JetBlue-Virgin JFK connection, where do I stand?!

Hello again. I hope you v-flyers can help, I've hada very frustrating evening with VS reservations, and I'm hoping you might be able to help me with some advice.

We're flying Tampa - JFK - LHR on JetBlue connecting to the VS10. It's a revenue fare on JB but a PE reward on VS. This is all booked on one PNR via VS.

1) schedule change that I happened upon because the JB flight disappeared from the MMB page and decided to query with VS, now means that I have 1h24m rather than 1h55m when booked. This is a combination of the VS and JB flights moving. VS say that the minimum connection at JFK is 1h15m so basically it's going to be more stressful but tough luck.

We booked on to the VS10 so we would have at least half a day in Florida, as opposed to connecting to the VS4/VS46 which require a lunchtime flight upto NYC.

2) VS are insisting that although it's on one PNR, due to the fact that I'm on a reward VS flight it's actually 2 separate tickets and therefore:
- no checked thru luggage from TPA-LHR
- no responsibility on VS to accommodate us (hotel food etc) if we miss our VS flight, other than a free move on to the next available flight
- no they can't issue us with a Boarding Pass for the VS leg if we show up less than 60 mins before, effectively giving us 24 mins connection time.

Whilst point 1 may be a bit of tough luck and reliant on a goodwill gesture from
VS for a less stressful journey I am convinced that point 2 is totally untrue. If we have to collect and re-check bags at JFK we will surely miss the VS10?!

I can feel my blood pressure rising as I'm typing and I was very frustrated on the phone earlier. Sorry for the long post.

Another dept in VS (schedule changes?) are going to call me tomorrow, but in the meantime if anyone can offer any guidance or advice I'd very much appreciate it

I have done a similar connection from RSW with JB and I didnt have any checked bags. from deplaning the JB flight in T5 to getting to security in T4 (fast walking/running) all the way took me about 20 minutes. security then took another 15-20 its a nightmare that time with lots of 'exotic' flights (and PAX) who basically either dont know or ignore the rules

i got off at 21.35 and onto the VS010 at 22.10/15ish - and it was blooming tight. with bags I am sad to say I think you have little chance of making it especially as the later JB flights tend to run late.
sorry to be the bearer of doom and gloom but i would be looking at an earleir flight up to JFK.

Thanks flabound.

I can cope with the short connection and reasonable % chance that we will miss the flight, if point #2 above wasn't in such doubt.

Surely an interline agreement means that JB and VS will put my bags through to LHR. Also I'm concerned that VS seem to be washing their hands of me except for putting me on the next available flight, so I might be stuck at JFK late at night having to fend for myself regarding accom/food etc.

Clarkey it does sound like they have it wrong...... how many bags/what size will you have ...could you do OLCI and try and get them onboard as hand luggage ? at worst they might stop you at the door and take them off you and put them in the hold ? I know JB do that if the flights full

at least that way you would have them with you THEN you might have a chance.

if you have to check them at TPA you have to expect at least a 5-10 min wait at JFK for them. then a 15 -20 min 'hike' to T5. IMO you have little chance unless VS pull their finger out

Thanks flabound for your helpful responses

We're only going for a week, handluggage is an outside option but realistically we will need to take 1 regular size suitcase with us (http://www.johnlewis.com/244612/Product.aspx).

We might be able to do OLCI at the library near the condo, we're staying in my parent's condo which doesn't have internet. I can't guarantee that we'll be able to print boarding passes, and it's never been a problem before because we've just swung past the VS desks at JFK to grab them.

What is causing the stress is this sudden comment from VS that despite being on one PNR and having an interline with JB, that bag won't be checked through anyway. I think this part must surely be incorrect?

Does anyone have any experience of missing a VS flight due to a connection and what VS did for them?

VS said they'd call me today so lets see if that materialises!

So... unsurprisingly the call from VS Scheduling did not materialise yesterday, so I called VS Reservations back.

They are still insisting that because my VS PE flight is a reward flight, it's on a separate ticket to my JetBlue flight even though it's one PNR.

The result is that VS still can't guarantee that checked-in luggage will be checked through to LHR by JetBlue at Tampa, and scheduling had basically said "it's a legal connection so tough". VS also say that if I miss the VS10 then they 'should re-accomodate me on the next available flight' but no other assistance will be offered.

This experience is leaving rather a bitter taste regarding using VS for connecting flights. They seem to offer this service but with the minimum levels of involvement on their part, almost as a token gesture. We shall see what happens on 18th Feb!

makes the JB /VS tie up pretty useless then....i really hope you make it however I just dont think its on....I would be preparing plan B.

is there not an earlier flight from RSW or MCO,ys its a drive but a night in JFK isnt going to be much fun- i know, I have one coming up in two weeks time (last flight into EWR arriving midnight, trek across NY , JB flight to MCO at 6am...now thats fun !!!)

Have you asked JetBlue whether they will tag the bag through to LHR at TPA? Because if they do that, then I don't suppose it will really matter what some VS rep said. (I may be wrong!)

If I were you, I would book a refundable hotel room at JFK, because at least then you can be confident that should the worst happen, you will have a backup option. (The hotels fill up very rapidly if the airport experiences problems.) Your connection time isn't huge and we all know how little delays can stack up. I have been on the VS10 a few times now and can second flabound's account of security -- last time even the priority lanes were slow.

BTW I totally sympathise with your predicament and I really can't see the point of an interline agreement if it doesn't apply when one of the sectors is booked as a reward ticket. That seems really silly and I do wonder whether you have been given the correct information.

good luck with it.

I'm losing the will to live with this trip...!

We've been hit by another schedule change, this time on the outbound trip.

Our original itinery was Fri 10th Feb VS17, then Sat 11th Feb 6.30am flight down to Tampa to be there by 9.30am.

Now we've had an email from Continental saying that the 6.30am flight we booked is going at 11.10am, almost 5 hours later, and we won't arrive at TPA until gone 2pm, effectively losing us 1/2 a day of holiday.

I've never experienced such wild changes in schedules before, and frankly makes me think 'what is the point in booking the ticket for a given time if the airline has no obligation to honour that time?'

Now we've had an email from Continental saying that the 6.30am flight we booked is going at 11.10am, almost 5 hours later, and we won't arrive at TPA until gone 2pm, effectively losing us 1/2 a day of holiday.

I sympathize with you - but at least the schedule change is not in the other direction, and you'll be able to have a leisurely morning!

I've found over the years that US carriers shift schedules with an inordinately high frequency, leading to occasional screw-ups, although they usually will make changes to your trips for free when that happens, just to help.

You could call CO (get the PNR for their flight segment from VS) and get yourself rebooked on a flight connecting in Washington, which would get you into TPA quite a bit earlier, or go to MCO and drive 90 mins. They will likely be accommodating since they messed up their schedule and have an inexplicable timetable where out of 4 flights to TPA not one leaves before 11am ...

I would also second the idea of calling Jet Blue about the return, as US airlines are typically way more flexible than UK ones about through checking. UA would do it for me all the time onto VS wvwn when flights were on completely separate PNRs. Never once fazed them. I don't think this will be an issue, you might not find your bags in LHR, but you will at least make your flight, or have a better chance at it. And again I am sure JetBlue will change your flights if you really want them to, though the issue there as you say is that you actually wanted to stay later. Good luck.

Thanks for the replies folks.

On the outbound we booked the VS flight on a separate PNR to the CO flight because we've got an overnight stay between them. Thankfully CO (very friendly customer services) have allowed us to move free of charge on to an earlier US Airways flight or a flight to MCO.

Regarding the inbound JetBlue/VS issue, this is all on one PNR and i've decided to submit a formal written email to VS in the hope of getting some meaningful action going. I will phone JetBlue if this fails.

If you post the Q on the VS FB page you might get a quicker answer than from emailing VS CS

Thanks Tonty, I had already emailed Greg from FB on this so I've sent him the email (also sent it to VS CS at the same time).

Just to draw a conclusion to this.

I had a call from a Supervisor in VS Customer Services today, which was an impressively short turnaround for the response.

She had already spoken to JetBlue, and our itinery with JetBlue connecting to the VS10 was essentially 'null and void' as they'd both agreed that we would not make the connection at JFK.

So, we've been re-booked free of additional charge on to a JetBlue flight from Sarasota (more local to our accomodation) at noon, then connecting to the VS46. The supervisor also said that luggage would be through-checked, and Virgin do 'look after people' if they mis-connect on one PNR. The only extra cost is $50 one-way rental on the car as we'll drop it at SRQ not TPA now.

Whilst I'm obviously disappointed to lose a fair whack of time from our last day of holiday, at least this has been resolved fairly sensibly.

Seems like a reasonable outcome.

Yes you miss some holiday time but then again you won't be worrying all day about missing the connection.