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Today I was told by VS that my flights between London and Washington DC (in March 2026) will be operated by the old A330 – not the neo – and that the flight time has moved back 4 hours.
Great way to annoy passengers.Received a notification from Flighty app that Dubai route has changed from 787 to A350.
That’s a big increase in capacity. TATL routes losing demand?
It’s mystifying why the Dubai route isn’t year round. Surely it fits the Virgin Holidays niche. Especially with the theme park developments there and Abu Dhabi
Yes, I’ve got a voucher redemption back from IAD that’s been affected.
Given its used a voucher, I don’t think I can ask them to reroute me via JFK instead as that uses a Delta internal flight IAD/JFK – is my assumption here correct?
A word of warning to anyone who has VS flights booked to check the current timings. They have moved my SEA to LHR flight for November a day earlier and I didn’t get the usual email notification so only noticed the change when I looked at the booking online.
Have taken the opportunity to cancel for no cost as this change wouldn’t work for us. It was actually quite a good redemption so I doubt I’ll get anything similar for some time!
Yes, I’ve got a voucher redemption back from IAD that’s been affected.
Given its used a voucher, I don’t think I can ask them to reroute me via JFK instead as that uses a Delta internal flight IAD/JFK – is my assumption here correct?
IMO, you can still call up and ask if you can re-routed.
Given its used a voucher, I don’t think I can ask them to reroute me via JFK instead as that uses a Delta internal flight IAD/JFK – is my assumption here correct?
Call them.
I had DL cancel my JFK to Richmond, VA leg several months before I was due to fly (they auto reassigned a flight the next day so I’d have been stuck at JFK overnight) and I called and asked to be routed to Norfolk, VA instead. The ticket was all points/voucher. No bother at all when I called.
I still deperately hoping they switch my December Cape Town from a 787 🙂
Virgin clearly making quite a few adjustments today…they just changed my outbound to Delhi in Nov from the 787 to A350 which was a pleasant surprise.
Got a notification that my parents flight to ATL o 23rd is now leaving two hours early. Very inconvenient as we are not in London so will have to now travel a day earlier and stay at a hotel for the night. I assume VS will pay for these! I will put in a claim after the flight.
Got a notification that my parents flight to ATL o 23rd is now leaving two hours early. Very inconvenient as we are not in London so will have to now travel a day earlier and stay at a hotel for the night. I assume VS will pay for these! I will put in a claim after the flight.
Under EC261, Virgin wouldn’t be on the hook for a hotel in these circumstances as it’s considered a matter of convenience rather than necessity and Article 9 is about dealing with the consequences of delay, so any payment from Virgin would be as a matter of goodwill.
However, the fact the flight has been rescheduled to depart more than one hour earlier than originally scheduled has been determined by the CJEU to be regarded as a cancellation, although this is a post Brexit judgment. The reasoning for this decision potentially helps around the hotel but it all conflicts with Virgin’s incredibly mean policy about rerouting for schedule changes under five hours.
JDB
thanks @JDB. I am not hopeful of virgin paying out either. Will claim anyways as the last monute additional train/hotel costs are substantial. Will update as and when matter progresses.
thanks
LHR-SFO flights changed in March too. It looks like they have gone from 2 flights a day to 1. Originally had a pretty rough timed return flight but as it was a lot cheaper on points than the other flight, I booked it regardless. Been automatically moved onto that better timed flight as that one has survived the cut, so we’re happy!
JDB
thanks @JDB. I am not hopeful of virgin paying out either. Will claim anyways as the last monute additional train/hotel costs are substantial. Will update as and when matter progresses.
thanks
As promised update on my first round of claims with VS, made two separate claims;
1- duty of care for train/hotel. Surprisingly got a “rejection” reply within 24 hours claiming the flight left as scheduled and on time with no schedule changes. Replied and sent them screenshots of original time and email within 7 days of change of schedule to departure 2 hours and 10 minites early.
2- “nd claim for UK261 cancellation. Another rejection within 24 hours claiming that the schedule change happened 3 months ago so UK261 compendation due. They clearly wrote that if they had done a change within 7 days of departure compensation would be payable but since the change was 3 months ago no payment due. Replied with email of schedule change.
Lets see how they respond.
JDB
thanks @JDB. I am not hopeful of virgin paying out either. Will claim anyways as the last monute additional train/hotel costs are substantial. Will update as and when matter progresses.
thanks
As promised update on my first round of claims with VS, made two separate claims;
1- duty of care for train/hotel. Surprisingly got a “rejection” reply within 24 hours claiming the flight left as scheduled and on time with no schedule changes. Replied and sent them screenshots of original time and email within 7 days of change of schedule to departure 2 hours and 10 minites early.
2- “nd claim for UK261 cancellation. Another rejection within 24 hours claiming that the schedule change happened 3 months ago so UK261 compendation due. They clearly wrote that if they had done a change within 7 days of departure compensation would be payable but since the change was 3 months ago no payment due. Replied with email of schedule change.
Lets see how they respond.
Virgin responded promptly and now suggest that the schedule change happened 3 months ago! I guess i cant keep fighting this.
It is getting hilarious;
1- The team dealing with Duty of care claim says flight left at originally scheduled time so no compensation due
2- The UK261 team claims the flights changes were months ahead so no compensation due.
Idiotic, isn’t it.
1. These guys believe they are right because they see the plane leaving and landing as per the schedule.
2. These guys may be right the schedule changed months ago.
Feels like your only option is to escalate this further at: https://www.cdrl.org.uk/aviation-adr/
As always. Be factual: booked flight at this and that time and date. Schedule changed to this and that. Claim for hotel and expense. Here is the amount. Done. Expect to be asked documents for each so prepare PDFs of the original booking and other supporting evidence.
It doesn’t matter when the schedule was changed, it’s when the passenger was informed that counts.
@Wiseoldman – I wouldn’t rush to arbitration yet, but try to press Virgin further as the outcome of ADR isn’t clear. As previously posted above, your parents aren’t statutorily entitled to any Article 9 ‘right to care’ costs so that element of the claim is a matter of goodwill. Re cancellation compensation for the schedule being brought forward by two hours, that’s only considered as a cancellation by a post Brexit CJEU decision so I don’t know whether AviationADR would apply it or not. BA doesn’t recognise that compensation is due in these circumstances.
The relevant decision (relating to various joint cases so best summarised in the official press release) to cite to Virgin is below:-
https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2021-12/cp210226en.pdf
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