Dublin's Closed Customs: Travelers Forced to Spend $4,000 to Return

Travelers flying with Aer Lingus from Croatia to New York experienced a delay and landed in Dublin for a connection, only to find out that customs had closed for the day. The group had to pay over $4,000 for alternative flights home, and Aer Lingus denied their refund request. Dublin Airport has a preclearance facility for US-bound flights, but passengers were unable to go through customs due to the closure. The travelers were told to contact their airline for rebooking, but were informed that the next available flight was in two days. Despite seeing available flights on Aer Lingus' website, the airline staff claimed there were no options. The group ended up booking their own flights at a significant cost.