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Booked GUA to OAX on virgin website with points. Aeromexico flights, connecting in MEX, same day.
Discovered Aeromexico has changed the flights, I now need to overnight in MEX, instead of the 2hr connection time.
I have to to fork out for night in MEX.
I also lose the hotel booking I had in OAX on original arrival day as it’s non refundable.
Virgin and Aeromexico each say they can’t restore the original and blame the other. Aeromexico says if Virgin “protects” the original booking and contacts Aeromexico directly they might be able restore the original booking.
It’s about 2 months till till I fly. Paid by Amex Plat.
Can I push the airline/s to cover my extra hotel costs.
Do I incur the extra costs and claim later from the airlines? Or travel insurance?
Virgin website is asking me to click to accept the changes.
Feedback appreciated
You have no particular rights; it’s down to the best arrangement you can negotiate with AM. Having booked through VS, as far as AM is concerned, it’s effectively a travel agent booking. I seem to recall you asking a few times about booking AM flights via VS and it being suggested to book directly as AM is then quite helpful.
You can look at your Plat policy docs to see if this is covered, but it may well not be per other reports of similar situations.
What do you mean by “restore the original booking”?
Is your original flight still operating?
What were the original flight times and the revised ones?
It may be an issue with the minimum connection time.
What Aeromexico told you sounds the wrong way around, you’d want them to add the new segments and Virgin to reissue the ticket
But these things in Skyteam & Star Alliance almost never work out in my experience. You’ll end up either a) picking new flights that have award availability or b) taking a refund and booking elsewhere or c) flying it as reissued, no one will reimburse expenses
Worst case scenario … we recently stayed at Camino Real Aeropuerto Mexico and it couldn’t be closer to the terminal.
Maybe book a refundable night there just in case AM doesn’t play ball!
Worst case scenario … we recently stayed at Camino Real Aeropuerto Mexico and it couldn’t be closer to the terminal.
Maybe book a refundable night there just in case AM doesn’t play ball!
That’s opposite T1, most AM flights go from T2 where there is an NH inside the terminal building. At T1, there is an ancient Hilton inside the terminal (cheap but not good) and a newer Courtyard accessible via walkways.
Can you self re-route via the other Mexico city airport to preserve the hotel booking in OAX?
I loved OAX, I would avoid a shorter stay there.
Ash. As others have asked. Could you clarify what’s going on with your original flight as that will affect strongly how people would advise you. If it’s still operating then unless they have an exceptionally good reason for moving you ( and considering the extra night hotel in Mexico and loss of one at your destination then personally I can’t think of one good enough)then it’d at least put you in a reasonable position. If it’s an MCT issue then you could argue that it’s VS fault to some degree as as long as the tickets are all linked then their booking system shouldn’t have allowed the routing to be booked due to an MCT Failure conflict. So pointing this out clearly, firmly but politely should ( hopefully) have VS look at your issues with a fresh set of eyes.
Regarding the “Talk to them. No you need to talk to them” buck passing. Whoever issued* the tickets and processed the booking ( and/or initiated the request to issue) is the one on the hook. They facilitated the sale and took the funds/ processed an award booking so they hold the obligations in seeking, assisting and providing mutually acceptable redress. As the ( initial) contract was created between yourself and them. They can say “sorry but we couldn’t do XYZ because AM said X wasn’t possible or they weren’t prepared to do Y and we don’t the ability to force them to do something” but they’d have to demonstrate that that to you if you required it of them / issued a Subject Access Request but even then that would just place them on the hook SO LONG AS AND ONLY IF YOU CAN DEMONSTRATE THEIR ERROR. If not then your at their mercy really.
Credit card cover may be an option as well as your insurance but be ready to forward cover if needed.Thinking ahead you might want to reach out to the FOH Manager or such type at your destination hotel advising that you may not arrive for the 1st day/ night of your booking with them and ask them to confirm in writing that they acknowledge you advised them in advance and giving written assurance that your booking will be protected. I’m sure most of us know at least person who’s been delayed in travel just to turn up the next morning exhausted just to be told “Sorry you didn’t check-in yesterday so your bookings been cancelled and we are full/ only have X room type available/ you’ll have to pay the turn-up / walk-in rate of 10x more than your previous, cancelled booking”
Thank you all for replies. Quick update. Neither airline is budging on ability to revert flights or reroute on the same day. No other reroute options exist.
I spoke to Amex plat insurance. CR said I’d be covered into £300 per person for hotel, taxis, food.
@jdb has their been posts where amex insurance has declined similar cases? Just asking as want to cross all the TV’s and dot the it’s to feel assured.Apologies, meant cross all the T’s and dot the I’s
Thank you all for replies. Quick update. Neither airline is budging on ability to revert flights or reroute on the same day. No other reroute options exist.
I spoke to Amex plat insurance. CR said I’d be covered into £300 per person for hotel, taxis, food.
@jdb has their been posts where amex insurance has declined similar cases? Just asking as want to cross all the TV’s and dot the it’s to feel assured.I don’t really know what to say! Don’t take my word for it, but I also wouldn’t rely upon what Amex has told you, and I’m sure that whatever they said was relatively general and not binding. Having reread the section of the policy, I don’t see how it covers your situation. It would, in principle, be odd for an insurer to indemnify you for an airline administrative issue weeks in advance of travel and that section appears written to address inconvenience immediately around travel.
Unfortunately, you won’t know the definite answer until you make a claim so I would work on dealing with the matter via Virgin. In their capacity as the booking and ticketing agent/airline, their duty is to act on your behalf to resolve the matter.
@Ash I’m with @JDB here, you are talking about a claim under section 1.6, Travel Inconvenience. That section lists three possible scenarios, Missed Departure, Delay/Cancellation/Overbooking and Missed Connection, I don’t see how your situation matches any of these. You really need to be pushing Virgin quite forcefully to resolve the issue prior to travel.
I called Virgin but the CR in essence said… sorry, no AM operates the flight, we cant change the booking or revert you back onto your original booking.
How do I get them to do something they say they cannot?
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