Virgin holiday disaster

GLEKA

Seen a Virgin Groupcomplaint here if it helps - looks like they have the contact details in their database

cant post the link but its on complaintcommunity dot com - try and search for virgin

isplumm

consultant31 ...

So just to clarify this ....

1. You had a flight booked from LHR back to Leeds, which never happened, as no such flight existed .... when did you find this out ... before holiday / during / when arrived at LHR on way back? How did you get home - have you reciepts? What did Virgin do at LHR for you?

For me I would be claiming for the missing cost of the flight or the expense of getting home (which ever is the greater). Do you have a receipt that shows the cost of LHR to LBA portion only? I note that the LHR - LBA was run by BMI, which is why I suspect Virgin didn't realise ... no real defence of Virgin, but they would have only booked a flight for you, if the system allowed them to.

2. Your flight times on tickets / iterinary didn't match & were upto 1 hour different from the actual times of the flights. My question if the 2 things didn't match, did you not query it beforehand? Or look on the internet to check flight times? But the main point is - did you miss any flights because of this? If yes ... then we are in a whole different ball game .... but if no ... then I suspect that the £75 is all you will get.

I am still confused - you appear to be writing a long letter (2 pages), yet your complaint seems to be around the 2 key points - lack of flight back to LBA & flight times wrong? Is there something else?

I would also post this on http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=49 - they have a lot of experts on there & there are details of a travel solictor who you might find useful.

Mark

tomarola

isplumms advice is spot on

consultant31

isplumm wrote: »

consultant31 ...

So just to clarify this ....

1. You had a flight booked from LHR back to Leeds, which never happened, as no such flight existed .... when did you find this out ... before holiday / during / when arrived at LHR on way back? How did you get home - have you reciepts? What did Virgin do at LHR for you?

For me I would be claiming for the missing cost of the flight or the expense of getting home (which ever is the greater). Do you have a receipt that shows the cost of LHR to LBA portion only? I note that the LHR - LBA was run by BMI, which is why I suspect Virgin didn't realise ... no real defence of Virgin, but they would have only booked a flight for you, if the system allowed them to.

2. Your flight times on tickets / iterinary didn't match & were upto 1 hour different from the actual times of the flights. My question if the 2 things didn't match, did you not query it beforehand? Or look on the internet to check flight times? But the main point is - did you miss any flights because of this? If yes ... then we are in a whole different ball game .... but if no ... then I suspect that the £75 is all you will get.

I am still confused - you appear to be writing a long letter (2 pages), yet your complaint seems to be around the 2 key points - lack of flight back to LBA & flight times wrong? Is there something else?

I would also post this on http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=49 - they have a lot of experts on there & there are details of a travel solictor who you might find useful.

Mark

Thanks for your reply Mark, I'll try to answer in order.

1: My friend reads the Yorkshire Post where it was mentioned about the flights stopping. We rang BMI who confirmed it but Virgin would not listen and kept telling us it was an assured flight. I'm rather new to flying so it was quite confusing and worrying. It wasn't until we came back that Virgin admitted they were wrong. We ended up paying someone to come and pick us up from Heathrow, which cost us £150 (including a night in a hotel for the driver as our flight arrived very early Sunday). No receipt, though I could get one from the person who picked us up, if necessary.

2: Again, as we're new to this, we (stupidly) used the itinerary and never actually checked the tickets. It was the rep in Boston who noticed - it has to be said, she was appalled at the incompetence, especially since the tickets & itinerary were all printed on the same date. We didn't miss any flights but it was quite stressful (we're both in our 60's).

3: I can understand your confusion, lol, I know I tend to chunter on! The letter was long mainly because we had made such a lot of phone calls trying to sort out the return flight and couldn't get anybody to check their facts. I felt we ought to let them know all that too. My friend rang twice and was cut off and I emailed twice and never received a reply. It's very rude of them and frustrating trying to deal with a company who ignore you.

Originally all we wanted was the flight cost refunding, but it has been so awful, even the rep suggested we deserved compensation. She rang Virgin in London and negotiated £159 each for us while we sat in her office, but they have only sent 1 x £159 back and that has got to be wrong, after all, we assumed it had been agreed.

To be honest, the more I write it down, the more I think we should just let it go and just not use Virgin Holidays again, but I'm loathe to let them get away with ignoring us.

Sorry to be so long-winded. I'll have a look at that site, thank you.

isplumm

Hi,

Don't give up - don't cash that cheque ... cause that will be the end of it ...

Write recorded letter to Virgin Holidays HO (Complaints), with copy of reciept for £150 & explain briefly issues - bullet point them ... no flight from LHR to Leeds, different times of tickets / iternary, which didn't match actual flights. Explain about contact (email / telephone). Explain that it was agreed that you would get compesation of £159 each + cost of getting back to Leeds ...., so you want £159 * 2 + £150 = £468. Tell them that you are prepared NOT to accept the £159. Give 28 days - then small claims ...

BUT post of holidaytruths as suggested - cause they will advise & they have travel solictor - they are a friendly bunch!!

Mark

consultant31

You're a star!.

We haven't done anything about the money they refunded (it was paid back onto my friend's credit card). I told her to leave it where it is as we don't want to accept it.

The letter was sent, registered, next day delivery on Wednesday, so will sit back and see if it makes a difference.

Will definitely look at that site, thanks again.