Second IAD Flight Pulled

Sorry just messed my reply up here, in essence agreeing with Atlantic Flyer. Will try and post properly later[:I]

[HighFlyer]

None of us want to see out flights cancelled or our schedules disrupted, of course we dont, especially when it affects our connections, but lets not forget the bigger picture, which is the state of the airline industry. Times are very tough for all airlines right now. How many airlines have we seen fold in the last 6 months? I'd rather be inconvenienced slightly than have happen to the airline industry what has happened to the housing market. The more costs that are incurred by airlines, the greater chance that they'll either fold, or pass on those costs to the customer, resulting in even less freedom and choice for us all.

Just my $0.02 ...

Thanks,
Sarah

Perhaps in these times people may be better of ensuring that they get all connecting flights booked under the same PNR wherever possible so that it would be Virgins responsibility to sort out connecting flights etc.

Maybe the answer is that Virgin need to be more vicious with their cuts for the forthcoming season and then everyone would know where they were. Don't announce a few cancellations and then more adhoc ones, make bigger reductions earlier on.

Obviously it's going to be a very difficult game to play, but is it not better for customer relations and ultimately profits to put more capacity back on when it gets busier than to cut back at the last minute and cause many people problems.

This is when we will see the senior management earning their wages and hopefully making the correct decisions to enable Virgin to get through this bad period.

Difficult times ahead without a doubt.

David

Originally posted by HighFlyer
None of us want to see our flights cancelled or our schedules disrupted, of course we dont, especially when it affects our connections, but lets not forget the bigger picture, which is the state of the airline industry. Times are very tough for all airlines right nowÉÉÉ.. ÉÉÉÉ.. I'd rather be inconvenienced slightlyÉÉÉ..ÉÉÉ..

In essence I agree with you & don't want to see the likes of VS fold or merger.

But as much as times are tough for the airlines, times are tight for us passengers too.

In the case of our forthcoming trip, that ÒinconvenienceÓ if I needed to change my schedule, would cost me 2 x non refundable BMI tickets at Eur 786.00 for the pair, plus a new booking at goodness knows what fare. Then on top of that a possible overnight in a LHR hotel, at whatever extortionist rates they might be !!!!

I can't be just throwing away that sort of money.

Originally posted by oxmatt
Perhaps in these times people may be better of ensuring that they get all connecting flights booked under the same PNR wherever possible so that it would be Virgins responsibility to sort out connecting flights etc.

That's all very well & good & I do prefer to book under a single PNR. Except that I found that there's often a serious fare difference in booking on a single PNR versus separate PNR's.

A recent example of this, is a fare I was looking at for HKG next year.

The VS fare in ÒZÓ ex DUB quoted at Eur 5044.00 pp whereas ex LHR for the same flights the fare quoted Eur 3841.00 !!

That's a fare difference of Eur 1203.00 pp [:0][:0]

This is something I've seen with VS for years, even ÒKÓ class (discounted PE) fares work out way cheaper ex LHR than ex DUB. So I end up if I want to travel on VS, having to book separate PNR's

There's no such problem with BA, as their ÒIÓ class discounted CW fares are excellent ex DUB or ORK. So it all can be done on a single PNR.

[HighFlyer]

Kered, I do understand and in many ways agree with you. I've also booked connecting flights elsewhere as VS have charged far more than booking direct with the airline, but that's the chance we take. We either pay more (or, over the odds) and our connecting flights are protected by VS, or we save ourselves that extra cash and hope all is well (and >90% of the time, it is!).

Thanks,
Sarah

I booked the Virgin seg. way before the US domestic. At the time of booking the VS the CLT to IAD was $600. pp for some odd reason. I waited for it to drop to $288.pp and today it dropped again to $137pp. But I booked when fuel prices were just starting to jump. It's the old game.
Plus the VS booking was a Z Upper Class so I had to book early for the Upgrade to get the space before it was gone.

The flip scenario could have been what happens if when you were onroute to IAD from LHR, your second flight got cancelled? You or the airline would have to try and find a hotel to put you up in.

At least VS have given you an early warning about it so you (or VS) are able to make some alternative arrangements.

Just to say that when I was rebooked on to the VS55 in Oct 07 because the VS21 got cancelled on the day. The load was busy but not full, so it would make sense, if the loads for VS21 were light over this current period, to take out of the schedules earlier.

Every one who has been on a delayed or cancelled flight, with any airline, will sympathise with your situation. Have you tried VS customer services to see if there is anything they can do?

Pretty extensive list of flight cancellations, now posted on the VS web site [:(]

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/pa ... winter.jsp

[Nottingham Nick]

Thanks for that link, kered. [y]

Due to the details the list contains, I will make a new sticky thread for the information of all.

Nick

With that entensive cancellations (plus more potential cut backs from late October when the winter season actually starts), even with the second daily flight to Hong Kong, VS probably will still be able to refit the Gatwick fleet without the Etihad A343. A positive aspect in the negative cutbacks.

[Darren Wheeler]

Originally posted by Snow
With that entensive cancellations (plus more potential cut backs from late October when the winter season actually starts), even with the second daily flight to Hong Kong, VS probably will still be able to refit the Gatwick fleet without the Etihad A343. A positive aspect in the negative cutbacks.

Got to have the ££££ of $$$$ to do the refit.

Not really surprised. Just returned this week on VS56 and there were only 13 of us in Upper Class including my family of four. Outbound there were even less of us on VS55.

Virgin have confirmed that the refit is still on hold, so wont be in the forseeable furture unfortunately