VS19/VS9 Saturday 17th October - Shambles

We missed a flight 10 days ago - Toronto to NYC - due to our flight LAX to Toronto arriving late. I had booked them separately , months apart for various reasons so had no protection. There were no more flights to NYC that night - so a night at the airport (at our expense) was needed. Air Canada did at least re-book us flights first thing next day FOC. First two airport hotels were full, third attempt was a Comfort Inn at $120 (our $500 room left empty in NYC that night) .

The result ? We flew into NYC to a beautiful new dawn - not in the night darkness. We had great views of Manhattan and the new 9/11 Memorials - we were alive and well and lucky enough to be visiting this great city. $ 600 dollars poorer but happy to be alive !

All the more reason to ship out the aging 747s. They sound like walking wounded. Sorry to hear about your delays

Aircraft going tech happens. It's not like those 747s are going tech on a regular basis, but in any case they'll be gone from LHR by Feb.

I think that's a touch harsh. You pay for UC, you expect a certain level of delivery. 150 people in a line for chips and curry sauce isn't what I imagine when I book J.

To be fair, it's probably highly uneconomical for hotels to have gourmet cuisine on standby for Business Class passengers being put up at late notice due to the aircraft going tech. And to be fair, you wouldn't expect to be put up in a hotel as part of the price of a J ticket either.

Having worked in a restaurant in the past, a lot of work goes on in the kitchen preparing different types of meals for x amount of booked/walk-in tables, so I'm going to have to empathise with the kitchen staff at the hotel in question for preparing a buffet for over 200 people at very short notice with the reports that it was curry and chips. Yes it's not going to appeal to everyone, but if you're asked to cater for 200-odd people at late notice, your hand is forced by what's required, what's in stock and how much time do they have before it needs to be served.

If people really don't like what's on offer and are prepared to pay for a meal elsewhere, I doubt there's anything to stop them from going elsewhere for a meal?

Woah!

What lovely replies to be reading. For a moment I thought I was on another site and among children. Absolutely no need to be insulting me for having a valid opinion. 'Horrible and spoilt'.... was someone on the port last night?

I believe I have a point. Perhaps my choice of words are at times a little dramatic, but going back to the point, for everything Virgin are famous for - the finer details and the 'experience'.. it tends to go out of the window when things such as this happen. It's very uncommon to be reading how wonderful the experience was handled with regards to situations such as that of the 9/19, or a cancellation etc. We all rave about how wonderful trips are in what ever cabin, how great the lounge is here and there, but we never commend Virgin on they handling of these such matters and there is a reason for that - they are more than often not handled.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. In any case, I'm sorry to hear of your issues and I hope you're on your way soon.

Have to admit your first description of this as a "shambles" sounds spot on. Shame companies don't adhere to that maxim that it's the way you handle issues, rather than the issues themselves, that determine the nature of the publicity that will follow.

I understand you must be very disappointed to essentially lose a day of your holiday. Not fun in anyone's books. However, you were put in a nice hotel at no charge to you which is great, and if the free buffet food offered wasn't up to your standards, there is a good restaurant there also. I hope you managed to have a good evening after all.

This wasn't with Virgin, but I recently was travelling to Mahon from Manchester Airport with Monarch, and we had boarded the plane on time. 1.5 hours later we were let off the plane because there was a problem with a fuel seal. It was over 4 hours before we were on our way, and I knew about being able to claim compensation. It was really easy, I went to the money saving expert's website (Martin whats-his-name) who goes through how to do it and even provides a template letter (although Monarch did respond to say that I needed to fill in a specific form which they sent me). It was just over a month from the initial claim to receiving the two cheques for 300 euros each for me and my husband. It's definitely worth doing and takes almost no time.

Have a good holiday!

Don't expect the airline to volunteer this info, they are not legally obliged to tell you about it ]and run on the assumption that most of the passengers won't claim because they think the hotel and meals are all they are entitled to.

That is 100% wrong.


Airlines are legally obliged under the regulations to inform passengers of their rights

Under para 20 of the pre amble

Passengers should be fully informed of their rights in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights, so that they can effectively exercise their rights.

And under Article 14.2

An operating air carrier denying boarding or cancelling a flight shall provide each passenger affected with a written notice setting out the rules for compensation and assistance in line with this Regulation. It shall also provide each passenger affected by a delay of at least two hours with an equivalent notice. The contact details of the national designated body referred to in Article 16 shall also be given to the passenger in written form.

I'm sorry, but just because there are EU rules/requirements as to how the airline should behave doesn't mean they will or do. I was on the same chaotic VS19 to SFO as the OP, and I can tell your FOR A FACT I was never given ANY written or verbal information on how to request compensation etc. Not a thing - not on the ground or on the plane, nor afterwards.

I have started the EU compensation process, and perhaps now, finally, VAA will act in accordance with the rules that they chose to ignore or failed to act on.

Unfortunately until the CAA stop being so limp-wristed about consumer rights in general, the situation regarding proactive notification of EU261 won't change.

I'm sorry, but just because there are EU rules/requirements as to how the airline should behave doesn't mean they will or do. I was on the same chaotic VS19 to SFO as the OP, and I can tell your FOR A FACT I was never given ANY written or verbal information on how to request compensation etc. Not a thing - not on the ground or on the plane, nor afterwards.

I have started the EU compensation process, and perhaps now, finally, VAA will act in accordance with the rules that they chose to ignore or failed to act on.

With all due respect i was responding to stuart_f who wrote

... are not legally obliged to tell you about it ...

I pointed out that they are legally required to inform passengers of their rights. I even quoted the relevant part of the regulation in my post.

That they didn't inform you of your rights is wrong but the point remains they were legally required to tell you.

Use that against them in your claim and see how they respond.

Question to the OP - did you push for a re-route either via another VS flight with a connection or transfer to a direct flight with another airline?

It isn't just Virgin; BA were useless when my LHR - FRA was cancelled, after a 2 hour delay. All they offered was a business card with a BA phone number on it. I managed to pick up the CAA leaflet which is almost as bad...

I presume a "cancellation" where they wriggle out of any compensation is better (for them) than a "2+ hour delay" which probably would lead to compensation to the passenger...

I recall hearing (here, or at the airport while waiting for the delayed flight to depart) that the reason for the initial 2-3 hour delay was because "the emergency lighting on the plane went faulty on its inbound leg" - I also see that one of the mitigating conditions, according to the VAA website is... "....unexpected flight safety shortcomings....".

Does this mean VAA have given themselves a get-out clause that they will use to avoid paying any compensation. After the initial problem, there were further delays whilst the plane had to be totally re-catered.

Bump - anyone any opinions on this?

Thx.

If I was on this flight I'd submit an EU261 for €600 per passenger in my group and let the airline try and wiggle out of it. If they don't pay up or offer valid reasons for not paying then take them to small claims.

I know it's not pc but if I were virgin atlantic I'd keep quiet about the compensation too!

It's got little to do with not being "PC" - its a formal EU requirement that they're obliged to comply with by law.

That said, I've received an email today from VAA confirming they're to pay me the 600 Euros to which I'm entitled - no if's, but's or maybe's and no attempt to wriggle out of their obligation (other than not telling anyone they were entitled to this at the time).

They've done this in ~12 days, so hats off to them for doing this so quickly (now waiting to see the payment arrive in my account...).

I know it's not pc but if I were virgin atlantic I'd keep quiet about the compensation too!

Question to the OP - did you push for a re-route either via another VS flight with a connection or transfer to a direct flight with another airline?

I said I would travel however they could manage to get me there. I offered to go without my bags and told them they could send them on later.