Aer Lingus Flight Crew Industrial relations thread 2024

They clearly don’t have enough pilots if they are cancelling flights Willy nilly every day. Where is the CEO? Do they even have one?

EI operate in a highly fluctuating and seasonal industry where no two days are the same.

In any company like this either in the air or the ground a certain amount of it activity will require workers to be flexible to solve the problem.

No company whose industry is highly operational could operate on ‘strict work to rules’ with any success.

To assume they haven’t enough pilots because a work to rule cannot be handled without disruption is a flawed extrapolation

that’s probably not much of an option for families who’ve booked months in advance that could be twice the price now

For those asking generic typre questions here on their bookings better off referring to their website specifically aimed to this action.

Flying on 2n July Dub to LPA and got those emails this morning. I wonder have they sent those to everyone on every flight in that timeframe or just those who are likely to be among the 10% to 20% likely to be cancelled.

I realise doing nothing and hoping for the best in the latter scenario is a risk.

I can picture T2, being an absolute shitshow at times over the coming weeks. The poor PSA(Are they still called that?) are in for a rough time

Outbound flight next Tuesday and return Thursday…no email/SMS yet

hmmmm….A good post but seems to have perhaps drifted into the usual ' management are riding us ragged and we are down trodden and mistreated, pigeon hole'

I mean I doubt if management treat the pilots as "an inconvenient cost" they would be very foolish to adopt an attitude like that.

Im quite sure EI pilots are paid relative to industry norms, other airlines have their own internal 'perks' and work practices.

I would suggest that this will be resolved through IAG IR 'systems' but it may take some pain from the travelling public before that.

There will be a lot of 'spin' from both sides as this builds up so lets try to be factual and pragmatic over the issues involved .

Hopefully common sense will prevail eventually.

I tend to agree. If they had more pilots, then what would they do in winter... Fight over who gets the reduced flying? Other, larger airlines have huge route networks and year-round supporting populations to maintain flying.

EI, like most tourism based countries, and even towns and resorts around Ireland make hay while the sun shines (or doesn't), so they can pay their way through winter.

I'm not a fan of management at EI, but am jaded with the work-hard in summer debate as it can't really be solved in a way that supports off-peak. EI recruits extra cabin crew, ground staff etc. for the peak season. That can't happen with pilots.

Pilots cannot fly more than X-hrs per month, and that is adhered year-round, including summer peak. They are merely being asked to fly as much as they can during peak times and less so during off peak - which suits certain people. That's how EI flying works... If it doesn't suit... You're free to work with a larger airline that is less seasonal or, change how pilots work at an international level so that you can move around more flexibility; fly for different airlines at different times of the year (as an FO only regardless of your position at your home airline - with new airline specific training on the aircraft type you're already trained on - different procedures) etc.

If pilots are tied to one airline as they are now, this will always be an problem. Airline groups (IAG, AF-KLM, LH) should streamline all flying rules and procedures for each type of aircraft so there are Interoperability of all staff between a group to allow for support during local ebbs and flows, reduction in local seasonality, and greater ability of staff transfer and progression to suit lifestyles and the all familiar tech recovery that can take days. It's withering, and you can sure as $hit the well paid pilots threw the cadets and juniors to the wolves during the last negotiation, and are now trying to use them to get pay increases for themselves... They don't care about the newbies - sadly.

Privilege Style A330 due into DUB this afternoon, to operate EI496/7 to Faro and return.

You can cancel it and get a full refund on the website

Due to fly out to NY next Thursday. I have received the same email as others ie you can change, get refund etc. As there is no mention of the flight being cancelled I am going to sit tight.

Has anyone actually received confirmation that their flight is cancelled ? If so when were you due to fly ?

Yes, they are obliged to find accomodation for you and either get you on another flight asap (with EI) or accomodate you with any other airline. Also obliged to ensure sustinence allowance and then entitled to any relevant EU claim

EU Guidelines

Assistance in the event of cancellation

Airlines should offer you and provide assistance free of charge while you wait. In the event of travel disruption, you should make yourself known to the airline, to avoid a situation where you have to make your own arrangements. Airlines should also ensure, where available, that accommodation is accessible for people with disabilities and their service dogs. The assistance to be provided includes:

• Refreshments
• Food
• Accommodation (if you are rebooked to travel the next day)
• Transport to your accommodation and return to the airport
• 2 telephone calls, telex, fax messages or emails

Aer Lingus probably already know most of the flights that will be cancelled, but they will hold that info for as long as possible.

Offering full refunds is a call to action to passengers to execute on alternative arrangements that they were probably evaluating already, i.e. postponing, buying other tickets, cancelling the trip, etc.

Many will jump to get the money back, what will allow Aer Lingus not to pay compensation, what otherwise they would have to do for flights that they know they will cancel.

Now is the waiting game…how long can Aer Lingus suppress details of the cancelled flights vs how long passengers who have alternative arrangements organized may be prepared to wait before requesting the money back.

Aer Lingus may want as many refunds/reroute requests as possible for the flights they know they will cancel so they don't have to compensate passengers.

Passengers with alternative arrangements organized may want to wait as long as possible for Aer Lingus to send the cancellation (if their flight is impacted), so they get the money back and the compensation monies.

Sad state of affairs…has any passenger actually been contacted already?