Flight delay and cancellation compensation, Virgin Atlantic ONLY

Natony46

perezl wrote: »

Success. Cheque received yesterday 12th September for £1518.Sent Virgin Atlantic form about July 2013 received letter back on 3rd August saying they were investigating and would get back within 6 to 12 weeks. 12th September received a cheque for each party which totalled £1518.00. Over the moon!! Flight was Virgin Atlantic VS0016 from Orlando to Gatwick 29th February 2008. Flight was cancelled due to plane still in Caribean following Pilot illness. Good Luck to everyone claiming and thanks Virgin for settling so promptly.:j:T

Pilot illness - out-station - pay out!! What's so different from VS74 and this? Does this again prove pilot/crew illness is inherent to running an airline? Looks like it to me and I don't believe the "it's heading back to one of our hub airports so we should have been able to provide cover"line......the pilot was ill and in another country - just like VS74. So what next for the VS74 passengers?

flor2012

perezl wrote: »

Success. Cheque received yesterday 12th September for £1518.Sent Virgin Atlantic form about July 2013 received letter back on 3rd August saying they were investigating and would get back within 6 to 12 weeks. 12th September received a cheque for each party which totalled £1518.00. Over the moon!! Flight was Virgin Atlantic VS0016 from Orlando to Gatwick 29th February 2008. Flight was cancelled due to plane still in Caribean following Pilot illness. Good Luck to everyone claiming and thanks Virgin for settling so promptly.:j:T

Well done excellent result. Don't suppose you know if the pilot took ill in the Carribean. Virgin won't pay on our flight as the pilot took ill in Orlando and any further information would help our case.:)

RedSky1974

Hi all

Just a quick bit of advise about whether or not I should pursue the claim.

Virgin flight delayed for 28 hours due to a technical fault.

I emailed customer relations asking for compensation, they gave me a reply and it included this:


I'm truly sorry that your flight was delayed overnight. We discovered an unforeseen technical problem with one of the engines when the aircraft was on the ground being prepared for your flight. Our engineers began an in-depth investigation in to the problem and deemed that the engine needed to be replaced. We therefore had no choice but to delay your flight until the following afternoon when the fix was completed. I do hope you can accept my sincere apologies for any disappointment and inconvenience this situation must have caused.

They also advised me to fill in the claim form for each of the passengers, which I did. I've just received the response letter to this claim

Regret to advise it has been denied on the grounds that the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances ......

Then they quote the guidelines and said our claim falls under..


Number 26
Category: Unexpected flight safety shortcomings
Incident: Any other technical defects which become apparent immediately prior to departure or in flight (where the system or part had been maintained in accordance with the required maintenance progreamme) and which require investigation and/or repair before the aircraft is airworthy for the intended flight.

Goes on to say this is extraordinary bla bla

Then it gives a link to the full NEB guidelines under http://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/passengers/air/doc/neb-extraordinary-circumstances-list.pdf

and an apology to end the letter


So... do I have grounds for compensation? If so, I'll construct yet another letter to send to them threatening court action unless a reply is received.

If you don't think it's worth it, I'll leave it where it is and cry myself to sleep.

Thanks in advance

perezl

I believe the pilot was taken ill in Caribean

JPears

crouchmagic wrote: »

Hi all

Just a quick bit of advise about whether or not I should pursue the claim.

Virgin flight delayed for 28 hours due to a technical fault.

I emailed customer relations asking for compensation, they gave me a reply and it included this:


I'm truly sorry that your flight was delayed overnight. We discovered an unforeseen technical problem with one of the engines when the aircraft was on the ground being prepared for your flight. Our engineers began an in-depth investigation in to the problem and deemed that the engine needed to be replaced. We therefore had no choice but to delay your flight until the following afternoon when the fix was completed. I do hope you can accept my sincere apologies for any disappointment and inconvenience this situation must have caused.

They also advised me to fill in the claim form for each of the passengers, which I did. I've just received the response letter to this claim

Regret to advise it has been denied on the grounds that the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances ......

Then they quote the guidelines and said our claim falls under..


Number 26
Category: Unexpected flight safety shortcomings
Incident: Any other technical defects which become apparent immediately prior to departure or in flight (where the system or part had been maintained in accordance with the required maintenance progreamme) and which require investigation and/or repair before the aircraft is airworthy for the intended flight.

Goes on to say this is extraordinary bla bla

Then it gives a link to the full NEB guidelines under http://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/passengers/air/doc/neb-extraordinary-circumstances-list.pdf

and an apology to end the letter


So... do I have grounds for compensation? If so, I'll construct yet another letter to send to them threatening court action unless a reply is received.

If you don't think it's worth it, I'll leave it where it is and cry myself to sleep.

Thanks in advance

Clearly you haven't read the FAQs or done a search regarding the "guidelines" and how you should ignore them. Come back when you have.

Brow_2

Hi, can anyone advise if I have a claim please. I was on a flight from gatwick to Florida on 15 June 2013. My flight was delayed by 24 hours. We were given vouchers and put up in a hotel but I have lost a day of my hol and when I arrived at my hotel my booking was cancelled as I had arrived 24 hours late so it was all very stressful. Thanks in advance for any advice

Vauban

Brow wrote: »

Hi, can anyone advise if I have a claim please. I was on a flight from gatwick to Florida on 15 June 2013. My flight was delayed by 24 hours. We were given vouchers and put up in a hotel but I have lost a day of my hol and when I arrived at my hotel my booking was cancelled as I had arrived 24 hours late so it was all very stressful. Thanks in advance for any advice

Depends why your flight was delayed.

haslehurst

Brow wrote: »

Hi, can anyone advise if I have a claim please. I was on a flight from gatwick to Florida on 15 June 2013. My flight was delayed by 24 hours. We were given vouchers and put up in a hotel but I have lost a day of my hol and when I arrived at my hotel my booking was cancelled as I had arrived 24 hours late so it was all very stressful. Thanks in advance for any advice

Hi, I think if you read a few more posts on the site you will find that people have simply been paid out because of pilot illness at a hub airport. Just fill in the claim form for each passenger, send it off and you should get the cheques in the post.

This was the case for both your flight out VS15 and the return VS16 I believe.

RedSky1974

JPears wrote: »

Clearly you haven't read the FAQs or done a search regarding the "guidelines" and how you should ignore them. Come back when you have.

Actually. I have, thank you. I just wanted confirmation that I was doing the right thing because I spent a lot of time writing the initial letter where I quoted case law and numerous other factors which were within the FAQs, only to be blown off with "extraordinary" circumstances.

Vauban

crouchmagic wrote: »

Actually. I have, thank you. I just wanted confirmation that I was doing the right thing because I spent a lot of time writing the initial letter where I quoted case law and numerous other factors which were within the FAQs, only to be blown off with "extraordinary" circumstances.

I think you are doing the right thing. Whilst it is tempting to write an authoritative letter in the hope that it might show Virgin that you know what you are doing, it seems that they often don't really read these and just cite extraordinary nonsense. Of course once claimants start legal action, this does seem to get Virgin's attention ...

A shame to see an otherwise great airline behaving like this. But you know what you need to do.