VA complaint about unserviceable J seat - what's reasonable?

[jpp42]

Hi folks,

I recently travelled PER-SYD on VA VA0556 , on fully flexible Y ticket. I requested and was granted an upgrade to J using 9900 points - my first ever time requesting an upgrade, as most of my status/miles has come from SQ flights, so I tend to use VA points elsewhere. I am SG status.

I was assigned 5K and upon boarding, was given 5A instead. Right next to me at the other BP scanning position, another man had his 5A replaced with 5K. I was confused about this until I was informed by the flight attendant that 5A's seat recline mechanism was totally broken - it would only remain fully upright. I can only imagine this was reported on the inbound flight and the person in 5A originally was a paid J or higher status so was given my previously assigned, working seat. Well, despite being annoyed, I can understand the commercial reasons they do this.

I have put in a complaint with VA - but what is reasonable to ask for? I feel I deserve a credit because I was hoping to use the fully flat seat for some rest, but had to remain upright the whole flight. Then again it's not a big international flight, and I did receive J-class food service, entertainment, etc. How much of my 9900 points should I ask for back?

Edit: Noting that I also paid a premium on the fully flexible ticket to improve the chances I could upgrade and reduce the upgrade points requirement, and while I know that isn't something I can get back, it does play into my frustration.

 

[muppet]

Considering they knew and intentionally moved you, at minimum the full 9,900 points.
To be honest I think it would be reasonable for 30,000 or so. Lying flat is the whole point of a flat bed seat!

 

[Dec1971]

I think that is disgraceful on the part of VA. They knowingly upgraded you to a seat which they knew they couldn't actually provide. If anything that seat should have been a free upgrade to a status pax. You should at the minimum IMO get your points back.

 

[jpp42]

Well I am sure the high status or paid J passenger would also find it disgraceful to be assigned a knowingly broken seat. The alternative would have been for me to be completely downgraded back to
economy. Upgrades are a perk that can be revoked just as quickly as they can be granted - I'm not naive enough to misunderstand that. cough happens and the gate agent had to make a call.

Thanks for validating that asking for the full points back wouldn't be unreasonable.

 

[Dec1971]

Out of interest, if you had requested an upgrade in the lounge prior to the flight and they granted the upgrade but advised you at the time of the issue with the seat would you have still taken the upgrade? I find on some flights I am wide awake and get work done with no need to recline, but that PER - SYD flight always gets me.

 

[jpp42]

I

Out of interest, if you had requested an upgrade in the lounge prior to the flight and they granted the upgrade but advised you at the time of the issue with the seat would you have still taken the upgrade?

I guess I probably would have anyway - it was a daytime flight and although I was tired, the seat was still more comfortable than economy. That's why I was not initially thinking to ask for the full amount of points back.

As with any customer service situation, being offered a choice, and being upfront about the problem, would have been nicer instead of the stealth, "oh you're going to be in 5A today instead" without any indication why.

 

[Bagpuss]

Once my partner and I had upgraded to business class (a330 MEL - PER) using points and the flight was drowngraded to a b737 and we were moved to a later a330 service. We called VA as there was an earlier flight we would prefer which was an a330. They put us through to the Melbourne lounge as the operator has problems allocating the seats. The lounge informed us there were 2 seats but had problems selecting .... it turned out it one was an inoperable seat so they couldn’t allocate. We agreed to go on the earlier flight and the lounge would allocate us the seats if another one came free. We ended up in economy and when leaving the aircraft there were two empty seats so in our case they wouldn’t allocate an inoperable seat. I would have taken the inoperable seat, but they wouldn’t allocate and I would have accepted the seat knowing the condition.

 

[AIRwin]

I would have taken the inoperable seat, but they wouldn’t allocate and I would have accepted the seat knowing the condition.

Was it also 5A?

 

[Happy Dude]

But you were a paid J customer too! When did George Orwell become in charge of seating?

Go with Muppets suggestion of 30k. Highlight, with emotion and hyperbole, the disappointment of not being able to the very thing that you spent more of your hard earned cash and points to do.

 

[Harthagan]

Yes i would drive home the point (to velocity or virgin) that you paid a lot more money for the prospect of upgrading your ticket. Its not uncommon for the freedom tickets to be more than double the getaway fare.

As others indocated, your 9900 points would be what i expect back as a minimum!

 

[Denali]

Pretty sure I got 10,000 points for a bag coming out last so even though he got the J space, seat and food, I dont think asking for his points back is unreasonable - you can only be polite and try.

 

[Harthagan]

Yes they are the company and they are the ones that bungled things up by allocating a seat which wasnt operatimg as advertised. Refunds for things like that are something that is probably already factored into their price structuring

 

[clipped_wings]

In the interest of common decency and good PR - they should be providing a voucher for a FREE J sector aboard a PER-SYD A330. When Business Class is supposed to be the Ultimate Experience for VA (as they don't have F) then you would imagine they are putting their reputation on the line by charging what they do for Business Class. And the fact that you upgraded is of no consequence. You were sold Business Class and you were entitled to everything that Business Class offers, regardless of whether you intended to recline or not.

Go for the jugular.