V-Flyer

Here is the script of the email I sent VH today. Holiday from hell.









Dear Virgin Holidays,
I cannot find a section marked "post holiday feedback" or "complaints" so I ask that you forward this email to the appropriate department.

Myself, my wife, 2 year old daughter and 75 year old father booked a week in the Bahamas with Virgin Holidays earlier this year. I booked the whole party into a standard room at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort in Paradise Island. Some weeks later I amended the booking by purchasing upgrades from economy to premium economy on Virgin Atlantic.

The total cost of this one week holiday was £4269.32.

When we arrived at the Holiday Inn Sunspree my initial impressions were not good. My expectations of a hotel in the Bahamas is not of one that overlooks a row of rusty freight ships and two concrete road bridges (the brochure photos do not reflect this). On checking in and being allocated room 708 I immediately realised that this room was not an adequate size for 3 adults and a child. I went back to reception and asked about my "Frequent Virgins" room upgrade. "The room you are allocated is the room that goes with your booking" I was told. I then tried my Intercontinental Group platinum frequent stayer card - same response. I then spoke with the duty manager - Mr Leroy Johnson and explained the situation - my 75 year old father was not comfortable sleeping in the same bed as my 2 year old daughter (for safety reasons). He offered me another room adjoining our room 708 - for the sum of $279 per night. I explained that this was totally unacceptable and that I only wanted a bed for my father and that he was already part of the all inclusive party. I eventually haggled my way to a price of $150 per night and was given room 708.

Our stay at the Holiday Inn Sunspree was far from great. The food was bland and of mediocre quality - I didn't expect great things from this hotel as I do know what 3 star all inclusive means however, the location and feel of the place is just not good enough. The brochure pictures do not reflect the reality of this hotel - this was a feeling of many people we spoke to during our time spent there.

The end of our week was upon us quickly and we used the Virgin Holidays "Check in and Chill out" service which we have enjoyed using previously. I filled out the form and stated that we were connection onto BA2956 for Glasgow at LGW. Despite this being clearly marked the bags were only labelled through to Gatwick. I challenged the check in agents and asked them to read the form - they did and re labelled the bags.

Our 1400 transfer turned up at 1440 and we headed to the airport, proceeded through security and awaited boarding. I was then called forward to the desk and asked to return to the ticket desk. I was told that I had to pay a $148 per head "change fee" due to our seat upgrades. I protested that I had already paid Virgin Holidays £1650 for these seat upgrades but the agent was having none of it. I either paid $592 there and then or the 4 of us were in economy. I paid up AGAIN and boarded the aircraft in our previously booked seats in Premium Economy.

We arrived in LGW and transferred to the 0715 BA flight to Glasgow. Our luggage did not follow us.

A very helpful BA representative in Glasgow explained why the bags were not with us - 1) Virgin Holidays had no right to check them through as we were travelling on separate tickets on separate airlines and 2) BA have no agreement with Virgin Atlantic to transfer bags. The bags are now with us at home coutesy of British Airways.


So, to summarise.

I have since checked on your website and note that you no longer accept 3 adults and 1 child in a standard room at this hotel. When was the criteria changed and why was I not informed. You therefore by your actions must clearly accept that 3 adults and 1 child do not fit in a standard and this is why you are no longer accepting bookings such as mine. I believe Virgin Holidays are liable for the additional cost incurred by myself in obtaining acceptable accommodation for the size of my party..

Why, was I forced to pay an additional $592 for upgrades I had already paid Virgin Holidays for? I expect this money to be refunded in full.

Why did your check in agents check bags through to an airline that does not accept them thereby placing even more inconvenience on your customers through incompetence?


To finish...


This holiday was to be a special birthday trip for my recently widowed 75 year old father - I am a loyal customer of the Virgin group, a Frequent Virgin and Virgin Atlantic silver flying club member and I want to remain so but, this is by far and away the worst holiday experience I have ever had.


John Thompson


I am not a happy chappy....[:(!][:(!][:(!]

John,

So sorry that you had such a bad experience with VH - hopefully you still got something out of the holiday. I'm afraid that for the past 18 months or so, more and more people that I have spoken to or read reports from are coming to the conclusion that VH are going downhill rapidly. I too have complained to them and gotten no response - hope you do better, In fact I felt so strongly about their lack of service that I wrote to SRB's office (see thread below yours) - will let you know how it goes. Hope to hear of a rapid - and acceptable - solution to your trip:)

All in all a horrible experience, John.[:(!]

The best of luck in your quest for justice. We know that VS read this board, I wonder if anyone from VH reads it as well? If they do, they will realise that there a lot of unhappy people here.

Nick

Sorry to hear about this John [V]

I got absolutley nothing when I complained regarding my late check-in and chill out pick-up bus to the airport on the way home.

I too got stung with incorrect VS ticket booking class on my tickets a few years ago flying back from SFO with VH. I'd booked and paid for UC and I had been ticketed for PE. Back then I didnt know the fare codes. Thankfully I also had my invoice with me that clearly stated I'd booked and paid for UC.

There's now clearly very few V-Flyers left that would book with VH again (myself included). What can you say [?]

Reagrds

John,

That is outrageous, you have a lot more patience than me. I would ahve been seething at some of the issues you encontered, especially the ticket surcharge fiasco. I think your letter was well constructed, please let me know how you get on. If you get a crap response then let me know and I'll pass you the details of one of the Ops Directors there. I think a refund of all your additional payments is the absolute bare minimum they can do to resolve this.

Thanks,
Richard

Thanks for your replies guys.

Richard, I appreciate that. I am certainly looking for some sort of action on this. What I worry about is that Joe public see VH as Virgin Atlantic. People will think I'm nuts when I tell them the only bit of the holiday I really enjoyed (well, apart from getting that shot of the seaplane!) were the flights!!!

Regards

John

The Bahamas sux big time, I hated it there and I hated the radisson cable beech, evrything about the Bahamas is dirty rude obnoxious pants

John - I think you're approach is amazingly restrained. If I were you I simply wouldn't bother with customer services, I'd ring and ask to be put through to the CEO. You'll get his assistant but simply ask for the fax number then send your letter through directly marked for the attention of the CEO. You'll get a response.

Good luck

So sorry your hols were ruined.
What a fiasco, the extra charge on the PE tickets is scandalous; have to say we have stopped using VH completely fed up with crap rooms late transfers, overseas call centers etal.
If they have any decency at all they will refund you in full for the additional expenses at the very least.

Having recently spent two weeks in Nassau with VH I have no complaints, but with previous experiences of VH our main motivation for booking VH was price and VS flights.

This is our 3rd VH and the first time we have seen a rep who was on this occation very help full although we had no problems.. We needed one at Disney and searched with out success.

Our hotel did not come up the the standards of the hype in in Sandals web site or the Virgin brochure but this is marketing material its alwas going to put the best gloss on matters. We read Tripadvisor and had been to Sandals previously so we knew what to expect.

Sorry to know others have had less than satifactory experiences in Nassau we had a lovely time If a had any grumble this would be aimed at VS not VH. I would say that this is a destination where the enjoyment of a holiday is going to depend on the standard of the hotel. Although Nassau was interesting it is not particlarly atractive nor is there much to do. So if the hotel is not right it can ruin your holiday.

JAT74L you do not mention VH rep. Were they not able to offer any help?

John, I am really sorry that your holiday was such a disaster. Like others I feel you have been most restrained. I do hope your father was able to relax and get some enjoyment out of the trip?

We looked at that Hotel last year and were tempted at one stage, I am much relieved having read your report that we decided against it! We went to Sandals in the end, which we enjoyed. DWiles I am sorry you didn't like it there.

John, I do hope that you get properly compensated for your experience, please let us know how you get on.

Originally posted by Bazz
DWiles I am sorry you didn't like it there.

We did. we had a great time but we know Sandals over hypes its resorts as 5* star with everything thrown in ...its not. It is top quality all inclusive and its still very good.

Sandals use of photoshop on its promo pics is naughty. Rocky beaches become sandy and things disappear.

When we checked in the rep wasn't there. She wasn't due until 1400 the next day and by that time father was settled in and I frankly couldn't be bothered with any conflict. I also thought at the time of checking in that I was as much to blame as I had booked it in the first place.

It wasn't until later in the week when curiosity got the better of me and I found out tht VH no longer allow 3 adults and a child in a standard room at that hotel. I also didn't expect the problems at the airport.

I never attend reps meetings on package hols as I find them to be nothing more than a sales pitch for tours. The concierge will generally give a nuch better picture of what's available.

The rep here did seem very pleasant though and did leave a voicemail to ask if everything was to our satisfaction but this was on day 3 almost exactly half way through the week. She also rung to remind me to fill in the Check in and Chill out forms.

Regards

John

We attended reps talk. No hard sell and rep tried to be honest with regard to what tours might suit us. Reps don't seem to have too much to deal with I would hope they would have time to deal with serious complaints like yours.

BTW VH do publish an address for complaints in thierFAQs

I was looking for a post holiday feedback/complaint e form like VAA use. They don't have one and snail mail is no use as I'm away from home too much at the moment.

I've had the standard "we're very busy and we won't get back to you for a while" automated reply.

John

Replying to Easy Going Geezer....

I just wrote a long derogatory reply about the Bahamas as I agree with you one hundred percent, but hey I didnt think everyone would appreciate my intense dislike of the Bahamas.

Still take solace, as I do, that there is no way on gods green earth that one of those islands will see one dollar of my money every again.

Bahamians (to generalize) are the rudest people on earth, and I have been to Rhyl.

""and I have been to Rhyl"... TOO funny. Used to holiday there occasionally as a child but still made me howl with laughter.[y]"

Rhyl... I'm still laughing!

Ta for lightening up the thread!!!

John

and I have been to Rhyl

We used to play rugby there every easter until we had a police escort out of town one year:D

My grandmother used to live in Rhyl, spent many weekend there with her. I took Dean up to Rhyl and the coastline down to Abergele the once, we didn't stop long and the car doors remained firmly locked at all times. But, still has some happy memories for me.

I do believe it was the first football pitch in the UK to be floodlit! Then look what happened.

Foz xx

First update.

VH have emailed and written to me promising that my comments will be fully investigated according to the ABTA code of practice.

Seems they are taking it seriously - I hope I can take their findings in the same manner.

Regards

John

I have now had a response from Virgin Atlantic regarding the lack of meal choice in PE. They thanked me for taking the time to give feedback on my recent flight and these are the main points of the response...

"I am sorry that you were not given a choice of meals, and unfortunately, I cannot ascertain why this was"

Eh? Why not?

"However, as an industry constrained to rely on people and equipment, neither of which can be relied upon to perform efficiently 100% of the time and regrettably, we do sometimes fall down as on this occasion"

Is this a round about way of telling me that there were the normal amount of meals aboard but the staff didn't offer them to PE first??

I'm baffled.


Regards

John

Seems like a bit of a fob off. They know who crewed the aircraft so a few questions to the individuals concerned should solicit an answer, albeit perhaps not what you want to hear.

The FSM has to complete a report at the end of each segment which should include pax comments/complaints and crew observations on any shortfall or problems with the meals loaded aboard the aircraft.

Very strange

John,

I agree with Bazz about a 'fob off'. The danger is, that if they deal with each topic in isolation - they can give (poor) excuses and blame different people.

What was so horrendous about your experience was the catalogue of events that just added up to a spoilt holiday.

Nick