The best way to approach VA without cancelling existing booking

[Cramond11]

HI All,

I made a booking for 5 return tickets MAN-MCO about a month ago, the total cost was 220K miles, I just checked today, the same booking now only costs about 140k miles. my questions

Can I call VA and ask for refund of the difference without cancelling my booking to avoid the £70pp changing fee?

I am Virgin Gold, and have an award voucher, if I called to use the award voucher against my booking, will VA recalculate the total miles based on the current miles, and refund me the difference without me paying the £70pp fee?

Any advices of the best way to approach VA in my case?

Thanks

Cramond11

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

Sadly the complexity of the new pricing system has neutered the helpfulness of the previously fantastic Virgin call centre staff. I feel for them as they re-price itineraries and it seems like a lottery to them. I have always had to get them to outright cancel and re-book because they will quote madness like “you owe us another 240,000 points if you want to swap to the later flight you can see as cheaper than what you paid initially.” And even though the need to cancel is because of the oddness of their IT, they won’t waive the £70.

[davefl]

Cramond11 wrote:

HI All,
Can I call VA and ask for refund of the difference without cancelling my booking to avoid the £70pp changing fee?

Not a chance

I am Virgin Gold, and have an award voucher, if I called to use the award voucher against my booking, will VA recalculate the total miles based on the current miles, and refund me the difference without me paying the £70pp fee?

According to this article, yes https://www.headforpoints.com/2020/08/20/how-to-virgin-atlantic-credit-card-vouchers-work/ but you are reying on the rules not having changed. No harm in trying.

Any advices of the best way to approach VA in my case?

Call them. Nobody on a forum can help you!

Btw by the time you call the points required may have changed significantly. I’m tracking one date that has varied from 280k, to 56k to 350k within a space of 36 hours.

[Cramond11]

Thanks to both, calling Virgin now, will report back.

[Jim Utd]

VS Gold does get you privileges other people would get a straight no to. Fingers crossed for you.

[Cramond11]

took a while to have it sorted out over the phone, changed the flight dates, CS initially quoted a changing fee of £70pp, after I questioned it, he went on to check with his manager, agreed not to charge any fees due to my gold status, so the end result is refund of 82.5k miles + 0 fees.

[Cramond11]

Jim Utd wrote:

VS Gold does get you privileges other people would get a straight no to. Fingers crossed for you.

indeed, you are 100% right, fee was waivered due to my gold status.