Inflight SMS Messaging : Doesn't work!

[preiffer]

Forgot to mention this the other day.

So - out of interest, I decided to test the SMS function of v:port on my flight on Friday. I sent two SMS messages, to two different recipients 3 hours into the flight.


The result?

Although both messages appeared in my "sent items" on my IFE screen, neither recipient EVER received them.

The help does say that "messages that could not be delivered inflight will be sent when back in range", but they NEVER arrived, let alone while I was in the air. [:(!]

Not sure if the "reply" function works to send one back to me in the air, as they didn't know I'd sent them one asking for a reply, but I know their billing system's a little flakey too:

From:
To: preiffer
Subject: Virgin Atlantic Messaging Summary
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2006 00:33:26 GMT
Thank you for flying Virgin Atlantic and using our onboard messaging service. For your records we have summarized the SMS and Email sent and received during your recent flight with us.

DATE TYPE AMOUNT CORRESPONDENT
14-Apr-06 Outgoing SMS $2.50 USD 447XXXXXXXXX

If you have any enquiries please contact our customer care at [email protected] and for more news and offers please visit our website at http://www.virgin.com/atlantic

So - they only charged me for 1 of the 2 messages that never actually got sent. [ii]


Rubbish - utter rubbish. [V][n]

Originally posted by preiffer
.....Rubbish - utter rubbish. [V][n]

Reading between the lines, I suspect you weren't impressed.

Is the email function any better - any idea whether that works?

Best wishes

David

[mitchja]

I have also tried sending both email and a SMS message, both on V:Port and with Odyssey and also have never managed to get it to work despite me being charged $2.50 a time (I couldn't be bothered to ask for a refund at the time on both occasions [:I]) so it's not just you.

Regards

similarly I have tried to send text messages without any luck.

Ive used it twice now. First try the message didnt get through, but the second time which was about a year later it was delivered.

[mcmbenjamin]

Inflight texting worked like a champ for me. Even got replies too. Seamed I had to go back to the messaging screen to check for the replies.

It worked fine for me from V- Port a few times in the part. But I never got charged. [y]

[preiffer]

No reading between the lines required, David - the service stinks from my perspective

I have replied to their email. Not demanding a refund, or anything, but questioning the value & integrity of a system as flawed & unreliable as this.

Seems Ben's the only person to get it working reliably (including VS knowing about it in order to actually charge them for it!) - not good for a system they're charging $2.50 a time to use!


Incidentally, I saw the cost of phonecalls has been dropped from nearly $10/min to $4.95. (I wonder if THOSE work...? [:p])

[mcmbenjamin]

Looks like replies are cheaper too!

Thank you for flying Virgin Atlantic and using our onboard messaging service. For your records we have summarized the SMS and Email sent and received during your recent flight with us.

DATE TYPE AMOUNT CORRESPONDENT
11-Mar-05 Outgoing E-mail $2.50 USD
11-Mar-05 Outgoing SMS $2.50 USD
11-Mar-05 Reply E-mail $2.00 USD
11-Mar-05 Outgoing E-mail $2.50 USD
11-Mar-05 Reply E-mail $2.00 USD
Email addresses and cell numbers removed

Looks like the full number needs to be entered including country code.

[preiffer]

It forces the full number inc. country code, anyway. Once you select "United Kingdom" as the recipient, it forces a "44" (may even be a "447....") into the field, so you can't get it wrong.

(only their ability to deliver them can... [ii])

Worked for me a couple of years ago, and got a reply too though a lot later. Mind you, that could have been down to the recipient!

I tried this when I went to MIA last month - it woudlnt even acept my credit card details - why cant they just let people use a mobile phone - one day there will be concluisve proof that they dont mess up the aircraft systems

[preiffer]

Update, from "The Seatback Messaging Customer Care team" [:0]

Unfortunately
there was an outage when you used the system onboard Virgin Atlantic on
14 April.

They've credited the charge back to my card [y]

Originally posted by preiffer
Update, from "The Seatback Messaging Customer Care team" [:0]

Unfortunately
there was an outage when you used the system onboard Virgin Atlantic on
14 April.

They've credited the charge back to my card [y]

The cynic in me wonders whether you'd have got to know this (& had the charge credited) if you hadn't been in contact with them? [?]

Cheers

Michael

[preiffer]

That was kind of my thought too, Mike. And I wouldn't have known that they hadn't arrived except for the fact I was just "playing" and called the people I sent them to when I landed to find out why they hadn't replied.

Doesn't say much for the system if they charge you anyway if the service is down. Like I said at the outset - In Flight SMS [n]