Cancelled Virgin Flights VS049 & VS050 May-October

[sandshal]

Following on from my earlier thread, surely this must have affected more than just us - anyone else's flight been changed? or have you just not officially been advised yet !!!! (only found out when I checked our pre-assigned seats yesterday and the flight had disappeared!)


"VS049/050 LGW-MCO-LGW - 05 May 2006 to 28 October 2006"

Take a look at this link:

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/g...tnews/index.jsp

 

[Goofyish]

VS049/50 were always summer only flights, so I guess that VA don't believe that there is a need to put these additional flights on - perhaps passenger numbers are falling?It would be interesting to see if VA have cancelled all the seating requests for the two remaining flights; VS015/16 & VS027/28?

 

[sandshal]

When I check the seat plan for VA016 it only shows my seats with absolutely nothing else available (not even a single seat !!!) does this mean the pre-bookable seats have all gone except for the 40% allocated at check in or do you think they've just shut the facility down due to the changes? It will be interesting to see when we are officially informed by Virgin Holidays of this change.

 

[LeCras]

Following on from my earlier thread, surely this must have affected more than just us - anyone else's flight been changed? or have you just not officially been advised yet !!!! (only found out when I checked our pre-assigned seats yesterday and the flight had disappeared!)


"VS049/050 LGW-MCO-LGW - 05 May 2006 to 28 October 2006"

Take a look at this link:

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/g...tnews/index.jsp

Sandshal, thank you very much for the heads up on this - we are flying back from Orlando on the 5th May so DH called Virgin to check whether we would be affected. It turns out that yes, we are now on the 19:40 flight rather than the 21:10. The person he spoke to also verified that we still had the same seats reserved (6A and 6K). :

Charlotte

 

[sandshal]

LeCras,

Pleased to see you managed to keep the best 2 seats in the house !!! Its bad enough being messed about in economy but absolutely no joke if you pay Virgins prices to upgrade and they still change your flight.

I still can't believe this hasn't affected more of us - when do you think we will be officially informed? when the tickets arrive 7 days before we go?

 

[Laurafoster]

FYI - I found this out in September when we had a similar issue. Virgin Atlantic dont actually let Virgin Holidays know about the changes untill about 3-6 months before about any changes ( the lady actually told me "incase they change again!!" and Virgin holidays as they are only moving you onto a difffernt time but still on the same day - only have to let u know somwthing like 30 days in advance.....

So i wouldnt expect a letter any time soon!!


But things may change?

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

many of the times its out of the airlines control, as they are allocated slots by the various airports and ATRC's that's why most airlines don't let you book more than six months in advance, (BMI Baby, My travel Lite, Ryanair Easyjet etc...) as they have not been allocated the slots before that time.

 

[tink too]

Not too sure if this affects us or not - I'll have to check with our TA - but thanks for letting everyone know!

sandshal - I've just tried the link you posted and Virgin have either removed or are "currently updating" that page! Wonder how much people have complained about the changes made to their travel plans, then!

Again, thanks for the info - much better than finding out about the changes when your tickets arrive the week before you go on vacation!

 

[sandshal]

tink-too

FYI, this is how it reads

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

Between London and New York, Newark:


VS017 LHR-EWR 23 Aug - 15 Nov 2005 (Tuesdays only ex-UK)
VS018 EWR-LHR 24 Aug - 16 Nov 2005 (Wednesdays only ex-US)
Between London Gatwick and Orlando:


VS027/028 LGW-MCO-LGW - 7, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 27 September 2005
VS049/050 LGW-MCO-LGW - 4, 10, 17, 24 September 2005
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

 

[tink too]

sandshal - Thank you very much for the Virgin flight details - greatly appreciated!

Now, if only Virgin were so quick to let their customers know of changes...

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

sandshal - Thank you very much for the Virgin flight details - greatly appreciated!

Now, if only Virgin were so quick to let their customers know of changes...

Well, ifr you look at one of the other posts, Travel chavs Direct have only told those pax of a two hour flight change 17 days before they go...

 

[disney13]

sandshal - Thank you very much for the Virgin flight details - greatly appreciated!

Now, if only Virgin were so quick to let their customers know of changes...

I agree. Seems that they are letting themselves down in this respect.

Andy

 

[sandshal]

Just to keep you updated - still heard nothing from VA about changed flights as yet - also Virgin Holidays are still showing our itinerary as flying on the later flight even though its been cancelled !!!!

My advise to anyone travelling on either of these flights on either a Friday or Saturday next summer between May and October is check with Virgin !!!!

Let me know if this affects you and please check your pre-booked seats because they've probably changed and you may have even been split up - like us !!!!!

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Probably because there is a LONG time between now and next summer!
Why tell you now when it could all change again.

 

[sandshal]

Obi Wan Kenobi

Yes, you're right there is a long time between now and next May but aren't most of us here because we're just a little over excited about our holidays and love Disney. Virgin charge an awful lot more than the likes of TCD and for that we should expect to get good service, it would be nice if they at least had the decency to notify us of these changes rather than just discovering your flight has been removed on their "manage your flights" page of their website.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Obi Wan Kenobi

Yes, you're right there is a long time between now and next May but aren't most of us here because we're just a little over excited about our holidays and love Disney. Virgin charge an awful lot more than the likes of TCD and for that we should expect to get good service, it would be nice if they at least had the decency to notify us of these changes rather than just discovering your flight has been removed on their "manage your flights" page of their website.

those two flights have always been extra to the normal scheduled flights, they only fly in summer and only at the weekends, of course an airline is going to remove them if the passenger loads for that period are showing that the normal scheduled flights can take the loads, howvere, they still need to have the option of reintroducing those flights if the pax loads bookings increase, so they will not really be able to tell you until closer to the actual departure dates.
The difference between Virgin/BA/AA/Copntinental etc and TCD is that TCD only fly to Sanford, and do not have a large scheduled timetable covering many, many destinations.

A proper airline has to look at just more than one destination when scheduling their aircraft.

you would be more peed if they told you that your flight was cancelled, then told you it wasn't then told you it was cancelled again!
Nothing is anywhere near firm until six months before the flights and even then it can change due to airports changing slot times etc..

 

[sandshal]

Obi Wan Kenobi,

Yes point taken, I take on board everything you've said and do agree. The only reason I'm getting way too stressed on this issue is because, on the original flight we had 4 seats together (although obviously not guaranteed) and now we've been allocated seats 3 one side of the plane and 1 three rows back right over the other side of the plane - to add to this regardless of how many times Ive flown in the past Im still terrified of flying !!!!!!!!

I almost wish they didnt let you prebook otherwise none of this would have happened.

My only option would be to do online check in in Orlando or downtown disney but as Ive paid for the Villa for the whole day I'd like to keep the cases with me until the last moment. - Do you know of anywhere I could use the internet to do online check in the day before?

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Don't forget that 40% of seats are held back for the check in.
Yes, if you are taking your laptop and it has wifi, then yes, there are plenty of places to do online check in.
You can also do what we do, which is hand in all but one bag at Downtown Disney and then hand in the bag (its a Slazenger cricket bag so quite large) with the cra seat and extra bit in at the Orlando airport check in, they have no problem with you doing that, just tell them at the Downtown disney check in that's what you are doing

 

[sandshal]

Cheers Obi Wan Kanobi - great idea !!!

 

[jna]

We have received two identical letters today advising that our bookings on VS040 and VS050 have been cancelled and that we are now to fly on VS015 and VS016. The return flight (VS016) is on November 04 2006, which is past the date referred to in this thread.

For my comfort in particular, as I can suffer from back pain through sitting in the standard seat for a flight of this length, we have purchased PE seats. The extra space makes all the difference to me. The letter makes no reference to the type of seating purchased.

Being worried that all the PE seats on VS015 and VS016 are already booked, I telephoned Virgin this morning to find that even though somebody in the organisation can access my booking to effect the change, the staff in the call centre are unable to view my details at this time. They advise that they do not gain access to bookings until eleven months before the outbound flight. I therefore have a few worrying days ahead.

I am not happy about the way this change has been handled, and if I cannot get the PE seats I really may have to cancel this holiday. No doubt Virgin will then charge a fee.

This is a very unhappy household this morning I can tell you!