Virgin Network Changes

And I expect ANA & BA are rubbing their hands with glee (Kerching!)

Don't forget Japan Airlines too.

... have still not arrived 92 hours after re-booking.

Just saying.

Duplicate post...ooops

update
after a third call to VS (always 3rd time lucky)
i got through to an agent who knew what to do and got me in touch with BA and I could finally get my BA booking reference yay!!!

Great news gfonk, that's one down, at least 3 more of us with bookings to NRT to go. I'm still waiting too

Relieved for you, gfonk. Fingers crossed for you , Bretty and the others ....

yes its a relief
but also fingers crossed for bretty maximus et al.
im sure it will come, just going to take time.

Update from me, still no etickets, but I've cancelled with a full refund due to other factors.

Update from me, still no etickets, but I've cancelled with a full refund due to other factors.

Sorry to hear you ended up canceling but good news on the full refund.

I'm still waiting for e-ticket so I've called again to be told it will be another 48hrs It's getting longer and longer, but fingers crossed.

On another note, what will happen to some of the crew on these cancelled routes, especially like NRT where they employed Japanese ground crew and CC. Presumably some will lose their jobs?

Hi Bretty,
When I saw that you had posted again I really hoped it was to say that you were now sorted too.

So sorry.

Hopefully not much longer to wait ...,,.

Hi Bretty,
When I saw that you had posted again I really hoped it was to say that you were now sorted too.

So sorry.

Hopefully not much longer to wait ...,,.

Aww thanks hun, thanks for the support. Yes, hopefully not much longer now.

Sorry to read about all this delay in issuing the etickets. It must be rubbish with all this waiting around (I hate waiting for anything, especially with any uncertainty, not that I'm a control freak or anything ), so really hope that you'll have a happy ending very soon!

Hi Bretty,
When I saw that you had posted again I really hoped it was to say that you were now sorted too.

So sorry.

Hopefully not much longer to wait ...,,.

I was just thinking about sending you a message to find out if you got your eticket.
If your MMB has been changed to reflect this then the booking must have been done so why the wait to simply email the ticket over (I had to call VS at least 3 times to finally get through to an agent who did a conference call to BA to get my reference number for me.
Fingers crossed for you Bretty and Maximus too and anyone else who is still waiting to get this resolved.

Yes I wonder what will happen to the Japanese Crew too. I think the ground crew at NRT are contract staff who already work for other local airlines too right? As for the CC I guess they would also lose their jobs, unless they are utilized on the US routes that will replace the cancelled routes.

Yes I wonder what will happen to the Japanese Crew too. I think the ground crew at NRT are contract staff who already work for other local airlines too right? As for the CC I guess they would also lose their jobs, unless they are utilized on the US routes that will replace the cancelled routes.

I think that VS crew are UK based so should be re-assigned to other routes rather than face redundancy etc.

[honey lamb]

Yes I wonder what will happen to the Japanese Crew too. I think the ground crew at NRT are contract staff who already work for other local airlines too right? As for the CC I guess they would also lose their jobs, unless they are utilized on the US routes that will replace the cancelled routes.

I think that VS crew are UK based so should be re-assigned to other routes rather than face redundancy etc.

I have a feeling that the Japanese crew members were Tokyo-based and not UK-based and served only the NRT route

Well I have called again also. As ever the VS agents are always very pleasant and polite. Unfortunately there are many tickets that need re-issuing, so we will just have to wait.

I did press her and ask if my booking was 100% confirmed and she said it was, as it was on the MMB pages.

Even so, I am hesitant to book more hotels etc. until I actually have the e-tickets.

On the matter of waiting for the e-tix we all know that VS IT is a law unto itself, and that whilst an agent can make a booking or change a booking, another department has to reissue the the tickets. We've read the stories one here recently of e-tix not being issued because the pax paid the wrong fare, even just a few pennies short, or as one v-flyer told us, a few pennies more, and no-one did anything until the pax chased it up. A case of "computer says no".

So I'll wait, and every couple of days I'll keep calling until I get the email.

What has disappointed me most in this situation is that the announcement was quietly made with no contingency plan in place, too many people singing from different sheets, and most of all that it's the affected pax who are faced with the responsibility of contacting VS to sort it out. I know some FC members got emails whether or not they were affected. I didn't get anything. I found out here (thanks to the OP). VS know who they've got booked on all the routes, that information is available to them with a few clicks on a computer. Since all bookings (AFAIK) that are handled with VS direct are confirmed with emails and as part of the booking process they collect telephone numbers, why oh why didn't they take a proactive approach and contact every affected pax individually and say what's happening and what the options are? I'll tell you why - the cost in manpower because it would probably mean setting up a temporary team to do it, and that would mean having a well thought out contingency plan, and that it seems is something that many companies fail in - basic customer service.

Rant over, frustration externalised, thank you my lovely fellow v-flyers.

As for the CC, Honey Lamb is right, the Japanese CC are Tokyo based rather than UK. I'd say at least half the CC on my flights earlier this year were native Japanese, so I do wonder if they will be redeployed or redundant.

Anyway, thanks again all, think I need a drink and I've got a nice bottle of Daiginjo Sake in the fridge. Cheers

On the matter of waiting for the e-tix we all know that VS IT is a law unto itself, and that whilst an agent can make a booking or change a booking, another department has to reissue the the tickets. We've read the stories one here recently of e-tix not being issued because the pax paid the wrong fare, even just a few pennies short, or as one v-flyer told us, a few pennies more, and no-one did anything until the pax chased it up. A case of "computer says no".

So I'll wait, and every couple of days I'll keep calling until I get the email.

What has disappointed me most in this situation is that the announcement was quietly made with no contingency plan in place, too many people singing from different sheets, and most of all that it's the affected pax who are faced with the responsibility of contacting VS to sort it out. I know some FC members got emails whether or not they were affected. I didn't get anything. I found out here (thanks to the OP). VS know who they've got booked on all the routes, that information is available to them with a few clicks on a computer. Since all bookings (AFAIK) that are handled with VS direct are confirmed with emails and as part of the booking process they collect telephone numbers, why oh why didn't they take a proactive approach and contact every affected pax individually and say what's happening and what the options are? I'll tell you why - the cost in manpower because it would probably mean setting up a temporary team to do it, and that would mean having a well thought out contingency plan, and that it seems is something that many companies fail in - basic customer service.

Rant over, frustration externalised, thank you my lovely fellow v-flyers.

As for the CC, Honey Lamb is right, the Japanese CC are Tokyo based rather than UK. I'd say at least half the CC on my flights earlier this year were native Japanese, so I do wonder if they will be redeployed or redundant.

Anyway, thanks again all, think I need a drink and I've got a nice bottle of Daiginjo Sake in the fridge. Cheers

Have a drink john

Rotten situation for you Bretty, for Maximus and others similarly affected. Fingers crossed for all of you.

I wonder how many potential pax have been deterred from making future bookings by this, the cancelled flights we've found out about and the speculation about LR that VS have not scotched.

Small potatoes I know, but we've been waiting more than three weeks for refund of £200 taken in error, admitted by VS and umpteen promises that it's on its way, it has been passed to refunds, refunds have been looking at it, they have been chased, etc. Yes I could write to the CEO but you know what, I really, really can't be bothered.

Can never get Gs (because we can't book 355 days ahead), miles seem useless, VS flights starting to look unreliable. Are we mourners at a wake or am I being totally pessimistic?

Not bothered about the sake John, but if you've a bottle of fizz opened..........

bretty
i agree 100% with what you said and i too made the same point to an agent on the phone.
but sadly the agents dont make the decisions.
luckily the first agent i spoke to gave me all the right info so i knew the options were from the start and like you say they are all singing from different song sheets.
if i had accepted the word of the agent who told me i wouldnt be able to get a BA booking reference i would be really worried whether i was definitely booked on the flight.
i think like you say, if VS had contacted all those affected (before or at the same time the announcement was made) with an email explaining the actual options and relevant phone numbers to contact VS. then i think our perception of VS would have been heightened and i think it would have softened the blow.
frankly in this day and age a company like that shouldnt be making these kind of errors.
as i have said before (in reference to the IT dept, but same applies here) ironically that to get a job at a major company like this the successful candidates (in whichever dept) have to go through a thorough screening process yet the company is not functioning properly.
I would love to have the honour of working at a major company but i regrettably didnt do well at university though as an adult my academic ability is much more improved and because of that probably wouldnt even get offered an interview yet I have passion and determination and am studying to better myself.
Rant over lol

I wonder how many potential pax have been deterred from making future bookings by this, the cancelled flights we've found out about and the speculation about LR that VS have not scotched.

I was thinking about this earlier whiterose. I would not now book any flights with VS other than transatlantic routes as who knows when they may pull the flights? As I have no interest in the Caribbean destinations, it is the USA only for me as far as VS are concerned.

I almost have enough miles for a couple of East Coast G upgrades. After that I suspect I will stop collecting FC miles and shall put my efforts in to the BAEC.

In the end I didn't bother with the sake, OH made me a nice cup of tea. Might open a bottle of fizz tomorrow though, I have some 99 vintage Lanson Blanc de Blancs I might try

I guess I'm going to have to think about what I do for future flights. I currently have a healthy miles balance and a UC revenue flight coming up in a few weeks, plus 2 PE upgrade vouchers to use. I think, if I can persuade OH we might focus the next couple of years on US trips. He mentioned potentially going back to Canada the other day, so we might look at connecting in the US to go somewhere for one trip and burn some miles that way. Hong Kong and Singapore don't appeal to OH, Dubai doesn't appeal to me, nor does South Africa. That leaves Caribbean, not sure about that one. We'll see.

Hong Kong and Singapore don't appeal to OH, Dubai doesn't appeal to me, nor does South Africa. That leaves Caribbean, not sure about that one. We'll see.

Go on, go on, go on. Not much in the way of shopping, but at least a visit to one of the major islands and a trip to Havana....

Can't tell pax ( or staff) before announcement- would lead to leaks speculation and loss of bookings - announce and clear up the mess is the way to go and Virgin seem to be doing a good job at this. Damage limitation means offer what you must initially and see how it goes- offer more to those who push.

I don't think VS will pull the late night departures if they are profitable and unless they get more US favourable slots. Little Red was an emotional response and unlikely to be successful I am afraid- so who knows.

We live if a tough world- and remember the shareholder be it you, me or DL are king- as it should be.

I guess the CEO is not getting much sleep now though.

I