How best to play this ? - Hotel only booking ( USA) Virgin Holidays.

deejaybee

Hi all,

I have a Hotel-only booking in Las Vegas for Sept 11 - 18 with Virgin Holidays - My flights are already cancelled ( American Airlines - have started refund process )

Now given that the hotel ( Paris ) in Vegas is currently open and being used by American citizens - will Virgin just say that its not their fault i cannot get to hotel ?  Which they are probably within their rights  to do that...

I have paid IN FULL ( as martin says ;-  ) around £1200 , that also includes extra for a Helicopter ride over the strip. ( Paid on a Virgin Atlantic C/C )

Another complication is that i converted a stash of Virgin Flying Club points towards the cost, around £550 - although when i go into the " Manage My Booking" it just shows 3 Payments ( no mention of points )   350 deposit,   550 ish , then final payment of 300 ish.

I paid for travel insurance ( Staysure - as have medical conditions ) and also paid extra for the Travel Disruption cover - pre CV19.

Have had no correspondence/contact from Virgin Holidays yet ( maybe its too soon -maybe they wont contact )  so i may be asking the question on here a bit early, but i wanted to be prepared in advance if i have to have a battle with them.

Any help/advice appreciated, thanks.

Thrugelmir

Was the hotel booking made on a non refundable basis?

deejaybee

Thrugelmir said:

Was the hotel booking made on a non refundable basis?

To be honest i'm not sure - will check

macman

If it was, then travel insurance is your only possible remedy.

deejaybee

I cant find any specific references in the T&Cs relating to Hotel-only bookings, apart from the fact i obviously do not get ATOL protection..

deejaybee

macman said:

If it was, then travel insurance is your only possible remedy.

What about Section 75 ?

The_Fat_Controller

@deejaybee, the goods are available, so surely S75 cannot apply.

MalMonroe

If you have booked a UK to USA flight which has been cancelled, then how can you actually get to Las Vegas? Is what you should say. The fact that hotel Paris is open for US residents is nothing to do with you. If you live in the US it's obviously going to be much easier for you to get there. But you don't.

You should be able to make a claim under Section 75 on your credit card for the £1200 anyway.
Doesn't the Stay Sure insurance you paid for cover you for this though? Not being able to get there because of travel disruption seems to fit in your case.

MalMonroe

deejaybee said:

I cant find any specific references in the T&Cs relating to Hotel-only bookings, apart from the fact i obviously do not get ATOL protection..

BUT these are unusual circumstances, and won't be covered by the T&Cs, will they?  You do get protection from your credit card, as I said, Section 75. 

deejaybee

I am assuming my Travel Insurance will want me to make efforts to get refund, ie S75 , before turning to them as last resort ?

Thanks for feedback all, appreciated.

SpreadableToast

MalMonroe said:

If you have booked a UK to USA flight which has been cancelled, then how can you actually get to Las Vegas? Is what you should say. The fact that hotel Paris is open for US residents is nothing to do with you. If you live in the US it's obviously going to be much easier for you to get there. But you don't.

You should be able to make a claim under Section 75 on your credit card for the £1200 anyway.
Doesn't the Stay Sure insurance you paid for cover you for this though? Not being able to get there because of travel disruption seems to fit in your case.

There are still flights going to the US, so the OP can certainly get there if they want.

And it really isn't Virgin's problem as to how they get there. It wasn't pre-COVID, and it still isn't.

Since the OP appears to have no comeback against Virgin, an S75 claim will fail, they'll need to speak to their insurer.