Reply To: Response from Virgin re Points Redemption

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

I took nearly an hour yesterday on the Gold line to make a change of date on the return leg of an award booking. The agent kept pricing up the fare difference as 119,000 points. I kept saying that was clearly wrong as it was failing to factor in the credit card voucher’s effect.

In the end I had to cancel my entire booking and get a new booking made, for a paltry 5,000 extra points fare difference. But of course, cancellation attracts a £70 fee whereas a date change is free for Golds.

I will thus be writing to ask for my £70 back, since it is the inability of agents to handle the new system that caused the charge. I felt bad for the two phone agents I spoke to. I said it is a real shame how Virgin agents used to be so highly regarded at getting all sorts of things sorted with leeway other airlines didn’t seem to offer their phoneline staff. They both said the new system has not worked on their IT the way they expected, there is confusion every day, and they’re getting very negative feedback from passengers.