Companion vouchers compensation claim?

womble1964

We booked 4 x 1st class seats on our return journey from Orlando to London with Virgin - 2 using air miles and 2 using companion vouchers for our children. Our flight was cancelled approx an hour before take off due to the pilot taking ill. Virgin did put us up in a hotel for the night and gave us meal vouchers and booked us on another flight 24 hours later. Our bags were checked in so we had no clothes/toiletries etc so managed to buy a few small necessary items. My understanding is that we should be entitled to £520 per person for the 24hr delay but they have offered to cover only 2 of these amounts and ignored the other 2. We have been told if we don’t accept in 14 days the offer may be withdrawn. Virgin are impossible to have dialogue with - we have tried asking about the remaining amounts (including the small extras with receipts we provided) but we just get an automatic response saying they will come back in 30 days. What is the situation regarding miles and companion vouchers - are we entitled to the same amounts having utilised these rather than paying by cash? Any advice?

eskbanker

womble1964 said:

What is the situation regarding miles and companion vouchers - are we entitled to the same amounts having utilised these rather than paying by cash? Any advice?

Regulation 3(3) has an exemption for free flights but I wouldn't have thought that your scenario should be categorised in that way, but it may depend on exactly how such companion vouchers were acquired:

This Regulation shall not apply to passengers travelling free of charge or at a reduced fare not available directly or indirectly to the public. However, it shall apply to passengers having tickets issued under a frequent flyer programme or other commercial programme by an air carrier or tour operator.

womble1964 said:

My understanding is that we should be entitled to £520 per person for the 24hr delay but they have offered to cover only 2 of these amounts and ignored the other 2.

Have they actually ignored the claims for the other two travellers, or definitely rejected them, and if the latter, on what specific grounds?

womble1964 said:

We have been told if we don’t accept in 14 days the offer may be withdrawn.

It's not 'an offer', it's their legal obligation, so ignore any such threats!

womble1964 said:

we have tried asking about the remaining amounts (including the small extras with receipts we provided) but we just get an automatic response saying they will come back in 30 days.

The airline is responsible for providing hotel accommodation and reasonable meals, but not clothes or toiletries, so if you felt the need to buy these then you'd need to fund those out of the compensation or claim from your travel insurance.