Aer Lingus cancelled several flights from Manchester this week, leaving passengers frustrated – the airline said the cancellations were due to ‘aircraft technical issues’
Passengers faced disruption on their flights from and to Manchester Airport(Image: Teamjackson via Getty Images)
Aer Lingus passengers have spoken out of their “nightmare” experience with the airline after several flights from a busy UK airport were cancelled this week.
Flight EI 45, which was scheduled to depart from Manchester Airport at 2.15pm and arrive in New York at 5.20pm on Tuesday, December 2 and Thursday, December 4, were both cancelled. Friday’s flight, with the same departure and arrival times, was also cancelled, according to the airline’s website.
No Aer Lingus flights from Manchester to New York are scheduled this weekend. The airline said the flights were cancelled due to “aircraft technical issues” and customers would be notified directly of further cancellations.
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Aer Lingus said the cancellations were due to ‘aircraft technical issues'(Image: PA)
A spokesperson for Aer Lingus said: “Aer Lingus sincerely apologises for the cancellation of several direct flights from Manchester to New York due to aircraft technical issues. We have successfully rebooked the vast majority of affected customers on alternative flights, either via Dublin Airport or with partner airlines.
“Our dedicated customer care team is liaising directly with impacted passengers to provide alternative options. We regret the disruption this has caused and are working to minimise the impact on our customers.”
Passengers who paid for direct Aer Lingus flights reported being switched to indirect flights via Dublin, while others were moved onto Virgin Atlantic flights, the Manchester Evening News reported. According to Aer Lingus’ website, passengers whose flights have been cancelled by the airline have three options – they can take their next available flight, which could be with a partner airline; change their flight; or request a voucher or cash refund.
The cancellations left passengers frustrated and many took to social media to share their experiences. One wrote on Facebook: “We were supposed to be on the cancelled flight yesterday (Tuesday) they texted us 6pm the night before to tell us it had been cancelled. We phoned and asked to be put on the Virgin direct flight at a similar time and they moved to that. Otherwise it would have been a connecting flight to Dublin. In NYC now so see what happens on the flight home.”
Passengers were left frustrated(Image: Granne Ni Aodha/PA Wire)
Another passenger said: “Our flight from Manchester was cancelled on Tuesday, no notification I just happened to check Manchester departures board on the evening before and could see it was cancelled. We had already been put on a virgin flight, which was actually an hour earlier. My concern now is getting home on Saturday but can’t [sic] do anything so will forget about it until Friday night and hope for the best!”
A third person, who is set to fly with Aer Lingus next week, said: “We are due to fly from Manchester on 10th – I’m worried that some people have been given little notice of change especially if flight times are earlier – we have a 2 hr journey to get to airport and have attractions booked the following day. How can they do this to people when they’ve planned trips of a life time!”
Jessica Lilburn, whose flights from Manchester to New York and from New York to Manchester were cancelled, said she managed to reach her destination by stopping over in Dublin, even if she had paid for directed flights. She said she was offered the option to fly with Virgin Atlantic, but this would have cost an extra £2,000. While in New York, Jessica and her partner were notified that their return flight on November 22 had been cancelled and they had to return home via Dublin.
She described the experience as “a nightmare” and said the whole situation “caused a lot of stress” during her birthday trip. She told MEN: “It caused a lot of stress given all the money we paid. The communication was very poor from the airline. If you’re older and not good with emails you wouldn’t even know.
“We flew with Virgin in May and we couldn’t fault them at all. But I don’t think I would travel with Aer Lingus again. It was just a nightmare. It just feels like Aer Lingus are messing us about, it’s disgusting.”