Mileage "Clawback" for Cancelled Reward Trip

[ChuckC]

Has anyone experienced VS asking for a 20% penalty on FC miles used to purchase a reward ticket, when the reservation is cancelled? I used FC miles to put two friends in UC. They had to cancel unfortunately and in speaking with res agent I was told there would be a mileage penalty for cancelling the reservation. After some discussion, however, she agreed to waive the penalty as I said I hadn't heard of the penalty requirement.

Things worked out fine thanks to the courtesy of the VS res agent, but I thought our group could educate me on the "why" of this rule. The only thing I could think of is that the penalty is to discourage travelers from canceling reward trips close to departure and screwing up VS' revenue management.

Thanks for your insights, all.

Regards. Chuck-

I think 20% is getting off lightly!!!

After all if you book a reward flight months in advance and use up the few reward seats on that flight, other members have then not been able to take those seats and had to make other plans instead. If you cancelled the seats a few days prior to departure 'because you did not feel like flying' then those seats could fly empty which is a shame for those that might have used them.
Im sure some people have very genuine reasons for cancelling reward flights and as they are not covered by travel insurance I would hope VS would be lenient towards them in times of crisis, but reward flights can never be 'fully flex' like a Y fare as it would be abused too much.
Im glad the Virgin agent was reasonable with you though, Im sure other FF clubs might not have been.

[Pete]

20% would be getting off lightly. This is from the published terms & conditions:

4.21
Ê
Once reward tickets are issued, you may make a change to your travel date, route or class of service for an amendment fee of £25 or US$50, R100.00, 1,500 rupees, ´4000, HK$300, ´325RMB per voucher. The exception is, where the reward is a companion ticket and the person travelling on the paying ticket changes his or her flight or class of travel. In these circumstances, the companion ticket may be similarly amended, subject to availability of seats and other conditions laid down by Virgin Atlantic. Once tickets are issued, no name changes are allowed. If for any reason a flight reward is not taken up, 75% of the miles may under certain circumstances be recredited to the member's account for a handling fee. No changes can be made within 14 days of travel. Once travel has commenced, date and name changes are not permitted.

According to those terms, you should have lost at least 25%, and getting the other 75% should have cost you. You were very lucky to get the full amount back without a handling fee of any kind.

Pix

[ChuckC]

Thanks, Pix, for setting me straight.

By the way, the penalty the VS agent quoted was indeed 25% -- I mistakenly told you 20% in my first post. I did pay the handling fee.

Under the circumstances, I am even more impressed by VS's generosity which they clearly didn't need to extend in my direction. I have also learned a valuable lesson from you. Thank you again.

Regards, Chuck-

[Pete]

Glad to hear it all turned out ok.

Did they charge US$50 for the pair, or for each ticket? Either way I guess the saving of 40,000 miles can't be bad

Pix

[ChuckC]

Pix,
Yes, the handling fee was US$50 per e-ticket. After waiving the mileage penalty -- ouch! -- the VS agent carefully explained how VS would refund the taxes (approximately US$100 per e-ticket) but that I would have to write to VS refund desk in Connecticut with permission for them to charge my AX for the handling fee; that is, there would be need to be two separate transactions.

Owing to your reply with the FC rule excerpt, I also went into the FC rules section of VS' website to read all about what's expected of me as an FC member. I confess that I felt much like those who speak of reading the operating manual for their automobiles after their first highway breadown.

Thanks again, Pix. On your next LAX trip, let me know and I'll look you up for a drink or dinner if you're free.
Regards,
Chuck-

[Bazz]

Chuck, you mean a touch of RTFM?

[ChuckC]

Bazz,
I'm thick -- what does RTFM mean? It's not in the glossary ...!
Chuck [?]

[Decker]

Classic computing acronym, Read The Fine Manual

quote:Originally posted by Decker
Fine

*Cough*
*Splutter*

[Decker]

It's a family forum

quote:Originally posted by Decker
It's a family forum

Uhuh - that's why I only coughed, sometimes I do have some decorum - not much, but sometimes it comes out ;)