VS030 BGI-LGW 11 Feb 07 (Econ)

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You don't know what you're doing...
Travelled with my sister's family including 3 small kids. They needed baggage checked through to Brussels. Initial response was No. After being told was NOT prepared to wait x hours in Gatwick for next flight, Check-in dude got clearance to check bags through. Why did he feel it necessary to initially lie. Why did he agree to eventually check bags through. Why is there a stupid notice on the desk saying 'we understand travelling can be a stressful experience but don't beat up our staff' (paraphrased) when the staff actually create the stressful experience.

Sat in vile economy. Experience not helped by heavily tattooed psycho behind taking exception to me reclining my seat (after 'food' and when his seat was similarly reclined).

Simple instructions on how to ensure baggage checked through to final destination without hysterics/brandishing small children much welcomed - particularly if booking separate sectors online.

As I'm required to pay a few quid to post my query here, I'd much appreciate a few quid's response!!

When you say 'you don't know what you're doing' and 'since I'm required to pay a few quid ...' do you perceive that this site is an extension of Virgin? Just to be clear, it has no legal affiliation with Virgin Atlantic at all, though obviously is run by and has members who like flying on Virgin (especially when things go right).

Clearly, you're not happy with your experience. Though you rate the crew reasonably well so not all can have been terrible. One question. Were the connecting flights to Brussels booked on the same ticket reference with Virgin, or did your sister's family book the flights separately?

Hello, Slinky

I appreciate that this is an independent forum. So therefore not too sucky, I hope

'you don't know what you're doing' was simply a headline - applicable to the check-in run-around in general, It implied.

I'm sorry that this:
'Simple instructions on how to ensure baggage checked through to final destination without hysterics/brandishing small children much welcomed - particularly if booking separate sectors online.'
is not clear.
The sectors were separate, online, bookings. An issue that did NOT trouble the Brussels check-in staff overly on the outward sectors.

By the way, if you wish to apply curate's egg philosophy to customer service, that's OK with me... The crew were pretty good.

[Decker]

If the sectors were booked separately then I honestly think (although ISTBC) that you were lucky to get them checked through. Perhaps your hysteric skills are better than you realise? As the airlines have no legal responsibility for the connection if booked separately it's unusual for them to check stuff through. I'm saying this because yesterday I booked an LHR/NBO/MBA and the baggage could not be checked through unless I paid an extra quid to put them on the same PNR. (This wasn't a payment to interline - it was a 'which fare class allows interlining?' as some bizarrely didn't).

As a side point if you book on separate PNRs the second airline has no obligation to honour the weight allowance of the first which can catch you out when going from international to domestic.

Hate the recline argument. Simple courtesy dictates it be avoided during meal service but after that if it is designed to recline it's part of the normal operation of the seat so interfering with it is out of order. Did you seek the crew's assistance?

Welcome aboard BTW.

Sorry about your bad experience.

Agree with Decker that your hysteric skills must have been better than you thought. It is a pain when you do have to collect bags etc but what is worse is when they are interlined but you have to collect them, walk them half a mile and recheck them (AKL springs to mind!).

With regards to seat recline. I tend to look to see if they are reclined, if so I do it- as they cant have any problems (which seems to be what you did) or I just politly ask- I still have had no one refuse.

[honey lamb]

The check-in staff was not necessarily lying. The rules generally on most airlines is that if you have separate bookings then your bags cannot be through checked. This has been in place for over a year now. In the past I interlined my bags even with separate bookings, but now, as Decker says, unless you pay the fare class to allow interlining and the accepting airline allows it, this is no longer the case. Since this adds an extra Û200 to the fare I choose not to interline and now leave a wide margin to allow for delays and transfer time

Originally posted by cardsharp


Sat in vile economy. Experience not helped by heavily tattooed psycho behind taking exception to me reclining my seat (after 'food' and when his seat was similarly reclined).

As someone who is 'heavily tattoed' I do find it insulting and unnecessary that you've mentioned the person was tattooed, as you seem to find it links with him being a 'psycho'. The fact that someone's skin is indelibly marked with ink has no bearing on their mood.
Really ignorant comment. Reminds me of some typically moronic comment someone showed me in some so-called 'newspaper' a few years ago about some trouble at a football match - 'tatooed thugs cause havoc..'

Thanks, all for comments. FYI, my sister used the brandishing small children method rather than hysterics.

The issue for me is what is and isn't achievable online. As airlines encourage us to do more through their web presence, it seems that the service potentially reduces. I'm based in the UK, so this is not a problem for me, but for a continental Europe-based passenger wishing to fly on Virgin to the Caribbean, the thought of having to go through security twice at Gatwick South on both the outbound and return journey must be pretty upsetting (especially with 3 under 5s). Is the cost of 'interlining' Û200 in total or each leg? Can that be done by phone after the two legs have been booked?

[Decker]

You can't interline once you've booked. All flights have to be on the same PNR. So you'd call VS and ask to book from the continent to the final destination. They'd then ticket it all on the same reference and assuming an interlining agreement was in place (which it should be - it even is with Kenya Airways for example) the bags would be checked through - as long as there wasn't an overnight stop on the way. The cost of interlining isn't fixed - it comes down to the cheapest fare for the route vs the cheapest fare that will allow interlining. I think on my LHR->Nairobi->Mombasa getting an interlined fare cost an extra £20 pp.

Decker, does that rule out a Virgin sector paid for with miles? And if you already have the Virgin sector booked, from your comments can I assume you can't then add a connecting leg?

[Decker]

The miles bit is fortunately irrelevant. Adding to a PNR I don't know - I'll defer to the real experts [;)]

Actually OP, i'll think you'll find the check in agent was RIGHT not to check your bags through and it shouldn't have been done in any circumstance.

It's not the cost of interlining the bags which is the issue - it's VS taking resoponsibility for you which is where the costs are incurred.

[Decker]

Lippy - somehow the OP got away with it Someone is risking their job I think [;)]

Can you check through if you are using a BA domestic to connect with a VS flight? I booked it all with VH.

Originally posted by Govan Jaggie
Can you check through if you are using a BA domestic to connect with a VS flight? I booked it all with VH.

No unfortunately you cant unless they are all on one locator (which i doubt) as they usually issue separate tickets one for VS flights & one for BA domestic.

Interestingly though when we flew back from Montego Bay in Dec the check in agent at MBJ checked our bags all the way to Glasgow via Gatwick.When we got to Glasgow i spoke to the BA baggage agent and she said it shouldnt have happened due to them not having a contractural agreement with VS.

Thanks for that. When I check my BA booking online it has my GLA-LGW flights as it should but i then has our LGW-HAV-LGW before out GLA return. I found this odd and thought I meight get straight through. Not that it matters.