A judge in Swords District Small Claims Court ruled that Aer Lingus was within its rights to refuse a refund to Joseph Kenny, who sought €1,667.56 for four saver tickets to Portugal.
Joseph Kenny, an upholsterer from Dublin, purchased the saver tickets for travel to the Algarve on December 27, 2024, but decided not to travel.
The court found Aer Lingus’s approach to the consumer to be unfriendly, yet the airline’s refusal aligned with the terms of saver fares, which are non-refundable.
Kenny’s claim for reimbursement of the ticket cost exceeding €1,600 was dismissed, as the saver option does not entitle passengers to refunds for voluntary non-travel.
The ruling confirms airline rights under strict non-refundable conditions in cases of passenger-initiated cancellations.
Judge Dermot Dempsey ruled “Aer Lingus’s consumer approach may have been ‘unfriendly’, but the airline was within its rights to refuse to refund a customer who decided not to travel to the Algarve.”
