Cancelled flights are ‘the airline’s problem, not your problem’ travel expert Eoghan Corry is reminding passengers.
In the last week alone, airlines around the world have cancelled more than 25,000 flights that were due to go ahead in august.
Some 60% of those were European flights – with airports including Heathrow, Schiphol and Gatwick all asking airlines to cut passenger numbers.
Meanwhile, Aer Lingus has been forced to cancel multiple flights in recent weeks due to staff illnesses and operational challenges.
The cancellations included a number of transatlantic flights earlier this week.
On The Pat Kenny Show this afternoon, travel expert Eoghan Corry said it is the airline’s responsibility to get passengers to their destination.
“This is very important for anyone listening,” he said. “You have to remember it is the airline’s problem, it is not your problem.”
“You’re not expected to go back and start browsing and surfing to try and get a flight to where your supposed to go. The airline has to get you there.
“We’ve seen that happen a fair bit with the different pressure airlines have come under in recent months – with about 25,000 summer flights cancelled.”
Timely
He said the airlines are obliged to get you to your destination in a timely fashion.
“Timely is what they’re supposed to do,” he said. “It’s what airlines are forced to do – but there isn’t a real definition of that.
“Obviously in cases where some of the Heathrow flights are only departing twice weekly to some of the countries in Asia and Africa so if you miss that outbound flight, you are stuck until Wednesday trying to get back.”
Aer Lingus
Mr Cory said Aer Lingus now expects to make it through without cutting back on its summer schedule.
“No trans-Atlantic cancellations today,” he said. “The only cancellations today are Heathrow-related. They’re inbound to Shannon and Dublin.
“You get the feeling they’re confident of getting through. They're not saying a lot, but you know they haven’t trimmed the schedule when there has been some very dramatic trimming of schedules by other airlines.
“Aer Lingus reckon they are just coping. Obviously, we have seen a few in recent weeks but remember, July 3rd we had 13 cancellations and yesterday we only had one out of Dublin yesterday and none today.”
Mr Corry said Dublin Airport is coping better than many of its European counterparts – even though many services in the airport are operating with 105 to 15% less staff than they would like.
You can listen back here:
