Aerlingus and their useless online check-in

axer

So am flying to Berlin on Wednesday with Ryanair to come back the next day with Aerlingus (due to the Aerlingus flight being at night).

Checked in online with Ryanair no problem.

Went to check in with Aerlingus whom I knew had a stupid online checkin i.e. that it only can be used 30 hours before the flight which is a pain. Then I noticed they have finally changed their online check-in system to allow checkin up to 30 days before the flight.

"Great", I thought, until I went to check in only to be notified on screen that I must choose a seat before I can do an advance check-in. Clicked on the link and am brought a screen to choose my seat and I see the price for emergency seats at 15 euro, the first few rows at 10 euro and unbelievably every other seat is 5 euro thus making a charge unavoidable.

What a joke Aerlingus are. How hard is it to provide an online check-in facility more than 30 hours in advance without trying to rip people off by forcing them to pay extra for the privilege.[/rant]

steve-o

...or you could just check in at the airport.

mikedragon32

So, if I understand what you're saying OP, you have no problem with Ryanair charging you to checkin with no way to avoid it. But Aer Lingus, who are charging for you to pick a seat, NOT to check in, (an avoidable charge) are somehow the bad guys?

roundymac

And don't forget about prioity boarding, like the man said, you can check-in at the airport, or is this an anti Aer Lingus rant...... Trolls:cool:

Yahew

If he wants to check-in online, then the advice to "check in at the airport" is worse than useless.

Do RyanAir charge for online checkin, if it is part of the fare, and non-optional, then you might as well say they charge for fuel.

roundymac

Yahew wrote: »

If he wants to check-in online, then the advice to "check in at the airport" is worse than useless.

Do RyanAir charge for online checkin, if it is part of the fare, and non-optional, then you might as well say they charge for fuel.

With Ryanair he has no choice, but he has with Aer Lingus and seems to have a problem with that. Also the online chechin with Ryanair is not part of the fare, it's an add-on.

ebbsy

Why not just check in at the self service terminals at the airport ?

Thats what they are there for, a two minute job.

loli

My husband and I have flown Ryanair for 10 years and have always found you get what you pay for and made on average 4-5 return flights per annum.

We now have a son and it just so happens this trip the times with Aer Lingus suited a little better and so we decided to use you. We fly out on Saturday the 27th of August and are returning Monday. We paid initially in excess of 70 euro more than we would have with Ryanair for these flights thinking with Aerlingus there would be no further hidden charges. However I have just tried to check in online to find as we are travelling with an infant we must ring Aerlingus in order to book seats for us as with an infant not all seats are available to us (understandable).

As there was no number provided with this message I rang the reservations line to find when you select issues with online check in it just gives you a speach about ensuring you save your boarding card prior to printing and then cuts you off. I then had to ring the special assistance line. When I got through I explained to the agent that there were no selections for my issue and she kindly warm transfered me to another agent. I was then informed I would need to pay to reserve my seats. However (having flown ryanair so long) I am not bothered where I seat, I am simply trying to check in. I was advised as I had an infant my only option was to check in at the check in desk or pay for the seats.

I am a bit annoyed at this as if it had been included in the original price I would have flown Ryanair as per usual. Now I am stuck with the option of having to leave my house at 6:30am with a toddler in tow or paying 20 euro. Obviously I paid. This is very unfair to be victimised for travelling with a toddler (its not as if he is flying for free).

Please may I have an explanation for the reasoning behind this? The agent said if I was checking in 30 hours before the seat would be free however not to me as I have a child?

Having worked in customer care for many years I understand information can be lost in translation and am writing to see if there is an alternative to paying for my seats if I am checking in online with a toddler? Why can I not ring 30 hours before to check in just as I did today?

satguy

Aer Lingus have many more stealth fees now then Ryanair...
The 5 euro fee for your seat is a doozy, you might think that having already paid when your booked your flight that your bum would have a seat.
But you get hit with another fee at check-in.
You can wait till 30 hours before you go, and not pay this sneaky fee, but that means they will get you on the way back.

With Ryanair you get robbed, but you know you are being robbed...
But with Aer Lingus, they sneak up on you, then rob you..

Aer Lingus have done the unthinkable,, and knocked Ryanair off the worst airline in the world spot..

schemingbohemia

satguy wrote: »

Aer Lingus have many more stealth fees now then Ryanair...
The 5 euro fee for your seat is a doozy, you might think that having already paid when your booked your flight that your bum would have a seat.
But you get hit with another fee at check-in.
You can wait till 30 hours before you go, and not pay this sneaky fee, but that means they will get you on the way back.

With Ryanair you get robbed, but you know you are being robbed...
But with Aer Lingus, they sneak up on you, then rob you..

Aer Lingus have done the unthinkable,, and knocked Ryanair off the worst airline in the world spot..

There is no obligation to check-in online, no obligation to pre-book a seat and certainly no obligation to drag up a 2 year old thread to post an incorrect ill-conceived rant!

kerry4sam

Hi there satguy,

I closed this thread here. If you have any issues with that, them please pm me.

Thanks,
kerry4sam