My complaint:
My Granddaughter and myself had flights booked to travel from UK to U,S.A. via Aer Lingus on December 14, 2021.
Our flight had a connecting flight and a 5 hour layover in Dublin, Ireland.
We arrived at Birmingham Airport several hours before our flight to Dublin was due for take off, allowing for ample time to be processed, go through security and have bags checked.
At the Aer Lingus Check-in desk I was informed that my 16 yr. old granddaughter would not be allowed to board the flight to Ireland due to the fact that she was not fully vaccinated and that the fact her NEGATIVE test result from a Lateral Flow Antigen Test taken within the 24 hour period was unacceptable. Ireland was at this time, for reasons unknown, no longer using the Lateral Flow Antigen Test and was instead requiring a RT-PCR. We were devastated!
These tickets were purchased on October 16, 2021, months in advance. I was unable to purchase insurance for the flight due to the link being broken on Aer Lingus’s website. The ticket purchase went through but the insurance did not. If the airlines website was in working order I would have had a safety net of insurance.
Furthermore, the requirements for a child under the age of 18 to enter the U.S.A. are as follows:
-18 and under DO NOT NEED REQUIRE VACCINATION
-18 and under traveling with fully vaccinated adult
-18 and under showing a negative result of Lateral Flow Antigen no more than 24 hours before flight.
We were NOT going to leave Dublin Airport. Our intentions were to board our connecting flight to Boston, MA U.S.A. only and we met that criteria for entry.
The issue was with Ireland and their not accepting the Lateral Flow Antigen Test for unknown reasons.
Lastly, In Birmingham, I was given NO ASSISTANCE as to what to do or where to go from there. I was merely told to step aside so that the next Aer Lingus customer in line could be assisted.
It is my understanding that at that point the Aer Lingus Check-in staff should have told me to take my granddaughter to the airport testing area to have a Gold Standard RT-PCR test (rapid 30 minute results) and change our tickets to a later flight, perhaps having to pay a small additional fee to which I would have been most happy to go along with.
I never received and emails or notifications from Aer Lingus, even after the multiple forms being submitted and contact sheets, etc… Nothing to me to the fact that Ireland would not accept the Lateral Flow Antigen Test or that it was even a factor concerning a connecting flight!
My granddaughter has not seen her father in America in almost 3 years due to this pandemic. We were all looking forward to a happy Christmas reunion that we waited so long to have.
Suggested solution:
I feel that NO ASSISTANCE was given at Birmingham, UK Aer Lingus Check-in Counter when there could have been.
I humbly request that my ticket purchase(s) be allowed to be rescheduled with or without an additional Change of Flight fee so that I can have my granddaughter be given the RT-PCR test and we can have our happy Christmas, that all is not lost.
