Virgin Holidays price match.... grr...

I know that others on these boards have had good prices through VH... well for me the wait goes on, and frankly it's rather irritating when:

1) The 'special' price that you are quoted on the phone for being a AU FC member comes out higher than what their website is quoting for anyone to take advantage of...
2) They decline to look into price matching another quote that you got in writing, on Friday night, when you talk to them on Monday morning, on the basis that it's too old...

If they don't want to be competitive, that's their prerogative, and I have no issue with booking elsewhere (other than the fact that I won't get as many FC miles out of it). But I wish they wouldn't waste my time by pretending the opposite. Or suggesting that I'm getting a good deal from being an AU, Or coming up with 'interesting' reasons not to want to match prices with competitors.

VH have not been able or willing to match my last two holidays

I very rarely use VH anymore, I prefer to pick and chose aspects of my trip and book them through the VA online shopping site using Hotles.com, eBookers, Hertz etc and earn a lot of miles that way.

Hi,

Newby to the forum and not sure how to start a new post but this one is similar to my question. I have booked a 3 week holiday through VH for Aug next year (during the 10% sale). I am too far out to see the straight VA flight prices (I am an FC red member with one PE upgrade and 30k miles), but looking for late July I can get 3 PE flights (miles plus money) for loads less than my VH price.

Here is my question, would / will VH let me amend my total holiday booking to a hotel only one (hotel prices through VH look decent)? Is that allowed within the "rules".

Apologies again for probably placing this q in the wrong place

Cheers

[mitchja]

Welcome

Yes, VH should let you do that, but as this is considered as a downgrade as you will be paying them less money, they will have to pay an 'admistration' fee.

I'd wait though until you can see the direct VS flights on the dates you want. If and when the time comes, call VS, get them to hold the flights for you and then call VH just in case VH say they cannot do anything.

Hi,

Newby to the forum and not sure how to start a new post but this one is similar to my question. I have booked a 3 week holiday through VH for Aug next year (during the 10% sale). I am too far out to see the straight VA flight prices (I am an FC red member with one PE upgrade and 30k miles), but looking for late July I can get 3 PE flights (miles plus money) for loads less than my VH price.

Here is my question, would / will VH let me amend my total holiday booking to a hotel only one (hotel prices through VH look decent)? Is that allowed within the "rules".

Apologies again for probably placing this q in the wrong place

Cheers

Welcome to v-flyer
In answer to your question, no. VS and VH are two separate companies. You cannot use FC miles with VH bookings ( or PE upgrade vouchers or Companion vouchers). Package holidays are essentially that - a package, and that is the contract you've entered into with VH.
Most of us here book our travel independently with flights on VS ( or whoever) and book our accomodation/ car hire etc etc with whoever we wish. For me this gives better choice and flexibility but a downside is that flights need to be "paid" for in full at the time of booking and there is no travel agent protection ( just the need for good travel insurance).
VH can work out cheaper if you have children to factor in to the equation, due to the discounts sometimes offered by VH.
Hope that helps
DL

Hi James and DL,

Great, thanks for the feedback.......exactly what I was hoping for (assuming VA have the flights available for the right price on the right day). If all works out well, I should be able to book some separate VA flights for the 3 of us then move my VH booking to hotel only (I so far have only paid £525 deposit)....thus only paying a small admin fee (but potentially saving in the long term).

Lots of "if's" but if it works out I think has the potential to save circa £1k.......

Fingers crossed.........

Hi all,

Quick update....basically my plan worked well. VH were brilliant, took some jiggery pokery but long and short of it is, flights now booked through VA only and accommodation booked through VH (even used some of my saving for nicer hotels and have still saved £400 overall)!

Chuffed!!!

Excellent news Longboy.

After getting lots of great advice from the guys on here thats excatly what will be doing in the future from now on. VH have served us well as a family but now the kids dont want to come with us anymore its time to go VA .

100% of our holidays are booked totally independently of a tour company/travel agent, we just book direct with airlines/hotels. That way there's no middle man adding margin to the price. I'm not 100% certain I always save money, but I enjoy the ability to choose as I please.

I've often looked at VH and been quite shocked by the high prices.

I have always found the prices on VH very expensive. When I have shopped around, I have found it cheaper through another company, or by booking direct - which is also my preference.

Hi,

Newby to the forum and not sure how to start a new post but this one is similar to my question. I have booked a 3 week holiday through VH for Aug next year (during the 10% sale). I am too far out to see the straight VA flight prices (I am an FC red member with one PE upgrade and 30k miles), but looking for late July I can get 3 PE flights (miles plus money) for loads less than my VH price.

Here is my question, would / will VH let me amend my total holiday booking to a hotel only one (hotel prices through VH look decent)? Is that allowed within the "rules".

Apologies again for probably placing this q in the wrong place

Cheers

I had same with VH when I booked a PE flight and accom to Australia,as is my want I check prices on a regular basis and found out I could get UC flights cheaper then the PE ones direct with VA,VH agreed to take the flights of my existing booking but I lost my 7% discount as it was no longer a package,I then rebooked the accom at a much cheaper rate asked VH to refund my deposit which they did,this was with a overseas call center and they were really good emailing and phoning me at every stage

[mitchja]

The thing that annoys me with VH is that they wont even price match themselves.

Last year I've already booked a package to Washington DC in Premium on VS. A few weeks before I was due to fly, VS and VH did that very silly sale and if you went online using the VH website, the package I had to the same hotel on the same dates but including Upper Class flights was actually less than what I'd paid for Premium flights!! On calling to upgrade my flights, I was told that was a special offer for new customers only and I've have to pay >£2000 to upgrade my flights !

So VH are yet another 'new customers only' company so they can stick their loyalty now as far as I'm concerned.