Q&A: How will I get compensated for my missed flights from Dublin Airport?
Passengers' rights are clearly defined under the EU directive 261/2004/EC, and frustrated passengers should start their claim by contacting Daa customer services. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos
The question of compensation will be treated on a case-by-case basis by Dublin Airport Authority. They have asked passengers who missed flights to contact their customer care department.
A confluence of factors is to blame for Sunday’s long queues. The most important is an ongoing shortage of trained security staff, due to the number who were released under a redundancy scheme during Covid and delays in replacing them.
Other factors include a more stringent vetting scheme for airside workers introduced in the winter, and recent poor performance in inspections by the European aviation safety agency EASA.
The International Airports Council also reports that passengers are not as adept at packing as we were before Covid. Lip gloss and liquids are showing up in more bags than they used to before we got out of the habit of travelling.
Passenger rights are more clearly defined and evolved when it comes to airlines, under EU directive 261/2004/EC. Airlines have been asked to pay compensation when flights are delayed or diverted, even when the delay is outside their control as happens with strikes by air traffic controllers.
While airports are not subject to the same legislation, they are audited by the Commission of Aviation Regulation, which enforces EU261 in Ireland.
There are also legal precedents where Irish courts have opened the way for consumer compensation against transport providers such as ferry companies even when the regulations are not as clearcut as Eu261.
The first stop should be Dublin Airport Authority customer services, according to Dublin Airport Authority (Daa) spokesperson Kevin Cullinane. customerexperience@dublinairport.com
It is likely that the travel insurance company will expect the Daa to compensate passengers in the first instance before they even look at a claim.
Travel insurance sometimes covers missed flights if there is another travel element, such as a transfer, public transport delays, road accidents (some insurance providers only offer cover if the accident happened on a dual carriageway or motorway), car breakdown, and extreme weather conditions, such as a snowstorm.
People self-connecting or organising their own transport to an airport are not eligible for compensation under most travel insurance policies.
Aer Lingus offered passengers who had missed flights on Sunday the opportunity to change their flight without a flight change fee. A fare difference may apply.
The offer was confined to flights departing from Dublin on Sunday and does not apply going forward. Ryanair did not offer to reschedule flights for passengers who missed flights due to security queue delays.
This is unknown territory.
Passengers seeking compensation will not have uncontested documentation indicating when they joined a queue. Phone screenshots and evidence of car park entry are likely to be produced or sought as evidence.
Daa’s initial announcement is that cost of flights will be compensated. These and other expenses are to be considered on a case by case basis.
Many transfer flights were missed as a result of the outbound aircraft from Dublin being delayed. In these cases, the airlines will accommodate and reschedule the passengers.
Self-connecting passengers are unlikely to be compensated for missed flights.
The cost of car hire which was unused, due to holiday cancellation or late arrival is covered by some travel cancellation insurance policies.
The level of protection offered varies between providers and policies.
It is likely insurance companies will ask customers to seek compensation from Daa first before they examine a claim.
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