Booking and Service Fee Change [Flat rate per PAX per booking]

[here2go]

re: Booking and Service Fee Change [- Flat rate per booking per pax]

Zuji.

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Thanks. Much obliged.

 

[MarkD]

Just be careful with any external site, as they sometimes have their own fees for changes/ enquiries


I'm too poor to own a signature

 

[lobo76]

re: Booking and Service Fee Change [- Flat rate per booking per pax]

Hmnn I've got a booking to make for 7 people PER-ADE-MEL-SYD-BNE so this looks like good news for me EXCEPT it looks like you can only book 2 sectors on the coughpy multi-city option... is there another way to do this?

 

[lazybones1987]

Re: Booking and Service Fee Change [- Flat rate per booking per pax]

Hmnn I've got a booking to make for 7 people PER-ADE-MEL-SYD-BNE so this looks like good news for me EXCEPT it looks like you can only book 2 sectors on the coughpy multi-city option... is there another way to do this?

Call the GCC, they will honor the internet fares as you are unable to do this online.

 

[anat0l]

Re: Booking and Service Fee Change [- Flat rate per booking per pax]

Sorry, late to the party.

Haven't been on the Virgin website for a while so this was just "news" for me

So good that Virgin have decided to make the charge per person per booking rather than per person per sector, so instead of $9.00 on a return itinerary, it's $7.70 only. Naturally, those booking one-way itineraries are being hit harder.

I don't know how Virgin customers take these kinds of charges (viz. in their stride, bitterly don't like them) as it represents a higher percentage of the overall cost vs. a booking with Qantas (which has, on average, higher fares).

A shame that the short haul international charge went up to $10 (from Australia); I also noticed that it's an extra NZD 10 with credit card if you book from New Zealand, whereas Qantas flights booked from New Zealand don't have a credit card charge. And whilst I didn't know that there are international short haul flights bookable ex-USA, Virgin impose a USD 7 credit card charge there, which I'm surprised stands up because I would've thought some consumer schlub over there would've made a huge song and dance about 'discriminating against plastic payment' or something like that.

The long haul international charge is up to $30 (from $25) so that's the same as Qantas. Hope Choice isn't going to make the rounds again on the airlines.......

 

[Mal]

Credit card surcharges in any form are a rediculous attempt to earn more revenue.

Would virgin like me to turn up to their reception and drop a bundle of notes and coins on their desk? I'm certainly up for the fun when I'm back in Australia. It is stupid that we support their model which relies on web bookings but still surcharges them.



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[TheInsider]

Note that it isn't called a credit card surchrage anymore. It's a booking fee.

 

[here2go]

Note that it isn't called a credit card surchrage anymore. It's a booking fee.

A booking fee that can be avoided through a bespoke third-party tool (POLi) is still a credit card surcharge.

 

[anat0l]

Credit card surcharges in any form are a rediculous attempt to earn more revenue.

Ain't much better where you are right now! And relative to Australians, we know what people of the Mother country are like, especially when it comes to consumer advocacy.

(TBH having EU 261 protection is great too)

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[cherryripe]

Re: Booking and Service Fee Change [- Flat rate per booking per pax]

I booked a long-haul International flight with a VPromo fare for 2 people. For some reason, I pre-selected seats ($20 each) for the departure but not the return trip. I paid with a credit card at the time of booking so already paid credit card surcharge of $50.
I can retrieve my booking now and pay another $40 to select my return seats. However, will I pay the $40 PLUS $30 *each* again (so $100 total) to select return seats?

 

[PDog]

Re: Booking and Service Fee Change [- Flat rate per booking per pax]

These fees infuriate me! The way I book, (generally one flight at a time) it's an increase.
Wherever possible I book via zuji- have never had an issue with them.

 

[anat0l]

Re: Booking and Service Fee Change [- Flat rate per booking per pax]

I booked a long-haul International flight with a VPromo fare for 2 people. For some reason, I pre-selected seats ($20 each) for the departure but not the return trip. I paid with a credit card at the time of booking so already paid credit card surcharge of $50.
I can retrieve my booking now and pay another $40 to select my return seats. However, will I pay the $40 PLUS $30 *each* again (so $100 total) to select return seats?

I believe the answer should be 'no'.

The credit card surcharge is paid for booking with a credit card. Selecting seats is not creating a new booking, so the credit card fee should not be payable.

If you call Virgin Australia's call centre to select seats, however, of course they may charge you a telephone assistance fee in addition to the charge for selecting seats.

 

[cherryripe]

Re: Booking and Service Fee Change [- Flat rate per booking per pax]

Thanks, but I'm still a bit worried. The surcharge was paid already, true, but they do say there "may" be an extra "Booking and Service" fee when I select a seat - so this charge is a different thing?

In the fine print after entering credit card or debit card details (there is no option for bank transfer), it says:

"A Booking and Service Fee of undef (ALLP.currency.symbol.)30 per person (except infants) may be added to the total price of the booking when payment is made using a valid credit card. Click the "Pay Now" button to confirm your purchase and generate your itinerary."

I believe the answer should be 'no'.

The credit card surcharge is paid for booking with a credit card. Selecting seats is not creating a new booking, so the credit card fee should not be payable.

If you call Virgin Australia's call centre to select seats, however, of course they may charge you a telephone assistance fee in addition to the charge for selecting seats.

 

[anat0l]

Re: Booking and Service Fee Change [- Flat rate per booking per pax]

Thanks, but I'm still a bit worried. The surcharge was paid already, true, but they do say there "may" be an extra "Booking and Service" fee when I select a seat - so this charge is a different thing?

In the fine print after entering credit card or debit card details (there is no option for bank transfer), it says:

"A Booking and Service Fee of undef (ALLP.currency.symbol.)30 per person (except infants) may be added to the total price of the booking when payment is made using a valid credit card. Click the "Pay Now" button to confirm your purchase and generate your itinerary."

If you can perform this all online, try doing it.

When you get to the screen where you need to put in your payment details and the next click on the Confirm button will charge your card for it, there must be information on that page that reflects the total amount you will be charged, including the credit card surcharge if necessary.

When you make a new booking, as you get to the end of the booking process and put in your details, you should note that the big fat number that is the total price includes the credit card surcharge already added to it (and there is also a line item on the page which tells you this is so).

A similar thing should appear if you try and do what you want to do and charge it to a credit card. My gut tells me there should be no such charge. Just to make sure, take a screenshot of the final page just before you hit the Confirm button just to show there are no credit card surcharges chargeable (though if you use this screenshot later, don't forget to use a program to scrub out your credit card details).

The invoice or what not that is generated out of this (if applicable) should again show whether or not you had incurred a credit card surcharge.

As far as I can tell, it would be illegal for Virgin Australia to charge you a credit card surcharge after such a purchase; they would need to add it there and then.


My only guess why this fine print is there is because it may apply only to bookings that were paid in the first place without a credit card, i.e. a surcharge-free method. Using the credit card at this point (when it was never used before) might then incur the surcharge.

It should be noted that as I am not experienced with Virgin Australia's long haul booking engine, I'm kind of half guessing here.