VA Schedule Change - Complaints outcomes?

[scheps]

Hi guys, just wondering if you lodged a complaint, did it ever go anywhere? (recently).

I guess they know there is not much in the way of recourse they really don't need to provide much of a service or resolution. We don't really have much in the way of rights and they know that.

I think their service and reliability has really deteriorated of late.

Or maybe I am just hitting a patch of bad luck?

Just had a flight change I stumbled upon which changed my actual flight day! not just time.

And the service operator said they can put me on a flight with a 5minute transit and when i asked what if i cant make the transit in 5 minutes she said well then you wont get to your destination. LOL. i couldn't believe what i heard. So had to opt for an overnight layover for a domestic flight. Thats new experience to me. I presume VA will not be covering the hotel stay either.....

 

[eastwest101]

Hi guys, just wondering if you lodged a complaint, did it ever go anywhere? (recently).

I guess they know there is not much in the way of recourse they really don't need to provide much of a service or resolution. We don't really have much in the way of rights and they know that.

I think their service and reliability has really deteriorated of late.

Or maybe I am just hitting a patch of bad luck?

Just had a flight change I stumbled upon which changed my actual flight day! not just time.

And the service operator said they can put me on a flight with a 5minute transit and when i asked what if i cant make the transit in 5 minutes she said well then you wont get to your destination. LOL. i couldn't believe what i heard. So had to opt for an overnight layover for a domestic flight. Thats new experience to me. I presume VA will not be covering the hotel stay either.....

The exact same thing happened to me last week, an involuntary domestic VA flight change resulting in an unwanted overnight in BNE. When I called VA to change flights I was only offered a limited range of options/alternative flights and I specified that I would be putting in a claim. I thought that this would be an epic battle taking days/weeks or months to resolve.

I did put in a claim a few days ago using the general feedback form on the VA website, I used the key phrase "involuntary flight change" and included an attachment with a receipt for the hotel room and was most surprised with the response the same day referring my complaint to the relevant department in Virgin (which didn't require me phone up or email a new complaint and repeat the entire story again). One day later I received an email from an actual person in Brisbane with a request for bank details to recompense me for the overnight hotel, all paid and funds transferred that day.

Just make sure you have the receipt and paper trail, booking ref, and use the phrase "involuntary flight change" and you should be able to make a successful claim for expenses incurred.

 

[goldenhorn]

Not Virgin, but I had the same thing happen with Qantas. Submitted the claim for hotel, Uber and food and was paid promptly. You should be fine with getting back what it costs you.

 

[RooFlyer]

The only time I've been delayed on VA causing me to miss my onward connection, the last flight of the day, I was proactively offered a hotel and meals. The hotel didn't suit me (pretty basic), so I looked after myself.

 

[scheps]

The only time I've been delayed on VA causing me to miss my onward connection, the last flight of the day, I was proactively offered a hotel and meals. The hotel didn't suit me (pretty basic), so I looked after myself.

yep i was part of a late flight out of BNE cancellation previously and the non locals had hotels booked for them in gold coast because apparently non in brisbane .... and locals just went home.

This is a little bit of in reverse where the first leg got cancelled so in order to make the second leg I need to go the night before...

But will give it a try ... but what a serious waste of time doing an overnight layover for a domestic flight......

 

[bcworld]

I think their service and reliability has really deteriorated of late.

Or maybe I am just hitting a patch of bad luck?

No, VA has been a very poor performer over the last few months...but that doesn't really relate to advance notice schedule changes.

If your revised flight results in an overnight stay then they should be on the hook for reasonable accommodation, taxi and meal costs...that is stated in their terms and conditions. Offering a 5 minute connection instead (which hopefully would not have ticketed anyway) does not get them off the hook for that.

 

[trisreed]

If your revised flight results in an overnight stay then they should be on the hook for reasonable accommodation, taxi and meal costs...that is stated in their terms and conditions. Offering a 5 minute connection instead (which hopefully would not have ticketed anyway) does not get them off the hook for that.

Certainly didn't seem to be forthcoming when this type of change was suggested to me last month - nothing was noted in the email and a suggestion of this on the phone was met with confusion by the offshore call centre team. In the end, spoon feeding them a suggestion of moving me to an earlier flight managed to solve things.

I think their service and reliability has really deteriorated of late.
Or maybe I am just hitting a patch of bad luck?

Certainly the abilities of the offshore call centre team don't seem to match those of when it is onshore - certainly agree more delays and cancellations of late which with well managed systems and service wouldn't be as bad of a problem.

Just be thankful you weren't suggested by the operator to take the original flight (now delayed such that it would miss a connection, hence the flight change) instead of the one they'd changed you to. This happened twice to me for the same incident by the consultant and ostensibly their manager. I can see why they are pushing the self service portal.

 

[eastwest101]

Certainly didn't seem to be forthcoming when this type of change was suggested to me last month - nothing was noted in the email and a suggestion of this on the phone was met with confusion by the offshore call centre team. In the end, spoon feeding them a suggestion of moving me to an earlier flight managed to solve things.

Certainly the abilities of the offshore call centre team don't seem to match those of when it is onshore - certainly agree more delays and cancellations of late which with well managed systems and service wouldn't be as bad of a problem.

Just be thankful you weren't suggested by the operator to take the original flight (now delayed such that it would miss a connection, hence the flight change) instead of the one they'd changed you to. This happened twice to me for the same incident by the consultant and ostensibly their manager. I can see why they are pushing the self service portal.

While the self service portal is a good idea, I found that even with 1-2 weeks notice about some flight changes it wasn't possible to see all the possible options of flights to get me to my final destination either a day before, on the same day, or on the next day or using some other routing solutions.

I assume this is because the Virgin re-routing self service portal is still either constrained by fare rules or by yield management measures? Thats the reason I called the call centre and as others have mentioned - required spoon feeding by me to request the flight numbers and days that I wanted, and even then the phone operators were coming up against fare rule prohibitions or change fees, that really aren't applicable in the involuntary schedule change situation.

 

[bcworld]

Certainly didn't seem to be forthcoming when this type of change was suggested to me last month - nothing was noted in the email and a suggestion of this on the phone was met with confusion by the offshore call centre team. In the end, spoon feeding them a suggestion of moving me to an earlier flight managed to solve things.

Guest Compensation Policy - customer service | Virgin Australia

You may be entitled to the assistance set out in this policy where you have a confirmed and/or ticketed reservation on a Virgin Australia flight and we need to make a change to your reservation before or on your day of travel.

www.virginaustralia.com

If Virgin Australia delays or cancels your flight due to factors within its control and as a result you are delayed overnight while you wait for your new Virgin Australia service, you will be entitled to claim under this Policy for the following:

• The reasonable cost of hotel accommodation (if you are not at your home port and if we do not organise accommodation for you) up to $200 per room per night;
• The reasonable cost of airport transfers (for example, taxi, Uber, train, ferry or bus);
• Reasonable meal costs (up to $30 per night per person if you are not at your home port); and
• Cost incurred for reasonable personal items (if you are not at your home port).

 

[trisreed]

Guest Compensation Policy - customer service | Virgin Australia

You may be entitled to the assistance set out in this policy where you have a confirmed and/or ticketed reservation on a Virgin Australia flight and we need to make a change to your reservation before or on your day of travel.

www.virginaustralia.com

Cheers. My complaint is more in regards to the lack of staff awareness of this policy, rather than the policy itself Unsure if that is intentional or just a by-product.

 

[scheps]

Yep I brought up policy and the VA person say it's not guaranteed.

 

[PERLHR]

Well to be fair to the policy...it does state "you may"....so by same ...it could mean "you may not"!