# Aer Lingus baggage charge - €30 per bag?



## muffin1973 (3 Apr 2009)

Hi all,

Haven't flown with Aer Lingus since last year so don't know if this has been in situ for a while, but was booking flights to Spain there a couple of days ago and I'm being charged €30 per bag that I'm checking in??  Is this right? It's seriously bumping up the cost of a pretty short flight 

M


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## Padraigb (3 Apr 2009)

I take it that it is €15 each way. Yes, they do charge that sort of money.

Herself and I are off to Spain soon, and we are limiting ourselves to one checked-in case. Many people are choosing to bring only cabin baggage for their trips.


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## krissovo (3 Apr 2009)

Only £20 if you book from the UK.


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## tosullivan (3 Apr 2009)

I'm seriously considering going back on the ferry next year as all these hidden extra charges are really starting to get on my nerves


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## Padraigb (3 Apr 2009)

tosullivan said:


> I'm seriously considering going back on the ferry next year as all these hidden extra charges are really starting to get on my nerves



It's not a convenient way to get to Spain.


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## Sumatra (3 Apr 2009)

The allowance is 20kg a bag which at that price isn't bad. Providing you can manage on one bag?

If you go over that amount the extra charge is €12 a kilo.


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## Smashbox (3 Apr 2009)

Padraigb said:


> Herself and I are off to Spain soon, and we are limiting ourselves to one checked-in case. Many people are choosing to bring only cabin baggage for their trips.


 
I know with Ryanair you can't do that now. If there are two people booked to travel, you can either check in two bags (ie one each) or none at all, and just have a carry on bag.

If you have seperate bookings, you can take one bag each. But a booking where theres two people, is either two bags or none at all.


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## Padraigb (3 Apr 2009)

Don't tell Aer Lingus! They have already adopted lots of Ryanair's techniques for screwing more out of passengers.


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## Happy Girl (5 Apr 2009)

muffin1973 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Haven't flown with Aer Lingus since last year so don't know if this has been in situ for a while, but was booking flights to Spain there a couple of days ago and I'm being charged €30 per bag that I'm checking in?? Is this right? It's seriously bumping up the cost of a pretty short flight
> 
> M


 
And 80euro for a bicycle for anybody interested.


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## muffin1973 (6 Apr 2009)

Yes I read that about ryanair - it's ridiculous.  

We just booked the flights this morning (aerlingus have a sale on today) and got about €100 off what we would have paid for the same flights yesterday.  Crazy stuff.  Also my husband has decided to just take a carry on bag while I've paid the €30 for my case return.

M


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## uncorked (6 Apr 2009)

Smashbox said:


> I know with Ryanair you can't do that now. If there are two people booked to travel, you can either check in two bags (ie one each) or none at all, and just have a carry on bag.
> 
> If you have seperate bookings, you can take one bag each. But a booking where theres two people, is either two bags or none at all.



I booked flights for my sister and her husband this morning on Ryanair, on the one booking, and it allowed me check in just one bag.


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## roker (6 Apr 2009)

If you book Ryanair or Aer Arann, you only get 15kg allowance, they charge €8 per kg extra so that is another €40 to bring it up to other airlines, not much use if you have a connection flight for holidays etc.


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## Sumatra (6 Apr 2009)

Muffin1973, a couple of weeks ago we got flights to Marseilles with Aer Lingus for €193.55 all in. In their up to 50% off sale today (great word that up to) and same flights were coming in at €908.50 with the discount!


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## demoivre (7 Apr 2009)

Smashbox said:


> I know with Ryanair you can't do that now. If there are two people booked to travel, you can either check in two bags (ie one each) or none at all, and just have a carry on bag.



Where did you hear this - the  Ryanair website booking section is still giving a choice of checking in  0 to 3 bags per passenger.


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## Smashbox (7 Apr 2009)

demoivre said:


> Where did you hear this - the Ryanair website booking section is still giving a choice of checking in 0 to 3 bags per passenger.


 
On the news and in the newspapers


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## demoivre (7 Apr 2009)

Smashbox said:


> On the news and in the newspapers



Very strange and no mention of it  [broken link removed] nor, as I have said, in the booking section.


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## Smashbox (7 Apr 2009)

I will try and seek it out! I know I'm not imaging it because my OH came home from work and mentioned it too, he had seen it on some news site!

I'm not crazy... really..


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## demoivre (7 Apr 2009)

Smashbox said:


> I will try and seek it out! I know I'm not imaging it because my OH came home from work and mentioned it too, he had seen it on some news site!
> 
> I'm not crazy... really..



You sure .  No I don't doubt your integrity - but even for O Leary this seems like a very very odd rule imo.


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## Cheeus (7 Apr 2009)

The annoying thing about AerLingus is that it's not as clear as on the RyanAir site when you begin.

They also MAKE you pay to select your seats on flights. I recently booked flights and paid for the flights as one part of the transaction. It advised from the outset that you 'could' select your seats when you had completed the transaction. However then I was presented with the screen to select seats, it wouldn't let me proceed without selecting and so I had to pay an extra €12 just for choosing seats!?

The flight price began as €0. Add on taxes, handling fees, baggage and seat selection and it came to €142 for a flight to the UK. They should have to make fees more obvious from the beginning. Ryanair and BMI are much clearer in their pricing. I won't book with AerLingus again but was so frustrated by the end of the process I just wanted to logoff and eat my dinner!

Also beaware that on Aerlingus you have to DESELECT if you don't want travel insurance. If you deselect it on your flight transaction, you have to do it a second time on your seat selection.


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## Sumatra (7 Apr 2009)

If you make an error (eg select wrong date etc) don't you have a cooling off period of a day or so where you can get back to them to have it corrected and they can't charge you?


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## emmt (7 Apr 2009)

Cheeus said:


> The annoying thing about AerLingus is that it's not as clear as on the RyanAir site when you begin.
> 
> They also MAKE you pay to select your seats on flights. I recently booked flights and paid for the flights as one part of the transaction. It advised from the outset that you 'could' select your seats when you had completed the transaction. However then I was presented with the screen to select seats, it wouldn't let me proceed without selecting and so I had to pay an extra €12 just for choosing seats!?



You can book a flight and not pay for seats. Seats are then allocated at check in...You dont HAVE to pay for the seats.


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## Cheeus (7 Apr 2009)

Yes, that what it says. 
But believe me I couldn't proceed with unchecked seats. I intend to ask for a refund.


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## Smashbox (7 Apr 2009)

Sumatra said:


> If you make an error (eg select wrong date etc) don't you have a cooling off period of a day or so where you can get back to them to have it corrected and they can't charge you?


 
No, you pay to correct the mistake you made.


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## Sumatra (7 Apr 2009)

I booked frights with Aer Lingus for the family to LHR. We are connecting with a long haul flight so the timings were crucial. I went to pay but it timed out and returned me to my preselected flights etc. I didn't notice the date change and proceeded to book again. Only when I had paid and the tickets issued did I realise my mistake and I tried to phone them immediately but as it was late in the evening they were closed.

I phoned next day and they like you said it was my mistake and I'd have to pay an alteration fee of €250 (for the five of us). They were not budging. When I mentioned is the cooling off period I was put on hold and they came back to say yes they could alter it and they waived the change fee.

The reason I asked about this is because when I book with Lufthansa and SAS they actually tell you you have a right to change your mind within 24 hours of the ticket issuing.

Whether this is a right or not I cannot be certain but the result was an impression of excellent customer service. 

Does the 24 hour cooling off period actually exist?


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## Smashbox (7 Apr 2009)

I've never heard of this cooling off period


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## alaskaonline (7 Apr 2009)

> Also beaware that on Aerlingus you have to DESELECT if you don't want travel insurance.


 i had the same problems for the last two years with Ryanair when I booked for others and I know of others who have the same problem with them - so it's not just Aer Lingus!



> You can book a flight and not pay for seats. Seats are then allocated at check in...You dont HAVE to pay for the seats.


 that is my experience, too. I never had to select the seats online.

In regards to the 30€ (return) - I am flying on Friday to Berlin and was totally p*** off when I've seen them 30€ especially because they only advertise the luggage fees for 12€ (one way) officially on their site and have in tiny writting somewhere else that prices may vary depending on route. When I queried with Aer Lingus the girl said that hundreds of people have complaint already but the head office in Dublin is not planning to change it yet (the customer care lady was sitting in Frankfurt) so be all aware! She said, depending on flight duration and destination luggage fees are starting from 12€. Annoying really but at least they still let you bring 20kg along....


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## muffin1973 (7 Apr 2009)

...and you don't have to run for the plane cos you've already been allocated a seat   I do laugh when people (incl. me) are walking very fast to get on a ryanair flight, only to find that they've run down the steps after the boarding gate ...and have to get onto a transfer bus 

M


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## Staples (8 Apr 2009)

Cheeus said:


> Yes, that what it says.
> But believe me I couldn't proceed with unchecked seats. I intend to ask for a refund.


 
I faced this issue before but then figured it out.  By the time you're at the "select seat" page, you've already paid for the flights so are free to exit completely.

I agree that it looks like you have no option but to select seats and this is misleading, but it is possible to just exit.


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## Smashbox (8 Apr 2009)

I still can't find that piece about Ryanair!


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## Stronge (11 Apr 2009)

On my recent flight to Malaga with Aer Lingus when I was checking in on line and printing out my boarding pass  I selected my seats at that point and I was not charged any fee.  I think you only have to pay to select your seat if you do so when you actually book your flights. I realise you may not have as good a selection but I was able to get all three seats together in row 10 so I was happy and it cost me nothing extra!


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