# Aer Lingus refund: cancelled flights, taxes and vouchers

Source: https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/aer-lingus/refund/

> Aer Lingus cancelled? UK261 sets 7 days for the refund, a voucher is optional. Cancelling yourself: a 30-day tax refund form, and a fee may apply.

# Aer Lingus refund: when you get your money back, how to ask and how long it takes

An Aer Lingus refund returns the ticket money. Aer Lingus owes it when it cancels your flight, or delays it by 5 hours or more, and you choose reimbursement. If you cancel yourself, what comes back depends on the fare, and on the cheapest fares only the government taxes can.

## When does Aer Lingus have to refund you?

7 days is the UK261 limit for reimbursing your ticket when Aer Lingus cancels your flight, or delays it by 5 hours or more, and you choose the money over re-routing. Aer Lingus's conditions set the refund at the fare, carrier imposed fees and any taxes, fees and charges paid.

Source: UK261 art. 8(1) and art. 6(1) - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-10-05; Aer Lingus General Conditions of Carriage, art. 10.2.1 - aerlingus.com, checked 2026-10-14.

Aer Lingus is an Irish carrier, so the regime follows the departure airport: a UK airport means UK261, an EU airport means EU261. Both give the choice of reimbursement within seven days or re-routing.

A refund and compensation are separate amounts. UK261 compensation is £220, £350 or £520 by distance, owed if Aer Lingus cancels with less than 14 days' notice or you arrive 3 hours or more late, and not where it proves extraordinary circumstances. On notice, the burden of proof sits with the airline.

If either applies, check the amount on the [Aer Lingus page](https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/aer-lingus/) and claim it from Aer Lingus directly, free.

> Rather not claim it yourself? [AirHelp (third-party claim service)](https://airtravelrights.com/partner/airhelp?ref=atr-al-aer-lingus-rf) can claim the compensation, no win no fee, and keeps a fee from any payout; Aer Lingus's own claim route stays open.

Keep the cancellation email: its date decides the notice window.

## How do you ask Aer Lingus for a refund, and how long does it take?

3 options follow an Aer Lingus cancellation on a booking made on aerlingus.com or the app: rebook, change your flight, or request a voucher or cash refund. Aer Lingus emails its decision once it reviews the request and states no processing time; UK261 article 8 sets 7 days.

Source: Aer Lingus, cancellations and schedule changes; Cash Refund Request form - aerlingus.com, checked 2026-10-14; UK261 art. 8(1) - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-10-05.

| Situation | What you get | How long |
|:--|:--|:--|
| Aer Lingus cancels | Fare, carrier imposed fees, taxes, fees and charges paid, as voucher or cash | Aer Lingus states no time; UK261 art. 8 sets seven days |
| You cancel an Advantage or AerSpace fare (Europe) | Voucher or cash refund; a refund administration fee may apply | Up to 2 hours before departure |
| You do not travel on a Saver or Plus fare | Government taxes and charges only; a refund administration fee may apply | Apply within 30 days of the last flight |

Choose "Request Cash Refund" or "Request Voucher Refund" on the cancellation page. Aer Lingus then emails you whether you receive a refund, and refunds go to the same card or payment method used for the booking. For a booking made through an agent or another airline, Aer Lingus says: "You should contact them directly".

Ask for cash if you want cash. Aer Lingus offers both buttons side by side, but UK261 article 7(3) lists cash, electronic bank transfer, bank orders or bank cheques, and travel vouchers only "with the signed agreement of the passenger". A refund voucher keeps the full value of the flight for 5 years and expires at midnight GMT on its expiry date. The [voucher and refund guide](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/cancelled-flight-refund-voucher/) covers declining one.

Request the cash refund the day the cancellation email arrives and note the date. If nothing reaches you 7 days later, write again citing article 8.

## Can you get money back if you cancel an Aer Lingus flight yourself?

2 hours before departure is the cut-off on the refundable fares. On flights within Europe, Saver and Plus fares are non-refundable apart from government taxes and charges, while Advantage and AerSpace fares can be refunded as a voucher or in cash up to that cut-off, and a refund administration fee may apply.

Source: Aer Lingus, cancelling your booking; vouchers information; booking service fees - aerlingus.com, checked 2026-10-14.

UK261 gives nothing here: a passenger who decides not to fly on a flight that operates is in none of the situations that trigger article 8.

On Advantage and AerSpace, seat and baggage fees are refundable and no change fee applies; on Saver and Plus they are not. Aer Lingus's fee table lists a "Refund Administration fee" of £12 per customer, per flight. Submitting the refund request form cancels the flight.

Transatlantic flights follow different rules. Flights to or from the USA, Canada and the Caribbean can be cancelled within 24 hours of booking for a full refund, provided you cancel at least 7 days before departure. After that, the fare decides:

| Transatlantic fare | If you cancel |
|:--|:--|
| Saver | Non-refundable; taxes refundable |
| Smart | Non-refundable; taxes refundable; voucher refund if requested no less than 2 hours before departure |
| Flex | Full voucher refund up to 2 hours before departure |
| Business | Voucher, or cash refund less 15% of the fare and carrier imposed charges, up to 2 hours before departure |
| Business Flex | Full cash refund, only if you cancel up to 2 hours before departure |

There is no 14-day cooling-off period either. Part 3 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 does not apply to contracts for passenger transport services (reg 27(2)(c)), so a flight bought online carries no 14-day right to cancel under them. The 24-hour rule above is Aer Lingus's own, for transatlantic flights only.

Source: S.I. 2013/3134, reg 27(2)(c) - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-10-05.

Changing is the alternative. The change fee within Europe is £35 online and £40 through the Guest Services Centre or the airport; a transatlantic Saver change costs £90 online. Price the change before you cancel; the [guide to cancelling a flight](https://airtravelrights.com/cancel-flight-refund/) sets Aer Lingus against other airlines.

## How do you get taxes back on an unused Aer Lingus flight?

30 days from the last flight is the window Aer Lingus's Tax Refund Request form gives for government taxes and charges on a flight you did not take. The form says "A refund administration fee may apply" and does not state the amount. Fares, seat fees and baggage fees are not included.

Source: Aer Lingus Tax Refund Request form; taxes and charges; booking service fees; General Conditions of Carriage, art. 4.2 - aerlingus.com, checked 2026-10-14.

For a last flight on 12 March, apply by 11 April through the online form. Aer Lingus reviews the request, emails you whether you receive a refund, and pays to the same card or payment method. Its General Conditions of Carriage (art. 4.2) say you "may apply in writing", and that the refund "may be subject to a reasonable administration charge".

Ask what the fee will be before you apply. Aer Lingus's fee table lists a "Refund Administration fee" of £12 per customer, per flight, but does not say it is the charge on a tax-only refund. HMRC's reduced rate of Air Passenger Duty, for "the lowest class of travel available on the plane for seat pitches less than 1.016 metres (40 inches)", is £8 on a domestic flight and £15 on a Band A flight (0 to 2,000 miles), from 1 April 2026. A £12 deduction would cancel out £8 of reduced-rate APD and leave £3 of £15.

HMRC's rates apply to flights starting from UK airports, so a Dublin to London flight carries no APD to reclaim. APD falls due when the aircraft first takes off on the passenger's flight and is paid by the operator (Finance Act 1994 s.28), so none falls due for a passenger who does not fly; getting the charge back still depends on Aer Lingus's terms.

Source: HMRC, Rates and allowances for Air Passenger Duty - gov.uk; Finance Act 1994, s.28(1), (2), (5) - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-10-05.

Open the tax break-down in your booking and apply when the taxes clearly exceed the fee Aer Lingus quotes.

## What if Aer Lingus refuses or delays your refund?

8 weeks without a reply to your written complaint is the point at which the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) can look at a UK261 complaint. Aer Lingus is not among the members on the CAA's ADR lists, so PACT is the route. It can advise and take the complaint up, but cannot impose a solution.

Source: CAA, How the CAA can help; Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR conditions and airline member lists - caa.co.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

Write to Aer Lingus first, citing UK261 article 8 and the 7-day limit, with your booking reference and the date you asked. PACT will not handle a complaint where there is less than a year left to take legal action, and the CAA notes its guideline timescales are currently running longer. For a flight from an Irish airport, the EU261 complaint goes to the Irish Aviation Authority, the national enforcement body. The [guide to what to do when an airline refuses](https://airtravelrights.com/airline-refused-compensation/) lists the steps.

Source: Irish Aviation Authority, air passenger rights - iaa.ie, checked 2026-09-15.

Paid by credit card? Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 gives you a like claim against the card company for a breach of contract by the supplier. It does not apply to a single item with a cash price of £100 or less, or more than £30,000; the test is the price the supplier attached to that item, not the amount on the card. The [Section 75 and chargeback guide](https://airtravelrights.com/section-75-chargeback-flight-refund/) covers the claim.

Source: Consumer Credit Act 1974, s.75(1) and (3)(b) - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-20.

**Not your situation?** A flight leaving an EU airport falls under [EU261](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/), one leaving Canada under [APPR](https://airtravelrights.com/canada-appr/), and a US route under [US DOT rules](https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/). For a flight leaving the UK, see [UK261](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/). Unsure? [Find which law covers your flight](https://airtravelrights.com/which-law-covers-my-flight/).

General information, not legal advice. For your specific case, contact the CAA or a consumer-rights adviser.

## Sources

- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it forms part of UK law, arts. 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/261/article/8).
- Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, reg 27 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/regulation/27).
- Finance Act 1994, s.28 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/9/section/28).
- HMRC, Rates and allowances for Air Passenger Duty - [gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rates-and-allowances-for-air-passenger-duty).
- Consumer Credit Act 1974, s.75 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/39/section/75).
- Aer Lingus, cancelling your booking - [aerlingus.com](https://www.aerlingus.com/support/booking-flexibility/cancelling-your-booking/).
- Aer Lingus, cancellations and schedule changes - [aerlingus.com](https://www.aerlingus.com/support/disrupted-flights/cancellations-and-schedule-changes/).
- Aer Lingus, Tax Refund Request form - [aerlingus.com](https://www.aerlingus.com/app/support/forms/tax-only-refund-form).
- Aer Lingus, booking service fees - [aerlingus.com](https://www.aerlingus.com/support/booking-flexibility/booking-service-fees/).
- Aer Lingus, taxes and charges - [aerlingus.com](https://www.aerlingus.com/support/booking-flexibility/taxes-and-charges/).
- Aer Lingus, General Conditions of Carriage - [aerlingus.com](https://www.aerlingus.com/media/pdfs/Aer-Lingus-General-Conditions-of-Carriage.pdf).
- Irish Aviation Authority, air passenger rights - [iaa.ie](https://www.iaa.ie/consumer-protection/air-passenger-rights).
- CAA, How the CAA can help - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/air-passengers/travel-problems-and-rights/travel-complaints/how-the-caa-can-help/).
- CAA, Alternative Dispute Resolution - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/air-passengers/travel-problems-and-rights/travel-complaints/alternative-dispute-resolution/).