Passengers flying with Aer Lingus have endured a travel "nightmare" after the airline cancelled a string of direct flights from Manchester to New York, citing unresolved technical problems with its aircraft.
Multiple Flights Grounded at Manchester Airport
The disruption began this week, with three consecutive services from Manchester Airport (MAN) to New York (JFK) being axed. According to the carrier's own schedule, flight EI 45 did not operate on Tuesday, December 2, Thursday, December 4, or Friday, December 5. All were scheduled to depart at 2.15pm and arrive at 5.20pm local time.
An Aer Lingus spokesperson confirmed the cancellations were due to "aircraft technical issues" and stated that the airline is directly notifying customers of any further changes. The airline's website currently shows no direct Aer Lingus flights from Manchester to New York are scheduled for the upcoming weekend.
Passenger Frustration and Alternative Travel Chaos
The last-minute cancellations have left travellers scrambling. Aer Lingus stated it has "successfully rebooked the vast majority of affected customers," but for many, this meant a significant downgrade in their travel experience.
Passengers who had paid for direct flights reported being rerouted onto indirect journeys via Dublin or placed onto Virgin Atlantic services. Jessica Lilburn, who was on a birthday trip, saw both her outbound and return direct flights cancelled. She and her partner ultimately reached New York via a stopover in Dublin, despite having booked non-stop services.
"It caused a lot of stress given all the money we paid. The communication was very poor from the airline," Ms Lilburn told the Manchester Evening News. She was offered a Virgin Atlantic flight as an alternative but faced an extra charge of £2,000. Describing the ordeal as "a nightmare," she added, "It just feels like Aer Lingus are messing us about, it's disgusting."
Social Media Outcry and Poor Communication
Many affected travellers took to social media to voice their anger and anxiety, highlighting a consistent theme of poor communication from the airline. One passenger noted they only discovered their Tuesday flight was cancelled by checking the airport departures board the night before, having received no direct notification.
Another, due to fly next week, expressed deep concern: "We have a 2 hr journey to get to airport and have attractions booked the following day. How can they do this to people when they've planned trips of a life time!"
Passenger Rights and Next Steps
Under Aer Lingus's policy, customers whose flights are cancelled by the airline have three key options:
- Accept a seat on the next available flight, which may be operated by a partner airline.
- Change their flight to a different date.
- Request a full refund in the form of a voucher or cash.
The airline has apologised for the disruption and says its customer care team is working directly with impacted passengers. However, the incident has severely damaged trust, with several customers, like Ms Lilburn, vowing never to fly with the carrier again.
For now, travellers booked on Aer Lingus services from Manchester are advised to check their flight status frequently and contact the airline directly for the latest information on rebooking or refunds.
