Virgin America Involuntary Downgrade - advice needed

Hi all - excuse the long post,

Later this month, I am off to the US with my parents to celebrate their retirement. We have an exciting trip planned in San Fran, Las Vegas and then they are off to Washington whilst I visit my cousin in NYC. We are all very excited about the trip and they have their first Virgin Upper Class flights booked after saving their airmiles for two years.

To travel between each destination, we are using Virgin America where possible. I am flying SFO-LAS and later LAS-LAX-JFK all in first class. My reservations are separate to my parents as I booked first and they decided to join me a couple of days later.

So on Saturday I received and email from Virgin America advising me that they have had to downgrade me:

"Please be advised that due to circumstances beyond our control we have modified your booking created under the Confirmation Code above, reassigning you to Main Cabin Select / Seat 10D your Flight XXX SFO-LAS XXXXX. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by this required change. We are prepared to issue a refund in the amount of $77.00 fare difference and Travel Bank credit - $100.00 as additional compensation. We would like to speak with you to confirm your compensation is processed properly and best suit your travel needs. Our Contact Center is available at 1-877-FLY-VIRGIN.

Thank you for choosing Virgin America!"

I replied to the email asking if there was any way around the downgrade as I was travelling with my parents, although they were on a separate reservation. I mentioned that I was Flying Club Gold (as it couldn't hurt?!) and asked them to contact me so I would not have to call the US and run up a large bill.

No reply from my email so when I returned from Cape Town on Monday, I tried online chat with them. The agent there was unable to help me and after 30 minutes informed me that they could not do anything with the reservation until HQ had spoken with me. She arranged that they would do that on Wednesday and assured me that it would be during reasonable hours in the UK.

Wednesday has been and gone so I tried VS Flying Club who managed to put me through. The agent could not give me any explanation for the downgrade and asked if she could process it. There is no notes on the reservation and it is locked for any changes until I accept the downgrade. I can call back in several hours once HQ is open (via Virgin Atlantic again!).

The agent has confirmed that in Main Cabin Select I would have to pay for one of my two bags but I could use my travel bank credit! I travel to the states a lot but this is the first time I have flown VX so this may be the only way I can use up the credit to use on their airline!

So, it is a short flight of only 1hr 40 min so the downgrade itself is not an issue as such. What is disappointing is that I was flying with my parents and this treat in first was part of our celebrations. What would other v-flyers do? If I manage to get hold of HQ and the downgrade cannot be reversed, I was going to ask for the travel credit to be applied to my LAS-LAX-JFK booking and my First Class baggage allowance to be honoured. Is this reasonable or am I making a mountain out of a molehill?! Why do these things always happen when you are travelling with others?!

Any advice gratefully received!

I'd be asking for a proper refund not just a credit ( that you may end up losing if you don't fly with them again) and for them to honour the bag limits (or ask to exchange the $100 compensation for the bag fee).

I'd accept the down grade - as you say it's a short flight- unless there is a different flight they could move you onto but that means you wouldn't be traveling with the others.

But I would make my displeasure known to them about it and their other failures to communicate with you etc

I'd refuse the refund and insist on being in First (which is presumably overbooked). If you persist they may relent. Try sprinkling in phrases like "bitterly disappointed", "utterly let down", "holiday of a lifetime" and "up till now I've been a huge fan of the Virgin brand".

If they still say no can do, treat the $100 compensation as an opening gambit and see how high you can push them. Having witnessed several overbooking scenarios at the gate, US airlines generally seem very willing to up the initial offer if no-one volunteers to be bumped at first.

Just a note, putting some credit on a skype account, and using it to phone the US is a reasonable solution to phoning the US.

It's a bit variable. It failed to connect the direct dialed or 1-800 for Amtrak one night, but went through fine in seconds the next night...

And Amtrak allowed to change my Roomette ticket from San Jose to San Francisco, a difference in Journey time of an hour and a half for $2...

I really would not worry SFO-LAS, it's such a short trip, the seats are better but not to the point of spending an age sitting on the phone/chat/email to get it back again. Just take the refund and spend it in Vegas is what I would do. Maybe ask for some drinks vouchers or lounge access at SFO and see if they do that as a token of appreciation.

I really would not worry SFO-LAS, it's such a short trip, the seats are better but not to the point of spending an age sitting on the phone/chat/email to get it back again. Just take the refund and spend it in Vegas is what I would do. Maybe ask for some drinks vouchers or lounge access at SFO and see if they do that as a token of appreciation.

I would second that - I would go down the old 'im really upset' route and ask for some cash and a few hours in the CH there..!

[mitchja]

Just a note, putting some credit on a skype account, and using it to phone the US is a reasonable solution to phoning the US.

It's a bit variable. It failed to connect the direct dialed or 1-800 for Amtrak one night, but went through fine in seconds the next night...

You also don't need any Skype credit to dial either UK or US freephone numbers using Skype. I presume the same can be said for freephone/toll free numbers in other countries as well.

Thanks for your replies. I had not considered Skype. That would be a good contact option.

They did reply to my original email this afternoon offering to move us onto a later flight or advising to check back nearer the departure time. Still no explanation was given so I ask for one and got this reply:

We certainly understand your frustration and we are sorry for the inconvenience. This is due to circumstances beyond our control. At this time we are restricted against releasing further details regarding the required changes made. However, we will be happy to follow-up with you after the flight operates.

All very mysterious! The later flight thy offered was not particularly well timed for us but I am pleased to say they have agreed to move us onto the earlier morning departure meaning more time in Vegas!! I am happy with that result but will still call after the flight date to find out what the issue was!

I would love to spend the time in the Clubhouse before the flight but sadly the SFO one will not be open when we travel as it opens later in the day.

Hi Steven, Hope you get everything sorted to you satisfaction and congratulations to your parents on their retirement. It does take a while to get used to. Maybe there is somebody famous taking over the first class seating area on the flight you wanted. We are off to Vegas again on Monday for 10 days can't keep away from the place.

Have a good trip with your folks. Regards Linda

Shame that we will miss each other Linda. You will be flying back as we are heading out to San Fran.

My parents said the same thing about somebody famous - they were tempted to stay on the original flight to see! Knowing our luck, it would be convicts being moved or something! I am very intrigued as to whether there is really a reason behind it other than just the fact the flight was oversold.

Enjoy your trip - don't leave the place in too much disarray!

You could try expressing severe diasspointment etc. onTwitter or Facebook. They don't like this sort of thing being seen by all followers - it can help occasionally!

I think its unfair to force you to pay for a 2nd bag after being bumped!
That would be my starting point.
First they bump you, then they penalise you financially.

If if was me & I was in a position to do so, as long as it incurred no financial loss, I would be cancelling all my flights (and getting my whole party to cancel) & taking my business elsewhere. I would not put up with bad service when there alternative companies offering the same service available.

We certainly understand your frustration and we are sorry for the inconvenience. This is due to circumstances beyond our control. At this time we are restricted against releasing further details regarding the required changes made. However, we will be happy to follow-up with you after the flight operates. (

Purely a guess: I wonder if it relates to a need to accommodate a Federal Air Marshal, who are ordinarily seated in First Class?

Purely a guess: I wonder if it relates to a need to accommodate a Federal Air Marshal, who are ordinarily seated in First Class?

I hope it is something interesting like that rather than they just sold my seat to a Z list celebrity!