The head of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has suggested Aer Lingus will have to win back customer confidence in the aftermath of its summer of discontent.
ITAA chief executive Clare Dunne has called on the airline to offer a range of bargain fares on flights – before the end of the summer season – in order to win back passenger trust.
Speaking on Virgin Media News last night, Ms Dunne, said: “Some people book Aer Lingus because they feel they are the most reliable carrier, and that [image] has been shattered. But, there are a lot of seats to sell between now and the end of August so we would hope for some bargains out there from Aer Lingus over the next few weeks.”
Nearly 8,000 passengers have had their summer travel plans disrupted and nearly 600 flights have been cancelled due to the pilot pay dispute at Aer Lingus this summer.
While a tentative breakthrough appears to have been reached, this week – with both sides initially accepting Labour Court recommendations, including a 17.75% pay increase, over 4 years – the pilots are still yet to formally vote on the matter and cancellations are still a live issue.
This afternoon, Aer Lingus announced an offer of up to 25% off European flights and fares to North America from €199 each way as part of a return trip. The offer is open for booking from today (July 12) until July 18. The European offer is valid for travel between July 20 and September 30; while the North American offer is valid for travel from August 1 to October 6.
