Virgin Package

[JCA]

Hoping someone has some experience of this.

We booked a package with Virgin just over a year ago to go to Florida in May this year. At the time it was me, husband, daughter and 2 of my siblings. Since then the rest of my family decided they also wanted to go at the same time. We booked a 4 bedroom Select villa, we've been to Florida lots and have always booked direct with owners but as this was the first time going without the rest of the family this was the cheapest option.

Rest of the family don't want to take a chance on the Virgin villa, and parents have booked and paid for an amazing villa direct with an owner. Now - we're not going to use our villa. Has anyone just used the flights and car, not checked into the villa? I thought we could go to the office the day after arrival and say we had one night somewhere else first.

One other problem I'm expecting to arise is one of my siblings on our booking pulling out which will leave us with a big under occupancy on the villa. If this is the case we want to look at booking 4 of us into the cheapest hotel all in one room, but then again not use it.

I obviously don't want to ask Virgin this in case it arises suspicions.

[Jack&LucysMumy]

I'm sorry I have no experience in this but I would just tell them that you won't be using the virgin villa.
I guess it's better for virgin to inform the actual owners that its unoccupied for security reasons.

I'm not sure what you mean about the hotel, why would you need to book into one?

Louise

[legallyblonde]

I think I would just be honest with virgin and tell them what’s happened and that you don’t need the villa. They may use it for someone else and i think the owners deserve to know that it will be empty. It may affect their insurance. You may even receive a refund, you never know.

[Trebor1]

Originally Posted by legallyblonde

I think I would just be honest with virgin and tell them what’s happened and that you don’t need the villa. They may use it for someone else and i think the owners deserve to know that it will be empty. It may affect their insurance. You may even receive a refund, you never know.

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Agree with this totally. Needs to be notified in advance

[JCA]

Okay, thanks. I will advise them see what they say. The alternative I thought of is checking in then saying it was unsuitable and we'd sort our own accommodation. Then obviously not pursue it as a complaint.

[Fancealot]

Even though you haven't pursued a complaint, Virgin still may do which could result in the villa owner losing the agreement with Virgin. It's better for all concerned for you to contact Virgin and be honest, you booked the package but more family are going now and are having a bigger villa for everyone so you don't need yours and want to switch to flights and car only.

[3disneykids]

With Virgin you can amend your booking for £35 pp and move your deposit onto the new booking. I would do this and see if I could change the booking into a fly drive (you may even save some money ). Just a note they tried to make me think it wasn't possible to transfer the original booking across so you have to clearly state this is what you want to do as they made me believe that i would lose my deposit when I wanted to change the booking.
Hope you get sorted

[JessBlu]

If you sibling pulls out you will still have to pay the full price for your booking so you won’t get an under occupancy but you will still have to pay their portion.

Call them and explain they may allow you to recost the holiday and lose the villa and person and you may get a cheaper deal.

[JCA]

We've already asked about changing to a fly drive and the answer was cancel and re-book which definitely not happening at the prices they were currently charging.

[welshmum]

You could reduce the cost of your holiday by only booking the Villa for half of your holiday (so if you are going for 2 weeks, at least a week of this would need to be booked as the Virgin Villa)

You could just tell them that you are making your own arrangements for the rest of the time.

Or you could switch your accommodation to something a lot cheaper (something like rosen inn etc) and then do the same as above - at least this way, someone else could book the villa for your dates?

Worth a try

p.s. also looking at your countdown, you will have to look at doing this within the next as changes can only be made 12 weeks before departure.