The forthcoming 72 hours are decisive for countless Aer Lingus travellers, as an expected Labour Court proposition intended to conclude the ongoing strike is due in the early part of the week. The non-mandatory verdict will be delivered to both the management and the pilots’ union of Aer Lingus. The union will subsequently hold a vote among its members on the judgement, which should clarify the road ahead.
If the union (Ialpa) favours the Labour Court’s decision, it is highly likely to earn the approval of the union’s members, thereby ceasing the industrial turmoil. On the contrary, if Ialpa deems the verdict insufficient in addressing its initial wage demand of nearly 24 per cent, pilots are likely to refuse the recommendation. The voting process will take a number of days to conclude; it will most likely be an on-paper affair given the preceding complications associated with an electronic ballot.
The ongoing industrial disagreement, currently restricted to working strictly within rostered hours, could escalate to full strike days, severely inconveniencing travellers. During the past fortnight, the airline has maintained services during the restricted work period, cancelling approximately 40 daily flights primarily on short-haul business routes. The airline’s recent decision to scrap an additional 80 flights brings the total cancellations to 548 flights as a tactic to counteract the pilots’ industrial action, affecting approximately 82,000 passengers’ travel arrangements.
However, the full eight-hour strike that occurred on Saturday, June 29th, forced Aer Lingus to cancel 120 flights, impacting key vacation routes such as Malaga and Faro. As per industrial relation regulations, the union is obligated to provide at least a seven-day warning to management regarding any additional action beyond the current work restrictions.
Assuming the Labour Court’s recommendation is revealed on Monday and voted on by Thursday evening, the earliest possible date for a full strike would be Thursday, July 18th. Meanwhile, as the dispute persists, an increasing number of passengers are reporting delays in receiving refunds stemming from the mass flight cancellations.
Amid the ongoing dispute with Aer Lingus, passengers warned of the potential financial consequences of rebooking cancelled flights. The fine print stipulates passengers must meet the difference in fare between the original and new reservations upfront, waiting for reimbursement from the airline later. The airline has however clarified that those disrupted by cancelled flights are given the option to alter their tickets for free and are entitled to seek reimbursement or a voucher. However, switching flights to alternative dates may lead to substantial outlays that passengers must offset before receiving reimbursement from Aer Lingus.
Although Aer Lingus has assured that it aims to prevent passengers from significant budgetary strain for an extended period, there may be days-long delays in reimbursement. Passengers on the move are therefore advised to have enough funding to accommodate potential extra charges.
Aer Lingus customer Thomas Walsh, a professional musician, had planned a performance in London the previous Saturday. “My partner arrived from Los Angeles last week on a 10-day visit. We planned extensive travel, and I made all Aer Lingus bookings months ago,” he explained. With the looming strike threat, he immediately cancelled their flight to Heathrow that was due to fly on the second day of industrial action. He wouldn’t risk a hitch in their plans, hence he organised a ferry to Holyhead and a railway journey to London. Despite the likelihood of a cancellation, their flight was among the two out of seven flights that operated to Heathrow that day. Thomas sought his refund two weeks ago and is still awaiting a response from Aer Lingus.
Another client, Kevin Grant, expressed his financial predicament brought about by rebooking his transatlantic flights. He fears delays in getting his refund as his card bill for the replacement flights he booked will soon be due. Meanwhile, another passenger, Mark Ennis, shared that his family member was requested to pay €370 to alter a flight that Aer Lingus had cancelled.
On a lighter note, there were a few positive instances among these challenges. Larry Coady, who had planned to fly from New York to Dublin, received a last-minute message advising that his flight was cancelled. However, he was soon accommodated on an earlier flight via Manchester.
A gentleman recounts his attempt at switching his return trip through the online application. Despite his initiatives, the procedure hit a brick wall and appeared to burden him with an extra fee of more than €200. His spirited effort to telephone the airline, however, landed him an achievement. He managed to reschedule a direct flight on Thursday without being charged extra within the duration of about eight minutes and twenty-three seconds. Nonetheless, the online path seemed to be a misadventure, struck midway, while the telephone service provided an outstanding resolution.
A different customer narrates his travel story from Mijas, proximate to Malaga, along with his spouse. The vacation transpired between June 22nd and June 29th. On the evening of Thursday, June 27th, they were notified via mail that their intended journey to Dublin on June 29th faced cancellation, hence presenting the usual substitutes to them (voucher, rescheduling or refund). The need to reach home on the 29th led them to purchase two individual Ryanair tickets costing an astounding €850.
Once back home, they filed for a refund for the cancelled return flights from Aer Lingus. They were given an assurance of obtaining a refund of the cancelled return trip value (roughly €340) within ten days, accompanied by a reference number. Contrary to their scepticism, they got their refund by the following Tuesday, making them pleasantly surprised by the quick response from the airline.
Aer Lingus has ensured that customers are not charged a change fee since the inception of their dispute and has requested them to pose a refund enquiry in case of any fare discrepancies. About 75% of the customers are being repaid within a day, claimed the spokesperson. The airline’s customer service representatives are said to be working resolutely on processing the remainder at the earliest. The inconvenience caused by the industrial strike action was deeply regretted by the airline, acknowledging the hardship faced by customers during such frustrating times.