Virgin Atlantic - Sales

craig2010_2

I recently booked two Virgin Premium Economy flights to the Far-East! (myself and my partner)

The very next day Virgin started a sale, our ticket price per person dropped from £1084 to £784, therefore overall loss of £600

I contacted Virgin to see if they would help the situation, but no joy, they explained they could only offer the best price at the given time of booking? - is this right, they must have known the sale was coming?

If I coundnt have the refund difference, I asked if airmiles or another gesture could be offered, they said no and basicly closed the case.

Any advise please? or is this one of lifes little things.

phatbear

If the tickets had gone up would you have been willing to pay more??? Of course not.

You accepted the price when you bought the tickets so im afraid to say I dont think you're gona get anywhere fast.

skr80

You are goinf to have to try and eat and drink £300 of 'free' booze whilst flying to balance it up

Incapuppy

Note for future reference: when booking a holiday/flight/hotel/whatever, book at a price you are happy with a don't check the price again after you have booked.

Gavin83

Are you not able to cancel the flights, rebook them and still be better off? You may not even have to pay a cancellation charge within 24 hours, I know I didn't when a similar thing happened to me.

However, you may just have to accept you were a bit unlucky this time and hope in the future you just catch a sale price. I do agree with the advice on not looking up prices once you've booked, it can only lead to heartache.

richardw

Perhaps stop looking and being bothered about it, start looking at the rest of this site and do lots of Money Saving.

Wammer

Most people buy tickets that are non-cancellable and non-refundable so no option to cancel and rebook.

old_motters

To be fair to the OP, some US airlines do credit if the fare drops. I'd be mighty peeved too, £600 is not to be sneezed at!

If I were the OP, I'd call back, sometimes a different agent will give a different answer. Then escalate it to supervisor then manager. If you work it relentlessly, they may give in and offer some compensation just to get rid of you.

zolablue25

old_motters wrote: »

To be fair to the OP, some US airlines do credit if the fare drops. I'd be mighty peeved too, £600 is not to be sneezed at!

If I were the OP, I'd call back, sometimes a different agent will give a different answer. Then escalate it to supervisor then manager. If you work it relentlessly, they may give in and offer some compensation just to get rid of you.

and if the price goes up again and Virgin continually phones up the OP and badgers them for the extra money would you recommend the OP pays?

Sauce for the goose.....

old_motters

zolablue25 wrote: »

and if the price goes up again and Virgin continually phones up the OP and badgers them for the extra money would you recommend the OP pays?

Sauce for the goose.....

No, once the ticket is issued the contract is set in stone. However, Virgin may elect, with a little encouragement, to compensate the OP for what is a considerable price difference.

If you bought a suit at M&S today and the tomorrow it was £40 cheaper in the a sale would you;
a. take the suit back for a refund and buy it at the lower price or,
b. suck it up.

Personally, the 30 mins it would take to transact this to get back £40 would be worth it.

zolablue25

old_motters wrote: »

No, once the ticket is issued the contract is set in stone. However, Virgin may elect, with a little encouragement, to compensate the OP for what is a considerable price difference.

If you bought a suit at M&S today and the tomorrow it was £40 cheaper in the a sale would you;
a. take the suit back for a refund and buy it at the lower price or,
b. suck it up.

Personally, the 30 mins it would take to transact this to get back £40 would be worth it.

b. I made the purchase knowing the price and was happy with thatprice. I would curse myself for my poor timing but wouldn't go back on the deal I struck.

I am confused that you say the contract is 'set in stone' and then suggest that it isn't and OP should be compensated. Pretty runny stone that. The OP struck a deal at a price they were willing to pay. The price changed. Stuff happens. In this case I believe the OP was unfortunate in their timing but I really don't see why they should be compensated for it.

I guess we have differing views on the matter. Takes all sorts..