Airline cancelled advanced seat assignment with no notice, refund or alternative

TravellingJake

I'm having an issue with Virgin Atlantic (VS).

I've got flights booked to Orlando in February. Back in August, i pre-selected our preferred seats (exit seats on the upper deck of 747) and paid a supplement of £70.

The aircraft type was changed in December and VS released all pre-reserved seats back on to general sale. I received no notice of the change in aircraft and wasnt told that my (paid) pre-reserved seats had been cancelled. I received no refund of the £70 supplement.

VS's argument is that they can do what they like - "operational reasons". Whilst i accept that they can change the aircraft, i cant accept that they can take money given in good faith for specific seats, not provide those seats and arent obligated to contact or refund passengers affected. Am i being unreasonable? :question:

Surely if a company cant provide what the customer has paid for, they should automatically refund or offer a suitable alternative?

hcb42

It took me five months to argue a similar point with BA , but no you should not pay if you are not receiving the service

TravellingJake

It's really got my back up. Did you get anywhere with BA?

hcb42

finally got a refund last week. This was a seat not fulfilled on return flight...took email to CEO though! terrible service.

visidigi

TravellingJake wrote: »

I'm having an issue with Virgin Atlantic (VS).

I've got flights booked to Orlando in February. Back in August, i pre-selected our preferred seats (exit seats on the upper deck of 747) and paid a supplement of £70.

The aircraft type was changed in December and VS released all pre-reserved seats back on to general sale. I received no notice of the change in aircraft and wasnt told that my (paid) pre-reserved seats had been cancelled. I received no refund of the £70 supplement.

VS's argument is that they can do what they like - "operational reasons". Whilst i accept that they can change the aircraft, i cant accept that they can take money given in good faith for specific seats, not provide those seats and arent obligated to contact or refund passengers affected. Am i being unreasonable? :question:

Surely if a company cant provide what the customer has paid for, they should automatically refund or offer a suitable alternative?

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/en/the-virgin-experience/economy/seating/seating-terms-and-conditions.html

The ASA fee is non‐refundable. The only exceptions are:
a. When as a result of operational, safety, security or other circumstances we are
unable to deliver the pre‐assigned seat(s) or need to change seat assignments and
we are unable to offer a comparable alternative i.e. seating you together with those
travelling with you in the same booking and then in your choice of window seat,
middle seat or aisle seat. Seating together means adjacent, this could be across the
aisle or behind each other. Specific or similar seat numbers are not always
considered a comparable alternative.
b. When a flight is cancelled by Virgin Atlantic and passengers are re‐protected on
alternative flights where similar seats cannot be offered and/or ASA is unavailable.
This includes flights on other airlines.
c. Passengers who are denied boarding due to flight oversales may be offered ASA on
their alternative travel date if the new flight is operated by Virgin Atlantic Airways
and there is availability. If there is no availability on the alternative Virgin Atlantic
flight or passengers are re‐protected on another airline, a full refund including any
taxes paid will be given.
d. If a passenger is unable to sit in the specific seat they have selected because of an
injury (e.g. they have broken a leg, a full refund including any taxes paid will be
given).

So the question is, can you still book a seat of equivalent standard on the flight now or are they all gone?

If all gone VA should by their own terms be refunding you.

TravellingJake

When i discovered the change, we were allocated standard economy seats. I called them and was able to get the last pair of extra leg room seats, but not emergency exit.

I dont entirely disagree with their T&Cs and i accept that on some occasions, there wont be seats exactly like those pre-assigned on the new aircraft type, but on this occasion, there was. They just didnt allocate them to us.

After kicking off, they promised a refund (still waiting) but the whole process has left a very bad impression. Virgin said that they would have refunded the supplement at check-in "if i'd have noticed that i wasnt give the seats i'd preselected".

visidigi

TravellingJake wrote: »

When i discovered the change, we were allocated standard economy seats. I called them and was able to get the last pair of extra leg room seats, but not emergency exit.

I dont entirely disagree with their T&Cs and i accept that on some occasions, there wont be seats exactly like those pre-assigned on the new aircraft type, but on this occasion, there was. They just didnt allocate them to us.

After kicking off, they promised a refund (still waiting) but the whole process has left a very bad impression. Virgin said that they would have refunded the supplement at check-in "if i'd have noticed that i wasnt give the seats i'd preselected".

Okay thats a bit different to how your opening post read.

So VA did give you assigned seats upon asking, but extra leg room not emergency exit which is in line with the terms of the seat assignment.

Its good they are refunding now (goodwill) , but I am not actually sure they have to as they have assigned you seats that require payment...and are comparable (alot of people need to have extra leg room instead of EE seats due to them being incapable of performing EE duties.

TravellingJake

We're 2 guys in our 30s so no issues around being able to operate the emergency exits, if needed.

Any company can put whatever they want in their T&Cs, it doesnt make it right or fair to the customer and that's what i'm trying to figure out.

To me, it's disingenuous to take payment for something, intrinsically change it and not make the customer aware or provide an automatic refund. They might think that seating us next to each other is meeting their obligations of the ASA T&Cs, but that's not really the idea they're selling and it's not what most passengers would deem acceptable.

It's like buying a Sony TV for the retailer to provide a Bush one with the explanation that a TV is a TV. They're not at all comparable.

baza52

VA used to be great to fly with but now are no better than the cheap carriers.
Have flown with them lots of times in the past mainly to Vegas and have seen the standards slip over the years.

Hope your flight goes well.

robatwork

I have a question.

Did you want emergency exit seats because of the extra leg room, or because of some other reason?

visidigi

TravellingJake wrote: »

We're 2 guys in our 30s so no issues around being able to operate the emergency exits, if needed.

Any company can put whatever they want in their T&Cs, it doesnt make it right or fair to the customer and that's what i'm trying to figure out.

To me, it's disingenuous to take payment for something, intrinsically change it and not make the customer aware or provide an automatic refund. They might think that seating us next to each other is meeting their obligations of the ASA T&Cs, but that's not really the idea they're selling and it's not what most passengers would deem acceptable.

It's like buying a Sony TV for the retailer to provide a Bush one with the explanation that a TV is a TV. They're not at all comparable.

No its not a comparison to two TV's from Sony and Bush - that comparison would apply if VA failed to provide you with a seat and instead put you on a Yorkshire Air flight.

You are on the same flight, in an extra leg room seat. Sorry I don't see the problem....had they no seats left when you checked in and refused to refund that would be a different story.