Flight Cancelled - what is my entitlement?

Hi All,

Thought that seen as the winter timetable change is likely to crop up a number of topics as people realise their flights have been cancelled/changed, I would start a thread whereby they can all be kept in one place - if you think that's a good idea anyway!

My query is this... we've booked a trip LHR-ORD-TPA, TPA-JFK-LHR using miles for economy and upraded to PE using the AMEX vouchers. The internal flights are with UA and AA respectively. I've discovered by checking my booking that the LHR-ORD sector is cancelled, phoned Virgin and they assured me that they will be contacting all passengers, including me, by phone ASAP. Before they do contact me, I'm just wondering what my 'rights' are in terms of re-routing to TPA, again using VS PE on the transatlantic leg?

Thanks,
James

[HighFlyer]

Basic rights are covered here on the VS website.

Did you book the connecting flights through VS as well? If so, they'll rebook you on new flights free of charge.

Thanks,
Sarah

Thanks Sarah. Yes we did book all our flights through VS - should've been more clear!

1. Reprotection to another airline: UA, BA and AA flights on same day if poss. If you are in PE you are not allowed into UA's Economy Plus so wait and see what they offer you on BA.
2. Travel with VS to another destination: Use the money from your old flight towards a new one to any destination paying fare difference if more expensive (refunded if cheaper)
3. Receive a full refund.

Hacked Off !!!!!!!

April 2009 Virgin cancelled our flights we ended up getting a refund and flying BA becuase of connecting flights

Today Flight VS56 that we were booked to fly on the 8th August IAD - LHR has just been cancelled it has cost me $400 to change our connecting flights up from Orlando.

Tried to get on VS16 MCO - LGW, but as we are on a Miles Ticket they refused,

Virgin customer care quote 'We are in our rights to cancel flights' which is of no use if you planned other things on your trip, Virgin should remember passengers can fly with other airlines.

Rant over

The above post illustrates why it pays to purchase connecting flights on the same ticket.

Or book a package with a bonded agent who will make all the arrangements to smooth out any changes for you!

[Nottingham Nick]

DIY bookings are fine and cheap when they work, but I assume that is why some people choose to pay more and book a through ticket.

I suppose it is a case of 'You pays your money, you takes your chance.'

Nick

[mitchja]

Though tickets are not always more expensive either.

Take my last NYC trip. It was actually about 30 cheaper to book it all on 1 VS ticket rather than 2 separate VS & BMI tickets.

Regards

[Nottingham Nick]

quote:Originally posted by mitchja
Though tickets are not always more expensive either.


Thanks James, I didn't know that. I always thought it was dearer. I will do a bit of research for my September trip now. [y] I was going to book separate VS and VX tickets, but will try and get them on one PNR if possible.

Nick

[Decker]

Well for an itinerary I priced up recently it was 2100 if ticketed separately and 3800 if on the same PNR because to put it on the same PNR I couldn't use the cheap Business Class fare out...

Have also had my IAD flight cancelled today.[n] Spoke with the premier team who said the VS55 has been pulled from the end of August and we had been rebooked onto the VS21 earlier in the day.

But there's the problem we booked the VS55 (evening flight) so as Mrs Chumba could take half a day off as her work wouldn't let her have the full day off.[V]

As there is a flight going that day, there is no option to reroute with another carrier. VS have sent us a letter stating they have cancelled the flight and out only option is the earlier one, so she can show to her employer and fingers crossed she can have the full day off.

If not we have to travel the following day, but that means only
1 1/2 days in IAD instead of 2 1/2, as we also have internal flights booked, (i did try to get VS to do these for me on the same PNR but they couldn't) so i had to book them myself. fingers crossed US see some sense and allow us in the circumsatnces to change the flight to a day later. (but am not holding my breath)

We had our return cancelled from IAD to LHR we were on the late flight so our son would be tired and would sleep....now we are on the earlier flight [:(!] We did have the option of a refund but ho - hum the earlier flight will have to do

Our flights HKG-LHR and LHR-HKG around christmas have been cancelled. We had reward bookings in upper on both sectors and we have been rebooked onto VS200/201 in upper.

No one from virgin contacted us, although I spoke with Flying Club in Australia and then said there were in the process of contacting all customers by date order.

We have connecting flight arrangements yet to make. Question is do we drop our rewards flights, take the hit and go book sthg more secure?

[Scrooge]

What do you mean by something more secure ?

quote:Originally posted by Scrooge
What do you mean by something more secure ?


Know what you mean!!

We have yet to book connecting flights from PER to link up with the rewards from HKG Slight concern that there will be further mess that would make a mess of the connecting flights. So thinking was it it better just to have a through ticket from PER to LHR in the event things go wrong we only have that to deal with.

[HighFlyer]

I don't think you can really second guess these things, though I would think it unlikely that your flight would get cancelled again as the 200/201 goes on to SYD.

I'd advise seeing if VS can book the connecting flights for you so they are all on the same booking, that way VS will assist you if there are any additional cancellations. You can weigh up the price they offer to what you can get online and I guess you have to 'pays your money and takes your chance' as Nick mentioned earlier.

Thanks,
Sarah

I had booked an S and a companion fare to HKG in November (VS238/9) - having finally thought I had found a way to get value from the companion voucher! [}:)]

We were reprotected onto VS201 but it means rather than landing back at 7pm on a Sunday it gets in at 5am on the Monday - something that is not really possible as my better half has a work appointment for 9.30 on the Monday!

Have spoken with Virgin but we can not move back one day as there is no reward availability unsurprisingly.

However notice that I can book the correct dates with BA in their current sale and save 200 on the price I paid with Virgin even with the companion voucher - may be time to switch to the Dark Side...[:w]

quote:Originally posted by Seppy
However notice that I can book the correct dates with BA in their current sale and save 200 on the price I paid with Virgin even with the companion voucher - may be time to switch to the Dark Side...[:w]


If you were in Club - I'd do it in a shot. Unfortunately BA W is not anything like as good as VS W ... unless you have BA miles and can upgrade (from any WT+ fare class I believe, unlike stingy Virgin).

quote:Originally posted by HighFlyer

I'd advise seeing if VS can book the connecting flights for you so they are all on the same booking, that way VS will assist you if there are any additional cancellations. You can weigh up the price they offer to what you can get online and I guess you have to 'pays your money and takes your chance' as Nick mentioned earlier.



thanks sarah. We had thought about this too. Maybe as you say we should investigate, weigh up any price difference and see.

[Scrooge]

I would give it a look, see what they come up with, there are times when it is just better to pay the extra a live with a bit of security.

Does anyone have a link to a page on the VAA web site that gives details of flights cancelled/changed etc?

Thanks.

[Darren Wheeler]

On the second post of this thread.

Just a quick update on this - VS have come up with a good re-route to Tampa via Washington, again in PE which we're pretty pleased with. The only decision now is up to us to decide whether we want to cancel it and put the money towards next year's trip or two.

quote:Originally posted by Darren Wheeler
On the second post of this thread.


Hi Darren, thanks for the reply but what I was after was a link to information about WHICH flights have been cancelled/changed rather than entitlements if it happens.

Many thanks.