I was booked in First on VX 230 JFK-SFO for Oct 15th.
Received a call from VX rep that flight was cancelled almost a week before departure due to "aircraft maintainance" (aren't these planes brand new?). Rebooked me on Delta business from JFK-SFO, same time. Problem: Delta's transcon "business elite" (reconverted Song 757 with 38 inch pitch seats) doesn't compare to the comfort I would have had on the VX flight ( 55 inch pitch). They picked the cheapest way to rebook me as all the other First seats that day on VX were booked and UA and AA would have cost more.
My SFO-JFK outbound flight departs tomorrow: I guess I'll have to wait and see if I would consider flying them again.
Disgruntled UA Elite flier.

I was booked in First on VX 230 JFK-SFO for Oct 15th.
Received a call from VX rep that flight was cancelled almost a week before departure due to "aircraft maintainance" (aren't these planes brand new?). Rebooked me on Delta business from JFK-SFO, same time. Problem: Delta's transcon "business elite" (reconverted Song 757 with 38 inch pitch seats) doesn't compare to the comfort I would have had on the VX flight ( 55 inch pitch). They picked the cheapest way to rebook me as all the other First seats that day on VX were booked and UA and AA would have cost more.
My SFO-JFK outbound flight departs tomorrow: I guess I'll have to wait and see if I would consider flying them again.
Disgruntled UA Elite flier.

...and there's the reason why it's called a LCC...

I tried them once last week in F. Decent service, lousy CR (had a problem with seating being unassigned and they thought it was easier to blame me for it...:rolleyes:)

Thanks, but no thanks. UA P.S. it is.

I was booked in First on VX 230 JFK-SFO for Oct 15th.
Received a call from VX rep that flight was cancelled almost a week before departure due to "aircraft maintainance" (aren't these planes brand new?). Rebooked me on Delta business from JFK-SFO, same time. Problem: Delta's transcon "business elite" (reconverted Song 757 with 38 inch pitch seats) doesn't compare to the comfort I would have had on the VX flight ( 55 inch pitch). They picked the cheapest way to rebook me as all the other First seats that day on VX were booked and UA and AA would have cost more.
My SFO-JFK outbound flight departs tomorrow: I guess I'll have to wait and see if I would consider flying them again.
Disgruntled UA Elite flier.

Welcome to FT :)

Actually Virgin probably gave you more than what you would have gotten from some full service airlines.

They communicated with you giving you advance warning. They re-booked you on another carrier. That was very proactive in my opinion. Some airlines would just offer you a refund.

Their planes are new but they have a limited number of them at the moment so if one goes out of service they probably don't have a spare like most established airlines. No airline likes to cancel flights as it costs them too much money. (They had to pay Delta)

If you feel that the flight you received on Delta was sub-par compared to Virgin, I would take the time and let them know. I am sure they would be happy to hear that you prefer their inflight product and I'm sure they will offer you some goodwill gesture.

Right now they know they are the new kid on the block and it seems like they are doing everything they can to set a good impression.

Let us know how it works out :)

Welcome to FT :)

Actually Virgin probably gave you more than what you would have gotten from some full service airlines.

They communicated with you giving you advance warning. They re-booked you on another carrier. That was very proactive in my opinion. Some airlines would just offer you a refund.

Their planes are new but they have a limited number of them at the moment so if one goes out of service they probably don't have a spare like most established airlines. No airline likes to cancel flights as it costs them too much money. (They had to pay Delta)

If you feel that the flight you received on Delta was sub-par compared to Virgin, I would take the time and let them know. I am sure they would be happy to hear that you prefer their inflight product and I'm sure they will offer you some goodwill gesture.

Right now they know they are the new kid on the block and it seems like they are doing everything they can to set a good impression.

Let us know how it works out :)

Thanks but I guess you kind of missed the point. I was looking forward to sitting in their F class. I understand they have a small fleet and planes break down from time to time. When booking in F or C class, I do so for the comfort of the seat, not so much for service. So to be put on another flight with legroom that is only marginally better than a seat on Jet Blue for twice the price is not my idea of accomodating. In fact, if they did offer my money back I would have gladly taken it and booked a seat on UA where I have most of my FF miles.

Actually Virgin probably gave you more than what you would have gotten from some full service airlines.

They communicated with you giving you advance warning. They re-booked you on another carrier. That was very proactive in my opinion. Some airlines would just offer you a refund.

AND they rebooked the OP in FIRST CLASS on the other airline. I know it sucks that your flight got cancelled, and you didn't get to experience the "new" first class on VX, but First on another airline is A LOT better than what you could have gotten.

In fact, if they did offer my money back I would have gladly taken it and booked a seat on UA where I have most of my FF miles.

Why didn't you request a refund? Although Virgin America's Contract of Carriage (http://pdfdownload.randomlypoked.com/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virginamerica.co m%2Fhtml%2FContractofCarriage.pdf&images=yes) is poorly worded by industry standards, it appears that you are entitled to a refund due to the cancellation just as you would be on every other airline of which I am aware:

In the event the refund is required because of Virgin America's failure to operate on schedule or refusal to transport, the following amounts will be offered to Guests for travel credit or refund:

If the reservation is totally unused, the full amount will be credited or refunded (with no service charge or refund penalty); or

If the reservation is partially used, the applicable fare for the unused segment/s will be credited or refunded.

AND they rebooked the OP in FIRST CLASS on the other airline. I know it sucks that your flight got cancelled, and you didn't get to experience the "new" first class on VX, but First on another airline is A LOT better than what you could have gotten.

What domestic carrier are you flying in first?! I have the worst experience with first class on other airline... First class on most domestic carriers, in most cases, is kind of a joke. I like the first class service on VX a lot better than what is offered by rival carriers. In fact, I like jetBlue's service over what is offered in first class on the legacy carriers.

I think the OP should call VX and work something out. Even I wouldn't want to step onboard a Delta plane, regardless of the class traveled.

very poorly handled by VX

they've already got a legroom gap in coach compared to B6, and they should have called and presented you with options, not bummed you out by telling you were on DL

also if the idea is to provide good service, then falling into the airline habit of excuses, lies, and nonsensical explanations (how many cycles has that A320 done?) won't work, "we're new" is like US saying "we've always sucked, you should be used to it by now"

What domestic carrier are you flying in first?! I have the worst experience with first class on other airline... First class on most domestic carriers, in most cases, is kind of a joke. I like the first class service on VX a lot better than what is offered by rival carriers. In fact, I like jetBlue's service over what is offered in first class on the legacy carriers.

I think the OP should call VX and work something out. Even I wouldn't want to step onboard a Delta plane, regardless of the class traveled.

DL's first class is great!

I just think the OP should be happy that he was rebooked in First and not just giving another flight in coach... which is totally something I could see an airline do these days.

Thanks but I guess you kind of missed the point. I was looking forward to sitting in their F class. I understand they have a small fleet and planes break down from time to time. When booking in F or C class, I do so for the comfort of the seat, not so much for service. So to be put on another flight with legroom that is only marginally better than a seat on Jet Blue for twice the price is not my idea of accomodating. In fact, if they did offer my money back I would have gladly taken it and booked a seat on UA where I have most of my FF miles.

Hi robsfo and welcome to FlyerTalk!

I'm really sorry to hear about your rebooking situation. And I hear what you're saying about really wanting the VX experience.

For those that are grousing about aircraft availability, and maintenance, consider that - they may have taken a plane out of service because any number of things could happen:


Bird Strike
Catering Truck Hits Plane
Jetway Hits Plane
Fill In The Blank


Since they are new, they don't really have spares at the moment, and most carriers don't have spares either. But the good news is they didn't wait til day of departure to tell you your flight was cancelled. They didn't just email you and expect you to call them. They took the time to have someone call you and reaccomodate you.

If you're not happy with the reaccomoation, give them a call and see if they would cancel you DL booking and refund your fare. You can book on UA instead or ask them to book you on UA because it's better for your schedule, etc.

Was the DL flight the closest to your original departure time? I don't think you can assume they chose it because it was the cheapest, unless they came right out and said that, which would surprise me. Also, consider the fare you paid, vs the fare on DL - I bet VX is losing money on that deal - and they are fulfilling their COC to get you from point-a to point-b at their loss, with plenty of advance notice.

Just offering some sensible points of view on this. As a UA flyer myself, if it wasn't for me being a 1K, I appreciate UA's proactive approach to rebooking. But as a General Member, I know I wouldn't have had nearly the level of accomodation and service, during flight irrops. At this point, everyone's a General Member of eleVAte and you're getting 1K service - that's not bad, huh? :cool:

very poorly handled by VX

they've already got a legroom gap in coach compared to B6, and they should have called and presented you with options, not bummed you out by telling you were on DL

also if the idea is to provide good service, then falling into the airline habit of excuses, lies, and nonsensical explanations (how many cycles has that A320 done?) won't work, "we're new" is like US saying "we've always sucked, you should be used to it by now"

I would be careful with this type of statement. The A320 has regular maintenance checks and they MUST be accomplished. If the A320 is brand new it still needs to have checks done.

The checks can occur as frequently as every 80-100 hours of flights.

From the San Francisco Business Journal:

While expanding routes in recent weeks, startup airline Virgin America Inc. canceled flights due to an airplane shortage.

The Burlingame-based carrier said Friday it canceled "a limited number" of flights because of delays in receiving new Airbus A320s and A319s. The planes came later than expected because they had to be modified with Virgin America's computerized entertainment system embedded in each seatback.

Full story: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2007/10/08/daily58.html

So now we know more of the story. Perhaps a poorly worded presentation by the original CS rep that spoke to the OP - not so much a mechanical as a lack of aircraft due to mechanical limitations of the IFE.

I for one prefer to be notified well in advance if there is a cancellation. It is also fair that given the schedule was similar DL was a reasonable option. UA and AA may have been far too expensive and I am glad they're making decisions that show that they'll stay in business and thrive.

^^^^^^
Kudos to VX for reaccomodating the OP on the same day and same time on another carrier in F since their other F flights were already full. Its better than saying "I'm sorry we've had to cancel your flight but we've rebooked your F seat onto our later flight on the same day in Y."

Totally agree with what the other positive flyertalkers have said about your being upset with your reaccomodation.

Sure I'd be disappointed since I wanted to experience VX's F. But, I'd be happy that they got me to where I was going at the time that I wanted to go even if it was on another carrier and also in F. If I really really wanted to UA miles, which I obviously didn't really want in the first place since I had booked a VX flight from the onset and not UA, I would have asked for a refund on the canceled VX flight and booked myself on UA F at probably paid twice as much fas the VX fare. But since I didnt' really really want the UA miles in the first place I would just go with the VX reaccomodation since I'm probably also already a FF on the airline of reaccomodation.

They dealt with this situation appropriately. You got rebooked in F on DL which is very nice, especially with the new IFE. Quit whining.

When airlines get larger, they have planes they can swap in and out for maintenance checks, but obviously VX is not big enough yet.

Call them and ask for another airline like ua ps or aa or co.

Why do 3 different posters think the OP got rebooked into DL F? He clearly said DL Business. If they had offered him UA or AA in F, he would have been happy.

DL has a 2 cabin product on the route and markets and sells it as business. Interestingly, VX markets their forward cabin as F but the fare buckets used to sell the seats are all Business Class fare basis codes (Z, C, J, D and I). So the OP got business on DL in trade for his business fare basis seat on VX.

Why do 3 different posters think the OP got rebooked into DL F? He clearly said DL Business. If they had offered him UA or AA in F, he would have been happy.

If you new about how DL works, if the flight is domestic, Biz and First are the same thing, just different names depending on the plane and flight and where the plane is going or coming from.

While VX accommodated the OP with a First Class ticket on Delta they simply moved me and my partner to coach (my cancelled flight was JFK-LAX on 10/16). They left a message on my voicemail indicating I had been moved to the later flight but did not indicate a change of class. Of course, I assumed it was First - but online I saw "seat not assigned" so I called. It was then I was told I was given the best coach seat. It was only after we pushed them that they offered to put us on Delta. In the end we got a refund, booked a netsaver on AA and upgraded to business (total savings = $1200). I really wanted to love VX (I did LAX-SFO in First last month)...but the way they handled this will keep me away for quite a while.

sump1108, sorry to hear about your experience.
I am posting a private message to you - and for the benefit of other readers letting them know I believe there was an error in your rebooking, you should have had an F seat if you paid for one on the VX rebooking. Since you had a positive first flight with them, hopefully you will give them another chance again, soon.