Virgin Compensation offer

Guano

I have a letter dated 1996 from VA offering 50% of any published flight as compensation for a cancelled flight Hong to Kong London (cancelled whilst checking in). I have written to VA as planning a trip to India 2015.

This is their response:

Thank you for writing to us regarding the 50% discount letter, which was given to you back in 1996.

'Unfortunately, we have since discontinued the use of these letters and as a result, are now unable to accept them towards any bookings. However, as a gesture of goodwill we’d be happy to exchange it for £200 worth of Virgin Atlantic vouchers.'

Should I accept their new offer given that it is nearly 20 years since their original offer of compensation and £200 in the hand now would be welcome or should I press them as there was no stated time limitation in the original VA offer?

Vauban

I've no idea. If they say "no" then all you can do is sue them. You may well win, but are you sure you're up for the considerable hassle?

But you could write to them one more time, expressing profound disappointment, and noting this recent article in the Guardian/Observer: http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/feb/26/virgin-atlantic-honoured-a-free-ticket-promise-that-was-17-years-old

Alan_Bowen

There may have been no stated time limit but there is a legal concept that offers expire 'by effluxion of time' In other words if you do nothing to accept an offer, in this case by making a booking within a reasonable time scale, then the offer dies. I don't think any judge would consider a period of 19 years to be reasonable, indeed the limitation period for a contractual dispute is only 6 years, and many think that is too long. My view would be you should accept the offer on the table, frankly if I had been responding I would not have offered you anything, I think they have been very generous

Guano

Thanks to both

Sound advice Mr Bowen

We are quids in courtesy of Virgin and we will be accepting their generous offer.