virgin baggage again!

[Netty]

Hi
We have booked through a travel agents for our holiday travelling virgin in August. Now because of the new baggage allowance, the TA have said that if i pay my balance off now before the 1st of April, then they will be able to release our names to virgin before the 1st April deadline,so that we can get the 32kg baggage allowance. if i dont pay until after this date then my baggage will be 23kgs.
My final balance isnt due until may, but surely as we booked these flights last september, virgin should honour and keep us at 32kgs?

 

[Miffy2003]

Hi Jeanette,

That's not the impression I got from reading the other thread where people have contacted Virgin.

I booked and paid for my flights with VA in January but I am only expecting the 2 x 23kg allowance per person (which to be honest is far more than we could possibly carry anyway so that doesn't bother me).

There does seem to be misinformation around though (as usual with any "new" policy) so it's quite possible your TA has not got the right info. Personally, I would hold onto your money.

Sorry and bear in mind I am just reading what others have said, I'm not saying this is right.

 

[Netty]

Thanks Karen
we have decided we are not going to pay the balance now we will pay it in May when its due!

 

[tartangirl]

I'm not quite sure how this all works. I'm going to have to stop reading all this as I'm just finding out more I dont understand.

Who have you booked with? Is it a Virgin Holidays booking, a Virgin Atlantic booking or an alternative tour operator who uses Virgin flights?

If it is the latter and VA haven't been told about you then perhaps your agreement isnt with Virgin. Maybe the contract is with the tour operator who has a different contract with Virgin. In which case I would understand Virgin not honouring the contract.

I know that VH hold the bookings until 11 months before the return flight at which time they pass them to VA. Your seat must be guaranteed so either VA know about you or the tour operator you have booked with have a set number of seats booked on the plane and they just dont provide the passenger details until nearer the time.

Are you able to reserve your seats online? If so then VA know about you and should honour the 32Kg. If not then I would be asking why the booking cant be passed to VA before the balance is fully paid as that's what Virgin Holidays does.

I'm sure some TAs (or contract lawyers) out there understand this but I dont.

 

[Scottish-Helen]

The reason they will be asking for the money up front is so that the ticket can actually be run off the reservation system and a ticket number will go into the booking. This can only be done once all the money is held for the booking as normally the tickets are non refundable once issued.

Hope that helps

 

[wicket2005]

I am amazed that people need 64 kgs each. We have never travelled with Virgin and are used to only having 20 kgs each which has always been more than enough. We are travelling with Virgin next year so 46 kgs each seems a massive amount to us.

I would contact Virgin and ask them about your luggage allowance though I believe people have said they are having problems getting through to them at the moment.