V-Flyer

I was booked on VS250 to Shanghai for 5 Nov 14 (in upper class booked using Flyer Miles) and I went into my bookings online today only to find they've put me onto a flight the day before. I called them and was told the flight was cancelled (even though on their nine booking it still shows as available!). Anyone else been bumped off a flight booked via flyer miles and been told the flight is cancelled? Looks suspicious, having never had a flight cancelled ahead of time like this (i.e. not due to weather conditions etc at the time).

Jon

jonarnold wrote:I was booked on VS250 to Shanghai for 5 Nov 14 (in upper class booked using Flyer Miles) and I went into my bookings online today only to find they've put me onto a flight the day before. I called them and was told the flight was cancelled (even though on their nine booking it still shows as available!). Anyone else been bumped off a flight booked via flyer miles and been told the flight is cancelled? Looks suspicious, having never had a flight cancelled ahead of time like this (i.e. not due to weather conditions etc at the time).

Jon

Yes Jon, had this happen when I booked us out of YVR and got told 7 months before travel due that the flight was cancelled and we would be on the next days flight. Just like that.......still managed to upgrade both of us from (miles) PE to UC tho!

Yes, I've been put on a flight the following day from IAD, now flying back on the 11th march.
A few ppl have had this happen recently on here.
My flights were M upgrades to G
Darren

ultreen1 wrote:A few ppl have had this happen recently on here.

It isn't a new thing. Happened to me six or seven years back on an ORD flight. Does sound though like they are becoming more ruthless about modelling loads into the future and cutting when the model tells them the load will be light. On the ORD flight that we did go out on only 6 UC seats were taken on an A346...

My flight to DXB was also cancelled in January. We were moved to the day after without being notified. I did manage to change it to the day before not to lose a days holiday. Mine was a VH package.

These seasonal cancellations, rumours over the future of LR and the major route reductions in the last 18 months surely must be impacting consumer confidence in booking with VS.

All these cancellations are frustrating - and it's unhelpful that you have to find out via MMB rather than being notified proactively.

I haven't had a cancellation as yet with VS (have been checking MMB everyday though for my 8 upcoming flights with them, including one return to DXB and one to ORD, both destinations mentioned above) but having had one with another airline, it resulted me cancelling the entire trip, and it was pure good luck that my hotel booking was refundable.

That was one of the reasons I asked about travel insurance on v-flyer lately, and having read most of the policy documents I have concluded that not only is consequential loss often not covered by insurance at all, certainly hotel deposit lost due to cancelled flight due to light load is rarely covered (as the cancellations require certain circumstances eg strike, and travel delay provisions require you to have checked-in for your flight).

I feel that the airlines ought to do a little bit more than just putting you on the flight the next day, or offering you a refund, as sometimes that will still leave the pax out of pocket.

clarkeysntfc wrote:These seasonal cancellations, rumours over the future of LR and the major route reductions in the last 18 months surely must be impacting consumer confidence in booking with VS.

Seasonal cancellations are not unusual. Nor are they just a VS phenomenon. BA have cancelled their LGW-LAS flights for 2 or 3 months over the winter.

As annoying as it is for those affected, it just doesn't make sense to fly half empty planes half way round the world.

gumshoe wrote:

clarkeysntfc wrote:These seasonal cancellations, rumours over the future of LR and the major route reductions in the last 18 months surely must be impacting consumer confidence in booking with VS.

Seasonal cancellations are not unusual. Nor are they just a VS phenomenon. BA have cancelled their LGW-LAS flights for 2 or 3 months over the winter.

As annoying as it is for those affected, it just doesn't make sense to fly half empty planes half way round the world.

I agree but the difference with VS is that they've pared back their network significantly in the last month and have hardly quashed the LR closure rumours either.