Virgin [initial] FAIL [ Rectified with new reaccomodation policy]

[vetrade]

..........I'd settle for nothing less than a J seat on a flight of your choosing.

Whoa, keep it real! With that attitude you'd have the OP swimming to LA.

 

[docjames]

Whoa, keep it real! With that attitude you'd have the OP swimming to LA.

So he's paid for a J seat but should agree to travel in either a class lower or at a time that is inconvenient? There are a number of acceptable options the OP has pointed out, and it's up to VA (or any airline in a similar situation) to come to a compromise position that suits the OP. So again, HUACA and try and find someone at VA who can resolve it.

I note the VA rep here has offered to look into it....

 

[mannej]

Whoa, keep it real! With that attitude you'd have the OP swimming to LA.

I think the airline is the one who needs to keep it real here. To be moved to a flight 4 days earlier isn't really acceptable, so it should be the OP with the upper hand here.

I'm not sure how anyone can try and justify the actions of VA here or hide behind the T&C's with such a significant change.

 

[vetrade]

So he's paid for a J seat but should agree to travel in either a class lower or at a time that is inconvenient? There are a number of acceptable options the OP has pointed out, and it's up to VA (or any airline in a similar situation) to come to a compromise position that suits the OP. So again, HUACA and try and find someone at VA who can resolve it.

I note the VA rep here has offered to look into it....

This what you said docjames "I'd settle for nothing less than a J seat on a flight of your choosing".
Obviously your choice of words suggests making demands on VA which I think are unrealistic. Hopefully the VA rep will offer a suitable alternative but suggesting the OP should insist on a "flight of his choosing" when VA's Ts & Cs don't confer on him any such right is a recipe which could well discourage VA to be helpful. A less confrontational approach than what you suggest would almost certainly serve the OP better.

 

[civinod]

I have forwarded the details to the Virgin Rep.

Lets hope they do the right thing!!

 

[docjames]

This what you said docjames "I'd settle for nothing less than a J seat on a flight of your choosing".
Obviously your choice of words suggests making demands on VA which I think are unrealistic. Hopefully the VA rep will offer a suitable alternative but suggesting the OP should insist on a "flight of his choosing" when VA's Ts & Cs don't confer on him any such right is a recipe which could well discourage VA to be helpful. A less confrontational approach than what you suggest would almost certainly serve the OP better.

Sheesh, i phrased it that way for brevity.

Here's a more wordy answer:

In my opinion, the OP should have an expectation of a suitable seat on a suitable (to him/her) flight as a substitute to the one he had already secured and paid for (with points) - and should work with VA to find an agreeable "solution" - to me the "solution" is for VA to put him on the ex-MEL or ex-SYD flight in J on either of the days the OP has suggested. And given travel isn't until June 2017 i'd be holding out for that.

Given they have a flight ex-SYD and a flight ex-MEL departing same day or day before, i don't think that's an unreasonable "solution" to hold out for.

 

[vetrade]

............I'm not sure how anyone can try and justify the actions of VA here or hide behind the T&C's with such a significant change.

Neither of which apply to anything I've written. I merely stated the facts. Do I think the OP has been hard done by? Resoundingly the answer to that is "Yes" but the fact is that VA has a "get out of jail free" card should they choose to play it. I wish people would stop misinterpreting what I have written just because they can't handle the truth / facts.

 

[serfty]

...
Given they have a flight ex-SYD and a flight ex-MEL departing same day or day before, i don't think that's an unreasonable "solution" to hold out for.

There is also a flight ex BNE the day before ...

 

[vetrade]

Would have been better if you were succinct given that your brevity isn't very clear.

 

[docjames]

Would have been better if you were succinct given that your brevity isn't very clear.

I think it's pretty clear - hold out for a reasonable (in the eyes of the OP) solution.

 

[docjames]

There is also a flight ex BNE the day before ...

Which may also be an acceptable solution.

 

[mannej]

Neither of which apply to anything I've written. I merely stated the facts. Do I think the OP has been hard done by? Resoundingly the answer to that is "Yes" but the fact is that VA has a "get out of jail free" card should they choose to play it. I wish people would stop misinterpreting what I have written just because they can't handle the truth / facts.

Whilst I understand you are playing devils advocate, I still don't believe that VA have a get out of jail free card for such a significant change.

 

[JohnK]

Whoa, keep it real! With that attitude you'd have the OP swimming to LA.

VA are doing the screwing here. VA should accommodate the OP on the date of travel not 4 days earlier.

Thems the breaks and airlines shouldn't have their own way all the time.

 

[MarcB]

Here is the official Virgin Commercial Policy for revenue bookings.

https://www.virginaustralia.com/cs/...ent/~edisp/commpol_bnelax_reduction160920.pdf

I see no reason why the OP should get anything less than what this policy would provide had the ticket been purchased with money. It's still a contract for carriage. Or are there special terms that apply to reward bookings in the case of changes?

 

[vetrade]

VA are doing the screwing here. VA should accommodate the OP on the date of travel not 4 days earlier.

Thems the breaks and airlines shouldn't have their own way all the time.

OK, but where does it say VA HAS TO DO what you (and some others) suggest? That's right, NOWHERE!! I'd prefer to make suggestions to the OP based on what rights he actually has, not what we would all like him to have. Why do people want to take out their frustrations with VA on me? I didn't cancel his flight so this pack mentality BS is a PITA. Shoot some other messenger, I'm not on VA's side in this.
Personally I think that since Velocity Frequent Flyer has responded to this thread asking the OP to PM them that it looks likely that they will come to the party. That is sensible of them and great for the OP but the point I've been trying to make (apparently unsuccessfully) is that under the conditions of a cancelled flight VA can screw him if they so decided.

 

[vetrade]

..............Or are there special terms that apply to reward bookings in the case of changes?

Yes, there are which is where so much confusion seems to have come from

 

[civinod]

Thank you all for your support.

What was not possible before has suddenly come to be.

I now have a seat SYD - LAX June 5 thanks to the Virgin people that monitor this site.

Am I being cynical or would it not have happened without posting on AFF.

Surely this should have been the result from the beginning.

I think the corporates have a lot to answer for when they try and treat us as fools. Whatever happened to good old customer service and responsibility.

 

[PLANT]

I'd say someone will be getting a kick up the bum, in a back room..... Right about now!

 

[Quickstatus]

This is how it should have been done:

I had 3xU (business) reward seats When QF used to do SYD-AKL-LAX. Then the AKL-LAX flights were cancelled. QF converted all 3xU SYD-LAX direct on the same date. No issues.

Any involuntary changes within the control of the company should at a minimum not disadvantage the customer.

 

[JohnK]

OK, but where does it say VA HAS TO DO what you (and some others) suggest? That's right, NOWHERE!! I'd prefer to make suggestions to the OP based on what rights he actually has, not what we would all like him to have. Why do people want to take out their frustrations with VA on me? I didn't cancel his flight so this pack mentality BS is a PITA. Shoot some other messenger, I'm not on VA's side in this.

Apologies. Not taking it out on you.

Logic says that you provide an alternative on the original day of travel not 4 days earlier. Terms and conditions don't mean much to me and I would fight all the time for what I believe is right not what some airline thinks is right.

I now have a seat SYD - LAX June 5 thanks to the Virgin people that monitor this site.

Am I being cynical or would it not have happened without posting on AFF.

Surely this should have been the result from the beginning.

I think the corporates have a lot to answer for when they try and treat us as fools. Whatever happened to good old customer service and responsibility.

I suspect the only reason you got the resolution you wanted was because it was aired here. That is really sad as there are so many people who would be forced to change their plans because the airline stuffed up and wants to pass the issue onto someone else.

Good to see you now have the right outcome.