Complaining to Aer Lingus...?

[Wigeon]

Last summer, we booked flights from Heathrow-Shannon (Ireland)- New York for this April, through Aer Lingus.

Got to the airport, discovered that the Shannon-New York part of the flight had been moved by Aer Lingus exactly 24 hours, so instead of both flights being on the Sunday, the second flight was on the Monday. Aer Lingus ticket desk discovered that we hadn't been sent two emails we should have been sent, but couldn't tell what the emails would have said - we assume that at least one of these emails should have been the formal notification of the schedule change, hopefully with info on our rights re cancelling or re-booking more convenient flights. They put us up the airport hotel with dinner and breakfast all included.

Also discovered that Aer Lingus HAD sent us an email in December 2018, with the subject "Aer Lingus confirmation" and heading in the email "Booking confirmation" and saying "Thank you for booking your flights with Aer Lingus. This is your booking confirmation. Please check your passport and visa information before travel etc etc".

The changed flight date was in fact half way down that email in the travel itinerary, but because of the subject and intro sentences, DH didn't notice. Neither of us realised that an airline could change your schedule by a whole day - a few hours maybe, but not 24 hours.

We therefore missed a whole day of our holiday, and lost the money we'd paid for an non-refundable hotel booking for the first night. It seems outrageous that a company can change half of a journey (booked as one journey) by such a significant amount of time, but not properly notify the traveller - indeed, they sent a really misleading "booking confirmation" which really implied that they were....confirming our booking, not significantly changing it.

We have complained to Aer Lingus, who say that because of that email in December, they did notify us and therefore we have no complaint. We tried the Civil Aviation Authority who say that this isn't within their scope. We tried claiming the hotel booking money from our travel insurance, who say that it doesn't cover changes to the schedule made before departing.

Clearly we should have read the "booking confirmation" email sent in December 2018 much more closely, and we have learnt our lesson. But it seems ridiculous that Aer Lingus can send such a misleading email when they are changing the terms of our booking so much.

Help! Any ideas what we can do further?

I dont have much advise im afraid apart from we submitted a complaint to them and they were utterly uselss. Compensation was £100 gift voucher which had to be used within 6 months. They seemed to ignore the part of my complaint where i said id never fly with them again.

I can't see you getting any further than a goodwill gesture on this. They did inform you, unfortunately you didn't read the full email.

@Plump82 - what did you complain about? Was the £100 only useable towards flights? That does seem pretty poor - we only fly once a year max.

They lost our luggage and they got it back to us the day before our holiday finished. So my partner had to buy new clothes which they werent willing to reimburse us on. Yeah the £100 was only towards another flight with them.

@Plump82 - couldn't you claim on your travel insurance?

They knocked us back as well because the case eventually turned up.

Get onto your Travel Insurance company. Read the small print about delays first and when you get on to them, tell them what you understand you are entitled to.