FC silver in US

My daughter (FC AG) is finishing a work assignment in the US to get married in the UK and is returning on vs24 on Thursday. She called FC AG US and asked if she could bring her wedding dress (in the equivalent of a suit bag) on to the plane as her single item of hand luggage and have it ride with the UC coats. FC advised, I am told somewhat abruptly to the point of being rude, that unless she had an UC ticket they could not help. As her firm has purchased her a one way ticket in Y (approaching $1000!) this is not perhaps an unreasonable response. However, and what got her upset, is they suggested that, if she brought it to the gate, it could be put in the hold 'they could throw it in on top'! Alternatively it could be put in a box but 'that it might be crushed'. My daughter is now buying a 'hard' case and this will solve the problem as she correctly realises that it is her problem and not that of vs. However, she will not be calling FC in the US again.

When I have contacted FC US when in the States they were most polite but perhaps that was because I am AU?

[Pete]

There has been some previous discussion about whether the US call centre is the poor relation of the UK one:

http://www.virginflyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=528

Personally, I've always found them very professional when I've had occasion to call - when both Ag & Au; although I have noticed they don't seem to have quite as much detailed info as the UK centre. Mind you, I'm probably not your average caller

For the specific questions she asked, the responses were valid - although impossible to know whether the tone used was rude. Maybe your daughter was expecting FC US to be able to organise this, where clearly they'll have no control over this level of detail, and perhaps this frustration between perceived expectations and the reality gave her the impression they were rude? Hey, I don't know - maybe they were rude. Can't see why they would be, though. It's not exactly VS policy.

Flying Club wouldn't be able to help in letting your daughter (a) take an oversized bag on the cabin or (b) have it stored in the UC cabin if she's in Economy. Both those decisions would be down to the ground staff on the day, and would depend on a number of factors; particularly how full the flight is. One specific that comes to mind; cabin crew are very hesitant of storing bags when you start asking for specific positions. Little security alarms go off in their heads - rightly or wrongly.

Putting it in a hard case and taking it to the gate would seem the most sensible option. Yup, they can 'throw it on top' (which I think would have be used as the expression, rather than the literal) and that would be the best way to get the dress home safely, and avoiding the highly expensive alternative of using a specialist shipping company.

Congratulations to your daughter, and I hope she has a lovely day. I also hope her flight is great, and the dress arrives home in perfect condition!

Pix

Goldenoldie

quote:When I have contacted FC US when in the States they were most polite but perhaps that was because I am AU?

For my sins, I am merely Ag , however I spoke to them yesterday afternoon to upgrade my W ticket to J for 20k miles and they were absolutely brilliant

Cheers

Pix

I too have never had a problem with them but I never contacted them when I was AG.

Thanks for your excellent analysis of the situation; I will pass on to her. I think that you are right that the difficulty that my daughter had was with the way that things were expressed.

Thanks for the congrats and I will pass these on to her.

cheers

Golden

[Pete]

Just re-read my own reply and realised it could have come across as a bit abrupt - sorry, wasn't meant to be. There's an irony

One final tip for your daughter; if she asks to speak to the supervisor when she gets to check in and explain the situation there, then there will be less chance of any of the normal rigours of the airport becoming a problem. You wouldn't want the TSA, for example, ruining the careful packing in an over-zealous attempt to find smuggled bananas.

The Supervisor at LAX is one of the most helpful staff VS has (she was my nomination for Hero last year). I would surprised if she didn't do everything possible to ensure your daughter and dress made it back to LHR in perfect condition.

Pix

I am a bit surprised at VS reaction to the wedding dress. Domestic flights in the US are usually more than willing to oblige a bride by hanging their gown. It does seem a simple yet human gesture of goodwill. Personally I have had very mixed experience with VS Flying Club in the US-from excellent to middling to really poor (and inaccurate). I must admit that excellent has nearly always been a connection to a British rep, and really poor--has not.
Sq

Pix

I had no problem with your reply and thanks for your advice that I will pass on to her.

I am now beginning to worry that I might damage that darn dress on the way back from LHR when I collect her off the flight!

Americans do have a marginally different means of communicating; sometimes it can seem quite abrupt to Brits. On reflection, I rather think that my daughter got more upset than she should have - perhaps a bit stressed at leaving her friends and work colleagues in the US...

cheers and thanks

Goldenoldie