Aer Lingus closed check-in desk early

basill

As correctly stated above the ground staff in the US work for third party handling agents and leave check in to board the passengers. Some may go change uniform and operate for another airline but most will be heading straight through TSA security for the boarding gates. Reopening check in past it’s cutoff could result in a delay to the flight and once closed out would require approval from a manager. This person will then become responsible for any delay. The company is driven by on time performance which is the single biggest bug bear for the fare paying public and is clearly evident through social media as well as the various feedback channels that the airline has.

Locker10a

Unfortunately OP it’s sounds more and more like you were simply late. It can easily happen and we can all lose track of time, human nature from time to time!
It makes sense that the third party handling agency wouldn’t have access to the automatic system that would close at -75mins.
I can think of no good reason why the check in staff would close check in early and not try to assist you if they could. After all dealing with missed departures is more headache for the staff too. It’s easier to get everyone sorted.

It makes sense what the above posters say about the customer services agent confusing your dilemma with being a missed departure at the gate (after you checked in) when in reality you didn’t miss departure, you failed to show up at check in(on time).
Unfortunate experience, it’s happened to me, but it wasn’t the airlines fault. Just one of those things.

DontFly AerLingus

Locker10a wrote: »

Unfortunately OP it’s sounds more and more like you were simply late. It can easily happen and we can all lose track of time, human nature from time to time!
It makes sense that the third party handling agency wouldn’t have access to the automatic system that would close at -75mins.
I can think of no good reason why the check in staff would close check in early and not try to assist you if they could. After all dealing with missed departures is more headache for the staff too. It’s easier to get everyone sorted.

It makes sense what the above posters say about the customer services agent confusing your dilemma with being a missed departure at the gate (after you checked in) when in reality you didn’t miss departure, you failed to show up at check in(on time).
Unfortunate experience, it’s happened to me, but it wasn’t the airlines fault. Just one of those things.

They didn't blame not having access to the system. They blamed the fact that they had already stopped the belts. I fail to understand the significance of this if in fact that system had somehow been closed down early beyond their control. If that system was somehow set with the incorrect timestamp then tell me it's closed. The likely reason she did not blame the system automatically closing is that she knew the deadline had not passed. Maybe they had just manually closed it early.

There were 3 people behind the desk. All were still around when I had finished my long call. so they were not getting on the flight.

As for the CS person wasting an hour with her and her supervisor trying to rebook me - surely if it was somehow against the rule of the system they would have figured that out in less than an hour?

Anyway, too many people on here assuming that I was late. I wasn't. So unless you can tell me that it is impossible for the staff to log out or close the system early, then I will have to assume that that is what they did. Else their system is set up with incorrect time.

BTW, one of the staff came over to us while I was waiting on the long call and "explained" that the airlines want to have the check in closed one hour before boarding starts. So maybe that is what they were working off. I think boarding is usually a half an hour before take-off isn't it. Or maybe even more\


Dealing with missed departures might be a headache, but basically telling me to f-off and ring customer services wasn't massively taxing on them now was it?


Can you please tell me why it is sounding "more and more"like I was late? I am curious to know why

troyzer

Mate, you were late. Clearly you were late. The check in desk was closed and if they could have helped you, they would have. Evidenced by the fact that in your own words, they spent an hour trying.

You don't show up to a 8:00pm gig at 7:58pm. You go sometime between when it says the doors are open and curtains up. This is common sense.

By your own admission, you were at most two or three minutes before the cutoff.

dubrov

Jeez, everyone is so quick to berate the OP when it was clearly lazy ground staff at fault.

The same thing happened to me with Ryanair in London. The lady behind the desk had already logged off the system. Fortunately a supervisor overheard us and told her to log back in as we were over 5 minutes before the cutoff time.

Turns out it was the end of her shift and she was trying to get away early.

dubrov

I love the way you seem to know what happened more than the OP. You must have sensed the time through your keyboard.

Locker10a

dubrov wrote: »

Jeez, everyone is so quick to berate the OP when it was clearly lazy ground staff at fault.

The same thing happened to me with Ryanair in London. The lady behind the desk had already logged off the system. Fortunately a supervisor overheard us and told her to log back in as we were over 5 minutes before the cutoff time.

Turns out it was the end of her shift and she was trying to get away early.

If the outstation staff had not being playing by the rules, it’s highly unlikely they’d direct you to ring up the actual direct airline customer service department who’d soon cop onto the fact the outstation staff weren’t following the rules. They’d get into big trouble for that and wouldn’t want it to be found out by their client(the airline) .
It sounds like they were doing things by the book here.
I wouldn’t read into the comment about them baggage belt being turned off. It’s probably that particular employees way of saying in layman’s terms they can’t accept anyone else for check in.

kona

Fair play to the check in staff in this situation. Dont think id have been able to be as professional to be honest. Some people...

The Bishop Basher

troyzer wrote: »

By your own admission, you were at most two or three minutes before the cutoff.

Before cutoff is still before cutoff.

If everything OP says is true, they should have been able to board that flight.

Happened me on a Ryanair flight out of Dublin once. They closed the gate 5 mins early and told us we were late. We weren’t. A bit lax maybe but we were there on time. This was back in the bad old days when they routinely overbooked flights and there were no laws governing compensation. Had to pay an arm and a leg to fly out the following morning.

DontFly AerLingus

kona wrote: »

Fair play to the check in staff in this situation. Dont think id have been able to be as professional to be honest. Some people...

I'd well believer it....this or any other situation. Lol

I presume you'd have ninja-chopped the head off any passenger who had the temerity to approach the check in desk?

Check of them eh, walking up and asking to check in.

G'way with your massive "ninja keyboard skilz" there dude. Must be an absolute legend in real life eh?

DontFly AerLingus

troyzer wrote: »

Mate, you were late. Clearly you were late. The check in desk was closed and if they could have helped you, they would have. Evidenced by the fact that in your own words, they spent an hour trying.

You don't show up to a 8:00pm gig at 7:58pm. You go sometime between when it says the doors are open and curtains up. This is common sense.

By your own admission, you were at most two or three minutes before the cutoff.

Yeah................logic isn't really your strong point is it...

The fact that the AL CS staff spent an hour trying unsuccessfully to book me is evidence that I was late. Can you give me a scale of your particular theory? What is the cutoff? If they had spent 5 minutes trying to unsuccessfully book me and given up then would that have meant I wasn't late. What about 10 minutes? Or maybe if they had spent 2 hours it might have meant that I wasn't late. You might be on to something there. You should send us a link to your peer-reviewed scientific paper on the matter.

cloudhopper19

It does actually state on the Aer Lingus website that check in closes for North American flights 75 minutes prior to departure and recommended 3.5 hours before departure. Here is a link to it on their website. https://www.aerlingus.com/travel-information/check-in-options/airport/#/tab-0-airport-check-in-times

Please allow additional time at the airport if you are travelling to the USA. After security screening all passengers go through US Pre-Clearance which enables them to complete the US Immigration process prior to departure. This saves valuable time on arrival in the USA. View more information on US Customs and Immigration

HeidiHeidi

cloudhopper19 wrote: »

It does actually state on the Aer Lingus website that check in closes for North American flights 75 minutes prior to departure and recommended 3.5 hours before departure. Here is a link to it on their website. https://www.aerlingus.com/travel-information/check-in-options/airport/#/tab-0-airport-check-in-times

Please allow additional time at the airport if you are travelling to the USA. After security screening all passengers go through US Pre-Clearance which enables them to complete the US Immigration process prior to departure. This saves valuable time on arrival in the USA. View more information on US Customs and Immigration

It does actually state in the OP that they were flying from the US to Ireland....

cloudhopper19

And it does actually state in my reply and the Aer Lingus website link to/fro North America.

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

It does actually state in the OP that they were flying from the US to Ireland....

troyzer

DontFly AerLingus wrote: »

troyzer wrote: »

Mate, you were late. Clearly you were late. The check in desk was closed and if they could have helped you, they would have. Evidenced by the fact that in your own words, they spent an hour trying.

You don't show up to a 8:00pm gig at 7:58pm. You go sometime between when it says the doors are open and curtains up. This is common sense.

By your own admission, you were at most two or three minutes before the cutoff.

Yeah................logic isn't really your strong point is it...

The fact that the AL CS staff spent an hour trying unsuccessfully to book me is evidence that I was late. Can you give me a scale of your particular theory? What is the cutoff? If they had spent 5 minutes trying to unsuccessfully book me and given up then would that have meant I wasn't late. What about 10 minutes? Or maybe if they had spent 2 hours it might have meant that I wasn't late. You might be on to something there. You should send us a link to your peer-reviewed scientific paper on the matter.

I never said that it was evidence you were late. I said it was evidence that they were trying to help you despite the fact that you were late.

I just don't believe that you rocked up two minutes before the cut off. It's pretty obvious to me that you were late and are trying to handwave it by saying you got in just before it should have closed.

dudara

A reminder to everyone to be civil to each other. Any further uncivil posts will result in mod action. Constructive, helpful posting please.

dudara

endofrainbow

Curious as to why the OP didn't check in online

TheChizler

endofrainbow wrote: »

Curious as to why the OP didn't check in online

Luggage? Need to drop the bags off regardless.

Henry Ford III

I think you should press for compensation OP. From your description of events it seems a very clearcut case.

Time

troyzer wrote: »

Mate, you were late. Clearly you were late. The check in desk was closed and if they could have helped you, they would have. Evidenced by the fact that in your own words, they spent an hour trying.

You don't show up to a 8:00pm gig at 7:58pm. You go sometime between when it says the doors are open and curtains up. This is common sense.

By your own admission, you were at most two or three minutes before the cutoff.

Two or three minutes to the cut off is still considered in time

dartboardio

If you were genuinely within a few minutes of the cut off it sounds like the original lady at the desk was too lazy or feeling mean or didnt know what to do. Especially that she refused to give her name and ran off.

Credit Checker Moose

I would submit a denied boarding claim and then pursue that if necessary via the regulator and the courts.

podgeandrodge

Read a similar case, though at departure gate, where BA were forced to pay compensation after computer records showed early gate closure by 5 minutes.

You should request formal computer records of check in closure, I read that this data is maintained, so could be worth it.