Virgin Atlantic flight number change

bumblebeebaby

So my current booking with VA in the summer has resulted in a flight number change.  It does not involve an airport change and is only flying 1 hour 10 mins earlier than the original booking.  My question is as my flight number has changed meaning my original flight has been cancelled (my flight has merged with the earlier flight) does this mean I can make a valid claim for a refund?  I cant find anything online and hoping there may be some gurus out there with the knowledge as I would expect VA will deny this is possible as in their eyes they are still getting me from A-B.  Thank you

EDIT - I understand this does not count as a significant change with timings and airport changes but its the flight number change I am interested in as this means my original flight has been cancelled and I have automatically been moved to the earlier flight.  I am looking to find out if this gives me a reason to request a refund penalty free.

mattyprice4004

Which angle are you looking for - are you trying to find a way to cancel the flight without penalty? 

bumblebeebaby

mattyprice4004 said:

Which angle are you looking for - are you trying to find a way to cancel the flight without penalty? 

yes ideally, I dont want the open ticket option as I have high risk relatives traveling who most likely will never set foot on an airplane again.  It wouldn't be so bad if I could use them for future travel but as with most firms the tickets are non transferable. 

Dunas

There has been a number of questions on this matter and most answers have suggested that it does mean the original flight is classed as cancelled and under EU regulations you should be offered either a refund or an alternative flight. I'm in a similar situation where my original flight with Virgin from Gatwick  to Orlando has moved to Heathrow and has a completely different flight number. Virgin have already assigned my 10 tickets to this new flight but have yet to inform me (I can see the change on my booking page) we will not be travelling due to safety concerns and so I'm waiting to see if Virgin accept that the original flight has been cancelled, I've seen reports that they have accepted this reason for some customers and agreed a refund but rejected it for others and so I would welcome those people with better knowledge than me to comment on what they believe the regulations say.

Mrsn

I’m not 100% sure but I don’t believe your flight only being 1hr 10mins earlier would class as a significant enough change to warrant a refund.

There are however more knowledgeable people on here who may possibly be able to give you a definitive answer.  

bumblebeebaby

Dunas said:

There has been a number of questions on this matter and most answers have suggested that it does mean the original flight is classed as cancelled and under EU regulations you should be offered either a refund or an alternative flight. I'm in a similar situation where my original flight with Virgin from Gatwick  to Orlando has moved to Heathrow and has a completely different flight number. Virgin have already assigned my 10 tickets to this new flight but have yet to inform me (I can see the change on my booking page) we will not be travelling due to safety concerns and so I'm waiting to see if Virgin accept that the original flight has been cancelled, I've seen reports that they have accepted this reason for some customers and agreed a refund but rejected it for others and so I would welcome those people with better knowledge than me to comment on what they believe the regulations say.

yes Orlando for us too and I have yet to receive any correspondence regarding the change in the schedule.  When did you pose the question to them for your refund as I would be interested in the outcome, hopefully its a positive one.

mrsmoneypenny90

Flight change has to be SIGNIFICANT:-
1- change of departure airport - significant - entitled to a refund 

2- change of departure time of more than 3 hours - significant- entitled your refund 

ad yours is under 3 hrs don’t think you would be entitled to refund ? 

Dunas

Virgin's t & c's say a significant change on a long haul flight is more than 3 hours, also changing from Gatwick to Heathrow does not count as they are both London airports, the key factor is the flight number, Martin Lewis travel advice suggests a flight number change usually constitutes a cancellation but it's difficult to find it in black and white in the EU regulations. 

bumblebeebaby

mrsmoneypenny90 said:

Flight change has to be SIGNIFICANT:-
1- change of departure airport - significant - entitled to a refund 

2- change of departure time of more than 3 hours - significant- entitled your refund 

ad yours is under 3 hrs don’t think you would be entitled to refund ? 

i understand this, however my question relates to the fact they have changed my flight number meaning my original flight has been cancelled, meaning i 'should' be entitled to a refund

Life__Goes__On

Flight number change = old flight cancelled = due a refund

Edit Link added
https://www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/Before-you-fly/Making-a-booking/Tickets,-fares-and-schedule-changes/
Where an airline has made a change to your flight (the flight time for example) it is known as a schedule change. This is not the same as cancelling flights. Schedule changes should always be notified to passengers at least 14 days in advance, and the change should only be to the time or the date and not the flight number.

Dunas

Like many I haven't managed to talk to Virgin yet but I have requested a call back via WhatsApp. 
I don't think significant change is the issue, it's simply has the original flight been cancelled,  the fact that the alternative flight is within the same timeframe and same airports is irrelevant,  the EU regulations simply say if a cancellation takes place the customer has to be offered an alternative of either a refund or an alternative flight.