Cancelled Virgin Flights VS049 & VS050 May-October

[sandshal]

Jna, Got the same letter today - at least they're contacting us to let us know well in advance - could someone at Virgin have been looking on the dis?????

Rather than speaking to Virgin Holidays, try www.virginatlantic.com go to the link "manage your flights" and check your seat reservations that way.

My faith has actually been restored greatly in VH today - called to add another couple of days onto the start of my holiday and I must say the service was excellent.

 

[jna]

www.virginatlantic.com[/url] go to the link "manage your flights" and check your seat reservations that way.

I had been trying yesterday to do that before the letter came, as I calculated that the outbound flight was on the 336 days in advance so that I could pick my seats. All I got was, and still do, the following message "sorry we cannot find your booking".

Not very comforting!

 

[Claire L]

I had been trying yesterday to do that before the letter came, as I calculated that the outbound flight was on the 336 days in advance so that I could pick my seats. All I got was, and still do, the following message "sorry we cannot find your booking".

Not very comforting!

Unfortunatley your booking will not appear on 'Manage My Flights' until 336 days before the RETURN flight, so you are looking at early Dec. Even now our seats for next June are the only ones booked in PE to SFO, so I am sure it will all be fine for you. Also this year on our flight to/from MCO plenty of seats were available 6 months prior to the flights, so don't panic not everyone books their flights at 336 days let alone their seats

Claire

 

[jna]

Claire,

Thank you for that information. I have clearly misunderstood previous discussions on the forum about seat bookings as I had got the impression that it was from the outbound flight. I am grateful for the advice.

I'll wait until next week and see what they have done.

It's good we have this forum because I have to say that the letter received today leaves so many questions unanswered.

We are going for three weeks, so travellers on a two week break are able to reserve the outbound flight before us, but whatever. I am more concerned with getting any PE seat.

 

[Claire L]

Claire,

Thank you for that information. I have clearly misunderstood previous discussions on the forum about seat bookings as I had got the impression that it was from the outbound flight. I am grateful for the advice.

I'll wait until next week and see what they have done.

It's good we have this forum because I have to say that the letter received today leaves so many questions unanswered.

We are going for three weeks, so travellers on a two week break are able to reserve the outbound flight before us, but whatever. I am more concerned with getting any PE seat.

To be honest PE doesn't often sell out and certainly not at the 336 day mark. Going out in June the 'bubble' had about 7 spare seats and coming home in July over half were empty, leaving about 21 vacant seats

Claire

 

[Claire L]

Oh and when we went last Oct I only booked in the May and plenty of seats were available even then for both the outbound and return flights.
Claire

 

[jna]

tink-too

FYI, this is how it reads

"Due to operational reasons, Virgin Atlantic has had to cancel the following services:

VS049/050 LGW-MCO-LGW - 05 May 2006 to 28 October 2006
Passengers will be rebooked onto the VS015/016 London Gatwick to Orlando services on the same day

Please call the contact centre if originally booked on one of the above services.

Our flight schedules have been updated accordingly. http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/flighttimes/monthlyschedules/index.jsp"

Hope this helps

Having received a letter telling us that VS049 and VS050 are cancelled, I received a revised invoice today that contradicts the letter and is also at odds with the above.

Firstly the invoice states that we are apparently still outbound on October 14 on flight VS049 even though it is not flying, and have been switched from VS050 to VS015 on the return flight on November 4th which is after the dates shown above. The customer service dept. still cannot access our information, which I think is very poor, so we cannot verify what they have done with us.

Has anyone else received similar information?

We are currently very unimpressed with Virgin to say the least. The invoice still shows the PE supplements both ways, but how can we be sure we haven't been downgraded? As my original post on this thread explains, that is my particular concern. The slight changes in the flight times are not that important. Dear oh dear!

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Why would you be downgraded?
You have paid for a PE seat, you will get a PE seat. This is not FCA or TCD, this is a scheduled airline.
The plane whether is 049 or 015 is the same plane, if anything the only way you could go is to be upgraded, though again, that's probably not going to happen.

Do you seriously think that the flights for October 2006 are so full that you cannot get a seat in PE? VS49 and 50 were always extra flights to the normal vs15, 16 27 & 28 flights, probably the demand is not there for these planes.

In the many many miles I have flown on scheduled aircraft, I have never seen anyone downgraded to econ, you are worrying about nothing, you might as well worry that you will break your legs before you fly as you have as much chance of that happening as well.

 

[jna]

Our family doesn’t fly very often at all. Our holidays are generally in France and we therefore have no background knowledge of how an airline works, and hence why we find this forum of great value.

In answer to your questions “why would we be downgraded?” and “do you seriously think that the flights for October 2006 are so full that you cannot get a seat in PE?” my response is that if, and I know from what Clare has already said that it is highly unlikely, all the PE on the other plane have been taken, we would be left in the lurch.

“I have never seen anyone downgraded to econ.” I do recall reading in another thread a couple of months or so ago a member commenting about downgrades occurring at check-in by Virgin because of over-booking, hence the concern.

“The plane whether it is 049 or 015 is the same plane”. This is where our lack of knowledge fails us. As far as we were concerned there were two planes leaving at different times. If we are told that #49 is cancelled, and then receive a revised invoice telling us we are still on #49 surely you can understand our dismay? To us, it doesn’t make sense. Furthermore what also doesn’t make sense is that the customer service dept. is unable to tell us exactly what is going on. I guess what you mean is that the two flights are being merged. Ok, but passengers on one of those flights surely have to fit in with what has been reserved on the remaining flight?

“In the many many miles I have flown on scheduled aircraft, I have never seen anyone downgraded to econ, you are worrying about nothing, you might as well worry that you will break your legs before you fly as you have as much chance of that happening as well.”

My wife saw that comment and was not impressed.

Until we receive assurances our worries will remain. I don’t know whether or not you have a link with Virgin, but please don’t be defensive with us. As very irregular travellers on planes we have to accept what we are told by them. If they say a plane is cancelled, and then advise that we are still flying on it what is our family supposed to think? We chose Virgin as we were very happy with the arrangements the last time we flew with them to Florida, which was in 1999, but this situation ought to have been handled much better.

My apologies if readers feel I am getting uptight, but we all are at the moment.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

I am sorry. but its like hitting your head against a brick wall this thread.
The flights your were on have been cancelled probably due to lack of passengers, that does not mean that there will be too many passengers for the flight you have been re allocated!

Look, you have already booked. Your seat is there, if, however you tried to book, say in July of next year, then, its quite possible that you would not get a PE seat IF all the seats have been sold.

Why on earth would you think you would be left in the lurch, by your won admission, you have not had much experiance, and the fact that people keep telling you that you won't be, you keep ignoring.

Not many flights are so overbooked that they have to downgrade, I am sure all airlines would love to have flights without empty seats on board, but this does not happen in the real world.

Even when a plane goes "tech" i.e. goes broke (now for GOD's sake don't start worrying about that!) either another plane is brought in to cover or seats are found for you with another airline, because again in normal situations, no plae is full to the brim.

No, the 45 and 15 are different flights, but are the same model of aircraft is what I meant, the same amount of seats are on both planes.

You seem to be someone who worries over trivial things and yes, this IS a trivial thing in the overall scheme of things.
You will have a flight, you will get to Florida and you will not (probably) break your legs.

 

[jna]

We are really very sorry to bother you, please respect our feelings, be patient, and tell us this? If #49 has been cancelled, why does our revised invoice quote #49?

Secondly, if the cancellations relate up to Oct 28, why has the November 04 flight been changed from #50 to #15?

I ask you for input as you have experience of these matters, and because Virgin can't tell us anything at the moment?

We remain concerned, and it's not as trivial as you imagine.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

We are really very sorry to bother you, please respect our feelings, be patient, and tell us this? If #49 has been cancelled, why does our revised invoice quote #49?

Secondly, if the cancellations relate up to Oct 28, why has the November 04 flight been changed from #50 to #15?

I ask you for input as you have experience of these matters, and because Virgin can't tell us anything at the moment?

We remain concerned, and it's not as trivial as you imagine.

Where does the invoice come from?

Because the 49/50 are normally summer extra flights over and above the schedules VS15/16 27 & 28 flights? If you look at the schedules for this year, you will see that VS49 & 50 only fly on a saturday, and in fact in November only fly 5th & 12th Nov for the 49 and 12th Nov only for the 50, look at Decembers schedules and the flights are gone.
They then do not reappear until May. They are extra when exra flights are required, they are not the year round flights like the 15/16 & 27/28.
Manchester flights used to be the same, they were seasonal as well.

Of course it's trivial, its 11 months away!

 

[jna]

Of course it's trivial, its 11 months away!

Please read back in the thread and you will understand why I raised the subject.

We are sorry, but we can't accept your comments any longer. You are so rude and we now do not want your help.

This is a great forum, and no doubt during the period leading up to our trip we shall seek help from those who know about Disney and other things. We do hope that our questions, insignificant though they may seem to the more experienced, are answered with a more gracious manner. I feel sure that they will.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Please read back in the thread and you will understand why I raised the subject.

We are sorry, but we can't accept your comments any longer. You are so rude and we now do not want your help.

This is a great forum, and no doubt during the period leading up to our trip we shall seek help from those who know about Disney and other things. We do hope that our questions, insignificant though they may seem to the more experienced, are answered with a more gracious manner. I feel sure that they will.

Why is it rude to point out that the flights you are worrying about are 11 months away??

You are getting yopurselves into a tizz over what is happening almost a year away, that they will single you out for putting into Economy seats, based upon no facts whatsoever, on flights that will not fill up for months yet, I have answered your questions about where have the flights gone, but because I am not cuddling you, saying, yes, they should tell you your seats allocation numbers now, by a scented hand written letter by the head of Virgin, or even take you down to gatwick to show you your seats emblazoned with your name, that I am not saying how nasty the airline is treating you picking on you individually, that i have said to you there is nothing to worry about, that they will have PE seats for you, you seem to think that's rude!

 

[jna]

Mr OWK, I have referred your last comments to a moderator. You may be a veteran on this site whilst we are rookies, but to seek the last word in such a disrespectful manner is unacceptable.

We feel demeaned and are wondering if we should post questions in the future for fear of a further patronising response from you.

Read your comments again and you might feel an apology is warranted.

P.S. I wish I was on that flight later this month, because I'd love a few words with you face to face!

 

[Goofyish]

jna,

I agree, to you this is not a 'trivial' matter - it's you hard earned vacation, whether it's next month or a year away. You have received conflicting information from Virgin about your flights and can't access your booking information - I too would be anxious to know what's happening. Especially if I was unfamiliar with the working of schedules air travel and all it's complexities!

I'm sure if you keep on at Virgin it will eventually get sorted to you satisfaction, if not there are plenty of people on the DIS ready to give you a more sympathetic ear and the more constructive help you need.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Mr OWK, I have referred your last comments to a moderator. You may be a veteran on this site whilst we are rookies, but to seek the last word in such a disrespectful manner is unacceptable.

We feel demeaned and are wondering if we should post questions in the future for fear of a further patronising response from you.

Read your comments again and you might feel an apology is warranted.

P.S. I wish I was on that flight later this month, because I'd love a few words with you face to face!

Again,
To disagree with your point of view in your opinion is to be classed as disrespectful? OK then I admit it I am disrespecxtful of your trivial "worry" that they won't give you the seat you want IN 11 MONTHS TIME!!!

If you don't like the truth, then so be it.

An apology? OK then , I am so sorry that you are the way you are.

As for your final comment, ROFLMAO!

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

jna,

I agree, to you this is not a 'trivial' matter - it's you hard earned vacation, whether it's next month or a year away. You have received conflicting information from Virgin about your flights and can't access your booking information - I too would be anxious to know what's happening. Especially if I was unfamiliar with the working of schedules air travel and all it's complexities!

I'm sure if you keep on at Virgin it will eventually get sorted to you satisfaction, if not there are plenty of people on the DIS ready to give you a more sympathetic ear and the more constructive help you need.

Which Virgin? I have asked in previous posts whom did the invoice come from and no answer was given.
Are we talking Virgin Holidays?
Virgin Travelstore?
Virgin Atlantic?
Virgin Mobile?
Virgin megastores??

"Virgin" is a generic name, they are all franchises under the Virgin Group insignia.

 

[jna]

Again,
To disagree with your point of view in your opinion is to be classed as disrespectful? OK then I admit it I am disrespecxtful of your trivial "worry" that they won't give you the seat you want IN 11 MONTHS TIME!!!

If you don't like the truth, then so be it.

An apology? OK then , I am so sorry that you are the way you are.

As for your final comment, ROFLMAO!

I assume ROFLMAO is abusive. There is a rule on web forums that one should not 'troll', an action that includes, and I use another forum's rule book 'posting continuous snide comments about another user'.

You asked only once where the invoice came from, and I said I longer wanted your help, so that is why I refrained from telling you.

Moderators, please stop this man.


Goofyish, Thank you so much for your support. Yes, I am sure the matter will be resolved, but at present we remain in limbo. I think this issue is best left alone for now whilst we wait for Virgin to provide confirmation. I have a feeling that this may end up in having to write to them to obtain reassurance.

 

[AlanUK]

Obi Wan - You consider this trivial because of your extensive experience of international travel. Jna has no such experience and is probably not going to accept the opinions of someone who is in the end a total stranger, however well meaning they might be.

If circumstances conspire such that something you have said turns out to be incorrect then there will be nothing Jna or any other affected passenger can do. You will get to hold your hands up say 'I'm Sorry' and everyone is still left in the lurch.

I can understand that Virgins lack of response is worrying for all of those affected and really whatever way you look at it, it is poor customer service. If the airline cancels any flight they should be clear about what happens to those paasengers that have already booked and they should also be available to answer those passengers questions.

I feel it would be sensible to stop the line of discussion that has currently overtaken this thread at this point and move it back on topic before it is locked.