VA cancelled half my trip - no notification

[AisleSeat]

I have a trip in 2 weeks time. Just looked at the VA app to find my flights MEL-SIN and SIN-MEL disappeared.
I phoned VA and they told me that happened on 3 October. I received no email or anything.

They have a flight the following day that will require an overnight stay in SIN, but refused to offer hotel accommodation.

I can understand an issue with one flight, but my return as well?

There's no other option except to take the flight offered, but I'm so freaking angry.

 

[madrooster]

Something is not adding up here... SQ is probably the only major carrier who does very few schedule changes and certainly cancelling flights altogether is not something that SQ does often. So why were the flights cancelled?

 

[elanshin]

I have a trip in 2 weeks time. Just looked at the VA app to find my flights MEL-SIN and SIN-MEL disappeared.
I phoned VA and they told me that happened on 3 October. I received no email or anything.

They have a flight the following day that will require an overnight stay in SIN, but refused to offer hotel accommodation.

I can understand an issue with one flight, but my return as well?

There's no other option except to take the flight offered, but I'm so freaking angry.

Firstly I'd suggest trying to tackle the problem when you're in a calmer mindset. Frustration will just lead to more frustration.

Next up, I would say not to fully trust the call centre for information. They're not always accurate or have all the answers either.

It'll help if you explain how you booked your flight, (cash? Points?) Airline (assuming Singapore Air). You should have that detail in your original booking confirmation.

You can easily check if that flight is still scheduled or not and start to troubleshoot from there.

 

[Mabs89]

I actually had something similar on Friday. Received a notification from Expedia (travel agent) that my VA codeshare SQ flights from SYD-SIN and SIN-SYD in April next year were cancelled. Weirdly the flights (both the SQ and VA codeshares) still seem to be bookable on the same day. No notification from VA and the connecting flights still appear in my Virgin app.

Any idea what’s at play here?

Thankfully I’m still in the process of organising the trip, and some circumstances have changed since so kinda relieved for the free refund.

 

[AisleSeat]

I rang them back. This rep was very helpful and confirmed there's no other flights so offered me a full refund. Now looking for alternative flights

 

[Steven of Mysore]

I rang them back. This rep was very helpful and confirmed there's no other flights so offered me a full refund. Now looking for alternative flights

It's really pisses me off (sorry, makes me unhappy) when two phone calls get two completely different answers. I had that occur with QF last year BLR/SYD J class. They never told the truth about the issue with the plane (ended up being delayed 15 hours & then too late for SYD domestic transfer) and the airport staff/crew couldn't figure it out either. Tripit was way ahead of the QF app by hours and the QF call centre keeping giving different answers. No accom, yes accom. Etc etc etc. Sorry BP going up writing this.

 

[AisleSeat]

OK, found an alternative flight with QF for a reasonable amount more and its direct. After that BS, I just want to get to HKG.

 

[lovestotravel]

I had a quick look at MEL-SIN for 20-25th October, all 5 flights showing seats..

One flight may get cancelled which would likely fill the spare seats on the other 4 but yeah

 

[dajop]

After years of flying SQ, I've never seen them cancel flights <1 month from travel, unless there's operational reasons very close to or on the actual travel date.

Sounds like something fishy going on with VA codeshares or IT systems.

 

[markis10]

I had a quick look at MEL-SIN for 20-25th October, all 5 flights showing seats..

One flight may get cancelled which would likely fill the spare seats on the other 4 but yeah

Are you looking at SQ or VA's website, here is VA

 

[lovestotravel]

Are you looking at SQ or VA's website, here is VAView attachment 410651

SQ

Wow VA also says unavailable 12th Dec to 9th Jan

They also only show 1-3 flights for most other days in Nov as well

Yes it's a busy time but that's just strange

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 9:01 PM

After years of flying SQ, I've never seen them cancel flights <1 month from travel, unless there's operational reasons very close to or on the actual travel date.

Sounds like something fishy going on with VA codeshares or IT systems.

Agree!

 

[muppet]

How is a codeshare cancelled but not the underlying flight?

 

[ben95]

How is a codeshare cancelled but not the underlying flight?

The codeshare is technically a separate flight with its own inventory and fare rules applicability.

It’s hard to say why exactly VA would want to cancel existing codeshare instead of just simply stop selling new tickets. One possibility could be changes in commercial terms meaning it’s no longer profitable for VA to offer codeshare on certain SQ flights even for existing bookings.

 

[markis10]

The codeshare is technically a separate flight with its own inventory and fare rules applicability.

It’s hard to say why exactly VA would want to cancel existing codeshare instead of just simply stop selling new tickets. One possibility could be changes in commercial terms meaning it’s no longer profitable for VA to offer codeshare on certain SQ flights even for existing bookings.

Maybe VA's newly announced widebody ambitions with QR have rattled a few nerves in SQ and the directive has come down the line to reduce seats being code shared.

 

[AisleSeat]

After years of flying SQ, I've never seen them cancel flights <1 month from travel, unless there's operational reasons very close to or on the actual travel date.

Sounds like something fishy going on with VA codeshares or IT systems.

Yes, VA didn’t give me an answer why it was cancelled. Or an answer why they didn’t send any email to notify me.

 

[AisleSeat]

Something is not adding up here... SQ is probably the only major carrier who does very few schedule changes and certainly cancelling flights altogether is not something that SQ does often. So why were the flights cancelled?

I didn’t get a proper answer. Just a “they’ve been cancelled, sorry for the disruption” on the first call I made.

 

[p--and--t]

Maybe VA's newly announced widebody ambitions with QR have rattled a few nerves in SQ and the directive has come down the line to reduce seats being code shared.

I didn't want to be the source of yet another AFF conspiracy theory but that did cross my mind as well - a not so subtle move of preferred partners at either at SQ or VA

 

[AIRwin]

Maybe VA's newly announced widebody ambitions with QR have rattled a few nerves in SQ and the directive has come down the line to reduce seats being code shared.

But this was to HKG not Europe?

 

[henrus]

There is a known IT issue with VA/SQ tickets automatically cancelling:

https://www.virginaustralia.com/content/dam/vaa/documents/agency-hub/policies/Commercial-Policy-Virgin-Australia-marketed-Singapore-Airline-operated-flight-cancellations.pdf

 

[AisleSeat]

There is a known IT issue with VA/SQ tickets automatically cancelling:

https://www.virginaustralia.com/content/dam/vaa/documents/agency-hub/policies/Commercial-Policy-Virgin-Australia-marketed-Singapore-Airline-operated-flight-cancellations.pdf

I must be one the 795 people. Appalling no-one from VA contacted me.