in this case
- Beatrijs Albarran and her husband Jorge canceled their Aer Lingus flights after a death in the family. The airline issued refunds as vouchers, $938 for her and $925 for him, and emailed that both had been processed.
- When Beatrijs called to book, an agent said Jorge’s voucher was never actually issued. She received hers in U.S. dollars within a reasonable time, but his never arrived, despite repeated promises that a supervisor was working on it.
- More than 15 months after Aer Lingus said it processed Jorge’s voucher, it still had not appeared. Under Aer Lingus policy, vouchers are issued in the same currency as the original booking, and the airline says requests must be handled promptly.
Beatrijs Albarran and her husband cancel their Aer Lingus flights after a death in the family and receive a refund in the form of vouchers. When they try to convert their vouchers to Canadian dollars for a trip from Toronto, Aer Lingus issues hers in three months but leaves her husband waiting for over a year. Can she get the airline to do the right thing?
Question
My husband and I had to cancel our Aer Lingus flights last year because of a death in the family. The airline issued us vouchers, which should have been straightforward. But it hasn’t been.
I received a voucher for $938. My husband, Jorge, got an email saying his $925 voucher had been processed. But when I called the next month to book our next trip, an Aer Lingus agent told me his voucher was never actually issued.
Here’s where it gets complicated. We live in Buffalo, New York, but wanted to fly from Toronto to Scotland because the fares are better. I asked Aer Lingus if we could have the vouchers reissued in Canadian dollars. They opened a case for both of us.
I received my voucher in U.S. dollars within a reasonable time. But Jorge’s voucher never came.
I’ve been calling Aer Lingus for months. Each time, I get the same response: “A supervisor is working on it right now.” I’ve tried their WhatsApp line during office hours, but the virtual assistant just tells me to contact them during office hours, which I’m already doing. I’ve emailed. I’ve contacted the CEO. Every few months, I get an update email saying they’re “reviewing the case.”
Six months after the cancellation, an agent told me to request a currency conversion and assured me it would be expedited. They said to wait a few days for the voucher in Canadian dollars. I waited. Nothing. The next month, another agent said we were “in the queue.”
A year later, I had enough. I sent another email saying I’d accept the voucher in U.S. dollars, I realized the currency difference was minimal anyway. I just wanted my husband’s voucher.
It’s now been over 15 months since Aer Lingus said it processed Jorge’s voucher. I received mine. Why not his? This was supposed to help us travel after dealing with a death in our family. Instead, it’s been nothing but frustration. Can you help us get Jorge’s voucher? Beatrijs Albarran, Buffalo, New York
If you have the opportunity to request a refund, it is almost always a better option than a voucher. “Voucher” all too often means “we don’t need cash” in airlinese.
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Answer
Aer Lingus should have issued your husband’s voucher immediately after you had to cancel your flights.
According to Aer Lingus’ own policy, vouchers are issued in the same currency as the original booking. You didn’t need to exchange your vouchers for Canadian dollars to make a booking from a Canadian airport. But if you wanted a currency conversion, and Aer Lingus said you could do it, that should have been handled as a straightforward request, not a 15-month ordeal.
The airline’s behavior here is inexcusable. It issued your voucher but kept giving you the runaround on your husband’s voucher. Telling you repeatedly that “a supervisor is working on it” is a classic delay tactic. And those automated “we’re reviewing your case” emails? They’re designed to make you think something is happening when nothing is.
You kept great records of every phone call, every WhatsApp attempt, every email. That paper trail is exactly what consumer advocates need to help resolve cases like yours. You even escalated to the CEO, which shows persistence. You might have tried some of the customer service managers. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of the Aer Lingus executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.
The Department of Transportation has strict rules about refunds. While your case involved a voluntary cancellation and the issuance of a flight credit, the principle remains the same: airlines must process these requests promptly.
A few years ago, I wrote about another Aer Lingus customer who had trouble with a voucher that didn’t work. The airline eventually made it right after my advocacy team intervened, but it took four years to resolve the case. That story suggests a possible pattern: Aer Lingus sometimes promises vouchers but fails to follow through.
I contacted Aer Lingus on your behalf. Within days, the airline finally took action.
A manager issued your husband’s voucher in U.S. dollars, as you requested. Initially, a customer service representative suggested you buy a new ticket and submit a claim for reimbursement, which you correctly refused. Why should you pay out of pocket when the airline already owes you the money?
“We apologize to this customer for the delay in issuing their voucher,” an Aer Lingus spokesperson told me. “Aer Lingus is liaising directly with this customer to resolve the matter and we hope to welcome them on an Aer Lingus flight soon.”
Remember, if you’re dealing with an airline voucher issue, document everything. Keep records of every conversation. Don’t accept vague promises. And if you hit a wall, escalate to the executives. Companies respond differently, sometimes more positively, when someone is watching.
Your voice matters
When an airline replaces a refund with a voucher, that credit is money the traveler is owed. This case shows how easily a promised voucher can vanish into a loop of supervisor promises and automated review emails, with one spouse paid and the other left waiting more than a year.
- Should airlines be legally required to issue a promised travel voucher within a fixed number of days or pay a penalty for delay?
- Should travelers have the right to demand a cash refund instead of a voucher whenever an airline fails to deliver the credit on time?
- Should airlines be legally barred from sending automated “we are reviewing your case” emails that show no real progress on a claim?
What you need to know about airline voucher refunds and delays
Quick answers to the most common questions about how airline vouchers work, what currency they are issued in, and what to do when an airline promises a voucher and never delivers it.
Under Aer Lingus policy, vouchers are issued in the same currency as the original booking. You generally do not need to convert a voucher into another currency to book a flight from a different country’s airport. If an airline tells you a currency conversion is required before you can rebook, that is usually an unnecessary step that can add delay.
A voucher should be issued promptly, typically within a reasonable number of days or weeks of the cancellation. The Department of Transportation has strict rules requiring airlines to process refunds promptly, and while a voluntary cancellation with a flight credit is treated differently, the same principle of timely processing applies. A delay stretching into many months is not normal.
Repeated assurances that a supervisor is handling your case, or automated emails saying the airline is reviewing it, are often delay tactics. They are designed to make you believe something is happening when nothing may be. Treat these as non-answers, and keep pressing for a firm issue date and written confirmation rather than accepting another vague update.
It depends on why the flight was canceled. When an airline cancels a flight, Department of Transportation rules generally entitle you to a cash refund. When you voluntarily cancel, the airline may offer a voucher or flight credit instead. Either way, once a refund or credit is owed, the airline is obligated to deliver it and should not require you to buy a new ticket out of pocket first.
No. If an airline already owes you a voucher or refund, you should not have to pay out of pocket for a new ticket and then chase reimbursement. That shifts the airline’s burden onto you and adds risk that the claim is denied or delayed. If an agent suggests this, you can decline and insist the airline honor the credit it already owes.
Document every call, message, and email with dates and agent names, and do not accept vague promises. If front-line agents stall, escalate to customer service managers and executives. Elliott Advocacy publishes airline executive contacts. Understanding how the consumer complaint process works can help you escalate effectively.
A complete paper trail of every phone call, WhatsApp attempt, and email is exactly what consumer advocates need to resolve a case. It establishes the timeline, the broken promises, and the amounts owed. Travelers who keep detailed records and escalate persistently through multiple channels are far more likely to get a stalled voucher finally issued.
What currency is an airline voucher issued in?
How long should it take to receive an airline voucher?
What does it mean when an airline says a supervisor is working on it?
Can I demand a cash refund instead of a voucher?
Should I have to buy a new ticket and claim reimbursement later?
How do I get an airline to issue a voucher it keeps delaying?
Why is documentation so important in a voucher dispute?
