Virgin Atlantic Flying Club - virgin rebooking

Hi,

Hoping someone can advise me. March 10, 2011 my husband and I got tickets for travel between washington, dc and london. I used reward miles, transferred from amex, and my husband bought a ticket then upgraded w amex points. This was for a 25th anniversary trip, April 10.
March 30, I was diagnosed w cancer, had surgery, chemo, more surgery...
When I called virgin last year, they told me I could rebook the tickets as long as I did it before March 10, 2012. I needed a letter from my doctor, so maybe that means the ticket wouldn't have been changeable otherwise?

So, now we're ready to rebook, I've finished treatment and when I called virgin, they said I had to travel by March 9. We need to go in April. I called amex who got on the phone w virgin, and they got nowhere either. Virgin says I can write customer relations ( I have, no response) otherwise I'm out of luck.

How can this be?
Would it work to rebook before March 10, cancel and rebook for April?
I found this on their website-it seems like they ought to at least refund miles.
thx

6.1.5 Once Reward Flight tickets are issued, you may make a change to your travel date, route or class of service for an amendment fee of GBP25 per voucher. Once tickets are issued, no name changes are allowed. If you cancel a confirmed Reward Flight, we will recredit 75% of your Miles to your Flying Co account, for a handling fee of GBP30 per voucher. The voucher must be valid at time of cancellation. Recredited Miles will be available for this original validity period.

I am pretty sure that VS's rules are that if you want to change a booking you have to travel within one year of the original booking, but I can't find this in the T&Cs.

The agent seems to be applying the 336 day advance booking rule. Which I think is wrong, but don't hold me to that.

Either way, you have extenuating circumstances and I would expect VS to provide exception, I find it surprising that they have not. Did you explain the history to the call centre person you spoke with?

My suggestion is to get on to the VS Facebook page and write on their wall with a brief description of your predicament. I am sure that Greg, Howard or Kyle in the VS team will get back to you with their email address and you can then take it up directly.

If you cancel, you will lose the miles and be charged the fee as you state - you will not recover these even if you change the flight to March. You may also lose the Amex upgrade. But you could do this and if you have the miles, rebook, however I would reach out to VS as above first - this is one circumstance they should help you with - good luck!

Also try V-Flyer.com which is much more active forum.

Also try V-Flyer.com which is much more active forum.

V-Flyer will give you advice, getting on to the VS team through Facebook will get you help and a response.

V-Flyer will give you advice, getting on to the VS team through Facebook will get you help and a response.

Indeed. Alternatively Tweet @VirginAtlantic they're very helpful.

brilliant. thank you. just left brief description on VS facebook page. will let you know what happens

not only did I explain the circumstances, they have medical documentation.

brilliant. thank you. just left brief description on VS facebook page. will let you know what happens

Hi, I can see you have repeated this question on V-Flyer - and pretty much got the same response: try the Virgin Atlantic Facebook page (the wall, choosing 'everyone') where one of the Virgin team is likely to reply and give you their email address to contact them for support.

I can't see you've done this on Facebook, unless you've posted it under another Virgin company?

Hi,

I did post on facebook, only I had to join first. Don't know why you don't see the post-I had to click on "everything", upper right, to bring it up. I also emailed one of the guys, Greg, I think. I heard back first thing this morning from customer relations and Kyle, both. Kyle to tell me he was about to get right on it, but he saw that customer relations had decided to give us the extra month to use the tickets. So we're now booked first class and good to go.
Thank you so much for your help.
I never would have thought to use facebook.

Hi,

I did post on facebook, only I had to join first. Don't know why you don't see the post-I had to click on "everything", upper right, to bring it up. I also emailed one of the guys, Greg, I think. I heard back first thing this morning from customer relations and Kyle, both. Kyle to tell me he was about to get right on it, but he saw that customer relations had decided to give us the extra month to use the tickets. So we're now booked first class and good to go.
Thank you so much for your help.
I never would have thought to use facebook.

So glad you got a good result ... and good for VS for being flexible, which they should be in some circumstances. Hope you are very much better and have a great trip!