AER Lingus has issued advice for passengers who are due to travel with them during the strike disruptions.
The airline has given three options to passengers in the wake of the announcements made this week by the pilots.
Industrial action by IALPA pilots is set to impact Aer Lingus flights from June 26.
Delays are highly anticipated on a number of flights.
In a statement posted to the website, Aer Lingus said: “Our focus is on communicating directly with impacted customers and notifying them of their options.
“This page will continue to provide the most up-to-date information.
“We know that this is very disruptive for our customers and we apologize for the inconvenience.”
They revealed that Aer Lingus Regional flights, operated by Emerald Airlines will be unaffected by the industrial action.
Aer Lingus Regional flight numbers are in the range EI 3000 – EI 3999.
Transatlantic flights to and from Manchester are also set to be unaffected.
The airline provided three options for passengers in the “unfortunate” event of a disruption.
They promised to do their “best to minimise the inconvenience”.
If passengers who are impacted have made their booking directly with Aer Lingus or on the airline’s website, they will contact you and advise you of your option.
If affected passengers have booked through a third party (travel or online agent or another airline), Aer Lingus will notify the original sales agent of the change.
They advise contacting them to update your contact details.
If your flight is significantly delayed and you choose to travel, you are not entitled to a refund.
If the flight is cancelled, passengers have three options:
2. Request a voucher for future travel
You can also check the exact status of your flight, or whether your flight has been canceled.
It comes as a travel agent has told how Irish holidaymakers could face delays, possibly cancellations and financial penalties this summer.
The Chief Executive of the Irish Travel Agents Association said it is impossible to determine the full impact of the disruption that will be caused as a result of the Aer Lingus pilot strikes.
Speaking to RTE’s Morning Ireland, Clare Dunne noted that it is the travelling public who will be the victims and said it’s inevitable that holidaymakers will face disruption.
She added that passengers, who are “really, really worried” about the disruptions, have paid a lot of money for their holidays, and for many it is their only chance to get a break.
She explained: “They can’t look forward to their holidays now because they don’t know if they’re going to be able to go or not.
“They’re facing into long delays, possibly cancellations, possibly financial penalties, because if they booked their flight and their accommodation separately, they may lose on that if their flight is cancelled and they can’t get where they need to go”.
Her advice for passengers is to “sit tight and see how it pans out”.
Clare explained: “That’s really all we can do at this point. There’s not much point in cancelling and losing money on the basis that you might be disrupted, because we don’t know yet.”
Passengers who are currently booked with Aer Lingus will now be penalised if they change their flights, according to Ms Dunne.
Unfortunately, she added that it is now “too late” for passengers to take out travel insurance to cover the costs of possible disruption as the work-to-rule is known event.
