Unhelpful "Guest Centre"

[ferntree]

My partner and I are both platinum fliers.

We were scheduled on a reward flight to return ADL-HBA via Sydney on Oct 14. Got an email of a flight change which would have left us stranded at Sydney airport overnight followed by a 7:00 am flight out next morning. Totally unacceptable.

I checked the itineraries, There were FOUR feasible options to get us back on the 14th via Melbourne. But when I phoned the guest centre the only one she would let us have involved a 6:00 am departure from Adelaide ... when we were having to leave from the Flinders ranges that day to get to the airport and return our hire car ... impossible.

The consultant insisted that this was the only option. This was ridiculous. We didn't choose to cancel our original schedule, so whether there were reward seats available on other flights should have no relevance. There were at least four other viable options.

We ended up cancelling and booking with Jetstar.

Virgin is no longer my first airline of choice.

 

[GDale]

Sounds like you got a below average agent unfortunately, so the best solution would've been to just hang up and call again.

They do have internal policies and processes to open up award space (on VA operated flights) in the event of an involuntary cancellation; the alternate flights do not need to have existing award space available, only that there are seats in the cabin available for sale.

You can increase your chances of getting the right outcome by doing a couple of things:
- state upfront and repeat as necessary that your itinerary is affected by an "involuntary schedule change"
- have your alternative flight details at hand and tell them that you have preferred alternative flights you'd like to be booked to.
- keep your descriptions of everything as short and sweet as possible

I had a couple of schedule changes a month or two back and had no issues getting a better routing and departure time than what I had originally. Some of the not so great flight options had award seats available but I was not forced by the agent to take those - he asked me for my preference, noted that there were no reward seats available for those specific flights, put me on hold for a couple of minutes to seek authorisation, then got me rebooked and reticketed very quickly after that

 

[jakeseven7]

My partner and I are both platinum fliers.

We were scheduled on a reward flight to return ADL-HBA via Sydney on Oct 14. Got an email of a flight change which would have left us stranded at Sydney airport overnight followed by a 7:00 am flight out next morning. Totally unacceptable.

I checked the itineraries, There were FOUR feasible options to get us back on the 14th via Melbourne. But when I phoned the guest centre the only one she would let us have involved a 6:00 am departure from Adelaide ... when we were having to leave from the Flinders ranges that day to get to the airport and return our hire car ... impossible.

The consultant insisted that this was the only option. This was ridiculous. We didn't choose to cancel our original schedule, so whether there were reward seats available on other flights should have no relevance. There were at least four other viable options.

We ended up cancelling and booking with Jetstar.

Virgin is no longer my first airline of choice.

I would have just continued to ask to speak to a manager over and over and eventually from my experience the computer says no overseas Virgin call centre uses is forced to send it to someone more senior and I’ve personally had a higher strike rate getting more sense out of someone more senior.

Annoying you have to do it sometimes but it’s either that or hang up and call again if have time to burn!

 

[kpc]

My advice (too late now for you) would either be HUACA (2 or 3x if needed) or insist on speaking to a supervisor

 

[ferntree]

Thanks everybody.

I did explain upfront that it was Virgin who had made the change, not me, and I had my four alternative options at hans.

That said, thanks for the advice folks, If it happens again, I will ask to speak to a supervisor or HUACA.

 

[jakeseven7]

Thanks everybody.

I did explain upfront that it was Virgin who had made the change, not me, and I had my four alternative options at hans.

That said, thanks for the advice folks, If it happens again, I will ask to speak to a supervisor or HUACA.

The VA call centre do their absolute best to get rid of you but just keep on repeating calmly, thank you so much but I’d still like this elevated / speak to a manager etc.

I’ve been told no managers are available and I’ve said no problem they can call me back or advise a number and time I can call them on, I’ve been told the manager won’t be able to do anything, I’ve said I’m just not sure that is true and I’d still like to speak to them please etc.

You do get through in the end and success rate is often far higher! Just time consuming…

 

[ferntree]

Thanks jakeseven7!

As it happens, the eventual outcome isn't too bad. I was able to use Qantas points to book the Jetstar flight, which as it turns out is actually a more convenient than the Virgin flights I was originally on - it's a direct flight.

My real problem, I think, was of something like wounded pride that given all the thousands of $$$ (literally) that we spend with Virgin each year it would have been nice to have been shown a little more considertaion.

 

[Milefest]

Sounds like you had a dodgy agent. Domestically I've never had an issue with being rebooked on a more desired alternative itinerary when impacted by an involuntary flight change.

Glad you were able to find a more convinent itinerary with JQ though

 

[ferntree]

Glad you were able to find a more convinent itinerary with JQ though

Thank you!

 

[Mattg]

When VA did similar to me on a reward booking (cancelled the last CBR-MEL flight for the day and tried to rebook me on the next morning's flight) I asked for the earlier evening flight instead. This didn't have reward seat availability so the call centre agent couldn't immediately rebook me on that, but when I explained VA had cancelled my original flight they spoke to revenue management and got a seat on the earlier flight opened up.

 

[serfty]

https://www.virginaustralia.com/content/dam/vaa/docs/policies/2022-05-01-vaa-schedule-change-policy-v3.0.pdf

...

If the recovery flight offered to the guest after a schedule change does not suit the customer, the following options are available for Virgin Australia 795 ticket stock:

VA operated flights​

• Rebook alternative Virgin Australia service to the same destination within 7 days of the rescheduled Virgin Australia flight at no extra cost in the same RBD and permitted routing of the fare.
• If the original RBD is no longer available, please call one of our Industry specialists on 136 737 for assistance.
• Open ticket held in credit with cancellation fee waived.
• Where the alternative offered is not suitable then the Guest can be offered a full refund.

...

 

[Bagpuss]

Sounds like you called over the weekend?

I always suggest calling during the week during office hours.

 

[cbourl]

The VA call centre do their absolute best to get rid of you but just keep on repeating calmly, thank you so much but I’d still like this elevated / speak to a manager etc.

I’ve been told no managers are available and I’ve said no problem they can call me back or advise a number and time I can call them on, I’ve been told the manager won’t be able to do anything, I’ve said I’m just not sure that is true and I’d still like to speak to them please etc.

You do get through in the end and success rate is often far higher! Just time consuming…

I've personally found VA call centres freindly, helpful, informed, and you can get through to them in just a few minutes on hold. Now Kwantas - a n hour or so on hold, can't fix anything, cant see reward see I can see on QF asnd American Airlines websites, and then after "doing" something foir you, it never happended so you have to call again and be on hold for another hour or so..... Welkum to Kwantas No comparison at all!!! And VA is MUCH cheaper and MUCH better on the ground and in the air ... especially in Business.

 

[jakeseven7]

I've personally found VA call centres freindly, helpful, informed, and you can get through to them in just a few minutes on hold. .

Very lucky you that you have had good experiences and short wait times and have encountered helpful staff, it’s certainly not the case for everyone, every time. Happy for you!

 

[cbourl]

Very lucky you that you have had good experiences and short wait times and have encountered helpful staff, it’s certainly not the case for everyone, every time. Happy for you!

So an I! Beats Qantas ineptness and incompetence by galaxies !

 

[Denali]

VA changed our flights in June so we would depart about 3am Darwin>Melbourne>Sydney. I phoned (Platinum desk) and was changed to a more civilised and direct Darwin>Sydney 8am flight (by memory). The mysterious voice on the other line did say they were allowing the change only because they had changed the original booking, otherwise we would have had to pay for the change. Pfft, if you didnt change we wouldnt be requesting.

Someone said above, phone on a weekday might get better results.

 

[jase05]

Very lucky you that you have had good experiences and short wait times and have encountered helpful staff, it’s certainly not the case for everyone, every time. Happy for you!

Platinum line is usually very good for me but have had the odd occasion where I’ve had to HUCA.