Hi all,

I've been amazed by the depth of knowledge and expertise on FT in the couple of years I've been on it, and have tried to do my bit in putting something back as and when I can.

Although I've never visited the VS forum until now, I could really do with your help on behalf of a friend who seems to have gone through a couple of horrendous days trying to get home from LAX, and acted in good faith throughout...

I believe he's a VFC member, suspect he's not got status, but I may be wrong.

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Summary of events follows...

Friend booked his original flight through Expedia, outbound journey LHR-LAX in mid-Jan all OK.

He called Virgin about 3.5 weeks before his original return date in late Feb to change it to early March. Paid appropriate fee, received an e-ticket and kept the same reference.

Friend also called Virgin a few days before his revised departure date to check that all was OK and, that since his original booking was made in August 2009, he could take 2 items of checked in baggage included in the fee (and was told that that was the case).

On the same call, he also raised the fact that he could not log on to My Bookings on the website and was assured that "it was OK, and that these things happen from time to time".

On departure date, he checked in at LAX and is told that his ticket has been "revoked", and was basically left to ring Expedia and get an explanation himself, having been told that it could not be a problem at Virgin's end.
Expedia said everything their side was fine and they had not revoked the ticket.
The check-in assistant then left him to ring Virgin ticketing (and was cut off twice after explaining my situation at length).
Eventually the assistant rang them herself - and, after a long conversation, informed my friend that he would have to ring Ticketing in India the next morning because they were now closed...

He eventually spoke with UK Ticketing in the middle of the night who eventually came to the conclusion that Virgin had not received the chargeback for his flight.
He then sent them copies of the confirmation that full payment had been made to Expedia to no avail.
By the time he spoke to a supervisor at Expedia, and they had spoken to Virgin in Mumbai, the Virgin Atlantic UK Ticketing department had closed.

As a result:

Friend was thus unable to take the flight for which he had, in good faith, booked, paid and reconfirmed... he remained calm throughout, despite no help from the assistant's supervisor (knowing said person, I am sure this would be the case).

He has missed three days work and several important meetings - and his teenage daughter (to whom he is a single parent, has been at home on her own).

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It seems incerdible to me that this couldn't have been addressed by people working together across the various time zones - in a former life, I used to work in project teams comprising West coast US/UK/Singapore, and we certainly handled analagous situations swiftly, if they arose...

Any thoughts, suggestions, etc. as to what further action he could take - and, indeed, what might reasonably be expected in this kind of situation - would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any help/advice!
Sofasurfer.