- Aer Lingus experienced an IT outage on Saturday that forced the airline to cancel dozens of flights.
- Competitor Ryanair took advantage of the misstep and offered $100 "rescue fares" to affected customers.
When Aer Lingus was forced to cancel 51 flights Saturday due to a widespread system outage, budget airline Ryanair wasted no time in taking advantage of its competitor's misfortune.
The European budget carrier offered $100 "rescue fares" to hundreds of Aer Lingus passengers stranded at the Dublin, Cork, and Shannon airports and posted photos on Twitter comparing the two airline's customer service lines.
—Ryanair (@Ryanair) $4
Travelers shared photos on social media Saturday of lengthy queues wrapped around Terminal 2 at the Dublin airport, with one commenting that "few if any Aer Lingus staff have received manual check in training."
Aer Lingus said in a $4 Saturday that the "unavailability of key systems for check-in, boarding, and our website" was caused by "a break in connectivity in services from a UK network provider," which has since been restored.
Customers whose flights were delayed or canceled due to the disruption can apply for a refund or change their travel plans free of charge, the airline added.
"Aer Lingus sincerely apologises to customers for the severe disruption," the company said.
—Michael Kelly (@Michaelkelly707) $4
Thousands of flights around the world have been delayed and canceled this summer as understaffed airlines struggle to handle record travel demand. The industry $4, a travel analyst told Insider.