V-Flyer

What is the worst experience you have on Virgin Atlantic flight and what went wrong?

I have been exceedingly lucky in 6 return flights to the US, I have had nothing but good experiences. No major delays and excellent service on board. The food has not been great on any flight, but that's the nature of economy.

Nothing "bad" really, I'm fortunate enough to usually travel PE and sometimes UC, and to be honest it would take something really awful for me to complain about, sure there is a lack of consistency in the service, but I just remind myself how privileged I am to be able to fly towards the front of the plane, and in 15 years there has never been major disappoint from VS for me personally. Some flights are better than others that's all.

I'm curious about something. Why did you start this thread? There does not appear to be anything you have experienced to personally complain about.. y) y) well done VS.

..Unless you are stating that your worst experience has been the food, that is justifiably bad because of the economy ?| Never an excuse for bad food in my book!!

In that case, my worst virgin experience would have to be when sitting in Upper and they hand you one of those special questionnaires to fill in... and you just can't find a pen!! ANYWHERE! v( - have pretty mundane and boring flights don't I..

I just wondered if people had had bad bad experiences, that's all. I have flown economy with other airlines before and their food in economy is just as bad. I do not think it's justified at all ... just the norm really.

The breakfast offerings on VA are especially bad though, the hot egg muffin which is an inedible version of a McDonald's breakfast. I always buy a sandwich at the airport these days and look forward to a nice, tasty meal on landing.

I thought the breakfast egg muffin was stopped months ago.

Cherry tomatoes in gravy :0

Not entirely VS' fault, but a 6 hour delay at LAX for the VS24 due to the immigration computers crashing. We took off at about 3.30am I believe.

The complaint I had against VS was their lack of 'thinking on their feet' to resolve the situation more quickly. Here's my TR:

forum/index.php?f=6&t=253910&rb_v=viewtopic

The experience where a VS employee stalked me, called my workplace and made baseless accusations and then tried to repeat the experience on the VS Facebook page.

Oh wait - that didn't happen.

So nope, no really bad experiences. Well - on my last flight they didn't set up the bar in UC but hey it was a night flight and I needed to sleep in any case.

Up until my last flight it had been just bad crew that made a flight bad, plus a few asking to change meal choices. I won't say what happened on my last flight for now, still waiting to see what VS have to say.

joeyc wrote:I'm curious about something. Why did you start this thread?

I am left wondering that as well, along with the small fact that the OP has so far started, a thread regarding something from 15 years ago that was found to be BS 14 years 364 days ago.

A trip report from a flight 2 years ago, which while we certainly enjoy anyone posting a trip report, I am left scratching my head as to why now.

And this thread.

Anyways, the worst thing VS has ever done to me, the YQ surcharge, with it in place I now fly other airlines.

I'll give my experiences with Virgin, and worst which has happened:

Economy LGW-LAS, turned up at check in and got told my passport wasn't valid for entry in the USA, because it was not machine readable. I'd have no real way of knowing this beforehand. I had had it issued in Belgium about 8 years before because I was working there, and I guess their tech wasn't up to scratch at the time. So from 7:15am, I had to go into London victoria (8:45), go to Home Office and book appointment (8:50 for 9:00), went through and had a passport receipt in my hands at 9:10am. If it didn't take 2 hours to print it, I would have got onto a train and got to my flight at 11:45am, but it didn't.

Got told to come back the next day to see if they'd get me on next flight. 7:15am next day? "Not a problem sir". Checkin, "I've booked you on the emergency door seat for free". Cost? Well, a hotel overnight for me, but nothing from Virgin.

Summary: bad experience, made better by Virgin.

Smid wrote:Summary: bad experience, made better by Virgin.

Sounds like VS were pretty good in the circumstances!

I haven't had an experience bad enough to contribute to this thread. Sometimes there's the odd niggle or lacklustre crew-member, but generally I'm happy with VS, which is why I continue to fly with them.

at240 wrote:

Smid wrote:Summary: bad experience, made better by Virgin.

Sounds like VS were pretty good in the circumstances!

I haven't had an experience bad enough to contribute to this thread. Sometimes there's the odd niggle or lacklustre crew-member, but generally I'm happy with VS, which is why I continue to fly with them.

same here, not had a bad experience in the 10 years I have been flying with them

I like a lot of the comments here (As I am yet to fly virgin - in 7 days and it will be my first time) because after reading the VS facebook page it would frighten you off any airline for life

we have a 24 hour delay put up at Hilton (MCO) and given food vouchers,only problem was one of the party is a Veggie so hard to find a decent place to use the vouchers and as we had to check out the Hilton long before flight paid to extended check out,Virgin were good phoned our contact numbers to say we had been delayed and gave us 20,000 FC miles each

Scrooge wrote:

joeyc wrote:I'm curious about something. Why did you start this thread?

I am left wondering that as well, along with the small fact that the OP has so far started, a thread regarding something from 15 years ago that was found to be BS 14 years 364 days ago.

A trip report from a flight 2 years ago, which while we certainly enjoy anyone posting a trip report, I am left scratching my head as to why now.

And this thread.

Anyways, the worst thing VS has ever done to me, the YQ surcharge, with it in place I now fly other airlines.

Agree I had the same thoughts when I read the thread last night, my first reaction was simply 'why' . Strange thread.

rdbcay wrote:I like a lot of the comments here (As I am yet to fly virgin - in 7 days and it will be my first time) because after reading the VS facebook page it would frighten you off any airline for life

The common view is that for ten person who tells of a bad experience only one will tell of a good one. Sites like Skytrax (however much discredited that is) are testament to this and I think VS's open policy on Facebook is brave because of it.

Here of course you will find frequent fliers who have a little more objectivity (as well as a tinge of favouritism!).

slinky09 wrote:

Here of course you will find frequent fliers who have a little more objectivity (as well as a tinge of favouritism!).

y) y)

Seems a rather emotive post and could Instigate argumentative replies.
Such threads are best left to Facebook or Twitter ii) ii)

I have not had a bad flight on VS.

the worst i have had was...
VS16 MCO-LGW 5th April 2008 - held over Southampton for 2 hours as most of the airports around London were closed due to heavy snow (not VS' fault)

VS28 MCO-LGW 27th April 2010 - delayed due to the fleet recovering from the volcano in finland (again not in the control of VS who handled everything excellently)

in-fact every time i fly to Orlando on any airline there are weather related delays.

CHill710 wrote:I have not had a bad flight on VS.

the worst i have had was...
VS16 MCO-LGW 5th April 2008 - held over Southampton for 2 hours as most of the airports around London were closed due to heavy snow (not VS' fault)

VS28 MCO-LGW 27th April 2010 - delayed due to the fleet recovering from the volcano in finland (again not in the control of VS who handled everything excellently)

in-fact every time i fly to Orlando on any airline there are weather related delays.

One of the best places to get delayed if you have advance warning

I think it was in 2007 we went to Downtown checkiin only to be told the incoming flight had turned back mid-Atlantic due to medical emerg. We were then re-scheduled to take off just before the midnight deadline.

We went into Seaworld for the day and arrived later at MCO to have a nice meal paid for by VS ^)

The perception of a good VS experience is down to many factors..good or bad..it's all personal opinion...a great deal of bad is probably being beyond the control of VS....but then... the magic of VS cabin and ground crew get the issues sorted when the mind set is customer focussed ....usually.

So, no Bad, just positive stuff in my experience. y)

I've been flying VS since the early 90's and on reflection most flights have been good y) , a few disappointingly average v( , some fantastic ^) but I have never had a bad experience that was entirely their fault or that they didn't do their best to resolve.

VS601 June 2008 - texted on the way to LHR to say overnight delay. Annoying as missed a day of holiday but VS compensated with 25k miles each and paid up for the cost of a B&B in JNB that we wouldn't have had to pay so not exactly a "bad" experience.

I'll say it again. The nadir of my VS experience was the cherry tomato in gravy-gate.

slinky09 wrote:I'll say it again. The nadir of my VS experience was the cherry tomato in gravy-gate.

Not your first trip in UC on the A330?