A US woman whose bag was lost by Aer Lingus says the company has the worst customer service of any airline she has ever travelled with. 

In July, Christina Summers and her family were transiting via Dublin on their way back to New York from Italy. 

Unfortunately, when they arrived back in America there was no sign of her daughter’s checked bag which she said contained €8,300 worth of clothing.

It was the start of a demoralising and draining experience. 

“I’m just appalled,” Ms Summers told The Pat Kenny Show. 

“I’ve travelled my whole life and I’ve been on what are considered some of the worst airlines… and I’ve never had the lack of customer service that I’ve had at Aer Lingus. 

“I called consistently; the website is absolutely no help, there’s only one phone number they give you. 

Aer lingus

“I’ve called since July 14th; for the first six weeks I called every single day and I think twice I was able to get someone who actually worked for Aer Lingus - because I would get people who were in India or one lady said she was in the Philippines. 

“Basically, it sounds like they gave them a laptop and said, ‘Go to the Aer Lingus website, put in this case number and read what it says.’ 

“Which is exactly what happens when I go to the Aer Lingus website and put in my case number… That is what I have been doing for six months, nonstop.” 

Passenger luggage suitcases lie on an airport road after falling off a baggage truck

Many of the items in the bag are of sentimental value - including a special jacket that Ms Summer’s mother gave to her daughter.  

“Most of what she had in there, is from vintage shops or from my mother from years ago and cannot be bought again,” Ms Summers said. 

“So, we kind of had to figure out what we paid for it.” 

In a statement to Newstalk, Aer Lingus apologised “for the overall time it has taken” for Ms Summers’ lost baggage query to be resolved.

It noted that it issued an initial cheque for interim expenses in late August and acknowledged that “there has been significant delay in resolving the matter overall to the point where compensation was paid”.

It said a member of its Customer Relations Team has been communicating with Ms Summers in the past week and a cheque for the “max compensation owed under the Montreal Convention” has been processed and will be sent to her in the coming days.