Not impressed with Virgin Australia

[krisandkev]

Booked, and paid for a few airfares for a trip to New Zealand and then to Hobart, then back home, January/February.  Went with Virgin Australia for the trip from NZ to Hobart to fit in with our time table. Then a week after received an email from Virgin Australia saying that the flight from NZ to Hobart has been cancelled and an alternative flight on that day has been booked, hit the accept button or phone for any questions.  The new flight did not suit so I phoned them and tried to speak to a call centre person who was a bit difficult to understand. I explained that I need to cancel the flight and get a refund so I could go with another airline.  Was told the terms of the original booking were that there are no refunds. I explained that it was them who cancelled the flight so I should be able to get a refund. I did not cancel the flight.  No, no refund, but they can cancel our booking, not incur a cancellation fee and the airfare will be a credit that we can use another time. I explained my displeasure and also sent them a written complaint.  It could take several weeks to get a reply, so no choice but to accept the new flight.  Now I understand if it was a last minute cancellation due to the weather or mechanic issue etc, but the flight was still 4 weeks away.  So I ask. How can they just cancel a flight for no reason and then refuse a refund.  Just wrong. I will not go with them again that is for sure.     Kevin

[JD-120]

Virgin are very active on social media. I would also hit them on Twitter or facespace. At least on these types of media it is open for everyone to see, so you might get a faster time of resolution. I agree though, not good enough!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[muzza01]

I agree
I don't know how they can refuse a refund in this case. I am sure you will get your money back.
Good luck.

[D4D]

Now I understand if it was a last minute cancellation due to the weather or mechanic issue etc, but the flight was still 4 weeks away.  So I ask. How can they just cancel a flight for no reason and then refuse a refund. 

All airlines will do this hence you need to read the fine print before booking. They offered you an alternate option so they covered themselves, unfortunate but it's just the way it is.

[firefox]

Kevin,
Send me a PM with your details. I'll get it all sorted for you. I know JB well. And others, and that's certainly not what they are normally like, but they're call centre sucks some days.

Cheers
Justin.

[Swannie]

Hope you get it sorted. I am an unashamed virgin airlines fan & I have always found them very accommodating when issues have arose.
Swannie

[Bird]

Hope you get it sorted. I am an unashamed virgin airlines fan & I have always found them very accommodating when issues have arose.

except for fridge slides .

when you back at werk?

[Swannie]

except for fridge slides .

when you back at werk?

True mate, back the week of the 20th Jan

[Bird]

True mate, back the week of the 20th Jan

damn.. then coffee tomorrow is out

[Swannie]

damn.. then coffee tomorrow is out

Yep plus the coffee shop is shut until next week

[Bird]

Yep plus the coffee shop is shut until next week

same as the Shitpit next to work

[Foo]

Don't have anything to do with Jetstar then! 

Foo

[Murph]

Yes this sucks ! And the government allows this only with airlines ?  Maybe lol! Let's say it was Holden that rang you and said look we can't give you a six cylinder car in blue paint as we are not going to produce that colour any more but we will have your car ready a day early but in yellow ,sorry about that!
Would you be able to cancel the purchase ? I would think so ! But the airline ,because of the way the rules were written , is allowed to tell you that you purchase only buys you a seat on a plane ! Not the one you picked ! Not on the plane they said they were going to use and not on the say you want !

[achjimmy]

As D4D said airlines do this at times it's an operational thing. Sadly VA call centre sux even if you have status. You need to get to somebody with an iq over 5 and it will get fixed up. Contract or no contract they will refund you if you speak with a proper person or embrase them on social media.

And yeah what ever you do don't try pornstar or tigress .

[Garfish]

Yes this sucks ! And the government allows this only with airlines ? 

All transport world wide.       The ticket does not guarantee anything other than at some stage there will be a seat available between the two destinations.    Good luck with your trip, and I hope you can get some arrangement sorted

[rags]

Just to offer an alternative positive Virgin story.
We recently travelled around NZ and nearing the end of the trip my wife fell ill resulting in a 3 day hospital stay and an additional few days rest before being given a clearance to fly. We needed to change the our pre booked departure flights and on ringing the Virgin call centre they could not have been anymore helpful, with the admin costs being halved and the additional cost of the fight being only about $25 and on boarding found that they had upgraded us to business class with no one else sitting in the 3rd adjoining seat so we could be comfortable.
When flying to and from NZ you will end up on an Air NZ plane through the partner sharing arrangement, so you may find that it was in fact Air NZ who cancelled the flight rather than Virgin
I will usually pay the extra to fly VA when travelling  interstate rather than fly Jetstar as they are more inflexible and  I liken them to the City Rail trains of the sky.

[DaveR]

I will usually pay the extra to fly VA when travelling  interstate rather than fly Jetstar as they are more inflexible and  I liken them to the City Rail trains of the sky.

Don't you mean 1Star

[rags]

Don't you mean 1Star

Yes that is a far better name

[4runnernomore]

Our nickname for that airline is crap star and will not fly with them unless there is no absolutely no other choice.  we have had so many issues with them over the past 5 years been in Darwin does limit who you can fly with.

[t303]

Our nickname for that airline is crap star and will not fly with them unless there is no absolutely no other choice.  we have had so many issues with them over the past 5 years been in Darwin does limit who you can fly with.

Wait until Jokestar Asia is operating half the flights out of here!  See how safe you feel on the BoganBus with Team Meerkat running the cabin