Aer Lingus made me miss my flight. Then it charged me these booking fees!

Catriona Garry misses her flight from Edinburgh to Boston because there's only one ticket agent at the airport. Can she get $1,200 in rebooking fees refunded?

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.

This complete lack of personnel resulted in me and more than 20 other passengers waiting over three hours in line to check-in. We all missed our flight because of this and I also missed my connecting flight to Boston.

Aer Lingus wrongly 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 the last six months and I am still not getting anywhere with their customer service. I also emailed their CEO and was just passed to another customer service rep who takes weeks in between correspondence to email.

Can you help me get the $1,200 in rebooking fees refunded?

Catriona Garry, Norwood, Mass.

Aer Lingus should have had more than one employee at the airport to check you in. But it didn't, and as I review the paper trail of correspondence between you and Aer Lingus, it's clear what happened.

Your departure was scheduled during the busy summer travel season when airports are crowded and flights run at full capacity. It looks like the sole employee who checked you in worked for a third party, Swissport, and not Aer Lingus. Airlines often outsource check-in and baggage tasks to third parties outside the U.S.

And 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.

You missed your flight to Dublin because of the slow line caused by a confluence of events. It was a busy summer day at the Dublin airport and the staff was stretched to the limit. But when you didn't make it to Dublin for your return flight to Boston, Aer Lingus considered you a "no-show" and then canceled your reservation. (Virtually all airlines do that, so it's just not an Aer Lingus policy.)

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.

"Our recommendation is that all guests arrive at the airport 2 to 2 ½ hours in advance of departure for flights within Europe, and 3 to 3 ½ hours in advance of departure for flights to/from North America, regardless of whether you have checked in online or via mobile," it said.

That's good advice and worth repeating during this busy summer travel season. 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.

You did a great job of keeping a paper trail and eventually appealing to the CEO of Aer Lingus. I list all the Aer Lingus executive contacts on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

It felt like Aer Lingus was trying to wear you down with form responses and empty promises. The airline relied on a third party to provide adequate staffing in Edinburgh, but that third party didn't meet its obligations. But Aer Lingus is still responsible, even if you're flying on Emerald Airlines, its codeshare partner. Aer Lingus should have refunded you.

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 in Dublin, or wherever you're connecting, to waive your rebooking fees. It's not a guarantee, but it could help. And, if you're working with a travel advisor, don't forget to contact that person. A travel agent can get you out of a situation like this without you having to pay extra fees.

I contacted Aer Lingus on your behalf. After a few weeks, you finally got some good news.

"Aer Lingus has finally refunded me the rebooking fees almost seven months after my trip," you said. "I really appreciate your assistance."

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at [email protected] or get help by contacting him on his site.

© 2024 Christopher Elliott