Chat thread – Friday 25th April
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This is today’s chat thread.
If you have specific questions about Avios, hotels or credit cards, please ask them in the appropriate forum and not here. This thread is a good place to post interesting deals you have spotted or your general thoughts on travel and all things miles and points. Thank you for contributing.
Good morning from my desk, where I actually managed to snap up Eurostar tickets for £39 each way to Brussels this time. Admittedly, the outward timing requires an early departure from work, but makes for a good weekend trip.
What should I accept as a reasonable level of response from Virgin? We booked flights in December with Virgin for me, my wife, daughter and son in law. She was expecting our grandchild so we paid extra to select bulkhead seats so we could access a bassinet. We booked through Virgin, although the flight was with Westjet (it was slightly cheaper and I could get points). In Jan Westjet cancelled the booking and were not informed, (the app stated we had the flight and I didn’t receive an email). When I added my granddaughter a few days ago, this all came to light. The chap at Virgin managed to re-instate us on the flight but the bulkhead seats have been taken up by someone else. I have made a formal complaint. Assuming that everything I have said is correct, what do people think is a reasonable response. Should I be ok with an honest apology or should I be compensated in some way and if so what would be reasonable.
Well all the fake flights on Virgin’s RFF have vanished this morning. I’m now seeing prices in UC not marked as saver that are cheaper than those marked with the saver icon.
And the only suitable flight I can find would put me in Manhattan on 4th July. I survived Vegas on independence day, can I do the same in NYC?
@download – Was it a cancellation or just never ticketed properly? Have you been given a reason for the cancellation, if this is what it was? I’ve had to wait a month or so for VS and DL bookings to be fully ticketed (though these were redemptions) – did you get an email link for the payment or was it taken at the time? If you were charged, were you subsequently sent a refund?
Also what was the route you booked as any compensation, etc, will depend on which countries your journey starts and ends in.
Hi Northern Lass, I’ve not had an explanation for what happened, but the flight was booked in December 2024 and I think Westjet “cancelled” it in January 2025. The flight was between London and Calgary and its a return. Full payment was taken in December (£3.1k) and I received no information in an email. I have checked my spam etc. I did receive the initial confirmation of the flight when I booked, so the system clearly had the right email address and the flight details appeared in the Virgin App. I only found out when I went to add my grand daughter that the flight had “Been cancelled by Westjet”. I hate to think what could have happened 24 hours before the flight as I attempted to get the boarding passes only to discover then that they had messed up. Its such a shame as I used to be a huge fan of VA.
Sorry forgot to mention, charged in full on the 10th Decemeber and refund was sent to me when they “cancelled”.
Very odd that they’d cancel a cash booking, I’d be pushing for an explanation.
They obviously can’t chuck the current passengers out of the bassinet so that’s a tricky one – did they also refund the seat fees?
When are you due to fly?
We are due to fly in September. The whole thing has been a terrible mess. I’m starting to think that we should ask them for a PE flight to South Africa that we were planning but could only see for 400k points. I would pay for my seat and ask them to accept my companion voucher for the second (only worth 75k to them). As you say we can’t get the bassinet seats back now.
@elguiri – we booked return tickets on Eurostar to Paris last night. Although we managed to find £39 for outbound journey (Friday early evening), we had to pay £75 for inbound – but for Sunday evening it was far cheaper than flying plus saved the journey between Paris and CDG.
Flying to Crete (HER) in a couple of months, from LGW. Inbound flight was cancelled so they’ve put us on an alternative a few hours earlier. As usual, we have the choice to change to a different flight if we wish, and ideally I’d switch to a flight at the original time, but back to LHR instead of LGW. However, if I did this I’d also want to change the outbound, to depart from LHR (same day).
This isn’t possible online, but I’m sure I’ve done this in the past (i.e changed both outbound and inbound for free, even if only one leg has been disrupted). Is this not possible? FYI the original booking was on Avios and there’s no Avios availability on my preferred alternatives, though this shouldn’t make a difference.
IHG points buy flash sale on – 80% bonus for me (buy up to 200k points) until 3rd May.
May be targeted but if anyone wanted to load up maybe worth checking your account.
Flying to Crete (HER) in a couple of months, from LGW. Inbound flight was cancelled so they’ve put us on an alternative a few hours earlier. As usual, we have the choice to change to a different flight if we wish, and ideally I’d switch to a flight at the original time, but back to LHR instead of LGW. However, if I did this I’d also want to change the outbound, to depart from LHR (same day).
This isn’t possible online, but I’m sure I’ve done this in the past (i.e changed both outbound and inbound for free, even if only one leg has been disrupted). Is this not possible? FYI the original booking was on Avios and there’s no Avios availability on my preferred alternatives, though this shouldn’t make a difference.
I vaguely recall reading on Flyertalk that they’ll only change the disrupted flight now and not any other non impacted legs. Have you tried to call and ask though?
One for the rail buffs: A touring luxury sleeper train with high-end gastronomy as its main attraction hits the rail network this summer, L’Enclume’s Simon Rogan directing the culinary traffic and executive chef Sven-Hanson Britt running the on-board galley.
https://www.hardens.com/uk-london/24-04-2025/hit-the-rails-for-fine-dining-on-the-move/
Global Airlines interior: https://x.com/fahadnaimb/status/1914600723871916503?s=46&t=1H66bk-sEf5z2gBobVZ-aQ
Really good interview with digital engineering VP Neil Letchford of Virgin Atlantic on how they are looking at leveraging AI
https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/25/virgin_agentic_airline_tests_ai/
Good afternoon from the Escape Lounge at a very quiet T2 Manchester where Priority Pass worked and where I was car to lounge in 25 minutes, despite a bag reject rate of 19%. Very smooth again and lots of pleasant security folk. The upskilling is working!
Off to Rotterdam for a long weekend. Kings day celebrations tomorrow, doing the markets, windmills and Delft. Recommendations gratefully received.
For now a meat pie, buttery mash, mushy peas and veg are gratefully received in the escape lounge
I vaguely recall reading on Flyertalk that they’ll only change the disrupted flight now and not any other non impacted legs. Have you tried to call and ask though?
Called up and apparently isn’t possible. Not a big deal just is contrary to what I thought was the case!
Just listened to the latest episode of Page 94 the Private Eye podcast. Helen Lewis gives a shout out to HfP
I vaguely recall reading on Flyertalk that they’ll only change the disrupted flight now and not any other non impacted legs. Have you tried to call and ask though?
Called up and apparently isn’t possible. Not a big deal just is contrary to what I thought was the case!
It used to be the case that a cancellation to one leg allowed a change to the other but that ended sometime ago. But that really was a matter of goodwill not something in law.
So now the policy is to only permit an airport change on the affected leg.
Good evening from the Cathay Lounge T3 where I am starting my OW lounge tour before flying out to OSL for a quick visit (for the benefit of @NorthernLass a mini celebration for submitting my thesis on Wednesday!) Wonton noodles, dim sum, glass of champagne = a happy tootsci
@elguiri – we booked return tickets on Eurostar to Paris last night. Although we managed to find £39 for outbound journey (Friday early evening), we had to pay £75 for inbound – but for Sunday evening it was far cheaper than flying plus saved the journey between Paris and CDG.
We decided against paying more for a later train due to schoolday on the Monday, and for a few more hours it would add another £200. £39 e/w is good, but once it gets too much it takes the shine off of a quick weekend trip.
Coming to the end of my luxury stay at the holiday inn express bradford (UKs cheapest IHG).An extra 9000 points and 500 extra points a night by using the eco door hanger coupled with the amex deal and railcard discount.
This will get me my diamond for another year and 2 lounge passes (great if you stay in the Regent Phu Quoc with free flow champagne and food to order all day.)Have you been there for 70 nights?!
Have you been there for 70 nights?!
No you can have too much of a good thing – if the want to do that the holiday inn express in jakarta at £18 a night is the answer.
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