ComplaintsforVirgin Atlantic Airways, Ltd.

• Initial Complaint

  10/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I flew Virgin Atlantic from ********** ** to ******* as part of a fkight with Aeromexico to *************** MX. My lugggae was lost by VA and never arrived *******. Since 1st Aug I have tried to contact VA regarding this flight and my eventual delayed luggage. It took 3 hours to checkin at ********** with my luggage being tagged as *********** On arrival at ******* I had no assistance in finding my luggage. They advised me eventually it was upto Aeromexico to find my luggage even though they did not handle the luggage. It was eventually found ****************************************************************** *******...now classed as selayed and damaged. This week VA contacted me about my baggage claim..I emailed my situation yet they still asked me to complete documentation..11 weeks later. They then told me I need to Contact American Aiirlines indicating they do not actually read responses. When I questioned this I again recieved the automatic reply that I would have to wait 45 days for a response.My complaint is regarding the whole flight and handling experience and lack of care when dealing with a customer's. All my emails have been ignored by ******** care. I did however recieve 1 which said they where sorry for the delay and that they would soon be in contact. This was over 6 weeks ago and iam still waiting. VA is impossible to contact and customer care does not have a phone number. You have to pretend to want to but a ticket to speak with an agent. Text message instructions result in a reply that no response would be given.My complaint is against ******** Care who have yet to respond since the 1st Aug. There loss and delay of my luggae ruined my 6 day vacation and VA seem not to be concerned with that. I am aware that VA tell me to contact Aeromexio. They have also been impossible to contact and have other issues resolved as emails and texts are ignored, agents dealing with issue have left the company or iam dealing with Spanish speaking agents.

  

  Business response

  11/05/2022

  Dear Mr. *******?

  Thank you for your further emails. I'm sincerely sorry for the time it has taken to respond to you.

  I understand that your luggage was delayed, which of course caused disruption to your holiday. I appreciate the upset and stress this must have caused you.

  I have taken the time to read through your emails as well as any correspondence from us, and unfortunately, there is not much I am able to add to what has already been advised. 

  It has been agreed by all airlines that the final carrier deal with baggage claims, therefore, you will need to contact American Airlines regarding compensation.

  Please be ensured that your concerns regarding the handling of your case will be fed back to the relevant teams.

  I'm sorry we are unable to assist you with this. I hope this is resolved for you soon.

  *******************************?
  Customer Care 
  
  ******************************************************************** Ltd 
  The VHQ, ******************
  *******
  RH10 9DF, **
  Phone: ********************
  http://www.virginatlantic.com
  

  Customer response

  11/05/2022

   
  Complaint: 18326640
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  my luggage was lost and then delayed by Virgin Atlantic.

  On checking in at ********** no warning of baggage delays was issued. I chose to travel to ********** for my flight as opposed to ******** at additional cost.

  I arrived over 3 hours before the Virgin flight. It took 3 hours to check in and this was due to a "baggage blockage". Then your ticketingvstmystem went down and agents had to manually check in luggage. My luggage was checked as Cabin Crew.

  On arriving at ******* there where no offers of assistance from VA staff in baggage. I was told to just take my connecting flight and my luggage would follow on. This obviously did not happen and when I had a tracking number from Aeromexico it kept saying They where still trying to locate the baggage that was in the care of Virgin.

  I tried calling Virgin for assistance from ******* which was virtually impossible. I was told Virgin has no telephone number for ******** care. A number I was given to text ********** even now gives the following message indicating no assistance even now would be given

  Hello, Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We're sorry to advise that, due to the significant baggage system failures at ***********************, we are unable to respond to inbound contact at this time. We have increased our resource and are focused on working with ******** to reunite you with your baggage as quickly as possible. We will proactively contact you once we have an update. You can also view updates and ensure your contact details are correct at http://www.worldtracer.aero/filedsp/vs.htm.  Thank you for your patience and understanding

  As I stated I did not travel from ******** and I again recieved this message  last week..3 month after VA lost and delayed my luggage.

  The issues at ****************** made my enjoyment of the Airport experience non existent as I had , like other passengers run for the plane. Qhen seated we where then told the flight would be delayed due to baggage issues.

  since1st August I have contacted VA @ **********************************************

  as a contact email from VA call center. 

  I did recieve a response from ********************************************** telling me baggage loss is a rare event.

  On 3rd Aug ********************************************* l lreplied about **************** and shortage off staff and that response time is 45 days. I replied to this email the same day..

  On 6th Aug I called and was on hold for 1 hour and I explained this in the email I sent that day as well.

  I again contacted ******************************************** on the 10th Aug complaining that emails remained unanswered,  calls ignored and an auto message given when texting.

  At this time my vacation had ended and I spent my 6 days with no luggage and any clothing or possessions.this was attatched to the email I sent on the 2nd Aug.

  I contacted Virgin on 20th Aug to let them know my luggage had eventually arrived to my home in *** 17 days late and damaged.

  112 of September Virgin ******** care emailed with a "hello There" email saying my delay in any response was still due to ******** and that they would respond as quickly as possible. 

  21st Sept ******* Claims emailed to tell me to contact Aeromexico.

  Non of my ******** care issues had been addressed or answered at this stage

  I replied to this email outlining my disappointment and issues Virgin had caused since **********. 

  Then recieved a reply that I needed to wait again 45 days due to ********.

  I again replied back.

  I also emailed the 28th September due to no replies.

  19th Oct I recieved a reply and apology for delay Virgin also said they would be happy to look into what they could sort and arrange reimbursement wise.

  I was asked to send in receipts and fill in the link for the form..which I did.

  23rd Oct I contacted ******* at ******* claims with the outline of my whole complaint regarding Virgin.

  I sent a 2nd email on 23rd Oct to ********care regarding all emails being ignored.

  25th Oct *********************** at ******* Services emailed to say it would be his absolute pleasure to reimburse my claim.

  I emailed a reply on the 25th Oct.

  26th Oct I again emailed ******* claims outlining my issues and being very transparent. 

  I also emailed this day with all receipts.

  27th Oct *********************** emailed ti say basically Virgin would not help and that I need to contact Aeromexico. I was disappointed that I was given a false hope of assistance.i emailed ***** outlining my disappointment at the offer of assistance and my Virgin complaints.

  ******* claims then replied saying there response time would be 45 days to the email I sent that day.

  It was this time that I contacted the BBB.

  I emailed  ustomer care on the 29th Oct again outlining my complaints.

  As you can see since 1st Aug I have contacted Virgin with no reply that addressed my complaints that at this stage where not just due to them loosing my luggage and not flying it to ******* until the 12 Aug at *****pm when it was handed to Aeromexico. 

  I have contacted Aeromexico who have been as equally unhelpful and caring since my luggage was delayed and holiday ruined. They have also failed,like Virgin to answer emails and also don't have a ******** Service Department that you can speak with a live agent. It's ironic that the only way I can speak with Virgin is by pretending to want to purchase a flight ticket.

  Virgin disrupted my flight from Check in at ********** and by them loosing my luggage and only finding it on the 12th Aug.

  Emails and attempts to contact Virgin have been ignored as well as promised call backs ***** when I spoke with Sales agents.

  For Virgin to respond to my BBB complaint by saying it's Aeromexicos responsibility is unacceptable as my complaint also included my Airport checkin as well as the lack of care afterwards. 3 months after Virgin lost my luggage I am still trying to resolve the issues.

   

   

   

   

   

   

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

  

  Business response

  11/11/2022

  Thank you for getting in touch again regarding your baggage claim. I hope that you're well.

  Im sorry to learn of the issues that you experienced during check in at ********** and when your baggage was delayed. Especially as you incurred costs as a result. I dont underestimate the inconvenience caused.
  
  Having reviewed your claim, Ive happily arranged reimbursement in full for $911.12 in relation to the items that you needed to purchase and the damage to your bag. I have emailed you directly so that you are able to redeem your payment.
  
  Please accept my sincere apologies once more. I hope that we can look forward to having the pleasure of welcoming you onboard again soon.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  
  Customer Care 
  
  ******************************************************************** Ltd 
  The VHQ, ******************
  *******
  RH10 9DF, **
  http://www.virginatlantic.com

• Initial Complaint

  10/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In June we flew Virgin from ****** to ***. The flight was ************ missed our connection in ********. At that time, Virgin gave ** a night's stay at a ************* until our replacement flight home the next day (although it turned out we didn't get meals, as the hotel restaurant was closed, but that isn't the issue). The delay getting home by a day meant that we incurred the additional expense of another night's parking, boarding our ***** ********sitter. The total was only $145, but we felt that Virgin should compensate us. Upon our return home I filled out a form on Virgin's website requesting that amount, providing them with all the details they required.I have been working on this request now for 4 months. My reference number given by Virgin is VSCR-********. (At one point I was given another reference number as well.)I contacted Virgin about the issue in June. They responded they'd get back to me in 7 days. They did not.I reached out after that ***************************** emailed they'd get back to me in 30 days. They did not.I reached out again after 30 days & was told via email to give my phone number so someone could call me. No one did.I reached out to Virgin again & got an email reply from ******* *************** on Sep 15 saying I would receive my $145 within 14 business days. I never received it. After more than 15 business days, I reached out to Virgin, explaining all this yet again. I received an email on Oct 10 saying their reply would be "within 60 days."I have been working on this problem for FOUR months, via mails, forms, online chats, & attempts to reach someone by phone. It has taken hours. Yet despite the promise--in writing!--of paying me, Virgin has done nothing but keep offering delays. At this point I need help to receive the $145 Virgin said they would pay me, along with any additional compensation they feel is appropriate for such terrible, protracted "customer service." If you need any additional details, please let me know. Thanks! RB

  

  Business response

  10/25/2022

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

  Thank you for reaching out to us here at Customer Care.

  I am sincerely sorry to see that you have not yet received your payment of $145.00. I have had a look into your case, and I can see that my colleague ******* set up your payment correctly and this was sent off for payment on the 15th September.

  I have reached out to our ******************* department for more information on the status of your payment and to find out why your payment has not been successful as of yet.

  I fully appreciate your payment has taken a lot longer than we would have wished for. I am sorry for any inconvenience ******************

  Once I have more information from our internal team, I will be in a much better place to assist you further and ensure you get your payment due to you.

  You will hear from us very soon.

  Thank you for your patience. 

  Kindest Regards,

  Virgin Atlantic Customer Care

  Customer response

  10/25/2022

  Thank you for the quick reply.
   
  I want to get two points on the record, however.

  First, the reply from Virgin says: " I can see that my colleague ******* set up your payment correctly and this was sent off for payment on the 15th September." This is incorrect, in that I did not submit my banking information that was requested in ********* email of the 15th until a day or so later, so the $145 could not have been sent off for payment on the 15th. This is a quibble. 
  
  Second, and more importantly, once again Virgin is kicking the can down the road. Rather than remit me my money now, the respondent has "reached out" to another department and is awaiting their response before being in a "better place to assist me further" at some future point that is "very soon," More delays! Surely since it has reached this point, the correct response would be for them to send me my money first and sort it out on their end later.
  
  Much as I enjoyed the actual flight and flight crew, I have never had such poor "customer service" from any other company, large or small. The **************** department's continual policy of not responding at all and/or delaying any action has soured me on using or recommending this airline. 
  
  I do accept the airline's response in that I want to see my $145 ASAP. But as  I said, I wanted to make these points. Please let me know if you require anything else.
  
  ***************************

  

  Business response

  10/29/2022

  Thank you for reaching out to us on Better Business Bureau, I hope you don't mind me responding through email as the below contains a secured payment link.
  
  I am sorry if there was any confusion on my response yesterday.
  
  I could see that my colleague had set up your payment link correctly on the 15th September, once your details are entered, as this is sensitive information, this information automatically goes through to our payments team to complete the transaction. 
  
  I have had confirmation from our payments department this morning, that the payment had bounced back and I have set up the below secured payment link to reimburse you of $145.00. 
  
  We want to make sure you receive the payment thats due to you as soon as possible. To arrange this, please click on the link below to enter your bank details.
  
  To ensure your payment is completed successfully, please click the link below (preferrable), or copy and paste it to your browser.  If copying, be sure to copy the link in full, otherwise your payment details will not update correctly.
  
  
  
  (Link completed by customer in case)
  
  
  
  *Once your details have been submitted, it can take up to 14 working days for the money to appear on your account.
  
  Again, I am truly sorry for your experience with us, I appreciate this has taken a lot longer than we had wished for.

• Initial Complaint

  10/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On May 3 2022 I purchased 2 air tickets to ****** for myself and child. I paid $4100 for premium+ fare. Coach fare was $2100. On the date of flight on June 4th, the airline cancelled our original flight, and put us in coach cabin on another flight to ******. Since then I've been contacting virgin and delta(virgin claimed the flight was operated by Delta so I should contact delta) to refund me the difference between one way coach and premium fare. After several calls and many hours on the phone, i only received a $413 refund to my child, I followed up on my refund, but never heard back.

  

  Business response

  10/20/2022

  Dear ***********, 
  
  Thank you for reaching out to us. I hope you're well. 
  
  Im extremely sorry to hear that youre yet to receive your refund. I can appreciate how frustrating and stressful this may be for you.
  
  As Delta originally refunded the previous amount, Ive emailed them asking them to reach out to you directly to get this matter resolved as soon as possible. Theyll be in touch shortly.
  
  Thank you so much for your patience at this time.
  
  I hope we can welcome you onboard again in the future, to restore your faith in us at Virgin Atlantic.  
  

  
  Kind regards,

   

  Demi-*********************?

  Customer Care 
  
  Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd 
  The VHQ, ******************
  *******
  RH10 9DF, **
  http://www.virginatlantic.com
  
  If you wish to respond please just click reply to this email to ensure your individual Case VSCR-00451855 is updated and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

• Initial Complaint

  10/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I booked a flight from *** to ****** over the phone on Aug 19th the day my father died, leaving on Aug 21st to attend my father's funeral which happened on Aug 22nd. As the death was unexpected I booked my flight last minute but I made the representative aware that I had suffered a bereavement and asked if there was a bereavement fare. I was told by the representative that bereavement fares were available but the confirmation of death from the hospital was not adequate and I would need the death certificate which I did not yet have, however they told me they would notate on my reservation that it was for a bereavement and that once I received the death certificate I would be able to send it in and claim a partial refund. I asked what the refund amount would be and was told they could not determine that until they received the death certificate. I received that certificate September 6th and contacted the airline regarding the refund they asked me to email the death certificate which I did and I was told it would take up to 14 business days. On September 30th I had not heard back so I contacted the airline again and was told that the refund had been treated incorrectly that they had not realized it was for a bereavement and that it would be escalated again taking up to 14 business days. On October 12th when I still had heard nothing further I contacted the Airline again this time I was informed that their representative didn't do his job correctly and when he sold me the flight he was supposed to look up the lowest possible fare on the day of travel which he failed to do. Since the flight was taken they are now refusing to honor the partial refund as they claim they can not identify the amount. This is unacceptable that because their employee failed to do his job I should be penalized and denied the refund that they promised to me.

  

  Business response

  10/13/2022

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

  Thank you for reaching out to us, please accept my sincere apologies for my unintentional delay in getting back to you.

  I am truly sorry to hear of your loss. I really do hope you are doing okay; I understand this is not an easy time for you.
  
  Furthermore, I can appreciate your frustration and disappointment with the service provided to you upon booking your flights for your fathers funeral.Especially as you were advised of a part refund once we had received the death certificate, in which the bereavement fare would be applied.
  
  For me to look into your case in detail, please could you provide me with:
  
  - Flight booking reference (6 characters beginning A-G)
  - Departure date
  - Departure Flight number
  
  If I could kindly ask you to attach your fathers death certificate also, and I will have all the information I need to assist you further.
  
  Thank you for your valued cooperation,I look forward to hearing from you. 

  Kindest Regards,

  Virgin Atlantic's Customer Care

  Customer response

  10/13/2022

  I tried to respond and upload the requested documents but keep getting an error so if the response is filed more than once I apologize. Attached is the death certificate and the booking confirmation. Booking reference is EGBS8G flying from *** to *** on vs26 Aug 21 and returning on Aug 25 from MAN.

  

  Business response

  10/14/2022

  Dear *************?
  

  Thank you for taking the time to write in. I hope you're keeping well and I am sorry to hear about your loss.
  

  I'm sorry to hear that you have not received a refund for the fare difference as you travelled due to bereavement. 
  

  I have raised this with our refund department and have informed them of the circumstances. Hopefully this should be resolved within 14 days. 
  

  If you haven't received anything by then, please let us know and we will look into this further. 
  

  Kind regards,

  ***********************?
  Customer Care 
  
  Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd 
  The VHQ, ******************
  *******
  RH10 9DF, **
  http://www.virginatlantic.com
  

  Customer response

  10/14/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me, however until I receive the refund that they have promised I can't close this complaint and seeing as this is the 3rd time they have submitted it to their refund department each time with a 14 business day turn around it will not be resolved within 7 calendar days. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  10/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We were on a flight leaving ******** to ****** on June 27th that virgin cancelled on the morning of the flight. They had rebooked us to one the following day going through Amsterdam but I called and managed to get on one leaving that evening around 2 hours later than our original flight. This meant we landed around 2:30 hours after our original scheduled arrival time and virgin emailed me to say that with a less than 3 hour delay we would be eligible for a 300GBP refund per traveller. I have emailed several times and opened a complaint with them but they are refusing to compensate as they are claiming the flight we got rebooked onto was our original flight so we werent inconvenienced. I have sent all the flight details and have emails from them about the cancelled flight and the compensation we are due. I would like a resolution from them as soon as possible. Complaint reference number with virgin: VSCR-********.

  

  Business response

  10/05/2022

  Dear *****************, 
  
  Thank you for reaching out to us. I hope you're well. 
  
  Im so sorry to hear that theres been some confusion surrounding your compensation. I can appreciate how frustrating and stressful this may be for you.
  
  Ive investigated your case, and I can see that you had submitted a compensation claim which our dedicated claims team had dealt with.
  
  As your delay was under 3 hours, you would not be eligible for compensation on this occasion unfortunately. This to remain consistent and fair with all our customers.
  
  However, I do believe that in this circumstance, an apology isnt enough. As a gesture of goodwill, I have credited ***** Virgin Points into your *********** account. I know this will not rectify what has happened, but I do hope it goes some way in showing you how sorry I really am. I hope you can accept it in the spirit intended.
  
  I hope we can welcome you onboard again in the future, to restore your faith in us at Virgin Atlantic.
  

  
  Kind regards,
  

  
  Demi-*********************?
  Customer Care 
  
  Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd 
  The VHQ, ******************
  *******
  RH10 9DF, **
  http://www.virginatlantic.com
  
  If you wish to respond please just click reply to this email to ensure your individual Case VSCR-00433387 is updated and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

  Customer response

  10/05/2022

  I don't understand the response as i received the attached email when our flight was cancelled that specifically states: 

  ****** *********** points (Per passenger)  
  
  Or
  
  If your new arrival time means you incur a 1-4 hour delay you are eligible for a refund of 260 (Per Passenger)

  As our delay was 3 hours that falls in to the 1-4 hour delay range so we should be eligible for 260GBP per passenger or at least the ****** points per passenger. The **** points offered doesnt come close to that so i would like a revised offer with what Virgin specifically stated we would be due. 

  

  Business response

  10/07/2022

  Thank you for contacting us, I do hope this finds you well.
  
  I am sorry you were subject to a cancellation. I do apologise we try to avoid these as much as possible as we know the impacts it has on our passengers.
  
  After investigating I was able to find your original offer of 260 per passenger as compensation for your flight delay.
  
  I can not apologise enough for the inconvenience and stress this must have caused you the last few months due to our ********************* failure. 
  
  I will follow this up from your original case with a link to a bank transfer of 520 for you and your travel companion on your booking.
  
  As a gesture on top of this for our error I have added ****** *********** points as a gesture from us. I know this wont take away from your experience, but I do hope It will help create better memories with us in the future.
  
  Once again, I deeply apologise for the failure, and I am glad I have now been able to rectify this for you. 

  Kindest Regards, 

  *************************; 

  
  

  Customer response

  10/28/2022

  I received confirmation from Virgin that they would process my claim for compensation and I provided my bank details as requested. They stated that the process could take 14 business days but it has now gone over that and I haven't heard anything.

  

  Business response

  10/29/2022

  Customer has been responded to directly under case reference VSCR-******** and will be kept open until payment issue has been resolved. 

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  10/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I booked reservations on Aug 15th for the ******** family of 8 plus an infant to fly from JFK to ********** on October 6th with Virgin Atlantic flight # VS128. The booking references were #EXXPU7 and #EYCGID. The reservations were booked using my *********** miles and the tickets were issued. I called in to Virgin Atlantic a while later to check on seating assignments and was told by the agent that the reservations have been canceled by the airline. I asked why have I not been notified of it and why was it canceled? The agent said she has no idea, it just says "due to possible fraud". I said there was no fraud, I made the bookings with my miles, it's not like someone else gained access to my account and made a booking without my authorization or knowledge. She said she will put a note to the relevant department and I should call back at a later time. I called back a few days later and there were no updates on this matter. I called a few more times and no updates. I called again on September 19th and was told to send an email to ******************************************** I sent the email and no response. I called again on September 28th and the agent asked that I send the email again so she can log it while I'm on the phone with her. I forwarded the email again and she confirmed receipt of the email, she told me she will take it to her manager and I will receive a call back by the next day. I have not received a call back, I called again on October 2nd and was told that there are no notes on this case and I should send an email to ********************************************* I sent the email but still no response. We're running out of time as they need to fly on October 6th.

  

  Business response

  10/04/2022

  Dear Mr. ********?
  
  Thank you for taking the time to write in. I hope you're keeping safe and well. 
  

  I'm sorry to hear about the trouble you've had with this booking. Unfortunately due to the reason for the cancellation, we are unable to reinstate the booking. If you would like to make this booking, we are unable to do this through *********** and you will have to pay the full fare. 
  

  If you need any further assistance, our *************** team are the right people to assist you with your query. You can reach them on ******************* from ****** or *************** from the US. Our phone lines may be a bit busier than usual right now. If you are calling from somewhere else in the world, you can find the best contact number on your website.
  

  Kind regards,
  
  ***********************?
  Customer Care 
  
  Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd 
  The VHQ, ******************
  *******
  RH10 9DF, **
  http://www.virginatlantic.com

  Customer response

  10/04/2022

   
  Complaint: 18158272
  
  I am rejecting this response because: You are still not providing a reason why these reservations were canceled. There's no reason for it to have been canceled, and there's certainly no reason for the lack of communicaton about this matter.

  I'm expecting these reservations to be reinstated in a timely fashion otherwise I will be forced to file a complaint against Virgin Atlantic with the **** Please be advised that there's an attorney in our immediate family who will bring legal action against Virgin Atlanitic Airways, *** to recoup all costs incurred for booking alternative flight arrangements should these reservtions not be reinstated as they were originally booked and ticketed. 

  I'm hoping you will review this matter and bring it to a satisfactory resolution.
  

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

  

  Business response

  10/05/2022

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

  There were various bookings made in a short period of time using your *********** points under a few different names, none of which were connected to yourself, which caused our system to flag them up. We cannot just reinstate these bookings you would have to call our *********************** to make another booking and/or to get the issue rectified. Please note due the reasons for the cancellation you may be asked to pay in cash at the airport.

  ***** Arch-*****

  Customer Care 
  
  Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd 
  The VHQ, ******************
  *******
  RH10 9DF, **
  http://www.virginatlantic.com

• Initial Complaint

  09/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a flight ticket for five in June 2021 via the Virgin Atlantic website. I also purchased travel insurance. Unfortunately, we could not travel due to Omicron surge during winter 2021 as we all contracted COVID. We made several calls to Virgin Atlantic to reschedule to no avail. Virgin Atlantic will put us on a hold for up to three hours only for the call to drop. I spent countless hours on the phone and completed many online forms. I wasn't able to obtain any support or guidance. In one correspondence, I was informed that the insurance was not issued by their partner insurance company even though the insurance was added to the flight ticket when I was purchasing the ticket ( see invoice copy). At that point, the only option on their web was to accept a travel voucher which was against my wish. I have tried unsuccessfully to rebook my flight or obtain a refund.Anytime I try to rebook, virgin Atlantic will redirect me to a bot which leads to a dead end. Better Business Bureau, I need your help in obtaining a full refund so I can book my flights with another airline Or they can rebook us.Thank you

  

  Business response

  09/25/2022

  Please note we have responded via case ref VSCR-00409722

  Customer response

  10/03/2022

  I filed a complaint to BBB on September 25, 2022. BBB assigned ID ******** to the case. The original complaint was: I purchased a flight ticket for five in June 2021 via the Virgin Atlantic website. I also purchased travel insurance. Unfortunately, we could not travel due to Omicron surge during winter 2021 as we all contracted COVID. We made several calls to Virgin Atlantic to reschedule to no avail. Virgin Atlantic will put us on a hold for up to three hours only for the call to drop. I spent countless hours on the phone and completed many online forms. I wasn't able to obtain any support or guidance. In one correspondence, I was informed that the insurance was not issued by their partner insurance company even though the insurance was added to the flight ticket when I was purchasing the ticket ( see invoice copy). At that point, the only option on their web was to accept a travel voucher which was against my wish. I have tried unsuccessfully to rebook my flight or obtain a refund. Anytime I try to rebook, virgin Atlantic will redirect me to a bot which leads to a dead end. Better Business Bureau, I need your help in obtaining a full refund so I can book my flights with another airline Or they can rebook us. The company responded and asked for best number and time to call them which I provided. However, they have not called nor reach out since them. On checking BBB correspondence, I saw that the case has been closed claiming that the company made a good faith attempt to resolve the case. I would like to state that virgin Atlantic airways did not call me nor have done anything to rebook the flight or refund my money. I am frustrated at the lack of professionalism and utter disregard they have shown to me, their customer. As each day goes by so do my chances of booking an affordable flight for my travel. BBB, please do not close this case without verifying that they have resolved the case.

  

  Business response

  10/04/2022

  Dear ****************

  Hope I find you well.

  I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing some difficulty with re-planning your flight. As you can imagine due to the pandemic, we have had to make a lot of changes to our schedule which includes last minute cancellations and/or amendments.
  
  Unfortunately as per the Terms and Conditions of your Travel voucher we are not able to provide you with a refund after you have chosen to accept a travel voucher. It  has the same value as your original booking, it can be used to pay or part-pay for a new booking.
   
  Your Travel Voucher can be booked either online by completing the Im Ready to Rebook form or by calling our ********************************************** team are the right people to assist you with your Pre travel query. You can reach them on ******************* from ****** or *************** from the US however, our phone lines may be a bit busier than usual right now.

  Sorry once again for the inconvenience caused and we look forward to welcoming you onboard with us again soon.  

  Kind regards,

  ***************************** - Customer Care

• Initial Complaint

  09/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Hi there I am writing this email in utter distress after having totally devastating experience at the hands of your airline. My husband ********************************* has travelled on 15th sep 2022 from ****** to ******* transit in *********************** ( boarding pass attached) On reaching destination found out that his luggage has been left in ******. We launched a formal complaint (complaint form attached) and were assured to get it delivered in 24 hrs at the hotel ( Fairfield Inn suits, ******************************************************************) where my husband is staying for important business meetings. After patiently waiting for 3 days and not having any way to communicate with airline syaff, we were told that as per record, baggage has been delivered at 8 a.m on 17th sep, 2022 and complaint already closed despite our repeated emails regarding the status of lost bag.We investigated at our end by involving hotel management through CCTV footage and hotel records but no such delivery was found. We went on further to check in other hotels of the same chain as finding our bag is our utmost priority which contains important samples and formal suits necessary for the intended business meetings but didn't find any record of any delivery made there too.You cannot imagine the excruciating pain you have caused us by first losing our luggage despite travelling in business class which is supposed to offer better experience and then closing the complaint despite repeated reminders via email about the list baggage.Is this how your treat your frequent flyers.Isn't it your responsibility to drop the luggage I a secure way to its intended destination though I seriously doubt it was ever dispatched. I find your attitude extremely criminal, bordering on being criminal. I urge you to investigate the case and find out the whereabouts of our lost bag as finding it is extremely important for us. Here are the contact details *********************** CHAUDHARY frequent flyer no **********

  

  Business response

  09/24/2022

  Good morning, 

   

  I hope you are well.

   

  I am truly sorry to read about the position you are in with your bags. I am very shocked by the handling of this and we trust our third party delivery company to ensure bags reach our customers safely. I cannot apologise enough for the stress and inconvenience we have caused you. We do our best to ensure your baggage reach their final destination on time and with you. However, with both manual and automated processes in place, things can occasionally go wrong. I'm sorry that this was the case for you.

   

  I have found your case reference VSCR-00444232 with our baggage claims team. I have sent your emails over to our baggage tracing team at ********************************************** as they will be best placed to assist you with this and hopefully, reunite you with your bags very soon. They will have the recourse to investigate exactly what happened with your delivery and help retrieve your bags. I am so sorry that you have felt let down by us as this is never how we would want our customers to feel. 

   

  You will hear from our tracing team shortly, I hope you are able to get the answers and resolution you deserve.

   

  Kind Regards,

  *********

  Customer Care

   

   

  Customer response

  10/06/2022

   

  First of all I am thankful that you have taken this matter with concerned company (Vigin Atlantic) and they have started working on my complaint. 

   

  However despite of their assurance, I still have not received my lost bag and this has become quite excriciating situation for me now. 

  I have just checked the status of Complaint # ******** at your website and found that this has been closed, I would request you to kindly reopen it as issue hasn't been resolved so far and I would also request you to please followup with them once again to boost up their response.

   

  

  Business response

  11/04/2022

  Thank you for getting in touch.
  
  I hope that you're well.Please accept my apologies for my delayed response.
  
  I'm sorry to learn of the issues that you've experienced regarding your baggage. I don't underestimate the inconvenience caused.
  
  Please be assured that we're currently looking into this for you with the relevant team and will be back in touch directly as soon as possible.
  
  
  Kind regards,
  
  
  Customer Care 
  
  ******************************************************************** Ltd 
  The VHQ, ******************
  *******
  RH10 9DF, **
  http://www.virginatlantic.com
  

  Customer response

  11/05/2022

   
  Complaint: 18118183
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have been getting the same response since 16th of Sep 2022 when I registered my complaint. Every time I write to them I get same feedback that "we are looking in to this matter and will sort it out very soon or will revert back very soon" however their "soon" seems to have a different meaning in their dictionary. I can comprehend that company may take couple of days or a week to investigate or maybe two weeks to resolve the situation but this has already taken more than one & a half months. I have already launched my claim and no one is responding on that too. Someone at Virgin Atlantic ******** care team should take some responsibility to take care of this issue on priority at resolve the matter amicably.      
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  

  Business response

  11/08/2022

  Dear *********************?

  I can see that you have accepted the bank transfer to close this case. I have copied the email below:

  
  "Thank you so much for taking the time to email us and I'm so sorry for the delay in my reply. First and foremost, I hope you had an amazing and comfortable flight with us despite the issues encountered.
   
  I would like to thank you for providing the form regarding your lost items, you are eligible to receive the full amount of ******* USD. As you're located in ******, I have converted this into PKR using www.xe.com meaning your final settlement is ********** PKR.
   
  We want to make sure you receive the payment thats due to you as soon as possible. To arrange this, please click on the link below to enter your bank details. To ensure your payment is completed successfully, please either click the link below (preferable) or if you do need to copy and paste it to your browser, be sure to copy the entire link in full, otherwise the payment details may not be completed correctly:
   
  
  https://help.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/contact-forms/payment-bank-details.html?paymentnumber=VSCR-00444232-256970&base=PKR
  
  Once your details have been submitted, it can take up to 14 working days for the money to appear in your account.
   
  Please note, this covers the whole of your claim and any claims you might make in the future for this luggage. Accepting this payment into your account confirms that you agree to these terms and conditions. This will then mean that Virgin Atlantic, our contractors, and any third parties or insurers used by us will be clear of any further liability.
   
  Thank you once again for your time and patience whilst we resolved this for you, we cannot wait to welcome you back onboard for another Virgin Atlantic experience.
  Kind regards,
  *************************?
  Baggage Services 
  
  Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd 
  The VHQ, ******************
  *******
  RH10 9DF, **
  http://www.virginatlantic.com
  
  If you wish to respond please just click reply to this email to ensure your individual Case VSCR-00444232 is updated and we will get back to you as soon as we can."

   

  Which you have responded to:

  Dear *************************?
  
  
  Thanks for your e-mail and confirming my claim amount, I have submitted my bank details using the link provided in your e-mail.
  
  
  I hope & will look forward to receive the amount soon.
  
  
  Best regards
  Bilal 
  
  

  I will therefore close this case. If you need anything else, please feel free to contact us.

  Customer response

  11/10/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  I am just waiting for the claim amount (as confirmed by the business) to be transferred to my account now, I hope this will have no further obstacles. 

  Thanks very much for all your support.

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

• Initial Complaint

  09/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Virgin Atlantic damaged the closing and locking mechanisms on one piece of luggage enough to make it completely useless for travel. I filed a claim, Virgin Atlantic determined that they were indeed at fault/accepted responsibility, and said they were going to pay me within 15 work days. It's been over 2 months, still no reimbursement, and they will not respond to multiple inquiries on why I am not getting paid. I do not take it very lightly giving them all of my personal information, including, specifically, my bank account information so they could make a direct deposit. Virgin Atlantic reference VSCR-********, email **********.

  

  Business response

  09/21/2022

  Dear *******************

   

  I am truly sorry that you have not received your payment yet. I will email you from our ********************************************* email address immediately with another payment link to get this rectified for you.

   

  Kind Regards,

   

  *********

  Baggage Services

  Customer response

  09/21/2022

  This is pretty much the original response, summarized, that I got from Virgin Atlantic back in June, specifically them telling me to give them my banking information and they will make a deposit in 14 business days. So the BBB 7 day window is kind of moot since I have to wait 14 business days, by whichever calendar Virgin Atlantic uses while conducting business. Let's keep the case open, please.  Thanks

  Customer response

  10/13/2022

  No, funds HAVE NOT been received. Original claim approved, was supposed to have funds deposited in 14 work days. Funds not deposited. Inquired, replied that funds will be deposited in 45 days. Still werent deposited. Tried numerous times to reach our to someone, anyone, but nobody would reply. I registered a complaint with BBB, was told yet again that funds would be deposited in 14 business days. In summary, FUNDS HAVE NOT BEEN DEPOSITED INTO MY ACCOUNT AS PROMISED 3 times. 

  

  Business response

  12/06/2022

  Dear The Better Business Bureau and *******************,
  
  I hope youre all doing well.
  
  BBB, I can confirm that we were in contact with ******************* during the dates of 01/10 to 07/11. The outstanding payment of 279USD was processed successfully and received by ******************* before 11/11/2022. The claim has been resolved our end. Unfortunately,due to an admin error with Virgin Atlantic, the correspondences were not uploaded to the BBB portal.
  
  *******************, we are truly sorry again for the poor experience youve experience with Virgin Atlantic. This certainly isnt what we expect for our customers. Please be assured that this will be passed on internally as feedback so we can improve our services moving forward. If there is anything else I can do for you, please let me know.
  
  We do hope to welcome you back onboard very soon.
  
  Kind regards
  
  ******* *******
  Team ********************* & Claims

  Customer response

  12/06/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the canned response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.Nothing says IDGAF like Virgin Atlantic and their robo replies...
  Thank you, BBB, for all of your help.
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  09/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Flew from ***************************** to ********* on August 26th.My seat was broken & unable to recline which made it impossible to get any sleep. My girlfriend's in flight entertainment screen was broken. She was able to get some sleep before one of the stewardesses ran into her arm with the drink cart. Just a very poor experience all around.

  

  Business response

  09/21/2022

  Dear *****************,
  
  Thank you for speaking to me earlier. I hope you are doing well.
  
  I again apologise your recent overall experience on your journey from ******* to ********* was poor. I completely understand how upsetting and frustrating it must have been for you both.

  
  As discussed in our call,Ive credited ****** Virgin Points per person on the booking into your *********** account as a gesture of goodwill and an apology for this unpleasant experience with us.
  
  Ive also raised a claim to refund the Preferred Seating fee which has not been used in your flight from ****** to *******. It should be credited back to the original form of payment within 14 working days.
  
  I understand these gestured dont change what happened, but I hope they make some amends and shows how sorry we are.
  
  Thank you for contacting us, *****************. We look forward to welcoming you onboard with us real soon on a true Virgin Atlantic experience.  

   

  Kind Regards,

  Virgin Atlantic 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. ↩