Virginaustraliaistheworst
Newbie
- Joined
- May 14, 2014
- Posts
- 2
Virgin baggage blues.
Just returned from a 3 day trip to Australia via Virgin Australia. A very nice in the air business class experience was ruined by a third world on the ground experience with Virgin's baggage process.
Left LA on Sunday, after connecting from a Delta flight. 2 hour layover, so no worries on baggage, right? Took VA to Melbourne. Upon arrival, no bag. As I had two days of business meetings, this was a big deal.
VA baggage agent in Melbourne says a bunch of bags missed the flight (and he had a stack of claim forms on his desk). Also says "this happens a lot with Delta". Says that bag will be in MEL on the flight arriving the next morning, and would be sent on to Adelaide (where my meetings were). OK, hassle, but it does happen. Filled out claim forms with all relevant info, run over to catch the flight to Adelaide, rush over to buy a suit and clothes for meetings the next morning, expecting I'll have the bag by mid afternoon at the latest.
The next two days were a never ending horror show of trying to get a status out of VA. The Melbourne office doesn't answer the phone, left multiple messages. Finally get through to them and they say the bag still is in LA. Back to buy yet more clothes for the next day meeting. Same story the next day, no status on website or via phone.
Leaving the third day, talk to the baggage agent at the Adelaide airport. He says the bag is enroute from LA to Mel, but will try to get it to Sydney (connecting city) and reunited with me. Check in at Sydney, of course no bag, and agents there promise to get it to LA and shipped home to me in San Diego. Get to LA, they say the bag is still in Sydney, and has been routed to Sacramento (different city in the US, no idea why it would ever go there).
Bottom line, 5 days in and still no bag, major financial hit and inconvenience, and the worst overall experience I've had in 20 years as a frequent flyer worldwide. I've actually flown into Mogadishu and had a better baggage experience.
Some takeaways: 14 separate interactions with Virgin Australia over the past five days, and not once did someone follow up with a phone call or email (as they promised to do-left contact info at every step), or even apologize for the screw up. II understand mistakes happen, but no one seemed to take any interest in resolving this issue, and no status or proactive approach to communications at all-generally a "we could care less" approach. Absolutely unbelievable.
Now off to the claim process, where I'm sure I'll get the token $100 brush off payment for five days of hassle.
I've already changed carriers for my remaining trips for the year. Adding up 5 business class fares, that's close to $80k in revenue lost in the near term. Hope it was worth it Virgin...
Just returned from a 3 day trip to Australia via Virgin Australia. A very nice in the air business class experience was ruined by a third world on the ground experience with Virgin's baggage process.
Left LA on Sunday, after connecting from a Delta flight. 2 hour layover, so no worries on baggage, right? Took VA to Melbourne. Upon arrival, no bag. As I had two days of business meetings, this was a big deal.
VA baggage agent in Melbourne says a bunch of bags missed the flight (and he had a stack of claim forms on his desk). Also says "this happens a lot with Delta". Says that bag will be in MEL on the flight arriving the next morning, and would be sent on to Adelaide (where my meetings were). OK, hassle, but it does happen. Filled out claim forms with all relevant info, run over to catch the flight to Adelaide, rush over to buy a suit and clothes for meetings the next morning, expecting I'll have the bag by mid afternoon at the latest.
The next two days were a never ending horror show of trying to get a status out of VA. The Melbourne office doesn't answer the phone, left multiple messages. Finally get through to them and they say the bag still is in LA. Back to buy yet more clothes for the next day meeting. Same story the next day, no status on website or via phone.
Leaving the third day, talk to the baggage agent at the Adelaide airport. He says the bag is enroute from LA to Mel, but will try to get it to Sydney (connecting city) and reunited with me. Check in at Sydney, of course no bag, and agents there promise to get it to LA and shipped home to me in San Diego. Get to LA, they say the bag is still in Sydney, and has been routed to Sacramento (different city in the US, no idea why it would ever go there).
Bottom line, 5 days in and still no bag, major financial hit and inconvenience, and the worst overall experience I've had in 20 years as a frequent flyer worldwide. I've actually flown into Mogadishu and had a better baggage experience.
Some takeaways: 14 separate interactions with Virgin Australia over the past five days, and not once did someone follow up with a phone call or email (as they promised to do-left contact info at every step), or even apologize for the screw up. II understand mistakes happen, but no one seemed to take any interest in resolving this issue, and no status or proactive approach to communications at all-generally a "we could care less" approach. Absolutely unbelievable.
Now off to the claim process, where I'm sure I'll get the token $100 brush off payment for five days of hassle.
I've already changed carriers for my remaining trips for the year. Adding up 5 business class fares, that's close to $80k in revenue lost in the near term. Hope it was worth it Virgin...
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