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Aer Lingus Reviews
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Flew twice this month with them and never will again. Old dingy planes, charge for everything, even water, and they treat customers terribly. Our flight was so delayed we missed our connection, but they told us nothing during the delays, left us sitting for hours on the plane when it arrived, then did everything they could to avoid helping us after missing our connection. They then let us stand in line for two hours thinking we’d be booked into a hotel only to be given a blurry page outlining your rights and being told to figure things out ourselves. They don’t even tell you how to reclaim costs and do their best not to compensate you. Awful airline!
Aer Lingus is terrible. They put us at the wrong gate flying through Heathrow in London. Missed our flight and had to wait about four hours for next flight then got into Chicago too late for last flight and had to spend the night. British Airways did pay for our motel. When we got to Memphis other members of our group had gotten in the day before and were already home so we had to get an Uber for about 100 miles home. When I submitted the bill plus a few dollars for food and miscellaneous to Aer Lingus they claimed they had no record of our ever being passengers.
At least three times I sent them information and copies of our confirmation and they kept saying we were not passengers. I guess the $180 or so they cheated me out of won't make or break me but it's the principle of the thing. I usually don't say I'll never do something but I will never fly Aer Lingus again. Awful and terrible customer service. If they are the only option I won't go. Recommend everyone avoid!!!
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I should have known what was in store for me when I called Aer Lingus and heard 3rd world music on hold. Not to waste everyone's time; after 6 calls and hours on the phone, I came away with two issues. One, Aer Lingus just does not care about their passages. Two if it were not for international safety regulations they would probably be flying very dangerous aircraft, because they would not spend money on maintenance. I am not looking forward to the flight.
Flew from JFK/NYC to Italy, which required a layover in Ireland. Flight outbound from JFK to Ireland was nice, if you are located on the outside seats. The three hour flight from Ireland to Italy was on the dirtiest and oldest plane I have been in, in decades. No entertainment for the duration, cramped, and not even seat pockets in front of you, just a dirty old plane. They should be ashamed. On the way back, same thing. Dirty old plane to Ireland. From Ireland to JFK/NYC, we had the unfortunate ability to sit by the exit, restroom, and galley. Want people's backsides in your face for 6 hours? Sit there. Want to get no rest whatsoever because it seems the flight attendants make a sport of slamming things as hard as they can? Sit there. Want to smell them cooking, for no apparent reason, some sort of cabbage dish that smells so bad it makes you want to vomit? By all means, sit there.
Lastly, want to disembark quickly because you are right there when they open the doors? Nope, don't sit there. The rude flight attendant will, without even the curiosity of an explanation, just block you until all of business class empties out. Just stands in front of you and if you ask if they can move, they get snippy and say "no." I know it is a budget airline, but they could do very better and I strongly recommend trying another airline. Really.
1. We were scheduled to fly out on September 10th. Because of Aer Lingus’ issues with their “Systems” a "major break in connectivity" (just about every flight was cancelled that day!), we spent an entire day in Dublin Airport. We were told we would be flying out that day, so we should wait. We were loaded on the Plane only to be told to get off an HOUR PLUS on the plane. At that point there was no Aer Lingus people in the airport or on the phone (we remained on hold to the company for 2 hrs.+). We were told (by the crew) to just make our own reservations & we would be reimbursed, for our troubles (we were told “…you're on your own…”). We were not able to get a flight until Sept. 12th.
We were also told to get our own accommodations & it would be reimbursed. Because ~250K people were in town going to the Garth Brooks Concerts (yea GB?), all the previous cancellations & the lateness of the cancellation, there were very limited rooms available (the one we got was cancelled minutes before we booked it according to the hotel). We booked what we could. because of Aer Lingus’s System Issues, we spent over $4,000+ in excess of what we would have paid if Aer Lingus not had “System” Issues. We have gone back & forth with them. They reimbursed the Price of the Cancelled ticket (not the new one which was twice the price), then a nominal number of $969 to cover our expenses (not close), based on what I am told is some mathematical calculation from the Irish Government (GREAT!).
We had paid for an upgrade to Business Class as a gift to ourselves, they have not reimbursed it or even addressed it. HOW can you reimburse for a cancelled flight but NOT the upgrade on that flight, that YOU DIDN'T USE!! I will say this- NEVER FLY AER LINGUS! EVER! Go to Scotland instead! I have had 5 different interactions with them which, of course, you cannot actually talk to anyone, and they say, case closed. If anyone, knows anyone who can help or give direction please let me know! THANKS Peter
We were detained in Paris on our flight to Dublin because an "engineer had to sign off" on the flight. That sign-off took 1.5 hours which caused us to miss our Dublin to LA flight. While Aer Lingus arranged for us to fly to NY on Aer Lingus and then LA via Jet Blue, our bags did not come with us which caused great problems as we needed them for our next destination.
The Aer Lingus website for us to report our need for immediate attention did not help as their requested 10-character routing number to locate our luggage did not exist on our Aer Lingus bag tags. Flight attendants in all 4 flights we had on Aer Lingus were not friendly or helpful (even though the Irish in general are reputed to be very friendly). In fact, they were the worst flight attendants I've encountered, particularly on the March 1st, 2023 4:20 PM flight from Dublin to NY. As of this writing, we still have not received our luggage which is very problematic. I would not recommend this airline to anyone. Although this is a minor issue, Aer Lingus even after with the 1.5 hour delay in the Paris-Dublin flight did not offer a free drink on that flight once airborne. This
Updated on 02/04/2023: It took almost a month and two tickets, 6 follow-on answers and request for status, and two phone calls, until I received today at least the reimbursement for taxi and bus after flight cancellation. Concerning the EUR 600 as compensation for the flight being cancelled. The first rejection indicated as reason "The flight was delayed because of de-icing of the plane, and this does not qualify for compensation"; incorrect; the flight was cancelled and not delayed.
The 2nd rejection included reference to the EU law enforcement body. Explicitly no reason given for the refusal. The third rejection gave as reason "extra-ordinary circumstances/foreign object damage". Sounds like another excuse, especially when reading that this is how airlines try to avoid the compensation payment and hope that their customer walks away. My son has submitted this case to an organization that follows up and collects the money. I presume they have access to the real cause and don't put up with this excuse crap. How does this fit with their lip service "We are very conscious of the importance of providing customers a reliable service"?
Original Review: Online check-in offered only payable seats, with no hint that a non-payable seat is available at check-in at the airport at time of flight. My inexperienced son thought he had to reserve a seat online, and paid the $50 (out of his $1000 monthly income). An experienced person who questions this would have forgone the online check-in, knowing that he had already paid for a ticket, and standing rooms don't yet exist in a plane. At flight time at the airport, we asked at for reimbursement of the $50 in exchange for any seat of Aer Lingus' choice. Rejected.
Flight was cancelled due to technical problem of the plane (happens). Staff was not sized to cope with the workload for re-booking, hotel, and other information for all the flight's passengers. Over one hour in the queue. Fortunately, a motivated and professional employee of Aer Lingus helped book a new flight (for next day), during exchange via Whatsapp.
The next day, at baggage drop, the lady at the counter tried to force my son to check-in one of his two hand-carried bags, at additional costs (despite him being officially granted two bags). Her statement: "not valid today", but not giving evidence. The solution: went to another counter, with a man having no issues with two hand-carried bags.
After the whole, I submitted a cost reimbursement for my son's taxi back home and bus to airport next day. And request for the justified $600 compensation for the flight being cancelled. The first reply from customer service: not eligible because flight was DELAYED, and delay not long enough for compensation. Of course, the flight was CANCELLED, and he had to wait 24h for the next plane. Compensation applies according to European Law.
I replied to this initial rejection. Now waiting. Altogether, way too much hassle. Service essentially unprofessional, and depends apparently on the mood of individuals at Aer Lingus. The only positive experience was the person on the other end of the Whatsapp-based exchange who was very efficient in finding a new flight for my son.
Our flight to Dublin from Toronto arrived over an hour late. We missed our bus reservations to Belfast and could not book new tickets nor could we get a refund from the bus company. We had to wait until over two hours for seats to become available with a different bus company. Aer Lingus staff advised how to get a refund for the new tickets and gave us the e mail address of Customer Service and the information they needed to cover the compensation they advised we were entitled to. Our request was sent in September 2022. No reply to date....of any kind from Aer Lingus.
Be very careful when dealing with Aer Lingus over baggage claims. My wife and I each filled out missing baggage forms after our flight from SFO via Dublin to Edinburgh landed. I finally heard back from them and was given a baggage locator number. Thus began a 4+ month (and ongoing) journey to be properly compensated for our lost luggage. We were asked for a list of contents, then we were asked for the prices of the contents, then we were asked for receipts for all of the contents(!), and finally we were asked for bank statements(?). Each step took approximately two weeks before the next one arrived. Each time they asked us to continue supporting them.
They finally sent a check for SOME of our incidental charges, but then came the kicker. They agreed they owed us for the lost luggage and said they would send approx. $1250 (this plus the incidentals payment totaled what they said was their obligation per the Montreal Convention). What they did not recognized was that the Convention set that amount PER PERSON. When I complained, Aer Lingus said since we only had one claim report. It was only considered as a one person event. They knew all along it was two people and they started the entire process by combining our two initial reports into one reference number event.
Six different employees responded to me from the beginning — I have their names — and all of them knew they were dealing with two people, but none of them informed us of the potential problem. They were all complicit in trying to defraud us but I will not give up. Even if they paid us what they really owed (per the Convention) we would still be out about $3000. Two full suitcases and my recently purchased full set of golf clubs. Aer Lingus is deliberately slow. They try to wear you out by continually pushing things down the road — asking for just a piece of what they wanted at a time. Don't be fooled. This airline does not care about their customers. They do not deserve your business.
Aer Lingus staff at Birmingham UK Airport put me on my delayed plane to Dublin knowing it was arriving late, thereby missing my connection to Seattle. Side note… passport control at Dublin airport closes at 1600. Birmingham staff knew I was flying to Seattle and therefore knew I’d be stranded overnight in Dublin.
I missed my connection, but that was really a moot point as even if I got there earlier, passport control shut and I could not make the connection anyway. there was not a single Aer Lingus personnel inside the airport willing to help. I had to go back out of the airport to the check-in desk to get ‘help’.
The helpdesk said I was to stop abusing them…. The abuse was me asking why they would put me on a plane knowing there would be no way I could get ANY connecting flight to ANYWHERE in America after 1600. I ended up further away 24 hours later than I had started 24 hours earlier.! I am allegedly booked on a plane that will get me in 24 hours later. We shall see.. AerLingus could not pay me to fly on their planes ever again. Absolutely hands down without any doubt the worst service I’ve ever received my life.
Aer Lingus Company Information
- Company Name:
- Aer Lingus
- Website:
- www.aerlingus.com
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