Months ago I had booked a flight for 2 people travelling on 18th September via AerClub using Avios. Then in August I found out that I needed to be in Dublin on 19th September. Knowing that reward flights have to now be booked a long time in advance, I paid out the cash to book new flights on 20th September and then attempted to change the reward flight to use it next May

I attempted to change it online on the Aer Lingus website to use it in May 2026, only to see it say
"Online changes are not possible on this booking. Changing or cancelling your flights online is not possible for this booking. If you need to make any itinerary changes, please chat to us, or alternatively contact the Reward Flight Customer Service team by phone: Ireland: +353 1 562 1043"
So I called the number as directed, only to be told that they couldn't help and I needed to contact Aer Lingus to cancel the flight and then rebook it.
Now over the past few weeks, I repeatedly tried to get in touch with Aer Lingus, but was left on hold for extended periods. This morning, with my flight originally scheduled for tomorrow, I finally managed to speak to someone in Aer Lingus, only to be told there was nothing they could do and I needed to contact AerClub/Avios, cancel my flight, and rebook.
So, I contacted AerClub/Avios again, only to be told that because the flight was within 24 hours, they could not cancel and amend the booking!!!
I’m beyond frustrated at this point, and to spell it out clearly:-

1. Confusion between Aer Lingus and Avios: Why does the Aer Lingus website direct me to the AerClub/Avios number, only for Aer Club/Avios to tell me they cannot help? Then when I contact Aer Lingus, they say AerClub/Avios should be handling it? This is utterly contradictory and inefficient.
2. Poor customer service: The agent I spoke to at Aer Club this morning simply kept repeating that nothing could be done, with no effort to understand or help resolve the issue. It felt like I was talking to a bot, not an actual person.
3. Lack of clear communication from AerClub/Avios: Why didn’t they make it clear when I first contacted them that I needed to amend my booking before the 24-hour window? This was not mentioned on the AL website or during the previous call with AerClub. Had I known this, I would have waited longer on the call to Aer Lingus. Ironically, when I finally reached them this morning, they told me AerClub/Avios should have been the one to change it, so it was a complete useless loop i found myself in

This entire process is baffling. The website is unclear and misleading, customer service is ineffective, and the entire system feels like a joke. I’ve rated the service 1 star, but honestly, it doesn’t even deserve that.

At this stage it's not even about the Avios that I've lost. (although I do believe that I should have the lost Avios credited to me), I'd just like to think that as a Sliver Tier member there is someone in AL and in Aer Club who will take this complaint seriously. but I'm not holding my breath!!

Presumably others on this forum have had similar issues - what is the most effective channel to lodge a formal complaint?