Website gremlins hit and flight cancelled

Hello

I had a 2 upper flights LHR > Mia on 5th july.

Just gone in to booking today and discovered that the bookings been moved to 4th july. Then had a look and there is no virgin flight to mia on 5th July any more!

So in state of mild confusion phoned Virgin

Seems that the new website erm "issue" deleted a raft of flights from the database and the 5th july LHR to Mia is one of them. On seeing this the computer auto rebooked me onto the day earlier flight.

But not to worry. They are manually reinstating the flight and all will be well be the new year.....

Ho ho ho etc

Anyone else in the same boat?

there are a couple of other threads yes of people this has happened too.

I hope so - same thing has happened to me , flight from Cun- LGW on the 11th May cancelled and I've been booked onto Tuesday 9th .
I'm praying that I'm in the same boat as you and my booking will be reinstated , but at the moment I don't know as I can't get anyone to answer the phone

I hope so - same thing has happened to me , flight from Cun- LGW on the 11th May cancelled and I've been booked onto Tuesday 9th .
I'm praying that I'm in the same boat as you and my booking will be reinstated , but at the moment I don't know as I can't get anyone to answer the phone

Had the same problem with the Thursday return flight, in June. Seems like VA have cancelled the Thursday service.

Noticed the change when logging into my flying club account. After contacting the flying club, got a story about system glitches and promised to call back. They didn't but then got a call from the tour operator telling me about the cancelled flight.

Called flying club and got someone interested and they've managed to release two additional reward UC seats on the Saturday flight, as the situation was of their making. This extends the holiday and costs for two extra days, but no hardship.

Not particularly good service at first, but redeemed themselves a bit by releasing the reward seats for us.

Lucille , you had better luck than me - I'm still doing battle to try and get a satisfactory outcome

Lucille , you had better luck than me - I'm still doing battle to try and get a satisfactory outcome

Sorry to hear that. Problem is (as far as I can see it) that the Airlines don't HAVE to do much, as long as they give proper notice of changes in scheduling as per their Terms & Conditions. It's the customers who face the dilemma's and additional costs.

To be fair, the Flying Club took hold of the problem for me and offered what was for me an acceptable solution (on my second call and a different person from the first call). There was no extra cost on the flights, just the extra two days at the hotel. If I'd wanted an eleven night trip, I'd have booked it in the first place, but I definitely didn't want the alternative of seven nights, therefore an extra £670 for the hotel seemed the best option.

Have you tried the FC?

Bumping my original post with an update.

Seems that its not actually gremlins but Virgin have indeed simply cancelled the LHR > MIA and MIA to LHR flights on 5th July. This seems a strange one to me as I would have thought that a Florida flight in high summer would be required and well utilised?

Anyway. As this is a reward booking, Virgin have simply told me to bolt. No interest in swapping to MCO or ATL /JFK with connections etc. I even asked to change to the 6th, but there was no rewards seats so that was declined. Only thing offered was a refund or fly on the the 4th.

I am now out for 4 connecting flights from EDI (on avios so only lost the £70 fees) hotel at LHR (£125) hotel at MIA ($135) and left with extra £75 charge for change to car hire.

I thought Virgin would make at least some effect at making this right. but no. However Virgin are sorry for the inconvenience so that's something.

Ho hum

Good grief thats not good. Try ringing again and see if you get a more helpful operative or ask for a supervisor if you havent already done so.

Yep , about the same standard of 'customer care' that I received . I now have to return via Atlanta and land at Heathrow ( as opposed as direct to Gatwick ) and as it is either that or cancel the flight , don't go to my friends wedding and lose over £2000 already paid out on hotel and train tickets.
Given that and the abysmal service and customer care received recently on my frequent first class train journeys Virgin are fast becoming very unpopular with me .

This is just not fair by any stretch of the imagination.

That's exactly what travel insurance is for.

No airline will compensate for incidental expenses incurred due to a schedule change. Any decent insurance policy will.

Yep , about the same standard of 'customer care' that I received . I now have to return via Atlanta and land at Heathrow ( as opposed as direct to Gatwick ) and as it is either that or cancel the flight , don't go to my friends wedding and lose over £2000 already paid out on hotel and train tickets.
Given that and the abysmal service and customer care received recently on my frequent first class train journeys Virgin are fast becoming very unpopular with me .

Same issue with me (without the wedding - but pre-booked excursions instead). We're now routing via Atlanta into Heathrow, which means we can't park at Gatwick for our outbound flight! It was that option, lose 2 days holiday, or cancel and start the whole thing again.

We've lost 3 hours of our holiday, I've spent 2 hours on the phone today, and now have to make other arrangements for airport transfers in the UK. We're also not flying UC from Cancun to Atlanta (it's Delta's 'first' service instead), and have a 2.5 hr layover.

Not my idea of luxury!

Yep Charlie - as someone else posted recently - it's a strange way for Virgin to tell me that they no longer want my business .
They may have shafted me this time but they won't get the chance again .