Appalling treatment by Aer Lingus at Lisbon Airport

Sanguine Fan

On Wednesday June 27th 2018 my wife and I checked in at Lisbon Airport for our EI 487 22:45 flight back to Dublin after a very enjoyable holiday. Our three cases were tagged and taken, boarding cards issued and we passed quickly through security. We had been told at check-in that our flight would be delayed because the plane leaving Dublin to collect us had not yet departed.

When we got to the departure gate the screen said that the flight would be leaving at the later time of 23:50. At this point it was about 22:30. I checked the Aer Lingus web site to see if the Dublin flight had left for Lisbon and it said that both the Dublin and follow-up return flights were cancelled. Yet the screen over the departure gate continued to display the 23:50 departure time.

There was no one around from Aer Lingus, or their agents, to tell us what to do. So we and many other passengers decided to make the long walk back through security and passport control to find our bags and wait for further direction. When we arrived in the baggage area, our bags were delivered on the carousel and an Aer Lingus agent handed each passenger a one-page information sheet. This stated that the flight had been cancelled "due to technical reasons". Our options, the sheet stated, were to re-book a new flight (subject to availability) or seek a refund - all via the Aer Lingus web site.

We were not offered hotel accommodation or even transport into the city centre. Some of us believed that Aer Lingus would send an extra plane to bring us back to Dublin and that it was better to wait anyway. This seemed logical since there was likely to be few Aer Lingus seats available on the two flights a day between Dublin and Lisbon, and there were a couple of hundred passengers to be accommodated.

Conditions for the passengers, some elderly or disabled, at Lisbon Airport were horrendous as we waited through the long night and well into the following day. No public seating whatsoever, bags to be kept close, only a six euro voucher each to pay for food and drink, and no further communication until next morning from Aer Lingus or their local agents. Plus we were all extremely tired and not in the best frame of mind to make rational decisions about what to do next.

The website offered a phone number from Portugal which would not be available until 9:00am the following morning. The printed page we received included a Dublin number which, when I tried it, led to a recorded message. I was lucky in that I could access my Android tablet via the free airport wi-fi service. I also had a couple of credit cards. But what about passengers without finance or computer access?

When the Aer Lingus agent's desk opened the following morning we had to queue to meet the single representative tasked with sorting out alternative routes back to Dublin. There would be no special flight to take us all home together. Most of us were put on flights from Faro, several hundred kilometres from Lisbon Airport. In our case, we got on an Aer Lingus flight from Faro which left about 24 hours later, i.e. Thursday evening. Others had to wait until Friday.

I am writing this, not to find out how to seek redress or compensation, that I can do myself, but to hear from anyone who had had a similar experience with Aer Lingus or another airline.

Sorry this post is so long but I'd appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.

jive

This is why ec 261/2004 is there. This is just a general risk with flights, some airlines are higher risk than others but there’s always this possibility. My only advice to mitigate would be avoid crap airlines and late night flights (makes it much more difficult to find accommodation and transport when it’s late)

Nonoperational

Unfortunately it happens on occasion. A lot of the time the airline will put you up, but on occasion I have just gone online and booked a route home myself and claimed it from insurance after.

Trigger Happy

Avoiding the late night flights is a definite for me. But having good insurance to cover accommodation etc is also essential.

Bottom line is aer lingus is a budget airline and if you expect them to do any more than ec 261/2004 then you will be disappointed. I dont see that aer lingus have done anything wrong in this case.

Masala

Google your rights under EC261. The compensation is quite generous...I know a family of 4 who got €1,000 for a 4 hrs delay!!! AND from Ryanair of all people. They only paid €600 for their seats - do next holiday is paid for

Mountjoy Mugger

I'd seek my compensation - a minimum €250 per passenger impacted.

L1011

The customer service on-ground is delivered by ground handlers; there are a limited number of these in Portugal and they're all pretty crap. The airline is ultimately responsible for having hired them of course.

The airline would have no capacity to put an extra flight on at peak periods, they would have to hire in a plane to do so and if they could get people on other flights, anywhere vaguely nearby to either end, they'll do that instead. Lisbon-Cork, Faro-Dublin would both be options for that.

Lisbon-Dublin should be in the €400 per person compensation distance band; you're also entitled to accomodation, breakfast/dinner costs (not lunch oddly) and telecommunications costs back.

Sanguine Fan

Trigger Happy wrote: »

I dont see that aer lingus have done anything wrong in this case.

If you omitted the word 'wrong' I couldn't disagree.

I think you are confusing Aer Lingus' legal obligations with common human decency (or even good customer service).

Offering cheap flights to exotic locations does not eliminate their duty to customers. A truly dreadful company in my experience.

razorblunt

Sanguine Fan wrote: »

If you omitted the word 'wrong' I couldn't disagree.

I think you are confusing Aer Lingus' legal obligations with common human decency (or even good customer service).

Offering cheap flights to exotic locations does not eliminate their duty to customers. A truly dreadful company in my experience.

The ground staff isn't Aer Lingus though.

Sanguine Fan

razorblunt wrote: »

The ground staff isn't Aer Lingus though.

The fact that Aer Lingus employs an intermediary agent at Lisbon Airport is irrelevant. I don't care about the company's internal arrangements, only about its treatment of customers. And I have never experienced such appalling service from a provider in my sixty-five years on the planet.

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

Sanguine Fan

draiochtanois wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Wow!

Whether you work for Aer Lingus or are otherwise connected to the company, you clearly have no concept of 'customer service' - or even empathy!

I can only assume you've never been at the receiving end of a bad experience like ours.;)

L1011

draiochtanois wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Do not post like this again.

Sanguine Fan wrote: »

Wow!

Whether you work for Aer Lingus or are otherwise connected to the company, you clearly have no concept of 'customer service' - or even empathy!

I can only assume you've never been at the receiving end of a bad experience like ours.;)

Do not accuse posters of being connected to a company.

mattser

Sanguine Fan wrote: »

Wow!

Whether you work for Aer Lingus or are otherwise connected to the company, you clearly have no concept of 'customer service' - or even empathy!

I can only assume you've never been at the receiving end of a bad experience like ours.;)

Don't pay any attention to these smart asses. They'd be the first to throw a strop if caught in your situation.

Sanguine Fan

L1011 wrote: »

Do not accuse posters of being connected to a company.

Strong word 'accuse', but I get it, sorry.

I'm just surprised to be attacked like that in a forum for Consumer Issues.

Henry Ford III

You were treated very poorly unfortunately OP.

You do have grounds for redress however.

dudara

I’m reinforcing L1011’s earlier warning - Consumer Issues is about helping other people with constructive advice. If you do not agree with them or do not think they have a case, say it constructively. Otherwise you’re just adding unhelpful noise

dudara

PlaneSpeeking

Henry Ford III wrote: »

You were treated very poorly unfortunately OP.

You do have grounds for redress however.

+1

OP, I've never had that kind of experience - worst was a 4 hour delay in Manchester during the day, coming home to Ireland. Ryanair were less than useless but an online company got me 250 euro compensation. And I'd be the last person to go looking for compensation believe me - but Ryanair said the 3.15pm flight was cancelled, put us on one at near 7pm and let the 5.15pm flight go on as normal!

Why not bump everyone ? We take the 5.15pm plane and anyone on that takes the 7pm ?? Share the pain!!

I hope you are now recovered from your horrible experience and your next trip is better!

Sanguine Fan

PlaneSpeeking wrote: »

+1
I hope you are now recovered from your horrible experience and your next trip is better!

Thanks to you and the other contributors for your responses. Maybe I should be more cynical about modern-day airlines, but I really think the low fare business model needs to be re-examined.

Yes, financial compensation eases the pain, but I'd rather have good customer service nearby when something goes wrong. Maybe that would mean each airline being compelled to create a contingency fund to resource a proper response in the event of a cancellation. For instance, what about a live 24-hour freephone or lo-call service that would arrange alternative flights, transport, accommodation, etc. on a call-back basis?

Expensive to set up and run, I'm sure, but surely worth it in terms of company reputation and customer loyalty.

As it is now I will never again knowingly fly Aer Lingus.

L1011

Sanguine Fan wrote: »

As it is now I will never again knowingly fly Aer Lingus.

Ryanair are cancelling far more flights and treat people identically. You are rather limited in options if avoiding both

FrKurtFahrt

Masala wrote: »

Google your rights under EC261. The compensation is quite generous...I know a family of 4 who got €1,000 for a 4 hrs delay!!! AND from Ryanair of all people. They only paid €600 for their seats - do next holiday is paid for

October last, same for my wife and I - from Berlin, delayed 5 hours.

After I arrived home I applied for compo as above. It took me 2 minutes, and I got €500 within a few days. I expected awkwardness from Ryanair, but it was settled without question. The cost of the seats were easily covered - I'm still surprised at how easy it was.

(I understand that all this is useless now to OP, but its just my experience)

Sanguine Fan

L1011 wrote: »

Ryanair are cancelling far more flights and treat people identically. You are rather limited in options if avoiding both

Sadly, you're probably right. I live on an island and need planes to go anywhere else. Ferries don't seem to be a reliable alternative, plus they are very slow.

But, although I have had problems with Ryanair I have generally found them to be a bit more responsive. At least so far.

I certainly don't want to go back to the bad old days of extortionate fares to fly across to England, for instance. But I think there is a happy medium between low fares and good service.

Whatever airline finds that balance will have my business anyway.

Sanguine Fan

FrKurtFahrt wrote: »

After I arrived home I applied for compo as above. It took me 2 minutes, and I got €500 within a few days. I expected awkwardness from Ryanair, but it was settled without question. The cost of the seats were easily covered - I'm still surprised at how easy it was.

Thanks. I've never had to apply for compensation from an airline, but I will be doing so soon.

As a matter of interest who pays it? The airline? Their insurance company? The EU?

L1011

The airline foots the bill.

Sanguine Fan

L1011 wrote: »

The airline foots the bill.

Good to know, thanks.

dudara

I’m not defending Aer Lingus, but your suggestion of re-routing a plane to bring people home is probably unworkable at this time of year (peak holiday season). All planes are scheduled on their routes or will be scheduled for maintenance. It’s probably not as easy as you think to re-arrange.

Good luck in getting redress.

BeardySi

Sanguine Fan wrote: »

I certainly don't want to go back to the bad old days of extortionate fares to fly across to England, for instance. But I think there is a happy medium between low fares and good service.

Whatever airline finds that balance will have my business anyway.

Flybe - but you'll have to go from Belfast

EverythingGood

L1011 wrote: »

The airline foots the bill.

Other passengers ultimately will foot the bill via higher fares or ancillary charges.

L1011

BeardySi wrote: »

Flybe - but you'll have to go from Belfast

They have a nickname of Flymaybe. For a reason.

EverythingGood wrote: »

Other passengers ultimately will foot the bill via higher fares or ancillary charges.

As they would if the airline had hired in an aircraft or kept operational spares.

Mebuntu

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Bottom line is aer lingus is a budget airline and if you expect them to do any more than ec 261/2004 then you will be disappointed. I dont see that aer lingus have done anything wrong in this case.

Really? According to Aer Lingus ads they are Ireland's only 4-star airline!

OP the replacement hire-in aircraft that Aer Lingus often uses when things go wrong (a Titan Airways) seems to have been already occupied on the 27th rescuing Aer Lingus passengers from Burgas who were left stranded overnight from 26th because the inbound flight had to divert to Bucharest due to bad weather. The diverted aircraft just flew back to Dublin. Thus, with no plane, the return flight from Burgas was delayed overnight until the Titan arrived.

Source:http://thelingussource.com/

GerardKeating

PlaneSpeeking wrote: »

Why not bump everyone ? We take the 5.15pm plane and anyone on that takes the 7pm ?? Share the pain!!

That would not make business (or customer service) sense.

Why delay/inconvience a second plane load of passangers?