TENS OF THOUSANDS of passengers set to travel with Aer Lingus in the coming days look set to be impacted by the industrial action by pilots’ union IALPA over a pay dispute.

Today, Aer Lingus announced that a further 50 flights are to be cancelled, bringing the total number so far to 270. The cancellations will begin tomorrow morning and run until next Tuesday, although this could be extended. 

Customers could be informed that their flight has been cancelled at the departure gate, Aer Lingus said yesterday.

A number of bogus X accounts claiming to be representatives for Aer Lingus have begun responding to tweets from intended passengers. Aer Lingus has warned passengers not to engage or share any personal information if they are contacted by these accounts, or any account claiming to be Aer Lingus.

A reminder that this the only official X account of Aer Lingus. If you are contacted by another account with a similar name, please do not engage or share personal information with it. You can contact a member of our chat team here: https://t.co/emJswtBMsI

— Aer Lingus (@AerLingus) June 25, 2024

A list of all flights that have been cancelled by Aer Lingus are available here. The airline has said that customers whose flights are impacted by the industrial action will be told directly via email or text message – or through their travel agent – advising of their options. 

All customers with flights between the impacted dates – 26 June and 2 July-  can change their flights online to rebook for a later date, request a refund voucher for future travel, or request a refund. 

Customers must apply for a refund themselves if their flight is cancelled. They will not be automatically reimbursed. 

If customers have been booked to fly with Aer Lingus through a travel agent, their agent should organise alternative flights. Customers should contact their travel agent to confirm, if they have not received word already.

Transatlantic flights to and from Manchester in England, as well as all Aer Lingus regional flights, will not be impacted, the airline said. 

What if my flight home is cancelled while I’m abroad?

The company has said that it will make efforts to rebook travellers on another flight if their flight home is cancelled while they’re abroad, and if they can they will send an email confirming this and a new itinerary. However, this is by no means a guarantee. 

If the cancellation of an Aer Lingus flight results in extra costs for accommodation, transport, or meals, passengers should keep clear, itemised receipts, and submit them for reimbursement here. 

Aer Lingus considers 3-star accommodation to be reasonable, it said. Alcohol is not reimbursable, and all expenses must be appropriate to the length of the wait incurred.

Contacting Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus has said on its website that there are longer contact centre wait times in the wake of the announcement of hundreds of cancelled flights. On its site, the company says that there are agents available to speak to from 7am to 10pm, Monday to Sunday. 

However, people impacted by flight cancellations told The Journal that they could not get in touch with anyone from the airline, despite trying to reach customer service through a variety of means.