Aer Lingus delay compensation
Compensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time. It is the arrival that counts, not the departure: a flight that leaves four hours late but makes up time and lands 2 hours 50 minutes late is not covered.
Which Aer Lingus flights are covered
Aer Lingus is registered in Ireland, so it counts as an EU carrier and its flights are covered in both directions.
- Departing an EU airport: covered by EU261.
- Departing a UK airport: covered by UK261.
- Arriving in the EU from outside Europe: covered by EU261, because Aer Lingus is an EU carrier.
- Arriving in the UK from outside Europe: covered by UK261, which also protects arrivals on EU carriers.
Worked examples on Aer Lingus routes
| Route | Distance | Rules | Per passenger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin (DUB) → Cork (ORK) | 231 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Dublin (DUB) → Shannon (SNN) | 195 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Dublin (DUB) → Manchester (MAN) | 265 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Dublin (DUB) → Paris (CDG) | 785 km | EU261 | €250 |
What Aer Lingus is likely to say — and the answer
“Extraordinary circumstances” with no detail — ask which circumstance, and for the evidence.
“A technical problem” — not an extraordinary circumstance, and settled by the Court of Justice.
“The inbound aircraft arrived late” — a knock-on delay only counts if the original cause was itself extraordinary.
A disputed arrival time — ask for their recorded on-blocks time and compare it with yours.
Specific to Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus is an Irish carrier, so its transatlantic flights INTO Dublin or Shannon from the United States are covered by EU261 even though they start outside Europe. Passengers frequently do not realise this and never claim.
Ireland allows six years to bring a claim, which is one of the longest windows in Europe. An Aer Lingus flight from 2021 may well still be live.
They operate a dedicated EU261 form and will usually acknowledge within a few days, with the substantive answer taking around a month.
Where a transatlantic flight is delayed by a technical issue in Dublin, expect a rejection citing an unforeseen technical fault. That argument was closed off by van der Lans in 2015.
Time limit: Aer Lingus is based in Ireland, where claims run for 6 years from the date of the flight. How that works
Check it free, then send the letter yourself.
If your Aer Lingus delay appears eligible, the claim letter is £15 flat, with Aer Lingus’s likely objection answered in advance. You keep 100% of what they pay. If the airline rejects your claim on eligibility grounds, we refund the £15. Forward us their reply and we refund within five working days.
Aer Lingus delay: common questions
How much can I claim from Aer Lingus for a delay?
Between €250 and €600 (or £220 and £520 under UK261) per passenger, depending on distance. The worked examples on this page show the figure for some of Aer Lingus’s routes.
My Aer Lingus flight left more than three hours late but landed less than three hours late. Can I claim?
No. The test is how late you arrive at your final destination. If the flight made up time and landed under three hours late, the fixed compensation does not apply — though you may still have been owed meals and refreshments during the wait.
What reasons does Aer Lingus give for refusing delay claims?
The most common are: Extraordinary circumstances with no detail; A technical problem; The inbound aircraft arrived late; A disputed arrival time. Most of these do not hold up against the Regulation or the case law.
How long do I have to make a Aer Lingus delay claim?
Where Aer Lingus is based, the limit is 6 years. You can usually also claim in the country your flight departed from or arrived in, which may give you longer.
Other Aer Lingus claims
- Aer Lingus: delayCompensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time.
- Aer Lingus: cancellationCompensation is due unless you were told at least 14 days before departure, or were told later but re-routed on a flight that fell inside the timing windows set by Article 5(1)(c).
- Aer Lingus: denied boardingCompensation is due immediately when you are refused boarding against your will — most often because the flight was overbooked — provided you checked in on time with a confirmed reservation.
- Aer Lingus: missed connectionWhere all your flights were on a single booking, a delay that makes you miss a connection is measured at your final destination.