Trapped in Orlando being used as pawns ?

Hi
VS contacted customers on Monday night informing them that they had cancelled all flights out of Orlando
They requested customers to give their details so that they could be rescheduled onto flights back to the UK
In my hotel there are people due to return to UK today Thursday, tomorrow Friday and Saturday
VS have given NO rescheduled details and not answering twitter, Messenger or emails.
2 hour wait in telephone queue gets deliberately cut off by useless VS staff with no answers given as to when we will return to UK
People here are sure VS are using us as political pawns to push for government help.
I am due to return tomorrow Friday and my prescribed medication runs out on Saturday night
In Orlando hotels, restaurants, shops are closing so we have very little choice if we are stuck here
As a regular VS customer my faith in them had gone to rock bottom.
Please do not respond stating they have large numbers of people to repatriate as it doesn’t wash.
They are refusing to give customers updates and the VS website is pitiful in lack of updates to us

Turner Drugs in Celebration is very good with f illing/handling tourist emergency prescriptions. They might even deliver but you can also have an Uber do so. Good luck!

These are extraordinary circumstances and you are not being used as pawns. Sadly you have dismissed the obvious argument but I hope you get some answers soon.

Actually I think the OP may have a point. Virgin could run empty flights out of the UK to bring their loyal customers home. Their communications are appalling - a text to say that your flight is cancelled and then they will not talk to you unless you are within 72 hours of travel - but the flight has been cancelled.

As a company it trumpets its customer service - and yet just when it’s needed it fails abysmally.

They are refusing to give customers updates and the VS website is pitiful in lack of updates to us

We are in exactly the same position having received the email from Virgin. Like you we gave them the req’d info, then received an automated message reply and now wait having heard absolutely nothing further.

Of course these are very special times, never ever been experienced before but it is the frustration of no information from Virgin. Atlantic which is causing anxiety.

It is very hard for people who are in their own homes & in their own country to empathise with our situation, of yes bring TRAPPED here with no offer of help.

Perhaps I am being selfish but surely Virgin . Atlantic should be giving their total priority to those people who are stranded. Every single available agent should be dealing with this and not dealing with people who simply want to rebook or refund that can wait.

My plea to Virgin Atlantic please get us home

Exactly the same for me. Stranded in South Africa and absolutely no support from VA. Totally uncontactable. Not just disappointed but seriously worried!

MCO has refused to allow any more VS flights in. Pax are having to fly back via JFK and ATL

We were in Florida in the run-up to Hurricane Irma. The way Virgin handled this was excellent. They flew empty aircraft out of the UK on minimum turnarounds on the Saturday morning before MCO was due to close, so they could operate the return flights back to the UK 3hrs earlier than scheduled. MCO then closed. These flights were flown out fully crewed too, so some crew were being told "you're flying to stay in a hotel in a possible Cat-5 hurricane area for a few days". As we all know, Irma lost a lot of energy but still gave Orlando a good battering.

At the end of the day if the US Authorities have said Virgin cannot land any aircraft - even empty ones - into MCO then their hands are tied. I do understand this will be highly frustrating for people stuck out there, but there is nothing Virgin can do. At least there is good healthcare provision in the USA (albeit expensive) - but you don't go to the USA without good travel insurance.

Hi all
Thanks for youth comments.
A Uk couple in my hotel were due to fly back this evening. Received texts telling them the flight was on anthem received text this morning stating flight was off. He was not given any updates on when he would get a flight back to preferably gatwick as car is in car park there.
Mind and wife’s flight back to gatwick is due tomorrow (Friday) I received text yesterday (28 hours ago) saying flight cancelled and they were working on rescheduling our flights, but I doubt Virgin will resolve if soon.
There are 5 couples in my hotel awaiting new flight details and would happily accept flights to UK via any other US airports
We are all extremely annoyed at the lack of information from Virgin

Can't imagine how frustrating this is for you. Whilst communication has clearly not been ideal here I do imagine they are trying their best to allocate people on return flights. Would it maybe help (not that this would be easy or convenient) to go to the airport and speak to VS staff there?

Not being funny but even under normal circumstances only having on extra days medication is a little irresponsible don't you think?

What if you're aircraft went tech under normal circumstances for example.

PW

MCO has refused to allow any more VS flights in. Pax are having to fly back via JFK and ATL

Should I be pleased or apprehensive???

We had email last night to say we are booked onto a “relief” flight out of Orlando MCO tonight 20thMarch

A Gatwick flight seemed to have left MCO last night but the Manchester, Glasgow, Aer Lingus & BA flights were all showing as cancelled.

Really don’t know whether to be happy. They said they will send the e-ticket today but still nothing

Any info from those “in the know” would be gratefully received. Hev

According to flight radar G-VROY has just taken off LGW - MCO with callsign VIR49P, fingers crossed for you all.

Thank you for that info Flyingfox, just hope they send us the e-tickets soon then and that MCO allows them to land

Looking good it’s on the board at MCO now;

Virgin Atlantic 49 London Gatwick Fri 17:20 Fri 17:20 On Time 8A 81

Virgin Atlantic 50 London Gatwick Fri 20:05 Fri 20:05 On Time B 81