‘We have spent $10,000 before even setting foot in Ireland’ – Thousands of Taylor Swift fans risk missing Dublin gigs due to Aer Lingus strike

The billionaire pop star brings her Eras tour to Dublin’s Aviva stadium for three nights from Friday to Sunday next week and is expected to attract over 150,000 fans to the capital from Ireland and abroad.

Swifties have been boosting passenger numbers by up to 45pc in some European cities hosting the star’s world tour, but fans could be left unable to get to Dublin for the gigs from June 28 to 30.

In recent days, anxious fans due to fly in – and their angry parents – have been contacting the Aer Lingus in desperation.

US-based mother Cara Portnoy wrote to the airline on social media platform X: “Hey Aer Lingus – if our family can’t get to Taylor Swift in Dublin next weekend the pilots will be the least of your problems.”

She continued: “You do not want a teenage girl as an enemy. They are the scariest people on earth and I’ll be having her reach out to you directly.”

Ms Portnoy, her partner Kelvin Healy – originally from Co Cork – and his three children aged 13 to 15 were all hoping to see Swift together on a family holiday next weekend.

The couple bought four tickets at $500 each, while Cara’s partner’s ex-wife and her sister bought another four at the same cost to also attend the concert.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent yesterday afternoon Cara said: “We have spent almost $10,000 for a family holiday before even setting foot in Ireland, and that’s not counting costs like pet sitters, car rental reservations, etc. That is all now in jeopardy.

“I don’t blame the pilots for wanting a fair wage, their job is stressful to say the least, but this entire situation and Aer Lingus’ way of dealing with it is frustrating.

“There is absolutely no way to speak to a human being without waiting on hold for hours, with virtual assistants spewing the same scripted responses.

“It has us all on eggshells… we’re all anxious at this stage.”

Another upset mother based in the US, Justine Layser, wrote: “We tried to get tickets to every major American city concert last year and could not. Dublin was the only show my daughters and I could get tickets for.”

Another fan named Kaye put a call out to the army of Swifties flying to Dublin asking them to put pressure on Aer Lingus to stop “f***ing around and accept the pilots’ demands.”

Another, named Kailia posted: “F***ing love this. My flight to Eras Tour from Amsterdam to Dublin has been cancelled, thanks Aer Lingus. The cheapest option I can find is an additional $700 f***ing hell.”

Some superfans have also been following the tour around the world from city to city, and they also risk becoming stranded abroad.

The industrial action is expected to impact the €150m injection the concerts are due to bring to the capital’s hotels, restaurants, bars and shops.

Each concertgoer is worth an estimated €1,000 to the local economy – according to a recent report by Barclay’s, the UK bank.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent, outgoing Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithi de Roiste said the city is hoping “some kind of arrangement can be reached between both sides” before the weekend.

“This is one of the biggest weekends of the year for the city. The buzz around Dublin is palpable. Gone are the days when concertgoers just rock up to the venue, enjoy it and go home. A global superstar like Swift brings a huge boost to businesses so there is a big, big worry over what will happen.”

Some Dublin hotels raised the price of a room from €359 to €999 for the night of the concert.

The restaurant industry is also bracing itself for an influx of cancellations.

Restaurants Association of Ireland chief Adrian Cummins said he is hearing from restaurant owners who are “wondering if these bookings will hold up next weekend”.

“There are concerns this industrial action could have a devastating effect on the restaurant industry this summer,” he said. “On average, tourists make up 40pc of business, but that figure is as high as 80pc in tourist locations such as Temple Bar. We are hoping for some resolution between pilots and Aer Lingus as soon as possible.”

Dr. Peter Brooks, chief behavioural scientist at Barclays, said in his recent report on the impact of Swift’s tour: “When it comes to cultural icons like Taylor Swift — like we saw with Elvis and Beatlemania in the 50s and 60s — supporters have such a strong connection to the artist and to the rest of the fandom that the desire to spend becomes even more powerful.”

Tickets went on sale for the Dublin concert last year at €126 for a standing ticket, while standing to the left or the right of the stage costs €206. VIP packages were also bought by more than one in ten fans.

Such is the boost to local economy’s that Liverpool built its own ‘Taylor Town’ in honour of the singer’s performances in the UK city.