Aer Lingus has cancelled my flight. What can I do?

Simon Calder answers your queries on cancelled flights, Toulouse and English wine

The nonstop journey to Orlando in Florida was important for our reader’s disabled parents (Getty Images)

Q I am due to travel with my elderly parents from Manchester to Orlando in Florida with Aer Lingus on 1 November, in the middle of the cabin crew strike. My parents are disabled. Aer Lingus says we can transfer to a flight from Manchester to Dublin to Orlando. I said we needed a nonstop flight. At that point, I was offered a refund to rebook elsewhere. What, if anything, can I do?

Name supplied

A Aer Lingus runs a “standalone” transatlantic operation from Manchester, flying nonstop to New York JFK, Orlando in Florida and the island of Barbados. Cabin crew working for the Irish airline’s UK operation are walking out from 30 October to 2 November in a dispute over pay and allowances. Nine out of 10 cabin crew voted to strike, the Unite union says. All flights are likely to be grounded. Aer Lingus says it will be “communicating directly with impacted customers with a view to reaccommodating them where possible”.

Caught in the middle: the passengers, including those like your parents who require special assistance and the reassurance of a direct flight. It would be convenient for Aer Lingus to move affected travellers through its Dublin hub to hang on to their fares. But air passengers’ rights rules are on your side, not the airline’s. The law says you must be offered an alternative flight “under comparable transport conditions”. If you have booked a nonstop flight, and a replacement is available on the same day, then you should be moved to that departure – even if it is on a rival airline.

In January, my British Airways flight from Heathrow to Singapore was cancelled at the gate. I was automatically rebooked on a Qatar Airways flight via Doha (Qatar owns a quarter of BA). But when I explained I wanted a nonstop flight and that Singapore Airlines had one available, I was switched to that departure without fuss. I suggest you use this argument; at present Virgin Atlantic has a flight available on the same route at almost identical timings. But whatever Aer Lingus staff may say, do not cancel for a refund. This is the Irish airline’s problem to resolve.

Feeling supersonic: among the city’s many attractions is Aeroscopia, a museum that is home to two Concordes (Simon Calder)

Q We are heading for some walking in the Pyrenean foothills (and keeping our fingers crossed for decent autumn weather). Our plans allow for a possible full day in Toulouse. Would you recommend the city?

Patrick G

A Yes. Toulouse is the fourth city in France, after Paris, Marseilles and Lyon. “La Ville Rose” is elegant, tranquil and full of interest. Your main issue will be making the most of the city in a single day. Start at the heart of Toulouse in the centre: the Place du Capitole, a vast pedestrianised square with a zodiac planted on the pavement in the centre. The Roman road that has served as the main artery for centuries forms the west side of the square.

To the north, the Basilique Saint-Sernin is one of Europe’s largest Romanesque churches – dedicated to a third-century martyr. The basilica in his memory was completed in the 13th century. East of the centre, the Cathedrale Saint-Etienne on Place Saint-Etienne is one of the strangest places of worship in Europe; for the past millennium, architects have imposed their own ideas on how the city’s cathedral should look, and some stained glass dates back to the 14th century.

For cultural indulgence, the world-class Musee des Augustins is annoyingly closed for refurbishment until December. Instead, I recommend the Fondation Bemberg. The art amassed by a wealthy Argentine, Georges Bemberg, is located in a fine mansion, the Hotel d’Assezat. The collection includes the world’s best collection of works by Pierre Bonnard.

Toulouse is the French aerospace hub. Ideally, you can time your departure to include a visit to Aeroscopia on your way to the airport. This extensive and excellent aviation museum is located, like the airport, in the suburb of Blagnac. It boasts not one but two Concordes as well as an Airbus A380. But the star is the most beautiful aircraft ever created: the Caravelle, a sleek 1950s classic that looks as light as a kite, with each passenger window a stylised teardrop.

Classic cuvee sparkling wine from the Nyetimber winery in West Sussex (Supplied)

Q Here’s a question that might stretch you. We are flying from London Heathrow via Doha to Perth for Christmas to see relatives. We have a long-running family argument about whether English wine is any good. We would like to take some English fizz for 25 December in the hope of impressing them. Packing the stuff in checked baggage seems risky. So can we get some at Heathrow and take it with us, even though we are changing planes?

Nicholas L

A I think you may be in with a chance. World Duty Free at Heathrow is advertising online some “Classic Cuvee Sparkling Wine” from the Nyetimber winery in West Sussex. I am not a connoisseur, but I am sure it is just fine (as well as being the only one available for “Reserve and Collect”). The price is £30 per bottle, and you can take in three bottles per person. Reserve and Collect is the best plan because there is probably relatively little call for the stuff at Heathrow Terminal 4, from where your flight departs.

You will need to be clear when picking it up that you have a connecting flight at Doha. You should then be given the fizz in a “security tamper evident bag” (known in the trade as a “Steb”). This is the only possible way of taking liquids over 100ml through the security checkpoint at Doha. I have tried it out myself and it worked, coming back into the UK.

To be more certain, though, it would be best to place the bottles in checked luggage. Any English winery will be happy to advise on how they send out wine, and provide the appropriate protection. That would be my choice – though I might only opt for still rather than sparkling wine, to reduce the chances of a baggage handling mishap.

Email your question to s@hols.tv or tweet @SimonCalder