STUCK IN ORLANDO

Thanks Virgin for cancelling our flight from Orlando VS76 and using it for Gatwick passengers and leaving all us northern scum stranded! 3 hours of phone calls to Virgin and we are still non the wiser.

Utter shambles and disgusting, ring up tomorrow was one answer or our Indian friends offered a flight for me my wife and two young children in 10 days!

I now sit on hold for somekind of assistance from Virgin.

Why can't they just delay Gatwick passengers until the airport is able to fly an aircraft out of.

JOKE

I realise that you are upset about being stuck in Orlando, but maybe you should have a little look at some of the UK websites (BBC news / Sky news etc) about the unbelievable weather the UK is having at the moment. Particularly the North of England and Scotland.

Manchester Airport has been closed off and on for the last couple of days with huge delays when it reopens.

I can only assume VA thought there was more chance of getting into Gatwick which hasn't anywhere near the amount of snow that Manchester has had.

Hope you had a good trip, althought I believe the weather hasn't been that great,but on the plus side, its been much much better than back here.

David

[mitchja]

Errr probably because MAN is suffering massive delays today and has a huge back-log from been closed most of yesterday due to snow.

It's 15:45 here and today's VS075 hasn't even departed yet.

Regards

Manchester is open though and has been since yesterday. Didn't they shut Gatwick today? I'm sure some LGW flights have been diverted into MAN, so this does prove really that the south is blatently more important than the north.. apparently.

I fully understand the weather conditions at home as most of my workforce have been off.

Simple facts are VS75 is due to leave manchester anytime which then brings VS76 back to manchester which is now operational (hence the flight leaving and flights landing every 5 minutes). Virgin have cancelled VS76 back to manchester to accommodate London Gatwick pasengers as their flight could not leave today.

North - South divide at its best!

If Virgin would just book us on the next flight with no hassle I wouldn't have an issue but by being told to travel 4 hours to airport to get luncheon vouchers and a B&B is obscene.

and to have you on hold now for over 3 hours on various calls is even worse.

Can somebody assist me and my family get booked onto a flight home.

[mitchja]

Yes, just checked and LGW has currently suspended operations to clear the runway.

I also don't think the 75 ops back from MCO as the 76 either. I think the LGW/MAN A/C swap over dont they? The A/C from MAN comes back to LGW I think.

The VS15 and the VS27 LGW>MCO flights have both been cancelled today.

That leaves 1 A/C on it's way to MCO to bring back 3 flights of pax.

Regards

Does anyone have any telephone numbers where I wont have to be on hold for any longer to speak to Virgin?

Latest update on site

The following flights have been cancelled:

Departing from the UK:


Flight No: Departure Date: From: To:
VS063 6 January 2010 London Gatwick Havana
VS029 6 January 2010 London Gatwick Barbados
VS033 6 January 2010 London Gatwick Antigua
VS011 6 January 2010 London Heathrow Boston
VS027 6 January 2010 London Gatwick Orlando
VS043 6 January 2010 London Gatwick Las Vegas

Departing from other airports:


Flight No: Departure Date: From: To:
VS064 6 January 2010 Havana London Gatwick
VS030 6 January 2010 Barbados London Gatwick
VS034 6 January 2010 Antigua London Gatwick
VS012 6 January 2010 Boston London Heathrow
VS076 6 January 2010 Orlando Manchester
VS044 6 January 2010 Las Vegas London Gatwick


If your flight has been cancelled, please do not travel to the airport.

Any passengers holding confirmed reservations for a cancelled flight should contact their travel agents or, for direct bookings only, call their nearest Virgin Atlantic reservations centre, or if you are in the UK our flight disruption line on 0870 998 0747 to rebook to the next available flight.

It is our intention to carry passengers to their destination at the earliest opportunity when our flying programme has fully resumed however space may be limited and it could take some days before all passengers are accommodated. The following alternative options are therefore also available to passengers:

USA Numbers

USA
Reservations/Flight Information 1 800 821 5438
Flying Club Frequent Flyer Program 1 800 821 5438

Whilst trying to get some detail on options of getting back, assume you've advised your travel insurances of your situation..
Mainly thinking about accomodation/ subsistance/ compensation for delays etc..? Outside what VS may offer.

Would be nice to think some form of acknowledgement for your silver card maybe taken into consideration, i.e. preference for re-allocation based on Gold-Silver-Red-none.. if only eh....

Cheers all, have done all that problem is as its booked as a fly drive with virgin holidays virgin atlantic cannot assist. virgin holidays are useless and have told me to leave my luxurious house 4 hours from the airport and travel to the airport for them to sort out.

I have spoken to US virgin holidays and they have said its virgin atlantic who are dealing with everything!

All I want is a flight home whether its tomorrow, friday or even saturday then i can relax.

too simple to ask.

quote:Originally posted by dunkmat
All I want is a flight home whether its tomorrow, friday or even saturday then i can relax.

too simple to ask.


I bet you do. Other than venting frustration here, this group can't rebook you. VH can but I'd guess they're wondering how to do that for quite a lot of people at the moment and as frustrating as it is, patience and quiet fortitude always win out.

I have to agree that Virgin CS stink today (and yesterday).

Website showing my flight is delayed.

Local (i.e. Virgin assist in LA) say it is on time and the website is incorrect.

My Virgin PA says flight is delayed and 'may not be able to take off' due to being last one out of LA at 2300. So may have to book a hotel (yes that is me that 'may' have to do that)

So what do I have to do ? Turn up at the airport and find out - so very helpful when I am NOT in LA but Palm Springs on a connecting flight. I think their brain cells have got frosted over today - seriously NOT IMPRESSED

It's clear that everyone hates the north. Even the weather.

GJ

Good luck Ian with your journey back from LAX. It seems everything is up the creek today - all three BA LAX bound flights are still on the ground at LHR, although the 10:15 has just taxied!

No doubt you're tracking the VS23 and it's now on 'Gate Closed' which at least is a positive sign. Goodness knows how VS intend to turn it round in 40 mins at LAX though, which is what their web site is stating [:?]

Cheers
James

quote:Originally posted by Vegascrazy

No doubt you're tracking the VS23 and it's now on 'Gate Closed' which at least is a positive sign. Goodness knows how VS intend to turn it round in 40 mins at LAX though, which is what their web site is stating [:?]

Cheers
James


Thanks James I am - it is showing a 1 hour 30 delay but will have to see when it takes off.

Ian x

Both MCO flights to Gatwick today did not arrive - both diverted!
MAN is not accepting any diversions - only their 'own' aircraft as the only stands cleared of snow are full.
VS aircraft have been redirected all over the UK including to Prestwick.

Passengers are still at airports awaiting departures in these aircraft. So first they have to be put together with the aircraft - then they can get flights off to MCO - and then start to clear the backlog there.

Its an operations nightmare!

That still does not excuse the CS response.
A very good example where Indian call centres become totally inadequate.

Whilst I have sympathy with anyone stranded as a result of this bad weather, this whole north/south business is frankly peurile.

The 75 plane doesn't do the 76 and instead does one of the Gatwick flights as mentioned on here already. I remember many a time when the Manchester flight got the priority as it consistently had the higher loads so I don't for one minute think this is a north/south thing. I think VAA have bigger issues on their mind with much of their fleet out of position than considering whether to upset the northerners or the southerners!!

As was mentioned before the MAN-MCO a/c does not always operate straight back to MAN, on certain days of the week the LGW and MAN aircraft swap in MCO, VS need to get the aircraft which has been operating out of Manchester for the week back to LGW for engineering etc. Unfortunately today is the day that the aircraft swap takes place. They do this down route to save ferrying an empty aircraft up and down the UK when they dont need to. Nothing to do with the North/South devide.

[Decker]

Thanks GPik. Regretfully one or two members persist in retaining a whole potato on their shoulder when it comes down to perpetuating the North/South divide calumny. Hopefully your helpful post will go some way towards setting them straight.

Maybe there isn't so much of an argument for a north/south divide today then, but there definately is one!

Maybe its me who's just unfortunate as our August flight out of manchester was delayed 8 hours due to problems with the aircraft at Gatwick. We are being told to go to Orlando airport to await further instructions and we we don't we will be considered a no show. My last 45 minute wait for Virgin Atlantic was passed on internally to Virgin Holidays (another 30 minute wait) to be told it was Virgin atlantic. We are having to pack up and travel to the airport to avoid risk. Crazy but true, with 2 young children I cannot take risks.

[Decker]

quote:Originally posted by Lizz
Maybe there isn't so much of an argument for a north/south divide today then, but there definately is one!


Lizz

You genuinely believe that given a choice between pissing off 250 LGW travellers and pissing off 250 MAN travellers VS would actively choose to piss off the latter for any reasons other than operational neccessity? This despite the fact that the latter will have probably paid more for their tickets AND cost less in infrastructure support costs? (Thought the infrastructure is a guess there may be economies of scale at LGW).

I guess much of the feeling of N/S divide is actually a reflection of the LHR/LGW,MAN divide.
I don't think many would deny that.

In addition one cannot ignore the dire state of the MAN Clubhouse.[:w]