Aer Lingus delay compensation: a plain guide

Aer Lingus is Ireland's national airline. It flies short hops across the Irish Sea, holiday routes to Spain and Portugal, and long-haul to North America. Because it is an EU airline, the compensation rules follow it on almost every route. Here's what you can claim and how.

Can I claim compensation from Aer Lingus?

You can claim if:

• your flight left a UK or EU airport (Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Heathrow, Manchester and so on), or it arrived in the EU on a flight Aer Lingus operated, such as New York to Dublin;
• you arrived at your final destination three hours or more late, or the flight was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or you were denied boarding;
• the cause was within the airline's control.

Delays are measured at arrival, when the aircraft door opens at the gate. The three-hour rule comes from the EU Court of Justice in Sturgeon (2009), and it applies in the UK and Ireland alike.

Which rules apply: Irish, UK or EU?

Ireland is in the EU, so flights from Irish airports are covered by EC261, with amounts in euros. Flights from UK airports are covered by UK261, with amounts in pounds.

• Dublin to Heathrow: left the EU, so EC261.
• Heathrow to Dublin: left the UK, so UK261.
• Boston to Dublin on Aer Lingus: arrived in the EU on an EU airline, so EC261.

Our guide to UK261 vs EC261 explains the scope in more detail.

How much does Aer Lingus have to pay?

The amount is fixed by distance. Ticket price and cabin make no difference.

Flights between two EU airports over 1,500 km are always €400.

Some Aer Lingus examples, measured airport to airport:

• Dublin to Heathrow, about 450 km: €250.
• Dublin to Faro, about 1,830 km: €400.
• Dublin to Lanzarote, about 2,785 km: €400.
• Dublin to New York JFK, about 5,105 km: €600.
• Boston to Dublin, about 4,805 km: €600.

Every passenger on the booking gets the full amount, including children with their own seat.

The transatlantic half-rate rule

On flights over 3,500 km to or from outside the EU, if you arrived between three and four hours late, the airline may pay half: €300 instead of €600. Four hours or more and the full amount is due. On transatlantic flights, the exact arrival time matters.

What about connections through Dublin?

Many passengers from UK regional airports connect in Dublin for North America. If both flights were on one booking, the test is how late you reached your final destination (Folkerts v Air France, 2013), and the amount is based on the straight-line distance from your first airport to your last.

So a late flight from Manchester that makes you miss your Dublin connection to New York, landing you five hours late, is judged as Manchester to New York, about 5,360 km. That's £520 per passenger, because the journey started in the UK.

If you booked the flights separately, each flight is judged on its own. See missed connecting flights.

My flight had an Aer Lingus number but a different operator. Who do I claim from?

The airline that operated the flight is the one that owes compensation. Some Aer Lingus flights, especially on regional routes, are flown by a separate airline under contract, and Aer Lingus sells seats on partner flights too. Check the "operated by" line on your booking.

You don't need to work this out yourself. We identify the operating airline from the flight before the claim goes out.

How do I claim from Aer Lingus?

You can claim from Aer Lingus directly, at no cost. If you'd rather not, we send the claim for you from day one, with your booking details and a signed authority to act, and we handle every reply.

You'll need:

• the booking reference and names of everyone on it;
• a boarding pass or e-ticket;
• photo ID, so the airline can match you to the booking.

How long does Aer Lingus take to reply?

We allow Aer Lingus 28 days to respond. If there's no reply, we chase. If it refuses and we disagree, we reply with the law and the evidence and set a deadline. See how long flight compensation takes.

What if Aer Lingus refuses?

"Extraordinary circumstances." Atlantic storms and fog at Dublin are real, and weather that genuinely stopped your flight can count. A technical fault, a crew shortage, or "operational reasons" don't. The EU Court of Justice has read the defence narrowly since Wallentin-Hermann v Alitalia (2008). See extraordinary circumstances explained.

"Industrial action." A strike by Aer Lingus's own pilots or cabin crew is not extraordinary under EU law (Airhelp v SAS, 2023). A strike by air traffic controllers usually is. See airline strike compensation.

If Aer Lingus still won't pay:

• For flights from Ireland, complaints go to the Irish Aviation Authority, which enforces the passenger rules there. It isn't a court, but it can look at the evidence and press the airline.
• For flights from elsewhere in the EU, the enforcement body of the departure country.
• For flights from the UK, we check which body can take the complaint before escalating.
• Court is the last step. In England and Wales, a claim of this size goes on the small claims track and can be started online.

How long do I have to claim?

For flights from the UK, six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five years in Scotland. For flights from Ireland and other EU countries, the limit depends on the country where the claim is brought. See claiming for an old delay.

You can see how we handle Aer Lingus claims on our Aer Lingus airline page.

Frequently asked questions

Does Aer Lingus pay compensation on flights from America?

Yes, when Aer Lingus operated the flight. It's an EU airline, so its flights into the EU are covered by EC261.

My Dublin to London flight was 3 hours late. How much?

About 450 km, so €250 per passenger if the cause was within the airline's control. The flight left the EU, so the amount is in euros.

Do children get compensation from Aer Lingus?

Yes. Every passenger with a seat on the booking is owed the full amount. Infants on a lap with no seat of their own and a free or non-public fare are generally not covered.

Is the Irish Aviation Authority's view binding?

It isn't a court judgment. It can investigate and press the airline, and if that fails, court is the final route.