Virgin Holiday change of party details

Squeeze3d

Can anyone help please, how much would you expect it to cost to change party details on a holiday booking? For instance, my Sister in law has booked a holiday for around 13 people, at a cost of around £30,000, her husband is unable to go due to ill health, and so her friend is going to take his place - she has been advised that she will now have to pay another 60% of the cost of her husbands holiday to change it. She had originally been quoted £25, but the following week when she called up with all the relevant details, she was advised it was Virgin's policy due to the fact it is within 30 days of travel. So that puts it at over £1,000.
Any advice would be great.
Thanks.

Incapuppy

I would think that 60% of the holiday cost is made up of non-refundable/changeable scheduled flights.

Virgin's booking T&Cs state the following:

http://www.virginholidays.co.uk/info/important/terms_conditions/booking_conditions/default.aspx

If You Change Your Booking

If,If, after our confirmation invoice has been issued, you wish to change your travel arrangements in any way, we will do our utmost to make these changes, but it may not always be possible. Any request for changes to be made must be from the ‘lead name’ on the booking or your Travel Agent. You will be asked to pay an administration charge of £25 per person and any further cost we incur in making this alteration. You should be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made. Only one change of departure date, per booking may be permitted. Further changes may be treated as a cancellation by you and result in cancellation charges being applied.
Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements. In some cases, any changes made may mean you having to pay for the cancelled arrangements and purchasing new ones at full cost.

Incapuppy

PS: sounds like the first person she spoke to gave incorrect info, unless of course your SIL just made a vague enquiry about how much it costs to change something on a booking?

Maybe it would be better for the friend to not go and the husband to claim the full cost of the holiday back on his travel insurance?

M4RKM

The hotel side won't cost anything to change.

however, the flight will be nonchangable, non refundable, so you have to buy a brand new flight for the person taking the place... plus than a £25 admin charge.

Then you'd be able to claim back taxes on the flight that wasn't taken

That's how I would understand it.

Now then... where is your travel insurance, to be able to claim back the cost of the holiday because of ill health (as long as it wasn't preexisting!)

Squeeze3d

I haven't seen the smallprint, I just thought it was a lot of money to pay for what is an admin matter. Unfortunately the reason for the Husband not going is that ill health had lead to being unable to get Travel Insurance, and quite sensibly, he wasn't willing to travel uninsured.
I feel that they will have to pay the £1000 + or forfeit the holiday.
I don't think they'll skip the small print in the future!
Thanks again.