow and been arrested by airport police if I had to deal with this total incompetance.
I’ve flown Aer Lingus plenty of times and never had issues but christ if I had something like that happen I wouldn’t touch them with a bargepole again.
There’s no reason to fly either aer lingus or British airways other than snobbery. They’re just shitter versions of Ryanair with treble the price
Sounds like wild systemic failures. Thank God for the EU ending protectionism. Imagine going back to a time when there was no competition.
Aer Lingus has gone downhill a fair bit recently. On our last few flights we’ve had delays, lost bags, absolutely incompetent (online) customer service, and really high prices. On top of that, does anyone know why they’ve removed the seat pockets? Not a major complaint, just curious.
I’ve had my own issues somewhat similar to the his with Aer Lingus.
Once while visiting a friend in America, a snowstorm snowed in a couple states for a few days on the east coast. Understandably, it was mayhem trying to get a hold of aer Lingus on the phone to sort something out but it took 4 days and many, MANY hours long phone calls and getting hung up on to get through to them to eventually being given the run around for another 2 FULL DAYS. It got to a point where I made 4 back to back hour long phone calls , being on hold, to eventually get out through to an aer Lingus answering machine that had another phone number to call to fix the issue of a flight home.
The phone number was to American airlines customer service. I wasn’t even booked with them at all, neither connecting flights. They were very understanding though and couldn’t have been more helpful and they actually got me a flight home with them after 7 days of being stuck.
The flight when I got to Roanoke airport was also overbooked by 1 passenger too with a child and since I was already stuck for 7 days I figured fuck it, I don’t mind waiting an extra couple hours to let them go home. Ended up getting back first class to Dublin and a light voucher from American Airlines for the troubles.
Oh and I got fired from my job when I got home because I “took an extra week off”.
Never received any communication from aer Lingus in any form afterwards despite my attempts.
Since then I’ve had a number of other problems with them with lost luggage, seat bookings not being done right, horrible service on flights, you name it. Unfortunately I’m stuck in a situation where friends and family live in cities that they happen to be the most affordable airline to go there so.
Fuck aer Lingus. They’re a dog shite airline barely treading above ryanair in quality that masquerade as a something of distinction because of their former reputation while they were state owned.
[deleted]
That was a painful read. So many times individuals tried to intervene and do the right thing but the systems just wouldn’t let them. Prime example:
“The check in staff member said ‘I am check in and I am holding this flight open for this family’. But again they were told check in was closed.”
I tried to summarise but Jesus Christ..
1. Christchurch to London (Fine)
2. London to Belfast attempt #1 (Cancelled)
3. London to Belfast attempt #2 (Suitcases arrived 2 days later. Stroller arrived 17 days later).
4. Belfast to London attempt #1 (Aer Lingus say Emirates have booking, Emirates say Aer Lingus have the booking, Aer Lingus ignore check in staff at Airport. Check in staff try to check family in manually but check in automatically closed and Aer Lingus wouldn’t let them check in).
5. Belfast to London attempt #2 (Rebooked onto last flight of the day to London, plane delayed 30 mins to accommodate them. Check in system wouldn’t allow their infant to be checked in. Flight had to leave while waiting for a duty manager).
6. Belfast to London attempt #3 (Next day, get on flight to London to get flight to NZ via Doha. They were told they needed to pick up the London-Doha boarding passes in London).
7. London – Doha attempt #1 (On arrival to London they were told Aer Lingus made no booking for them to get to Doha, were sent to a desk at Terminal 2 with no-one on it and missed flight).
8. London – Doha attempt #2 (Next day, showed up early to Terminal 4 to check in. Qatar Airways say Aer Lingus never confirmed the booking. Had to go to Terminal 2. Rebooked on a flight home via USA but transit visa website broke down and kept refreshing. Flight missed. Another flight with Emirates booked for later that day)
9. London – Dubai attempt #1 (Before checking in, they realised the onward date from Dubai was for December 2023. Aer Lingus also never listed the infant a passenger. There were no extra seats on the plane. Were sent to Terminal 2 to the Aer Lingus desk).
10. London – Belfast attempt #1 (Family tried to head back to Belfast to regroup but Aer Lingus said this would void the booking and all money would be lost).
11. London – Belfast attempt #2 (Service rep manages to get them a flight to Belfast but their luggage does not make it despite assurances)
12. Family then contact Pricewatch
13. The next day Aer Lingus arrange a taxi to Dublin Airport and first class flights back to NZ.