Virgin has cancelled flight. Rights? [Options]

[sinophile888]

My daughter is booked on Virgin flight in the New Year from Adelaide to Perth. She has just received an email saying the flight is cancelled and they want to transfer her to an earlier flight that day or a flight the next day.
The earlier flight doesn't suit her. She would prefer the flight the next day but she has noticed that the price has decreased by $30 from the price she paid.
Would VIrgin refund the $30 difference?
Would they pay for her to stay in a hotel overnight?
Or would they refund the cost which she paid allowing her to make alternative arrangements?

 

[odysseus]

I don't think they'd refund to difference, though you could ask. But normally their change team only book a replacement, or issue a refund.

Hence, the simplest choice may be to ask for a hotel, or refund, depending on preference. If they push back, you could negotiate further with one of the options for a hotel or full refund depending what you asked the first time, or $30 discount.

 

[Matt_01]

If it is only $30 ask for the full refund including any CC fee on the basis of involuntary change and then just re book. I don’t think it is worth the time or hassle trying to discuss options with CC staff.

 

[sinophile888]

Thanks for the replies. My daughter has taken your advice and has applied for a refund, including the booking fee. She can now decide how what day and time she now wants to come home.

 

[UP4014]

She shouldn’t even need to apply for a refund, it should be offered when they offered alternative flights.

 

[Saab34]

You shouldn’t need to ask for a refund, the ACCC needs to get harder in the refund space.

Target and BIGW are currently in hot water over refunds and faulty products. It should be no different here, they change the times and they are essentially not what you originally wanted so refund should be advertised.

Jetstar are bad at this. If they change your flight they send you the auto rebooking page and it’s not until you click the link ‘these flights don’t suit me etc’ that they advertise a potential refund. They also have a buffer of what appears to be 2 hours before you can select the refund option in the self serve email you get.

Any change of time 5 mins or 5 hours need to be the same policy. It’s not the product that was advertised. My last JQ flight was moved later 45 mins. They didn’t offer a refund. It was a matter of pick the new time, next day or suck it up. I had a whinge to the complaints department and advised I had started a case with the ACCC and I had my refund processed that day.

I don’t know why they play these games considering the fines the investigative body handed out in recent times

 

[sinophile888]

An update on the cancellation. My daughter decided to cancel the Virgin flight and has booked with QF for the next day. Virgin refunded the cost of the flight but not the booking fee. Why should she have to pay a booking fee if the airline cancels the flight?
Funnily, though, the flight that was cancelled is still open to be booked on the VIrgin website.
My daughter is quite happy with most of the outcome as she had a discount for a hotel and only had to pay $8 for the night. And I have forwarded her a lounge pass for the QF flight. She hopes that there is plenty to do in Adelaide for two days and a night.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

An update on the cancellation. My daughter decided to cancel the Virgin flight and has booked with QF for the next day. Virgin refunded the cost of the flight but not the booking fee. Why should she have to pay a booking fee if the airline cancels the flight?
Funnily, though, the flight that was cancelled is still open to be booked on the VIrgin website.
My daughter is quite happy with most of the outcome as she had a discount for a hotel and only had to pay $8 for the night. And I have forwarded her a lounge pass for the QF flight. She hopes that there is plenty to do in Adelaide for two days and a night.

Was this purchased through Virgin? If through Virgin the booking fee should absolutely be refunded. This should be chased up through Virgin. If not, through your local consumer affairs office.

 

[Must...Fly!]

By booking fee, what are you referring to? The phone assistance fee?