Q: I missed my flight from Edinburgh to Dublin because of Aer Lingus’ lack of staffing. There was just one member of its Edinburgh airport staff to check in passengers for all flights that day.
Travel Troubleshooter: Aer Lingus made me miss my flight — and then charged me to rebook
A three-hour line at the airport leads to a missed connection and months of back-and-forth.
By Christopher Elliott
August 27, 2024 at 8:30PM
More than 20 passengers waited over three hours in line to check in. We all missed our flight and I missed my connecting flight to Boston.
Aer Lingus charged me to rebook my flights and get home. A representative told me I could get a refund by submitting an online claim. I have been contacting Aer Lingus for six months and I am still not getting anywhere. I also emailed their CEO and was just passed to another customer service rep who takes weeks to email.
Can you help me get the $1,200 in rebooking fees refunded?
A: Aer Lingus should have had more than one employee to check you in. But it didn’t, and as I review the correspondence, it’s clear what happened.
Your departure was scheduled during the busy summer travel season. It looks like the sole employee who checked you in worked for a third party, Swissport.
There was another complicating factor: The first leg of your ticket was not on Aer Lingus, but on Emerald Airlines, a code-share partner. And according to Aer Lingus, you didn’t have a connecting flight to Boston on your itinerary. It’s unclear how that could have happened. But when you didn’t make it to Dublin for your flight to Boston, Aer Lingus considered you a “no show” and canceled your reservation.
When you applied for a refund, you received a form letter from Aer Lingus that reminded you to show up for your Emerald Airlines flight on time. But obviously, Aer Lingus hadn’t read your account. You were waiting in a 3½-hour line, so you had hours to spare at the Edinburgh airport.
It felt like Aer Lingus was trying to wear you down with form responses and empty promises. But Aer Lingus is still responsible, even if you’re flying on its codeshare partner.
The takeaway? If you’re making a connection, be sure your itinerary is connected by having the same reservation number. Otherwise, if you miss your first flight or if it’s delayed, you could be in big trouble.
If this ever happens again, ask the ticket agent to make a notation in your reservation that you were delayed for reasons beyond your control. That will allow the ticket agent down the line to waive your rebooking fees. It’s not a guarantee, but it could help.
I contacted Aer Lingus. After a few weeks, you got some good news.
“Aer Lingus has finally refunded me the rebooking fees almost seven months after my trip,” you said.
Contact Christopher Elliott of Elliott Advocacy at chris@elliott.org or elliottadvocacy.org/help.
