Holiday Compensation: Seperated our Young Family

dt1234565

Thank you for reading I would appreciate any advice, as to our rights here.

We have written to Virgin who are investigating under 28 day rule.

We paid by credit card.

We specifically chose this holiday as the website described ALL rooms as interconnecting. We requested interconnecting rooms at the time of booking and were told "no problem all rooms are interconnecting", we also emailed the hotel ahead of our stay. Upon arrival we were given rooms 419 and 421 not only not connecting but one room apart.

This lead to a very stressful holiday. Our children are 8,7 3 and 16 months so far too young to be left unattended meaning we had to run between rooms split up for sleeping and generally be mega stressed at night time making sure the kids always had an adult with them.

We asked at reception everyday for rooms together but were told there was no availability. After a week we contacted Barbados rep and three days later we offered two extremely small interconnecting rooms. By now we only had 4 days left and many clients had complained about these small rooms and been moved to larger rooms we declined this tiny option.

We were told by another family they had been put in rooms 420 and 422 and had complained and been moved immediately this was the first Monday after our arrival so we could of have been moved then.

We spoke to the Barbados rep who fully agreed the incorrect website details were indeed a case of misselling on their part. The hotel advised us there are 20 interconnecting rooms not all connecting rooms and therefore the product was not as described. If we had not been misled by the website we would not of booked this resort. The hotel have since updated there website.

The day before our departure we had a meeting with the Virgin Barbados Management team who said nothing and the Hotel General Manager who offered us three nights free accomodation which we declined as this goes nowhere near compensating us for being apart for two weeks on a midsold stressful expensive holiday.

As we left the hotel The General Manager advised he would work fully with Virgin Holidays to heavily compensate us for a miserable two weeks, Virgin Holidays are yet to extend the same courtesy.

We also requested a sky cot at the time of booking for our youngest daughter. This was honoured on our outward journey, however we were refused this on our inbound journey leading to even more stress on our night-flight home.

MrsBunny

Hi, didn't want to read and run. How awful that they didn't give you connecting rooms, evenings must of been awful for you, not so bad if your children where teenagers but young children - that is terrible.

I have no experience regarding compensation or anything like that.

I do have airline experience and unfortunately, skycots are only on request basis and not guaranteed on both your flights. Did you sit at the bulk head seats on your way home (wall in front of you where the cots and placed?) if so, I don't understand why you couldn't have one, if you were in a normal seat then of course one doesn't fit.
Sometimes it is the luck of the draw, if there are 6 babies on board and only 3 cots then not everyone will get one. The airline will not compensate you for this, (plus isn't your 16 month child too old/big for a sky cot - thought there was an age limit on them but could be wrong)

good luck and I hope Virgin refund you in a good way.

dt1234565

Hi thanks for your reply.

Yes, I rang Virgin requesting seats at time of booking and rang a week before departure. They did have a skycot which she was able to have on departure but they refused on the way back, although a cot was available and we were in bulkhead seats.

peachyprice

dt1234565 wrote: »

Hi thanks for your reply.

Yes, I rang Virgin requesting seats at time of booking and rang a week before departure. They did have a skycot which she was able to have on departure but they refused on the way back, although a cot was available and we were in bulkhead seats.

They should have refused you on the way there too, 16 months is far too big for a skycot, max weight is 19lbs, max length is 29 inches, not many babies over 6 months actually fit in one safely.

pelirocco

peachyprice wrote: »

They should have refused you on the way there too, 16 months is far too big for a skycot, max weight is 19lbs, max length is 29 inches, not many babies over 6 months actually fit in one safely.

We found it was too small for a 10 month old

dt1234565

Thank you.

We knew we were boarder line for that seems strange it was ok on departure though?

Any advice re wrong information on the website regarding the rooms?

dt1234565

Our child weighs 22lb. Notes on Virgin website are


Premium Economy and Economy classes on the A340-600 and A330 aircraft:
Maximum weight of baby: 11kg (24.25lb)
Maximum height of baby: 760mm (30”)
Dimensions 28.6cm wide x 72.7cm long (11.25” wide x 28.6” long)

dt1234565

Any other advice please?

dt1234565

Hi

I have a reply. They say they have provided the correct room types and say about the hotel offering us a complimentary three night stay which was already offered before our complaint. They also point out we were offered a room upgrade. Yes after 10 nights!!!

They say that how the hotel advertise their rooms has nothing to do with them.

I have replied saying under regulation 15 my contract is with them and no the hotel and it is for them to check correct hotel information.

NO compensation offered by Virgin. :que

Westin

From your first post you mentioned the web site stating all rooms being interconnecting. Given your latest post with Virgin's reply, can you clarify if you had been looking at the Virgin website or the hotel website.

Which hotel did you stay at?

dt1234565

Hi, thank you very much for replying

It was the hotel website. Turtle Beach.