Is an aircraft switch enough cause to ask for a full flight refund? Stephanie Szigetvari wants to know — and the answer might surprise you. It surprised me, and I don’t surprise easily.
Szigetvari had booked a round-trip flight for herself and her husband on Aer Lingus from Chicago to Dublin. But a few days before her flight, Aer Lingus notified her that it had switched her to a different plane operated by a different airline because of a strike.
She didn’t want to fly on the new plane, so she canceled her ticket and asked for either a full refund or a ticket credit. So far, Aer Lingus has refused her request.
“This situation caused me a lot of anxiety,” she says.
That’s understandable.
Her case raises a few questions:
- When is an airline required to provide a refund for a change in service?
- What should you do if an airline changes your flight at the last minute?
- How do you negotiate a fair resolution with an airline?
But before we get to the answer, let’s find out what happened to Szigetvari.
“I never received an answer”
Szigetvari’s actual routing was a little complicated.
Her return was from Glasgow to Chicago connecting through Dublin on American Airlines — an “open jaw” on a code-share flight. Ultimately, the routing probably had nothing to do with her problem, although it might have impeded a resolution. (More players always complicate a quick fix.)
She paid $3,459 for the flights, including seat upgrades. But just 11 days before her departure, Aer Lingus emailed her with some bad news. Because of an “industrial action” — otherwise known as a strike — her flight would be operated by a leased aircraft from a company called Privilege Style.
The change made Szigetvari nervous. She’d paid a premium price to travel on Aer Lingus, a well-known international carrier, expecting a certain level of quality and service. She was also worried about her husband’s health. He has a defibrillator that is monitored by an app on their cell phones, and she was unsure if the replacement aircraft would be equipped to help in an emergency situation without Wi-Fi.
“This was not what I paid for,” she says. “It was unacceptable.”
Szigetvari tried to contact Aer Lingus in writing to ask if she could get a cash refund if she did not want to fly on the replacement carrier, but she received no response. She also tried calling Aer Lingus, but could not leave a message. Aer Lingus then sent another email saying that passengers would need to bring their own devices for in-flight entertainment, which would also not match the experience expected from an Aer Lingus-operated flight.
Szigetvari and her husband rebooked their flights with American Airlines. She contacted Aer Lingus, and a representative said that because the Privilege Style aircraft did operate as scheduled, she was not entitled to a refund.
As a “one-time courtesy,” Aer Lingus sent her a 100 euro voucher for future travel.
Szigetvari appealed the decision.
“I never received an answer,” she says.
Szigetvari feels Aer Lingus failed in its duty to provide adequate guidance and service during a flight disruption. And that’s when she called my advocacy team.
Related reads
When is an airline required to provide a refund for a change in service?
So does Aer Lingus owe her a refund or not?
The terms and conditions of her flight are not entirely clear.
Section 10.2 under “involuntary refunds” states that if the airline cancels a flight, makes a “significant” change to your scheduled departure time that is not acceptable to you and it is unable to book you on a suitable alternative flight, or there’s a delay of five hours or more, or it fails to stop at your your destination or stopover, you get a full refund.
Did any of those apply to her flights?
Our team took a look at her schedule, and it wasn’t entirely clear. Certainly, the new flight was unacceptable to Szigetvari, but Aer Lingus rebooked her on a flight that had her arriving at about the same time. It wasn’t entirely clear if the flight was a cancellation or a simple equipment change — in other words, a change of aircraft type.
Aer Lingus said she couldn’t get a refund.
“Upon review of your booking, we have determined that you do not qualify for the type of refund requested, as per the terms and conditions of the fare you purchased,” it said in an email. “Should you cancel your booking, you will be entitled to a refund of taxes and charges [but not a refund of the fare paid.]”
She canceled anyway.
As a general rule, you get a full refund if an airline cancels your flight. You might get a refund if your airline delays your flight. You don’t get a refund if they change equipment.
What should you do if an airline changes your flight at the last minute?
If an airline switches planes a few days before your flight, you have options.
Szigetvari did the right thing.
First, she called and reached out to Aer Lingus in writing. She couldn’t get a straight answer by phone, and Aer Lingus ignored her email, she says.
The airline sent her another email shortly before the flight. It advised her to bring her own in-flight entertainment, since the new plane had no seatback screens.
“This service may also not match the experience you would normally expect from an Aer Lingus-operated flight,” it added. “We apologize for this.”
Szigetvari may not have had much of a case for getting a refund under the Aer Lingus terms. But she had a valid claim that this was not a true Aer Lingus flight — in other words, she was not getting what she paid for. She could have filed a credit card dispute, and I believe she would have probably won.
But she followed the playbook for dispute resolution pretty well. She immediately called and emailed, hoping to get an acceptable resolution. That’s how to handle it. Don’t wait until you get to the gate to fix a problem like this.
How do you negotiate a fair resolution with an airline?
What should you say when your grievance falls into a gray area, as Szigetvari’s did? Here are a few suggestions:
Be prompt and polite
Your approach is important. Make sure you respond immediately when an airline changes its service. The sooner you say something, the better the odds of getting it resolved in your favor. Also, make sure you’re asking nicely. I’ve seen emails that come off as too demanding, which rarely gets a positive response. (See the Elliott Method.)
Cite the rules
And by “rules” I don’t just mean the airline’s own contract of carriage, the legal agreement between you and the company. Make sure you remind the airline that it sold you a product that it is no longer offering, and that you’re protected by laws like the Fair Credit Billing Act. Again, be nice about it.
Ask for a reasonable resolution
I’ve seen consumers ask for the moon, which is problematic. Sometimes, when a refund request falls into a gray area, you have to make compromises. You may not get all of your money back, but the airline might offer a credit. My advice: Be reasonable. The airline probably isn’t legally required to do anything.
Szigetvari’s negotiating strategy might have needed some adjusting.
“I am extremely disappointed by your email and find the offer of EUR100 unacceptable,” she wrote. “Aer Lingus failed in its duty to provide adequate guidance during the labor action disruption, which forced me into the position I found myself in. I did not receive the service I paid for and should not have been forced into a subpar travel experience.”
She added, “You may keep your voucher because it’s insulting. Please provide me the contact information for your manager, as I intend to escalate this as high as necessary to get a more acceptable resolution.”
Szigetvari appealed her case to the Aer Lingus executives published on Elliott.org, but as you can probably guess, its answer did not change.
A compromise after “extraordinary circumstances”
Our advocate Dwayne Coward reviewed this case and decided to contact Aer Lingus on Szigetvari’s behalf. The reason is simple: This was not the flight she’d paid for. Certainly, Aer Lingus was well within its rights to change its equipment, but this was not technically an Aer Lingus flight, but a charter aircraft. She wasn’t getting what she paid for.
Aer Lingus responded to us.
“As a gesture of goodwill due to the extraordinary circumstances requiring a change to a charter aircraft to ensure our customers’ trip was not canceled, Aer Lingus is pleased to offer a voucher for the full value of the flight in this instance,” a representative told us. “We look forward to welcoming these customers on board in the near future.”
Szigetvari seems happy with that offer.
“I can’t express enough how much I appreciate your efforts in helping me resolve this issue,” she told us.
Loading ...✋Your turn
What should an airline do for passengers if it switches planes? Should they give customers an option to cancel? Should they automatically offer a refund? Scroll down to share your opinion.
FAQs
You’re generally not owed a refund unless the flight is canceled, significantly delayed, or rerouted. But if a charter replacement dramatically lowers the experience (no Wi-Fi, no entertainment, different seating class), it may be worth escalating or filing a credit card dispute.
A cancellation means your original flight doesn’t operate at all. An equipment change (like switching planes or outsourcing to a partner airline) usually isn’t grounds for a refund — unless the new plane fails to deliver what was promised.
Yes — if that new carrier is part of a code-share or wet lease and the itinerary stays intact. But if you paid a premium for brand-specific experience, you can argue “material change” and request compensation.
Act quickly, be polite, and cite specifics — especially discrepancies between what was sold and what was delivered. Include screen captures or documents. If needed, escalate via the company’s executive contacts or file a credit card chargeback.
Vouchers are often offered as a goodwill gesture when you’re not legally owed a refund. They can be a solid compromise if they reflect the full ticket value. But reject them if they’re token amounts — especially when the service downgrade is clear.
Pro tip: When airlines quietly switch you to a charter flight, dig into the service differences — no seatback screens, no Wi-Fi, etc. These gaps help strengthen your refund case, especially if the flight quality is clearly diminished.
Key takeaways
- An airline equipment swap — even to a lesser-quality experience — doesn’t always entitle you to a refund.
- If the new flight is technically “operated” and arrives on time, airlines may not see it as a cancellation.
- When your expectations don’t match delivery, citing consumer protection laws (like the Fair Credit Billing Act) and being polite, persistent, and timely increases your chances.
- Charter substitutions may justify a partial or full credit — especially if the service level is reduced.
- Always escalate through proper channels and keep your communication respectful and specific.
