CPMaverick
Active Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2015
- Posts
- 778
My SO is flying on VA1 today (17 Feb). She doesn't have a way to contact me while in transit, and I can't contact her until she arrives in the US, so I was checking on her flight and connection.
I subscribed to VA's flight updates by email. Here are the emails I received:
what? That is a huge delay after departure, although I don't know exactly what '15:15 pm' is...
This is where it hurts. The agent told me happily that the reservation has not changed schedule, everything was fine. I told her it showed 'Diverted' in the flight status. She doesn't know what diverted means, she thinks I am talking about a schedule change. After 5 minutes of torturous discussion, she says she will check with her flight team. After a 10 minute hold, she comes back and says 'the flight departed Brisbane already 20 minutes ago yesterday.' After more questions from me she corrects this and says it is on it's way to LAX from Brisbane, but there is no scheduled arrival time.
In the air but no scheduled arrival time? I press her on that and after a 10 minute hold, she returns and says that there is an arrival time of 9:20 pm in LAX. I asked her if she is sure the flight has departed from BNE, she said yes. That makes it a 20 hour flight! I press her on this and she says 'This is just an estimate call back later for updates'
Unsatisfied, I press harder to speak to a supervisor and finally after another hold I get one. She says it is meant to depart at 10:00 pm from Brisbane and arrive at 5:15 pm in LAX. This timing seems odd, I think it is probably 15:15, but at least I got someone halfway competent.
I am shocked at the experience to be honest, an airline can't even tell me where their planes are. If the online status didn't tell me to call for details I could forgive them, but if the website says to call for details I shouldn't find such ignorance.
I subscribed to VA's flight updates by email. Here are the emails I received:
The Virgin Australia flight you have subscribed to, VA1 has departed from Sydney (SYD). The estimated arrival time in Los Angeles (LAX) is 05:43 on 17 Feb 2016.
The Virgin Australia flight you have subscribed to, VA1 has a new estimated arrival time in Los Angeles (LAX) of 15:15 pm on 17 Feb 2016.

Ok, I check the flight status online and it says 'Diverted' and to phone VA's main number for more details. Arrival time is showing 15:15 pm in LAXThe Virgin Australia flight you subscribed to, VA 1 on 17 Feb 2016 has been diverted to Brisbane (BNE). We will provide you with further information as soon as possible.
Now it isn't arriving in Brisbane until 5:10 pm?? Then thisThe Virgin Australia flight you have subscribed to, VA1 has a new estimated arrival time in Brisbane (BNE) of 17:10 on 17 Feb 2016.
Since the reservation was made under Delta, I called them to rebook the connecting flights. While on hold with them, I check flightstats and it shows the flight is still ontime. I don't want to rebook if that was the case, I'll just call VA quick and confirm right?The Virgin Australia flight you have subscribed to, VA1 has a new estimated arrival time in Brisbane (BNE) of 15:50 on 17 Feb 2016.
This is where it hurts. The agent told me happily that the reservation has not changed schedule, everything was fine. I told her it showed 'Diverted' in the flight status. She doesn't know what diverted means, she thinks I am talking about a schedule change. After 5 minutes of torturous discussion, she says she will check with her flight team. After a 10 minute hold, she comes back and says 'the flight departed Brisbane already 20 minutes ago yesterday.' After more questions from me she corrects this and says it is on it's way to LAX from Brisbane, but there is no scheduled arrival time.
In the air but no scheduled arrival time? I press her on that and after a 10 minute hold, she returns and says that there is an arrival time of 9:20 pm in LAX. I asked her if she is sure the flight has departed from BNE, she said yes. That makes it a 20 hour flight! I press her on this and she says 'This is just an estimate call back later for updates'
Unsatisfied, I press harder to speak to a supervisor and finally after another hold I get one. She says it is meant to depart at 10:00 pm from Brisbane and arrive at 5:15 pm in LAX. This timing seems odd, I think it is probably 15:15, but at least I got someone halfway competent.
I am shocked at the experience to be honest, an airline can't even tell me where their planes are. If the online status didn't tell me to call for details I could forgive them, but if the website says to call for details I shouldn't find such ignorance.