If you read regularly you know I’ve been awaiting a reply from Virgin Atlantic’s customer service team. Early in May I took a flight on Virgin Atlantic from New York to London and decided on the day of the flight to upgrade to Upper Class (Virgin’s version of business class.) Unfortunately for me the seat I had been assigned didn’t work. It wouldn’t lie-flat, in fact, it didn’t move. Additionally, the tray table which relied on the electronics of the seat to open wouldn’t open either.
I tried to resolve the issue at the airport when we landed, but they said I had to contact the customer service team in writing and gave me a web address to visit. I filled out the complaint the same day online. As the days ticked by I waited for a response. After 7 days I tweeted Virgin Atlantic and the social media team said it could take up to 28 days to get a reply, but they were usually much quicker. I even looked at the Virgin Atlantic Refund Policy and saw that they allow for 28 days before responding to complaints.
Well, on day 27 I finally got an answer. I had requested a refund of the upgrade cost. The response, from the executive office of Virgin Atlantic, said that they could not refund the cost, but would credit me 25,000 miles – enough for two upgrades to Upper Class or a trip within the UK. They expressed how sorry they were for the malfunctioning equipment and apologized for the poor experience I had. I appreciated it. The email also said I could log into my account and see the points immediately.
I’m very satisfied with 25,000 points in lieu of a refund as that will allow for an upgrade on a round-trip ticket. I logged into my account on Virgin Atlantic and unfortunately, the miles weren’t appearing. I emailed the person from the executive office back with a screen shot of my account. She wrote back very promptly saying that she had fixed it.
I say that on day 27 we have resolution – mostly – because I still can’t see the miles in my account. However, I’m confident that they will fix whatever’s wrong so that I can use those miles on my next flight.
I’m glad that Virgin was able to resolve the problem with one day to spare.
25k is not too shabby. Especially if you’ll fly them again….
My farher-in-law had the same problem on a United flight EWR-HKG and got much less. Thanks for sharing your experience and showing that following up on your issue can be worthwhile.