Help, not sure what is happening to our Virgin flight

[DisneyDaffodil]

Can any regular Virgin travellers help me? We booked fly/drive on the 11.25 flight for 21 October back in April flying home on 1 November on the 18.25 flight. So I tried to book seats this week as it was in range but then had problems.

Virgin airlines are saying our flight has been cancelled and we have been put on the later flights the same day. However Virgin holidays say we MAY be changed but according to their information we are still on the earlier flight. Either way, we do not know what flight we are on and are unable to book seats which is quite worrying.

I have rung VH and VA and used webchat and emailed and still I am being told they will let me know within a few days.

This is our first time flying with Virgin and I am not at all impressed with their lack of concern over this. I had a few queries with Thomas Cook last year and changed my flight with them all with no problems.

Anyone got any idea what I should do next? Or what on earth is going on with the flights on 21 October? I need some reassurance as this is starting to panic me now ☺

[jim jehosofat]

No need to panic, you're not travelling until October 2018. Leave it a few days like Virgin have told you, I suspect that they are still finalising the timetable.

[DisneyDaffodil]

No, I realise this and I am thankful that there is time to sort it out. However, if my flight is changed to the later flight outbound it appears to be already overbooked. Obviously, this affects all travel plans made to the airport and our Disney booking. Plus it is DDs 18th birthday the day after we fly, so we would not be willing to accept a flight a day later.

I understand Virgin as a business needs to run full planes and sometimes changes are made. I just think they should be providing me with updates and options as soon as they can. Each adviser I speak to says it will be sorted in a day or two, that has been for the last two weeks now

[Mr Tom Morrow]

OP. In 2017 for our 3 flights we had 3 changes forced on us. For 2 of the outbound ones we were bumped to another time and 1 of the return ones.
Plus, and I knew it would happen we were bumped from UC to PE as the seat map was 'frozen so although we could see on the booking that we were UC we couldnt pick seats.
That cost them big time!
The bottom line was they combined 2 aircraft into 1 and UC was oversold by two seats. As we were on a Miles flight we were the vulnerable ones.
But as I say the compenation was excellent

[DisneyDaffodil]

Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow

OP. In 2017 for our 3 flights we had 3 changes forced on us. For 2 of the outbound ones we were bumped to another time and 1 of the return ones.
Plus, and I knew it would happen we were bumped from UC to PE as the seat map was 'frozen so although we could see on the booking that we were UC we couldnt pick seats.
That cost them big time!
The bottom line was they combined 2 aircraft into 1 and UC was oversold by two seats. As we were on a Miles flight we were the vulnerable ones.
But as I say the compenation was excellent

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I think this is what has happened with our flight, outbound has been cancelled and we have been put on later flight but that has now been oversold. I don't mind being on later flight but really want to know for sure as we want to be there for our daughter's birthday the next day..

If we are moved to the later flight either way, would we be entitled to ask for compensation? If so, would this be in the form of a flight upgrade or cash? I would prefer to just have our original flights but its good to know if we are changed.

[SunshineValley]

Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil

I think this is what has happened with our flight, outbound has been cancelled and we have been put on later flight but that has now been oversold. I don't mind being on later flight but really want to know for sure as we want to be there for our daughter's birthday the next day..

If we are moved to the later flight either way, would we be entitled to ask for compensation? If so, would this be in the form of a flight upgrade or cash? I would prefer to just have our original flights but its good to know if we are changed.

See more...

My advice would be just wait and see - Just because there are no seats to select, does not necessarily mean that it is oversold... Plus, the flight is 10 1/2 months away, so likely to be some other changes in the meantime...

[Mr Tom Morrow]

Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil

I think this is what has happened with our flight, outbound has been cancelled and we have been put on later flight but that has now been oversold. I don't mind being on later flight but really want to know for sure as we want to be there for our daughter's birthday the next day..

If we are moved to the later flight either way, would we be entitled to ask for compensation? If so, would this be in the form of a flight upgrade or cash? I would prefer to just have our original flights but its good to know if we are changed.

See more...

No compensation for a flight that is compacted with another one. Personally I dont think there should be even though it's a tad annoying.

[DisneyDaffodil]

Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow

No compensation for a flight that is compacted with another one. Personally I dont think there should be even though it's a tad annoying.

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No I'm not wanting any really, I just want to know what is happening. I would imagine they will sort it quite soon as it must be affecting the later flight too. As you say, it is annoying though

[Mr Tom Morrow]

It is annoying but by compacting flights they save money that results in lower fares. Nobody can afford to fly planes that are not full or nearly full.

[fredflintstone]

I'd be more inclined to think they have stopped selling seats on the flight until they have sorted out the merging and have therefore set the availabilty to 0 across all fare classes across all cabins.

The seat map still shows seats available in UC and PE and I would have thought that if the flight was full especially with UC that these would all show as being occupied which is not the case.

So maybe a day or 2 of panic becfore it sorts itself out.

PS and all cabins do have seats not reserved. Economy loads of seats available even 3 in dibbers row. PE loads (although upstairs pretty full) and UC 7 seats available.