Virgin Flight Refund

[muppet]

As per VA customer care no show will result in forfeiting your travel credit. Had to cancel my flights as they don't budge and a strict no for refund.

I guess if you got through to customer care that’s okay but their website says:


“For guests travelling within the next 48 hours
Call our Guest Contact Centre on
13 67 89.

Please rest assured, if you are unable to get through to our Guest Contact Centre before your flight depart, you will still receive a travel credit and we’ll waive the change and cancellation fees for you”

---

As noted by @AIRwin virgin has revoked this advice, all changes must be done in advance now.

 

[Cubiscus]

No they have not yet cancelled but not sure how that would go as my flight is MEL-BNE-CNS and QLD is asking inter state travelers not to visit.

Until / if they formally cancel I think Travel Bank is your best bet at present given there are currently no fees, there are still people flying interstate.

I wouldn't no-show as its likely you'll lose the fare.

 

[quick_dry]

VA cancelled my SYD-MEL 9th April flights back on the 25th March (and the 14th return), but the rep on the line refused to budge from "travel bank refund as only option".

A) they're still flying, just reduced schedule.

B) they weren't limited by govt or anything else back then, on the 25th it was purely commercial reasons.

C) the flight they moved it to was earlier in the day, not later.

It's showing in my account as cancelled, but assuming it isn't in travel bank as I requested it be escalated. Will see where this goes.

If the cancellation was recent, or the govt's had shut things down _then_, then I think them trying to play their "get out of jail free" clause would be reasonable - but not back on the 25th.

Any thoughts on the likelihood of a refund happening without a chargeback? (it feels a little like they're keeping elites over a barrel, if things do resume, having them dump your status isn't worth a few hundred in hand vs travel bank if you're forced to a chargeback - OTOH there is the principle of the thing, and not losing a few hundred if things do go belly up)

 

[AIRwin]

I guess if you got through to customer care that’s okay but their website says:


“For guests travelling within the next 48 hours
Call our Guest Contact Centre on
13 67 89.

Please rest assured, if you are unable to get through to our Guest Contact Centre before your flight depart, you will still receive a travel credit and we’ll waive the change and cancellation fees for you”

From 9 April, flight changes and credit requests will only be available prior to your flights scheduled departure date. To avoid disappointment, please change your flight date or request a travel credit as early as possible.

COVID-19 information hub

travel.virginaustralia.com

 

[cagiva]

My original flight was:
PER - ADL - VA722 leaving Friday 17th April at 17.25 arriving 22.50, with return flight
ADL-PER - VA721 leaving Sunday 19th April at 18.30 arriving 20.30.
I was thinking that I would need to contact Virgin to do something as the almost 2 days I was going to spend in ADL would have been in isolation instead of being with relatives.

So today I find out that my flight has been changed to:
VA684 Friday 17th April PER (10.00) - MEL (15.35)
20h 30 m layover
VA223 Saturday 18th April MEL (12.05) - ADL (13.00)
return
VA224 Sunday 19th April ADL (13.45) - MEL (15.35)
21h 10m layover
VA685 20th Monday April MEL (12.45) - PER (15.10)

Received an email a few days ago that "The Western Australia (WA) Government has announced that it will temporarily close its interstate borders from 11.59pm on Sunday 5 April 2020."
Upon trying to get a refund/travel credit got the following:

Will need to spend some time on the phone with VA if I can get through!

 

[Jurahn]

Received an email a few days ago that "The Western Australia (WA) Government has announced that it will temporarily close its interstate borders from 11.59pm on Sunday 5 April 2020."
Upon trying to get a refund/travel credit got the following:
View attachment 213132
Will need to spend some time on the phone with VA if I can get through!

And yet the VA COVID-19 update page still says "Alternatively, if your fare type allows you to cancel your booking and receive a refund to your original form of payment, you can request a refund via “Manage Your Booking” on the Virgin Australia website or app." No you can't. I tried to cancel both my bookings for May (seeing as VA cancelled all flights in and out of Tassie from 23 March onwards) via Manage Your Booking and got the message "This booking cannot be cancelled online. Please call the GCC". Both just standard revenue bookings, one's a Freedom fare, the other is a full Business fare, so entitled to a refund on both, and it's frustrating not to be able to just cancel via the website, and get the refund, as from all accounts it's been almost impossible to get through to the GCC unless your flight is within the next few days.

I received an email in late March from VA re my first booking for 6 May, which promoted the travel credit (no thanks) but also said "For guests with flexible fares (Elevate, Freedom, Premium, Business), your fare may also provide you with other options. Please submit any queries using our Feedback form." I've submitted refund requests via the Feedback form for both bookings, but haven't heard anything back yet.

 

[jetset]

As Virgin have now stopped flying until June, I would have thought that the "Virgin Australia Guest Compensation Policy" would apply. No?

3. What happens if VA cancels or changes the timing of my flight prior to the day of travel?
If the new flight time is not suitable to you:

• You can contact our Guest Contact Centre or your nominated travel agent to request a different flight time. We will use our best efforts to move you to another Virgin Australia service which is acceptable to you without charge.
• If we cannot make suitable alternative arrangements, you may request a Travel Bank credit or a refund of the total price you paid for your impacted flight by contacting our Guest Contact Centre or your travel agent

 

[Jurahn]

I received an email in late March from VA re my first booking for 6 May, which promoted the travel credit (no thanks) but also said "For guests with flexible fares (Elevate, Freedom, Premium, Business), your fare may also provide you with other options. Please submit any queries using our Feedback form." I've submitted refund requests via the Feedback form for both bookings, but haven't heard anything back yet.

Despite putting in a refund request for both bookings as mentioned above, I have just received a "Welcome to Travel Bank" email from VA. I logged in but it still has a zero balance, so am currently on the phone to the GCC chasing up the refunds before they end up in Travel Bank instead!

ETA: After nearly 40 minutes on the phone, the refunds are underway and are now in the queue with Accounts for processing. As one booking was a Freedom fare, I still had to pay the $80 fee to get a refund to original form of payment, which sucks seeing the flights were cancelled by VA and I had no choice in the matter, but they're sticking to the fare terms, and given the current financial uncertainty surrounding VA's future, at this point I'm just glad to be getting most of my money back.

 

[CMak]

As Virgin have now stopped flying until June, I would have thought that the "Virgin Australia Guest Compensation Policy" would apply. No?

 

[CMak]

I would like to give Virgin some well deserved praise.
I had a flight booked to Tasmania on April 18 and I rang the call centre to get a refund.
I had absolutely no trouble - call centre person was extremely pleasant and helpful.
I was told that I would get a refund (less the $80) - refund was credited to my cc next day.
All seamless and painless
CMak

 

[Jurahn]

I would like to give Virgin some well deserved praise.
I had a flight booked to Tasmania on April 18 and I rang the call centre to get a refund.
I had absolutely no trouble - call centre person was extremely pleasant and helpful.
I was told that I would get a refund (less the $80) - refund was credited to my cc next day.
All seamless and painless
CMak

I was surprised to get though today actually. Had to have several attempts, selecting the "flight cancellation" option routes you to a message directing you to the website, and entering my Velocity number just gave me an out of hours message, so I went through the process again, didn't put my Velocity number in and selected the existing domestic booking option and it was answered immediately. It was a bit of a prolonged process, and I was put on hold a number of times, but the CSO I spoke to was very pleasant and helpful also.

I work in a call centre myself, so have much more patience these days when calling one!

 

[Jurahn]

After nearly 40 minutes on the phone, the refunds are underway and are now in the queue with Accounts for processing.

Well, the refund from the Freedom fare (less the $80 fee) has hit my credit card with a transaction date of 10 April, but no sign yet of the Business fare refund - just hoping with the way VA is going that it has actually been put through and is in the process of making it's way back to my Amex!

 

[AIRwin]

Well, the refund from the Freedom fare (less the $80 fee) has hit my credit card with a transaction date of 10 April, but no sign yet of the Business fare refund - just hoping with the way VA is going that it has actually been put through and is in the process of making it's way back to my Amex!

Good Friday to Wednesday?

 

[Jurahn]

Good Friday to Wednesday?

I was surprised that the other one had shown up already, to be honest, seeing as i spoke to the GCC on Good Friday, but the first refund is through and showing as finalised on the Amex. I was hoping the other one would show up as quickly LOL but not to be - refunds on the Amex (at least on mine) don't show as pending transactions so can't tell whether it's there or not. Just a bit concerned with the trading halt announcement etc that they might have put the brakes on refunds being processed.

 

[RAM]

Yes, you got me. With 80% of staff stood down at Virgin Australia, they decided to keep a PR consultant on board to post on message boards.

Many a true word spoken in jest.

Those are among the ones who are still working away for VA, as if their lives depended on it in fact!

 

[Rubix]

Just got my last flight booked refunded today. Clean slate and ready to fly!

 

[AIRwin]

Clean slate and ready to fly!

Just in time:

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) information hub

travel.virginaustralia.com

 

[Rubix]

Just in time:

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) information hub

travel.virginaustralia.com

Maybe a bunch of people got their refunds today in a well played move by VA...

 

[cagiva]

Received an email a few days ago that "The Western Australia (WA) Government has announced that it will temporarily close its interstate borders from 11.59pm on Sunday 5 April 2020."
Upon trying to get a refund/travel credit got the following:
View attachment 213132
Will need to spend some time on the phone with VA if I can get through!

Gave up on phone and sent an email to ANZ. Received reply next day saying flight had been refunded and now had a travel credit with them with 12m expiry. Not so bad I suppose.

 

[Alexandraadventuretime]

What is my best course of action right now with things getting shakier with Virgins future. I have $1100 in credit for flights we cancelled one day before the border was recommended to not travel. We were due to fly to Fiji March 18th. I booked direct with Virgin and got a credit after calling and I was happy with that at the time. Regretting that now.

I have a now cancelled Sydney flight for tomorrow I have been chasing my OTA (Budget Air) for a refund for with next to no response worth $300.

And a Bali trip booked for August worth about $1800 booked with BYO jet that is not yet formally cancelled.

All flights were saver fares and good deals at the time of booking. I dont want to be left with over $3000 in credit with no future of international travel yet in sight, nor do I want Virgin to go under and my money is gone.

Would love some suggestions on how I should handle this. Thanks