What To Do If Your Flight Is Cancelled Or Delayed This Summer

With flights getting busier, fares creeping up and airlines across Europe dealing with rising jet fuel costs, Irish holidaymakers are understandably wondering whether their airport plans are about to become a lot more stressful.

Rising fuel prices have become a concern for airlines across Europe, with carriers reviewing schedules, warning of higher costs and reducing capacity. And while some airlines have already cut flights from their summer schedules, Aer Lingus has said it is “not seeing interruptions to fuel supply” and remains confident it can operate its current summer schedule.

So, while your holidays plans are not going disappear overnight, travellers could face busier airports, schedule changes, delays and the usual summer chaos that comes when millions of people all try to go away at the same time.

If you’re flying out of Ireland this summer, here’s what you should know before you get to the airport.

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, do not leave the airport too quickly

If your flight is cancelled, delayed or you miss a connection because of an earlier delay, the most important thing is simple, do not leave the airport until your next flight is confirmed, accommodation is sorted if needed, and you know whether you are entitled to compensation.

Under EU passenger rules, if your flight is cancelled you are generally entitled to either a refund or rerouting to your final destination. If you arrive three or more hours late, you may also be entitled to further compensation, unless the airline can prove the disruption was caused by “extraordinary circumstances”.

Compensation can range depending on the distance and duration of the delay/cancellation, anywhere from €250 to €600 under EU261. If the delay means you are stuck overnight, the airline may also have to provide food, accommodation and transport between the airport and hotel.

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Keep screenshots and receipts for everything. Boarding passes, taxi receipts, food receipts, hotel bills, emails, all of it. With claims usually being made through the airline website or customer care service via email or over the phone.

Also remember that the person working behind the desk may be working for an handling agent, not the airline itself, and may urge you to get in contact with the airline themselves. However, this does not mean that they cannot contact the airline themselves and often can get in contact with the airline, check ticketing options and arrange rerouting, much faster than you may be able too.

Be firm, be clear and do not walk away without knowing your next step. These areas are often short staffed over busy periods and they would rather resolve your issues quickly rather than spend significant time on the same customer.

Be careful with connections

If your first flight is delayed and you miss your connection, the airline responsible for your first delay are required to accommodate you only if both flights were booked on the same ticket. If you booked two separate flights yourself, especially with different airlines, the second airline may treat you as a no-show.

Minimum connection times can technically be around an hour in some airports, but that does not mean it is a good idea. Small delays are frequent, slow boarding, passport control or a busy transfer area further shrink that already small window.

For summer travel, any connection under 90 minutes is a risk.

How to avoid being bumped

Overbooking unfortunately is legal and every airline does it as not every passenger that books a flight shows up. During peak periods, if more passengers arrive than expected, passengers will be denied check-in to their purchased flight.

The easiest way to avoid this is by purchasing a seat in advance. With a seat purchased this will mean that if not checked-in yet your seat cannot be released until your flight is closing. Another very easy if not annoying way to reduce the risk is showing up early. If you are unable to check-in online, showing up early ensures you won’t be some of the last passengers to check-in putting you in a much better position compared to people checking-in last minute.

A frequent flyer account may help too, even if it is only the basic level. You do not need thousands of miles, but being attached to a loyalty profile can sometimes put you ahead of passengers with no status.

Checked bags are where summer travel gets messy

If you can travel with hand luggage only, summer is the time to do it

Airports move quickly during peak season, and quick turnaround times leave little room for error. Low-cost airlines such as Ryanair are especially focused on speed with turnaround times of only 25 minutes, with aircraft expected to unload, clean, refuel, reloaded, boarded and leave again in a very short period.

That is impressive, but it means checked bags are slightly more vulnerable during busy periods.

If you need checked luggage, buy it online or over the phone before you travel. It is usually cheaper than paying at the airport. Weigh your bag at home too, even with a bathroom scale, as airlines charge crazy prices for excess weight usually anywhere from €10 up to €25 per kilo over.

Be smart with the small things

A name and phone number is enough on a luggage tag. Your full home address does not need to be visible to everyone when you are clearly heading away.

Make your suitcase easy to spot too. A bright ribbon, luggage strap or keyring can save you a lot of stress if your bag goes missing or gets mixed up with every other black suitcase at baggage claim.

And yes, dress a little smarter than socks and sliders. Free upgrades are rare, but when economy is oversold and passengers need to be moved forward, looking presentable can genuinely help. Loyalty status matters too, even at a basic level, but airlines are far more likely to upgrade someone they think will fit quietly into business class.

Summer travel will always be chaotic, but check in early, leave time for connections, keep receipts and know your rights before you fly.

It may not stop the chaos. But it will make you harder to mess around.

Words by Andrew Connolly