Aer Lingus issues guidance for passengers ahead of pilot industrial action

The Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) announced on Tuesday that its members at Aer Lingus will begin an indefinite work-to-rule just after midnight next Wednesday due to a pay dispute.

It’s expected to cause significant disruption to passengers, many of whom will be planning to head off on their summer holidays.

“We are currently assessing the impact of the full detail of the industrial action served by Ialpa, including the ‘work-to-rule’ that they have outlined to commence on 26 June 2024,” Aer Lingus has told passengers in a notice published on its website.

“At this time, there is no impact to our schedule,” it noted. “Our customer care team will do all possible to minimise the impact of disruption to our customers.”

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“We understand customer concerns and will continue to keep you updated on developments on our website and will alert customers directly, if their flights have been impacted,” the airline added.

Any action shouldn’t impact Aer Lingus Regional flights, however. They’re operated by a separate company, Emerald Airlines, under a franchise agreement. Aer Lingus Regional pilots sealed a pay deal earlier this year.

About 40,000 passengers a day fly with Aer Lingus during the busy summer period. That includes about 14,000 on transatlantic flights and the remainder on short-haul services across Europe.

Aer Lingus has told passengers that if they made their booking directly via its website and are impacted by the action, it will contract them and advise them of their booking options.

“If you booked through a third-party (travel or online agent or another airline), we will notify the original sales agent of the change to your itinerary,” it added.

The airline has told passengers that if their flight is cancelled, they have three options:

They can:

• Change their booking online
• Request a voucher for future travel
• Request a cash refund

In the event that their flight is cancelled, passengers might also be entitled to compensation under EU rules.

They’re typically entitled to that compensation only if they’ve been informed of the cancellation of their flight two weeks or less before the scheduled time of departure.

Passengers are not entitled to compensation if:

• They’re notified of the flight cancellation between seven days and two weeks before departure and are offered re-routing that allows them to depart no more than two hours before the original scheduled time of departure and to reach their final destination less than four hours after the original scheduled time of arrival.

• They are informed of the cancellation less than seven days before the original scheduled time of departure and are offered re-routing, allowing them to depart no more than one hour before the scheduled time of departure and to reach their final destination less than two hours after the scheduled time of arrival.

The work-to-rule starting next week will see Aer Lingus pilots refusing to work on days off, declining overtime and not answering calls or accessing electronic crew portals outside work hours. That will hit flights at a time of year when airlines rely on pilot flexibility to ensure the smooth running of summer schedules.

Ialpa has warned the unrest could intensify and hasn’t ruled out strike action.

Pilots and Aer Lingus management have been locked in efforts to seek a pay deal for almost two years.

Pilots want a near 24pc pay increase.

Aer Lingus has offered a 12.25pc rise, while last month, the Labour Court recommended an interim increase of 9.25pc, which was rejected by the pilots. An independent pilot pay tribunal last year also recommended 12.25pc and a 1.5pc increase in unconsolidated pay.