Virgin Red Select Vouchers

[Mrs Hobbes]

Does anyone have any experience with these? We received 4 complimentary flights from virgin when we were delayed coming back in October last year! This is amazin because it has meant we can go back sooner than expected! We want to go back in Feb next year so we'll be trying to book with our vouchers next month. Is there anything we need to known about using them? Has anyone ever been successful using them? I am starting to panic thinking they are too good to be true. I also read on another site that theynonly allow 4 per flight so that will be our whole family what are the chances of us getting on the same flight together?

Any help or info would be appreciated thanks

 

[Tink2312]

We just used ours to book flights – what a nightmare!

Let me start by saying that when we accepted the vouchers we were told that if there were seats available on the plane we would get seats, “a particular type of seat?” we asked – no “so long as the plane is not full we’ll get you on” we were told.

Fast-forward to his year and we (we are a party of three by the way) were wanting to book flights to Orlando in early December. We rang us VA customer services to check that we could use our Red Select vouchers on flights to Orlando and that there were no date restrictions, we were told there were no restrictions and nothing to pay, just choose your dates, call and book.

So, we start to think well what if we could get dates a bit closer to Christmas – again we ring and ask when the outbound flight have been released thinking they may tell us straight away that it’s a no go. Again we were told so long as there are seats on the plane we could go.
Here’s the kicker…these “seats” they talk about are ‘complimentary seats’ of which they only allow a small number on a limited amount of dates on limited routes.

So, we call to book our seats when the inbound are released and there are no flights whatsoever in December, none in October and one two week stay in November – that’s it for 3 months. We were told that some months they have absolutely no “complimentary seats” on certain routes – i.e. Orlando in December (on either the Manchester or LGW routes or the Miami/LHR).

In the end after much complaining and discussions going back and forth we managed to get actual Christmas dates at a heavily discounted fare because by then we were sold on the idea of going in December again and if we were going to have to pay some towards we may as well pay a bit more and make it over Christmas.

I think they key is to be completely flexible. I wasn’t able to get away in November this year and so our options were to pay extra or chance it for next spring and we really just wanted the vouchers off our hands.
We are still making a full complaint to Virgin about what we were told by their DTD check in staff (where we accepted the ticket) and also what we were told subsequently by VA customer services.

I think all 3 of us accept that we were a bit naïve to accept what we were being told when it sounded too good to be true. I just think however that having absolutely nothing released on a particular route for a whole 2 months is ridiculous and they should make it much clearer either in the T&C or verbally when giving them out.

We know of course that there are different routes offered by Virgin and we could have gone to Shanghai a few weeks ago on the tickets, but we were given them at Orlando and of course being big WDW fans, that’s where we wanted to use them for.

It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the prices of the fare either as the dates we were offered in November were of a higher price than some dates in December and others in November.

All-in-all we got flights over Christmas in the end on almost the exact perfect dates for us and we’ve all said that we would probably take them if offered them again, but at least we know now what the restrictions are.

Best of luck for booking – all I can say is ring as soon as you can and have a number of dates/ durations in mind – flexibility is key.

 

[dixonsontour]

Oh that sounds like hassle.

I can remember reading about people being bumped and wished it was us. We were on the friday Oct half term Virgin flight which was packed but no one bumped.

My only experience was volunterring to be bumped off a US airline and they gave us a voucher worth £x dollars each to use towards any flight within 12 months. So we booked without any hassle.

Good luck

 

[jovijen]

We got given them last Nov when we were bumped off a flight. Told the same thing, as long as there is room, no restrictions on any flights.
So fast forward to Jan this year, tried to book to go back to Orlando. What a nightmare!!! I was so flexible with my dates, literally, all July, August, October or November, but nothing. Tried Miami, nothing, tried LA nothing! I was getting so mad!!!
They told me to keep trying!!! So I did! I finally booked to go back to Orlando last Monday, got my ticket today. We're going back in October. It was a huge hassle though!
Good luck!!!

 

[Mrs Hobbes]

oh god this sounds awful!!! We had our suspicions from things we'd read that it would be really difficult. I wish we taken the miles instead now

Well we are going to try and book in a few days for Feb so wish us luck.