ComplaintsforVirgin Atlantic Airways, Ltd.

• Initial Complaint

  06/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I, ***************************, am filing on behalf of my parents. They booked Virgin Atlantic flight from ********** to ******. Passenger's Names:1) ************************* 2) Sumedhabahen *********************************** Original Flight: VS24 - *********** to ******, Schedule departure 10:55pm on May 30, Arrival 5:15pm on May 31 Actual departure: 12:04am on May 31 - delay 1 hour 9 mins before departure, arrival 6:25pm on May 31, delay 1 hour 10 mins Original Flight: VS354 - ****** to ****** schedule departure: 7pm May 31, schedule arrival - 8:55am June 1 Due to delay caused by Virgin Atlantic for flight VS24, I missed my original flight to *******New flights given: 1) ******** EK4 - ****** To ***** - schedule departure 8:40pm, schedule arrival 6:35am.Actual departure - 8:38pm actual arrival - 7:03am. total delay - 28mins 2) Air India AI910 - ***** to ****** - schedule departure - 11:30am schdule arrival - 4:10pm Actual departure- 3:02pm, actual arrival - 7:12pm total ***** - 2 hours 58 mins Total ***** for the trip: 10 hours 17mins Original schedule arrival at ****** 8:55am June 1, 2024 Actual arrival at ****** 7:12pm June 1, 2024 Due to more than 10 hours of delay in reaching ******, I missed my flight AI0655 from ****** to ****** which departed at 4:05pm on June 1, 2024.Amount lost for flight AI0655: INR ************************************* filing baggage lost form I missed my newly booked flight 6E5283 which departed at 9:25pm.Amount lost for flight 6E5283: INR 7084 New flight is booked: Air India flight AI0659 from ****** to ****** which departed at 6:35 am on June 2, 2024 and reached ****** at 7:55am.Flight booking charges for AI0659: INR 9400 My parents reached destination 16 hours late, they lost luggage and spent an extra ***** INR to reach ******. They could not attend thier son's marriage reception planned for the evening of June 1, 2024. They needed to buy clothes worth INR ****** for daily use.When I asked for refund they refund. Reply is attached.

  

  Business response

  07/01/2024

  Good Morning,

  Thanks for contacting the Better Business Bureau. 

  I'm sorry to hear that you've been left disappointed with how your claim has been handled. I can appreciate how frustrating this must be for you as this has been ongoing for quite some time now, I hope you can accept my sincere apologies for the time taken to get this resolved.

  I've taken the time to read through the correspondence in your case and it looks like we are still waiting for receipts to confirm the amount paid to Air India for the flights between ***** and ******. We also need to see proof of the amount received as a refund from your Travel Agent. As soon as we receive this information, we will review your claim as a whole.

  With regards to your lost luggage, your claim is being handled by Air India as confirmed by your reference BOMAI62902. I would suggest reaching out to them for any questions regarding your baggage. 

  Once again, I'm sorry for what happened. I look forward to hearing from you. 

  Kind regards

  *****

  Customer Care

  Customer response

  07/01/2024

   
  Complaint: 21918608
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The final response from Virgin mentioned that Virgin can refund any expense incurred between LAX and BOM. My additional expense is due to 10 hours delay in reaching ******. The original Virgin Atlantic flight was supposed to reach ****** at 8:55 on Jun 1, 2024. However, AI910, Air India flight from ***** to ****** reached ****** at 7:12pm, almost 10 hours after the original arrival time. I was given alternate flight from ****** to ***** and from ***** to ****** by Virgin Atlantic. I did not pay for those two flights. However due to delay in reaching ****** and baggage lost, I needed to spend INR ****** for new flights and INR ****** for clothes for me and my wife and daily essentials. 

  I already sent in email the refund amount from *********** on June 26, 2024.

  Air India customer service is impossible to reach. They do not pick the phone on lost baggage receipt. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business response

  07/02/2024

  Good Morning,

   

  Thanks for your reply. I hope youre keeping well.
  
  Im sorry for any confusion caused by my previous response, I can appreciate that there was a lot of disruption on this ticket and Im sorry you remain disappointed.
  
  Ive taken a look at the disruption report for the VS 24 from *********** to *************** and I can see that this was delayed due to a slot delay imposed by Air Traffic Control authorities on the previous sector, which caused a reactionary delay to your flight. This meant you would have missed your connecting flight from ****** to ******, therefore, you were rebooked on to the next best available flight.
  
  Unfortunately, EC 261/2004 compensation isnt payable in this case as the cause was beyond the control of Virgin Atlantic.
  
  As previously advised, under EC regulation, we are liable to reimburse you for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred during the disruption. The reasonable costs include:
  Accommodation -In a 'no-frills' express type hotel, sharing rooms wherever possible.
  Meals and refreshments - This includes breakfast (if not included) a snack, a main meal and around six regular sized non-alcoholic drinks per person per day.
  Transport between the airport and hotel - Please use public transport if available.
  Two short phone calls - No longer than 10 minutes each.
  
  As your ticket was booked to travel from *********** to ******, we wouldnt be liable for the new flight purchased to travel from ****** to ****** as this was purchased on a separate ticket. You may be able to claim this back from your travel insurance provider.
  Whilst I appreciate that youre having some difficulty reaching out to Air India to discuss your baggage claim, we work in line with the 1999 Montreal Convention. Where a passenger travels with two separate airlines on one itinerary, it can be difficult to establish where or when luggage is mishandled.  So, its been agreed by all airlines that the final carrier will assume responsibility for all baggage claims.
  I respectfully suggest that you contact Air India in order to pursue your claim with them directly as they have taken ownership of your claim as shown in the reference, BOMAI62902.
  
  Im sorry I couldnt assist further this time. I hope youre able to come to a resolution with Air India promptly. 

   

  Kind regards,

  *****

  Customer Care

  Customer response

  07/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 21918608
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Why should I bear additional cost when the delay in reaching ****** was due to alternate flights given to me? I did not book Air India flight from ***** to ******, Virgin forced me to accept that option. I can't plan my connecting flight if Virgin failed to transport me to my destination within reasonable time window. In my case, I reached my destination more than 10hrs late.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  05/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Dear Better Business Bureau,I am writing to formally lodge a complaint against Virgin Atlantic regarding a significant issue with delayed luggage and subsequent lack of compensation.On May 21, 2024, my flight with Virgin Atlantic was delayed. Upon arrival at my destination, my luggage was delayed. I was initially told I should expect it to be delivered to my temporary Dublin address within 1 day. Three days later.. I received an email from Airport baggage stuff stating that they were unable to deliver my luggage to my address, compelling me to incur taxi fares to retrieve it. The receipt times for the taxi confirm this correlation. If I had not taken the initiative to pick it up myself, the delay would have been even longer. Prior to picking up my luggage at the airport, I communicated with Virgin Atlantic customer service that I would pick up in person and will later submit taxi fee for reimbursement and received approval to proceed. This entire process caused significant inconvenience, taking over three hours to retrieve my luggage and leading to the cancellation of all my travel plans. Furthermore, I am currently at a temporary address and will no longer be able to collect my luggage after this day, which cause significant stress.Despite these challenges, Virgin Atlantic has refused to compensate me for the expenses incurred. This is particularly frustrating given that the delay and the significant inconvenience caused to my trip from the entirely due to the airlines fault.I am seeking intervention from the Better Business Bureau to address this matter. I request that Virgin Atlantic reconsider their position and provide appropriate compensation for the inconvenience and costs I have incurred due to their service failures.Thank you for your assistance.Sincerely,

  

  Business response

  05/26/2024

  I hope youre well and having a great weekend.
  
  We have received your query through Better Business Bureaux. Im so sorry you remain unhappy with the response from our baggage team. I do appreciate your frustrations and disappointment.
  
  I have taken your query and handled this from a customer care point of view. I would be happy to cover the expenses for transport to and from the airport when collecting your luggage. I have raised a payment link for the sum of $169.97.  This has been sent to you via email through case reference VSCR-00595615.

  
  Again, Im so sorry for any inconvenience or stress caused. I do hope we can welcome you onboard again soon where Im certain we can redeem your faith in Virgin Atlantic.

  Kindest Regards

  Customer Care

  Virgin Atlantic.

• Initial Complaint

  05/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am writing to file a complaint against Virgin Atlantic concerning the suspension of my *********** account (Member Number: **********) due to alleged fraudulent activity, which I believe to be a misunderstanding or an error in their fraud detection systems.Details:Notification of Suspension: I was initially notified by the Loyalty Fraud Team that my account was suspended following investigations by their fraud protection team, suggesting a breach of the *********** Terms and Conditions. However, specific details of the alleged fraudulent activity were never disclosed to me.Response to Inquiries: Upon receiving the suspension notice, I promptly contacted the Loyalty Fraud Team to seek clarification and express my position that I have not violated any terms and conditions. Unfortunately, my requests for detailed information about the alleged breaches and my subsequent appeals for a review of my account were met with generic responses, and no specific evidence of wrongdoing was provided.Final Communication: The most recent communication from the Loyalty Fraud Team informed me that after an enhanced review, my account would not be reinstated and that they would not respond to further correspondence regarding this case. This decision was made without any transparency or substantial justification provided to me.Impact:This suspension has prevented me from accessing significant accrued miles and benefits. The inability to use these benefits, coupled with the lack of a clear explanation or evidence of my alleged violations, is distressing and feels highly unjust.Resolution Sought:I am seeking the BBBs assistance to:- Obtain a detailed explanation of the alleged fraudulent activity associated with my account.- Have my case re-evaluated fairly, with transparency.- Reinstate my *********** account with the full mile balance I had.Thank you for your attention to this matter. I am looking forward to your support in resolving this issue.

  

  Business response

  05/18/2024

  Hope you are well.

  
  Firstly, I would like to start by apologising regarding your issues that you have had with your *********** Account being suspended.
  Unfortunately, sorry to say the fraud team are the only people who have the ability to reinstate and re-evaluate the case and I can only refer you back to the email that you have been leasing with.

  
  Email address that you will have to discuss your issues with: **************************************************** 

  
  The fraud team are the only team that can look in to your case of fraud and they essentially make the judgment on suspending accounts.

  
  I am sincerely sorry that I cant directly help with this as it due to fraud.

  
  Wishing you all the best for the future and I hope the fraud team have a resolution that you are happy with.
  King Regards 

  *************************

  Customer Care

• Initial Complaint

  05/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased airline tickets with Virgin Atlantic points for two one-way tickets from ***** to the ** and from the ** to ***** for two passengers on 6/5/2023. I paid the base fare, surcharge, tax, and all other fees with my credit card, ending in 9188, and the points. The payment was successful, and Virgin Atlantic confirmed the payment status. I then selected seats for each passenger for each trip. Everything seemed normal, and the passengers, my mother and sister, were able to arrive in *******, **, without any problems. Their departing journey went smoothly as we had booked.However, on the date they were supposed to depart from **, **, to *******, *****, at the ***********, a staff member told me that Virgin Atlantic had changed a few things and not processed everything completely, so they couldn't complete the boarding process. Both one-way flights are operated by Korean Air. The staff with Korean Air was not able to do anything more from there. We, the staff and I, contacted Virgin Atlantic, but they did not provide us any solution, apology, or compensation.I had to find a substitute flight for the passengers and found one that was going to depart the next morning. I had to book a hotel room for them. The next morning, they flew to ***** without issues.I contacted Virgin Atlantic about what happened at the airport and their failure to inform me about the changes (I don't know exactly what happened or how it happened). However, they still haven't responded to my emails.

  

  Business response

  05/18/2024

  I can see that we havent received an email from Mr **** at customer care hence why we havent responded. My apologises for the lack of contact.
  I can see that the tickets were suspended due to the cardholder submitting a chargeback with their bank which is why they were not able to be flown on.
  Once a chargeback has been raised, the card issuer had control, unfortunately, once the dispute has started at this point, we are unable to intervene. Some chargebacks can take up to 45 days possibly longer to be processed.  During this time the tickets will automatically be suspended as per the conditions of your card issuer. This then means that you would have need to make a new booking.
  Unfortunately, this is completely out of our hands, if you wish to discuss your chargeback further or, please contact your card issuer.
  I have contacted our loyalty department to check the terms and conditions of the ticket and if any points are refundable. If there are any points that are refundable, they shall be put back into the *********** account.
  I am sorry to hear of the inconvenience and disruption caused to those travelling. I would kindly suggest that the cost of the hotel is recouped by your travel agent provider. If we can be of any assistance confirming events please get in touch with us at customer care. 

  Customer response

  05/18/2024

   
  Complaint: 21725649
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1. They responded saying they confirmed my refund request, but I have still not seen any refunded points on my Virgin Atlantic account.

  
  2. When I booked the flight, I changed the departure airport from *******, ** to ***********, **. I can see they processed the points correctly, but for the credit card charges, it seems they did not process them right. However, since I used a credit card, not a debit card, they should have been able to process the payment as they did for the points. Additionally, the process did not notify me of any issues at the time, and the booking was successfully transferred to Korean Air, where I was able to select seats for the trip. It appears that someone at Virgin Atlantic made an error during processing and failed to notify me about it, causing us to incur extra time and expenses!
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Junghwan Bang

  

  Business response

  05/19/2024

  Dear Mr **************** you for your response. I hope you are well.

  I have gone ahead and cancelled the redemption of *********** points to your account today, for reference number DQPG5T.  You should be able to view this within the next few days. I do apologise this had not been actioned when the refund of funds were processed. 

  I can confirm an online booking had been made under reference DFVYIN where the departure point had been from *******. This booking had been cancelled upon your request with our **************** where the refund on points and money had been actioned. On the same day, of 5th June 2023, a new booking was made with a departure point from ***********, under reference DQPG5T. As previously advised, as there was a chargeback placed for this booking, we were unable to finalise the booking. 

  Please do accept our sincere apologies for the experience your mum and sister had, as well as yourself. Please be assured your feedback on this will be raised with our *************** for an internal review.

  We do apologise for any inconvenience caused. 

  Customer response

  05/19/2024

   
  Complaint: 21725649
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1. The chargeback was placed for the booking reference DFVYIN from *******, which I canceled. However, there was no chargeback order for the booking reference DQPG5T as Virgin Atlantic processed the booking. If there was an issue during processing, either digitally or manually, Virgin Atlantic should have informed me prior to the boarding date.
  

  2. The extra hotel stay is just a fraction of what we endured, considering the frustration, embarrassment, and impact on the passengers' preplanned schedule. I have attached the fare for the alternate airline they had to take.
  

  3. I still don't understand what happened to us. If it was a technical error, Virgin Atlantic should have informed us at some point before the departure date. I understand this may be an unusual mishap, but please compensate us a reasonable amount if Virgin Atlantic respects its passengers.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Junghwan Bang

• Initial Complaint

  05/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Reservation Confirmation: ESE7EY and ESEYOX Flight: ***** to *********, ******** (May 10th 2024) My group recently flew for a business trip from ***** to *********, ********. First, our flight from ***** to ******* was delayed, which would have made us miss our connecting flight with Virgin, from ******* to ***. I had to find last minute tickets and paid $1100 for four tickets with American Airlines. Additionally, Virgin lost all of our luggage for our entire trip to ********. We were in a new country on business with nothing. No clothes, shoes, underwear or medications which caused one of us to get extremely sick and he did not leave the room. The luuage was not located until we arrived back in *****. I am seeking the full allowance per passenger for lost luggage along with a reimbursement for our flight from ***** to *******. This was an absolute nightmare of an experience and I would never want anyone to go through what we went through.

  

  Business response

  05/17/2024

  Hello ******

  Thank you for reaching out to us through the Better Business Bureau regarding your recent travels to ********** 

  I am very saddened to hear that due to the delay of your outbound flight from ***** to *******, your travel plans were significantly impacted. No doubt, this must have been very disappointing and upsetting for you as you were at the risk of missing your connecting Virgin Atlantic flight. Upon reviewing your bookings and tickets, I can confirm that the flight from ***** to ******* was operated by Delta Air Lines. As the operating airline have full control over their flying schedules and programs, they will be responsible for any claims for reimbursement you may wish to make in relation to the flight delay. You can get in touch with them through the link below. Please note the Delta booking reference is GFGZJG. 
  
  ***************************************************;
  
  However, as the booking was made through Virgin Atlantic and the flight was not flown on, I have gone ahead and requested refund for the unused sector. Please note that refunds can take up to ***************************** the original account used for payment. 
  
  With regards to your delayed baggage, I am sorry that you were left without any of your belongings whilst you were in ********. I kindly advise you submit a claim for this as soon as you can through the link below, so that our dedicated baggage team are able to review the claim for you. 
  
  *********************************************************************************************************************;
  
  Once again, I offer my apologies for the disappointing experience. I hope that you were able to enjoy your flights and we are able to welcome you onboard again in the future!
  
  Kind regards
  
  Customer Care
  *********************************************

• Initial Complaint

  05/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I booked Virgin Atlantic airlines two-way air ticket PNR: EB82N4 eTicket: 9327034907555-56 from SFO to BLR for May 12 & return BLR to SFO on June 17 2024. During checkin at the airport on May 12 3:15pm PT, airlines frontdesk staff denied me from boarding due to missing UK transit **** requirement. I was not informed about this requirement on the Manage Booking page, nor did I receive any prior communication regarding unfulfilled **** requirement. I was also issued a boarding pass on successful web-checkin.My itinerary was modified on the spot and I was issued a different PNR: DUHVD8. I was also told to contact my Travel agent and modify my booking before the flight departure which was in less than 2 HOURS. My agent had 0 visibility into this newly created reservation with PNR DUHVD8. I also did not get any proper answers from Virgin Atlantic customer care even after approximately 50 minutes long wait. This destroyed all of my chances to make my ticket useful.I ended up booking a different flight and when I reached my destination and got in contact with Virgin Atlantic customer support after another 40 minutes wait, I was told my entire ticket (including return journey) was tagged invalid due to a "NO SHOW".

  

  Business response

  05/15/2024

  Hello ******

  Thanks so much for getting in touch. I hope youre well.
  
  I was sorry to hear of the issues you had checking in for your flight. I don't underestimate how frustrating that must have been for you.
  
  Im sorry to hear your were denied boarding as the correct documentation was not held. If I may explain, it is the passengers responsibility to ensure the correct documentation is correct and valid. We do have a page on our website with all required information with regards to travelling documentation. We do have to abide by the governments travel rules when accepting passengers onboard.
  
  The booking was required to be split as there was another passenger travelling. I am so sorry if this caused inconvenience. I can confirm the travel agency is included within your booking and should have had access to this.
  
  Sadly, were unable to issue a refund. I am truly sorry we can't give you a more favourable outcome with this. I would recommend contacting your travel insurance provider regarding a claim if you have incurred any additional expenses. We are more than happy to provide any supporting documentation your insurers may require. 
  
  Im sorry I cannot help further for you today.
  
  Kind Regards
  Customer Care

• Initial Complaint

  05/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I made a Virgin Atlantic account on July *********. On August 01, 2023 I transferred 100k Bilt rewards points to my Virgin Atlantic. On January 2nd, 2024 I made another transfer of ****** points to Virgin Atlantic. On January 15th, 2024, I used the points to book 2 flights each route from *** to FCO flying ITA and a flight from *** to ORD flying AirFrance. I paid $11.20 and $881.60 in taxes and fees, respectively. Originally I tried to book the flights online but due to an error I had to call to book the flight. On March 6th I purchased 2 flights from FCO to CDG using points plus $67.00 for taxes and fees. There was a discrepancy in my account, that even though my online attempt to purchase the flights did not go through, the points were removed and put me at a negative amount. The representative said he adjusted the numbers to show the true value of points in my account Fast forward to April 30th I fly from *** to FCO on the scheduled flight I booked. Then on May 6th, 2024 I noticed my flight was removed and I called Virgin Atlantic **************** but my account was suspended due to fraud so I had to email their fraud department.May 7th I received an email accusing me of illegally obtaining the points I used to book my flights and therefore froze my account and canceled my flights from FCO to CDG and from CDG to ORD leaving me stranded in *******I sent them proof of me transferring my points from my own personal credit cards but received no help and stating once again they will not reactivate my account nor get my flights back After a back and forth, the fraud department said that they can not verify my account and will not reactivate my account without ever asking for other documents for evidence nor offering additional ways to get my flights back. Instead they told me to contact my legal team and to file a report with the BBB and ADR Let me know if theres anymore information I can provide

  

  Business response

  05/08/2024

  Hello *****, thank you so much for reaching out to ***
  
  Im so sorry to hear your booking and *********** was suspended due to suspected fraud.
  
  I completely understand your frustration sadly as much as I want to assist I will not be able to look into this for you however please email **************************************************** and they will be able to assist further .
  
  
  Many thanks 
  

  **********;
  
  Customer Care 

  Customer response

  05/10/2024

   
  Complaint: 21676529
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have tried multiple times to contact that email. I keep getting the same generic response. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business response

  05/10/2024

  Thank you for getting back in touch with us.
  
  Please could you provide us with your *********** account number so that I can investigate this further for you.
  
  I look forward to hearing back from you soon. 

  Customer response

  05/10/2024

   
  Complaint: 21676529
  
  My flying club: 1095130884

  *******************************: 109957576

  Our accounts were closed and flights canceled during the middle of our trip for an unclear reason. Something about fraudulently obtaining points but the points came from my personal Bilt credit card

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business response

  05/14/2024

  Thank you for your patience while we looked into this further for you and appreciate you providing the information.
  
  I can see that the *********** account ********** is currently being audited.  Unfortunately,there is nothing further that we can advise, you will need to continue reaching out to ******************************************************
  
  I appreciate that this has left you frustrated so far, please be assured that our loyalty team have a process in place and will treat all customers fairly and consistently and fully investigate the matter.  

  Customer response

  05/14/2024

   
  Complaint: 21676529
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the fraud department has been 0 help and wont explain why the froze my account. Ive emailed them multiple times and have even made new email threads to just get the same generic response
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business response

  05/15/2024

  Hello **********;

   

  I am so very sorry to hear that your remain unhappy with our previous responses. 

   

  I also want to apologise for the upset caused by the Loyalty Fraud Team's lack of reasoning behind the account suspension. 

   

  As my colleagues have explained, this not something we are able to discuss further and all communication regarding the suspension must be through the Loyalty Fraud Team. I would advise you to reach out to them directly at  **************************************************** should you remain unhappy with their decisions or responses. 

   

  Sadly, there is nothing further we are able to do to assist and I do apologise I was not able to offer a more favourable response. 

   

  Kind regards

   

  Customer Care

• Initial Complaint

  05/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a flight through Priceline.com on 8/30/323. Unfortunately, due to the war on October 7th, 2023 in ******, my flight had to be cancelled. I have reached Priceline along with Virgin Atlantic these entities now refuse to refund my money, the excuse is that I have a credit. Meantime, I flew to ****** in February 2024 and I had to buy another ticket because VIRGIN ATLANTIC refuses to give me my money back. Priceline is using loopholes and only gave me a credit which I cannot use now in May, 2024. I will never ever again fly through Virgin Atlantic nor use Priceline and ALLIENZ their travel warranty trip protection also didn't give me my money back. Horrible experience!!Confirmation #: VIRGIN: CLRW3C, 12,8, 2023 - Sunday, December, 17th.

  

  Business response

  05/11/2024

  Hello ******

  Hope I find you well.

  Sorry to hear you are experiencing some difficulty getting a refund back from your travel agency. We understand how frustrating this must be.

  We are very limited in what we can do when a booking is made through a travel agency as we have absolutely no control over your ticket.It is the sole responsibility of the travel agent to assist their customers directly.

  I have however asked our Sales support team to reach out to Priceline and directly help you with this. 

  I'm sorry this experience has made you question your value as a Virgin Atlantic customer, please be assured this is never our intention.

  Thanks for getting in touch with us, I hope you get a prompt resolution and have a lovely weekend.

  Kind regards,

  Virgin Atlantic Customer Care

• Initial Complaint

  05/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Booking ref: E275PT On April 9 I had created an account with ********************************************* and book two tickets for friends. They suspended the account and kept the points and told me it was fraud. Basically long story short is I have wasted almost a month calling and emailing them since the fraud department seems to be just a third party system that detects fraud and not a actual human being looking through the documents they requested. They had requested for me to send in my passport/ID of my friends and mine, which I comply with. Then ask for my AMEX 1M number which I gave them. Even with two documents proving that it was me they didnt respond. I had to send a follow up email a few days ago only to get the same email about their third party system that detects fraud. Same answer of we cant reinstate you account because owing the system detects fraud. So basically the day I created the account and transfer in ******* points is the same day you guys decide to suspect fraud and just keep the points. Nice scam you guys have going on. I would like Virgin Atlantic to actually test their policy publicly because I am sure its going to just **** off people and ruin their business. Its a scam that after giving them proper documents they are telling me its fraud still. Like what policy did I break (they cant even answer this, the only thing they respond with is section 9.1/2 of their terms and agreement). Like stop giving me automatic response and scamming the consumers. I can see they have done this multiple times and hope one day the company crashes and fails due to their lack of courtesy to even bother helping the consumer.

  

  Business response

  05/03/2024

  Case Ref: VSCR-00588694
  
  Im truly sorry to hear that your *********** account has been suspended by our Loyalty Fraud team. I can appreciate how frustrating this must be for you.
  
  Our Loyalty operations team do not suspend *********** accounts unless they have reasonable suspicion that fraudulent activity has taken place on the account. The system they use that flags suspected fraudulent activity is not infallible and there are occasions when an account is flagged incorrectly. They system used is to protect both the airline and the customer alike.  
  
  Sadly, when an account is suspended, only our loyalty Fraud Team have the power to potentially reverse their decision. You can request more information and appeal their decision by contacting them directly at ****************************************************
  
  Once you have emailed them, a member of their team will respond directly back to you.
  
  I realise this may not be the answer you were hoping for today and apologise I am unable to give a more favourable outcome.  

  Customer response

  05/06/2024

   
  Complaint: 21656161
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  You guys have been given all the info that the points came from me and my **************** card. Your answer is the same as the emails as it stases you reject me because of the loyalty fraud team. The fraud teams used a third party system and doesnt even use human to verify whether its me or not. I have email them multiple times and basically at this point you guys are the ones doing fraud. This answer you guys have given me basically is telling me to go back and email he fraud team which I have over the past month. Also the fraud team wont give me an explanation on why my account was suspended or what the fraud was. You can go back and read the emails between us or have someone review it as it seems a computer generated answer is all I am getting. I will not accept this answer from you since it seems to be the same answer I have been getting this entire month. I will be happy to talk to someone as well and get Amex representative on the phone to prove I am me and the points came from me. I dont understand how after sending in passport/ID and my Amex 1M number you guys still think Im doing fraud by wanting to spend my own points  

  Sincerely,
  
  *****************

  

  Business response

  05/14/2024

  Hello *****, 
  
  
  Thank you ever so much for your response to our previous communications. 
  
  
  I am so very sorry to hear that despite providing all requested documents, you are no where closer to getting your account reinstated.
  
  
  
  I also want to apologise that you have not been given any reasons as to why your booking and account have been suspended. As my colleague explained, our Fraud Screening Team use various software and systems which flag when there is anything suspicious with the booking. This is to protect us as a business and airline and also our customers security. 
  
  
  As my colleague explained, only our Loyalty Fraud team have the authorisation to be able to make decisions regarding reactivating accounts once they have been suspended. I do apologise that this is not something we are able to help with. 
  
  
  I understand that you have already sent over your documents to the team but have not heard anything since. In order to speed up this process for you, I have reached out to the team and have asked them to look in to this as soon as possible and to reach out to you. 
  
  
  I again apologise that this was not the response you were hoping for. 
  
  
  Kind regards, 
  
  
  Rhian 
  Customer Care

  Customer response

  05/18/2024

   
  Complaint: 21656161
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I do not understand how this is not a scam on your guys end. Literally over a month of emails to the fraud team but still getting the same response. Wasting my time collecting all documents and sending them in just for you guys to tell me your third party system detects fraud. I have called and email yu guys multiple times to show it is me a real human being and the owner of the points and account. I just want my points back to my Amex account so I can use it on a different airline that wont scam me. You guys cant even do that. How is this not a scam?
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************

  Customer response

  05/22/2024

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID .********, , and find that Mediation is necessary.

  Regards,

  *****************

  Customer response

  05/29/2024

   
  Complaint: 21656161
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I still have not receive the last reach out you guys said you were going to do. Not a single email from that team was communicated to me. So far the only thing that has happen is you guys stole ****** points from my **************** card and then fail to communicate after I had sent in my information (passport and Amex membership#) showing that it was I who made the purchase. This whole thing sounds like complete fraud but on your guys end. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************

• Initial Complaint

  04/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On march 31 I bought about 3800 usd worth of points from virgin atlantic through their loyalty points sale program. On about April 1, I used ****** points, worth about 1200usd, and purchased 2 tickets for my friends. The airline allows the purchase of tickets for friends and relatives, and this is also verified by the operator I spoke with. However, about 5 days later, I realized that the tickets have been canceled by Virgin atlantic. Upon contacting the airline, their representatives said that they detected fraudulent activity in my account, maintaining that they are unable to provide the reason and my account has to be closed. They also expressed that there is no way to reinstate my account, which would me a loss of 3800 usd. My account number is **********. It seems to me that VA made no attempts to verify the validity of their automated fraud detection system and was dismissive when I am incurring significant financial loss.

  

  Business response

  04/21/2024

  Dear ***********,
  
  Thank you for getting in contact with us. 
  
  If you would like to discuss your *********** account further, please provide all relevant information to the following email address ****************************************************
  
  They will be able to look at your case in full and will provide you with the outcome. 
  
  Kind Regards
  
  **********************************?
  Customer Care 
  ********************************************* 
  www.virginatlantic.com

  Customer response

  04/24/2024

   
  Complaint: 21603040
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I have tried to contact this email in the past and they proposed no solution and no formal investigation other than that their software detected an anomaly. After trying to reach out again and referencing the customer service representative, I received no response. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  

  Business response

  04/25/2024

  Dear ***********,

  Thanks for your reply. 

  I've spoken with the loyalty fraud team who have confirmed that they have responded to your correspondence, I'm sorry if this hasn't been received. 

  As previously advised, our fraud tools screen bookings and owing to a number of anomalies in your bookings, they were rejected. 

  The bookings made were for third parties, if you're able to provide evidence of relationship to the passengers travelling on the bookings, such as birth certificates if they are family members, then we can look into this further. We would also need photo ID and proof of address for yourself. This information can be sent to ****************************************************.

   

  Kind regards,

  *****

  Customer Care

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩