Flight time change

Hi,

Could anyone tell me why VA have changed our flight time on 6/4/12 VS006 MIA-LHR? v( They have changed the time from 20.45 - 18.15. I want to scream, as this will mean either changing flights from MCO-MIA or driving down and having to leave our house very early. Either way it makes a mess of our last day. !

Could be because the summer timetable kicks in on that date.

We've always taken the 20.45 from MIA-LHR, so I can't see a reason for the time change. Can I ask Virgin to pay for our flight changes from MCO-MIA, as they are non refundable and no use to me with the earlier flight time.

Karen x

Frustrating, I think VS are having a play with their schedules today. My flight times were changed for my MCO flight too!

Atleast they are getting better at notifying - I received a text and email, it just to simply be a case of logging in to MMB to find it!

Yup, me too....a text indicating a change to our MCO next August v(

Just rang FC and explained that I have four tickets booked for internal MCO-MIA and don't arrive until 5.50 and they are non refundable. They said that would not give us enough time to make the flight.... I told her I already knew this! They went onto say that I could not change the MIA-LHR to the next day without paying.

So the choice I am left with is to lose $500 for the internal flights and then pay another $500 to rebook on an earlier flight, or take the flights to MIA, book in a hotel for the night and pay for the ticket changes for the flights the next day. Or, lose the money on the internal flights and spend the whole of our last day driving down to MIA.

What ever way I try it is going to cost me a lot of money and the loss of a day of our holiday.

We have flown 6 UC flights in the past 18 months, none of which were particulary any good, (just a better price than CW at the time). So it's back to BA after this.
I want to cry!

Karen

Karen I hear ya! Seems like VS has well and truly buggered up your return, but there is nothing you can do about it. Had you booked the connecting flight with VS then it would have been their problem to solve, but as you did not, VS has no responsibility

If you really want to change to the next day, and you're on Z tickets, I'd check availability and call again, ask to speak to a superviser and ask for leniency of the rules. It probably won't work, but you never know.

[honey lamb]

Could be because the summer timetable kicks in on that date.

No, because it's a Friday

Could anyone tell me why VA have changed our flight time

The short (and unhelpful) answer is: because they can.
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/bookflightsandmore/conditionsofcarriage/carriage9.jsp
I would study 9.1.3 and then call them back and explain why this change is not acceptable to you. Keep calling until you get a sympathetic agent... good luck.

I am 100% in sympathy with you. I think it is just ridiculous that an airline can say that flight times are nothing to do with your contract with them. Unfortunately, these are the terms to which we all agree when booking a ticket. It won't be much different with BA, although they will of course have more alternative options to offer.

Good luck with your efforts ! I really feel for you . We've just had notification of the flight change from Miami but our flight is not till next September and I haven't yet finalised all my plans.
Do let us know how you get on.
best wishes
hiljil

I wonder what is going on - I changed a reward flight yesterday morning to June, and the confirmation mail shows the "old" times: VS5 11:50 > 16:20, and VS6 20:45 > 10:25.
A quick look at the online schedule now shows:
VS005 LHR MIA 11:35 16:05
VS006 MIA LHR 19:35 09:05

so they are still making changes.... as it happens these changes don't affect me, but it does seem a strange way to carry on. Interestingly enough, Expedia shows both flights as available, at the same prices....

And "manage my booking" now shows 11:35 out, and 18:15 return!

I have a lot of sympathy for the OP here, as some V-Flyers might remember my tribulations recently with a JetBlue/VS schedule change double-whammy. Our saving grace that time was that we'd got both flights on the same PNR. Not doing so is a risk that many people take and sometimes things work, sometimes they don't.

Our VS23 departure in August has been moved back by 10 minutes, which is no big deal for us but could be a real pain for anyone with a connection at either end.

I hope it works out for you

I think this is going to be the next big issue to hit airlines (there are several complaints on the VS FB thread with not very helpful responses from VS)

Perhaps it needs something like a small claims court case to embarrass VS (and other airlines as they are all guilty of this from time to time) into allowing free flight changes in these circumstances.

Afterall if a pax wants to make a change they have to pay but if VS changes the flight the pax also has to pay to change as well !

Maybe a complaint to trading standards or the CAA is in order or even write to one of the 'money problem' pages in a newspaper - the Guardian and Observer seem to get results!

Perhaps it needs something like a small claims court case to embarrass VS

I suspect that this wouldn't work because I don't think small claims judgements set a legal precedent, and most big firms settle claims long before they come to court (to avoid negative publicity).

I believe a better approach would be to see if the Office of Fair Trading is interested in pursuing the matter. I am not an expert, but I think that the contention, in section 9 of the terms of carriage, that times are not part of the contract is absurd.

And as you say, the contract does not grant similar rights to both parties because VS do not pay you a change fee if they alter your booking! I don't know whether the OFT or a court would judge the terms to be unfair, but I would be interested to hear what they said!

(I made a similar point earlier this year when I discovered that the VS19 had been moved from something like 1130 to a 0945 departure, which was completely inconvenient and required us to pay for a long and expensive taxi journey at an ungodly hour, because our public transport options were screwed by the change.)

Just checked my VS006 for Friday 27th July. Same thing.
Going to mean a very early start on te last day of our holiday to drie from Bradenton . And a long sit in LHR for our connection - different PNR.
At least there is the Revivals lounge as we have an UC ticket.

Meant to also say that I haven't received an email about this change. I just checked after reading his.
But maybe te email is on the way

Perhaps it needs something like a small claims court case to embarrass VS

I suspect that this wouldn't work because I don't think small claims judgements set a legal precedent, and most big firms settle claims long before they come to court (to avoid negative publicity).

I believe a better approach would be to see if the Office of Fair Trading is interested in pursuing the matter. I am not an expert, but I think that the contention, in section 9 of the terms of carriage, that times are not part of the contract is absurd.

And as you say, the contract does not grant similar rights to both parties because VS do not pay you a change fee if they alter your booking! I don't know whether the OFT or a court would judge the terms to be unfair, but I would be interested to hear what they said!

VS are not the only airline with the section 9 item ( times not part of contract) in the t & c's

I think most rational people would accept the need to adjust a schedule by an hour here or there. My schedule change was only about 25 minutes but because it screwed up our connection at JFK caused a real fuss.

However, these instances of 3/4 hour changes really aren't acceptable. Regardless of any connecting flights, they totally balls up people's plans. For example someone may book a cheap advance only rail fare, or make arrangements with friends/family to take them to the airport.

This, along with the increasing stories of involuntary downgrades (both on V-Flyer and FB) appears to show an airline that has somewhat lost its rudder, and is developing a nasty habit of irritating its customers.

Just had an email about our MIA-LHR flight next may being changed.
It's completely messed everything up as we're flying into Miami from Cancun and don't land until 5.05pm which was fine when the VA flight didn't depart until 8.45pm but now it's 6.15pm we're never going to make it.
I understand times changing now and then and by the odd 15 or 30 minutes but 2.5 hours is just stupid.

[honey lamb]

I was looking at the Flight Rights website which, although an Irish site, is based on EU regulations. It says this about schedule changes. It's the fourth question down

Spoke to VA, they want £300 to change our flights to the next day (used miles to book PE seats). It's cheaper just to book a new flight from Cancun to Mexico.
Apparently a change under 5 hours is my problem and over 5 hours is theirs.

9.2.1.2 where the delay is five hours or more, we will reimburse the fare paid for your ticket for the part of carriage not used or the whole amount paid if, as a result of the delay, the purpose of the carriage used no longer serves any purpose in relation to your original travel plans

9.2.1.2 where the delay is five hours or more, we will reimburse the fare paid for your ticket for the part of carriage not used or the whole amount paid if, as a result of the delay, the purpose of the carriage used no longer serves any purpose in relation to your original travel plans

It's not a delay though, its a schedule change.

The website does say -

9.1.3 If, after purchase of your Ticket, we make a significant change to the scheduled flight time which is not acceptable to you, and we are unable to book you on an alternate flight which is acceptable to you, you will be entitled to an involuntary refund in accordance with Article 10.2 if you have acted reasonably.
Clever though though don't say what they consider as being 'significant' v(

I have to say that VS are not doing themselves any favours lately with this kind of thing, downgrades and other customer affecting issues v( Or is it just me???? Come VS I want to continue lovin the brand y)