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Booked with them for May 2024 using points and upgrade voucher.
They’ve cancelled both outbound and return as they are delaying their launch to GRU until Summer ‘25.
I believe they would normally have to re-route me onto another carrier? But given this uses a CC upgrade voucher and points what are my options as on their email they’ve only offered me A) a new destination with them B) a refund.
You’ve an UK261 right to be rerouted. But similar tales when HK was cancelled and they weren’t offering this – in the end some people got rebooked by complaining to the CEO and getting it handled by the executive office. I imagine they’ll offer you something to the USA and onwards with Delta
Usually it’s best to wait a while and let policies get established before trying this
You’ve an UK261 right to be rerouted. But similar tales when HK was cancelled and they weren’t offering this – in the end some people got rebooked by complaining to the CEO and getting it handled by the executive office. I imagine they’ll offer you something to the USA and onwards with Delta
Usually it’s best to wait a while and let policies get established before trying this
Thanks. I wouldn’t accept an indirect flight when they can put me on BA surely? What would happen to my points and voucher though?
Hi Amy, there is absolutely loads of info in the threads on here on cancellations and EU/UK261. Do nothing until you’re fully up to speed on what your rights are, and definitely don’t accept a refund, unless YOU decide that this is your best option.
You may need to be prepared to argue your case as to why you need a direct flight if Virgin offer to re-route you via the US. If you do end up having to go to CEDR or MCOL (or whatever VS is signed up to), you’ll need to show that you were being reasonable if you made alternative arrangements. You will also need to show that you offered VS a chance to re-route you as per your legal rights.
Sure thing thanks. Will be ploughing through the posts on here. I am solid on the situation with cash flights but less clear when points with vouchers are involved. I thought it was the same situation but did not expect Virgin to give me two options that don’t mention anything about putting me on another carrier.
Just spoke to a bod from Virgin to see what they say. He said they were only issued with guidance about this situation 3hrs ago and he could re-route me onto a different carrier and I’d have to pay any difference in taxes. I mentioned BA and he said it could only be LAMTAM.
@AmyC while @SamG is right in principle to wait and see if Virgin puts some kind of policy in place, they never really did when they pulled the Hong Kong route and their absence of policy unfortunately probably worked out rather well for them. I imagine that the further delay in starting the route is for reasons other than lack of interest, so there may be lots of people chasing seats on BA or LATAM (which is presumably Virgin’s preferred partner) and you want to be first in the queue. The Virgin flight was interesting as a daytime flight which the other two aren’t. Via the US is ridiculous.
The fact you booked with a voucher/points makes no difference; that’s Virgin’s problem not yours.
I would call Virgin and asked to be rebooked on flights you should propose to them. If they refuse those, ask what they are offering instead. The onus is on the airline to be proactively rerouting you – Rusu v S C Blue. If still nothing satisfactory, write to the CEO’s office as suggested above and give them 14 days to get you rebooked.
@AmyC while @SamG is right in principle to wait and see if Virgin puts some kind of policy in place, they never really did when they pulled the Hong Kong route and their absence of policy unfortunately probably worked out rather well for them. I imagine that the further delay in starting the route is for reasons other than lack of interest, so there may be lots of people chasing seats on BA or LATAM (which is presumably Virgin’s preferred partner) and you want to be first in the queue. The Virgin flight was interesting as a daytime flight which the other two aren’t. Via the US is ridiculous.
The fact you booked with a voucher/points makes no difference; that’s Virgin’s problem not yours.
I would call Virgin and asked to be rebooked on flights you should propose to them. If they refuse those, ask what they are offering instead. The onus is on the airline to be proactively rerouting you – Rusu v S C Blue. If still nothing satisfactory, write to the CEO’s office as suggested above and give them 14 days to get you rebooked.
Thanks JDB, that was my concern with waiting. The fact everyone else will now be chasing the same flights. Annoyed I’ll miss out on a Clubhouse visit and that the flights are totally different times on LAMTAM but I think I still want to go. I also think I’ve read LAMTAM business product is a bit crap. Still, what choice do I have?
LATAM not LAMTAM!
Let me hijack this thread if you don’t mind. Are airlines obliged to re-route you on the same day?
I recently had an Easyjet flight to Athens moved from a Monday to a Wednesday (cancelled Monday). I took a refund but legally speaking I could have pushed for a reroute/ booked another airline on the same day and not got a refund?Sorry, I know it’s not Virgin but as a matter of principle?
Let me hijack this thread if you don’t mind. Are airlines obliged to re-route you on the same day?
I recently had an Easyjet flight to Athens moved from a Monday to a Wednesday (cancelled Monday). I took a refund but legally speaking I could have pushed for a reroute/ booked another airline on the same day and got a refund?Sorry, I know it’s not Virgin but as a matter of principle?
No, there is no obligation for an airline to reroute you on the same day, but Article 8 does require rerouting at “the earliest opportunity”. However, there’s no enforcement and that phrase leaves a fair degree of flexibility; any interpretation has to be decided on a case by case basis. An airline also isn’t obliged to offer someone rerouting on a specific flight of the passenger’s choosing and nor can a passenger expect to retain all their rights if they reject a reasonable rerouting.
Thanks JDB.
Interesting. Re-reading advice on Easyjet it does seem to suggest I could book my own flight on another carrier and claim expenses to this (hidden deep into the T&Cs and not offered by default). I guess it would be a gamble and I also guess this is not something OP could do anyway as Virgin should and are able to offer this themselves.
It certainly seems they are obliged to offer you a reroute on another carrier.
Update: I got them to rebook me onto LATAM. Went to Sainsbury’s. Came back to a voicemail telling me they will need to refund that booking as it’s not allowed and my ONLY option is a refund. I can’t believe they are still trying this crap on. How dare they inflict this stress on passengers?!
Keep that voicemail! It’s nonsense but sadly this is what we’ve come to expect from airlines. Do as per @JDB and stick to your guns.
Keep that voicemail! It’s nonsense but sadly this is what we’ve come to expect from airlines. Do as per @JDB and stick to your guns.
She’s now saying they can put me on LATAM flights but it has the be the exact same day. I can’t do that because the flight times are so different I’ll miss my internal flight. I’ve explained this and how there’s nothing about this in the legislation and they are insisting that if I do not go the same day (and therefore arrive hours after my internal flight leaves) then they will refund me!
@ekposh As @JDB says the right to rerouting at the earliest opportunity does not automatically mean same day but you can work it to your advantage as, if it results in you being delayed overnight, that means article 9 right to care kicks in and means the airline is then on the hook for the hotel and meals.
Plus it strengthens a case for delay compensation even if the original flight was cancelled or delayed due to extraordinary circumstances as the airline delaying you more than 24 hours, when it could have rerouted you earlier on a competitor airline, may fail the test of taking all reasonable measures to assist you. Especially if you can prove that getting home the same day is a requirement.
The regulations do not specify that airlines can choose only to reroute you on their own metal or alliance. However if you do try to go on a competitor airline you may have to pay up front for the fare and claim afterwards which may also result in needing to go to CEDR or MCOL.
But you should always try to contact the airline and give them a chance to reroute you first. Just going off and doing your own thing may not invalidate a claim but it makes it harder to claim. Especially if the original airline could have rerouted you with minimal inconvenience to you.
@AmyC at this point, don’t bother with the call centre, write to the CEO and tell him the flight you wish to be rebooked onto. BA is at roughly the same time as LATAM so you would need to accept that even if you prefer BA, but your argument of the Virgin daytime flight vs the other overnight flights outbound is totally valid; of course it matters. It’s quite surprising how brazen they are being about this.
It makes me laugh how the CEO spends so much time criticising airports and other airlines with all sorts of false and prejudicial fables when he needs to get his own house in order.
@Amy C That’s not good. Can they actually put you on the same day Latam flight ie is it still being sold? I wonder if they’re trying it on to try force you into going for a refund. Presumably the Latam flights depart the same day but much later than the original Virgin flight.
The trouble is that your internal flight(s) is not Virgin’s problem as it/they are booked separately.
How much did they cost? I’m assuming they’re non-refundable and non-changeable. How much would it cost just to buy a new internal flight?
I wonder if it might be worth telling them not to do anything and confirm that at this point you do not want a refund and you will get back to them.
Right, after much debating with the agent, her going off to speak to her team leader x2, me quoting legislation at her, me demanding to speak to the team leader, her putting me on hold for roughly an hour in total (4 times) and then eventually coming back to me….. I have ended up with the exact same LATAM flights I was supposedly booked on 3 hours ago!
They’ve stolen half my afternoon with this nonsense, caused me to get shirty and made me burn my lunch! Oh and I don’t suppose I’ll get the tier points I would have got with the original flights either!
That’s probably academic as I think after this I will be done with Virgin. Not the first time they’ve made my blood boil in the past 2 years.Make sure you check the booking with LATAM and ensure they have a valid ticket number
I don’t suppose I’ll get the tier points I would have got with the original flights either!
You can request original routing credit for cancelled flights, cant you?
I don’t suppose I’ll get the tier points I would have got with the original flights either!
You can request original routing credit for cancelled flights, cant you?
ORC is a OW thing but I’d be trying this on with VS, especially as LATAM is also ST.
Beware also that by being rebooked on LATAM on the return you will not have UK261 rights whatsoever.
I’d also look into Air France and KLM indirect as they might prefer that to BA.
Oh and I don’t suppose I’ll get the tier points I would have got with the original flights either!
You’ll get the tier points. However, I put my Flying Club number in literally everything, the Virgin App, the Virgin Website when booking, the LATAM website and the LATAM app and my number was on all my boarding cards, and I still had to do a claim which cheekily had a message to next time put my number in…
The lounge is the same as the BA flight (BA’s T3 lounge). The LATAM flight is pretty good, 3 class, the business seats are the same as SWISS, I think from my trips to GRU on SWISS and LATAM. I don’t know if you are flying alone or a group but check the seat maps and look for decent seats. Additionally, I phoned up LATAM and they booked my seats for me but you’ll need your LATAM booking code, which I got by phoning Virgin.
Enjoy your trip.
ORC is a OW thing but I’d be trying this on with VS, especially as LATAM is also ST.
Latam is not in SkyTeam. They are not in any alliance since they exited Oneworld when Delta took a significant stake in them.
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