UVAhoo06

Hi all,

Although I’m not flying to HKG until the latter part of March, I was wondering how VS usually handles waivers and free cancellations for these types of situations. I haven’t noticed any posted bulletins/waivers on the VS website — then again, maybe I’m not looking at the right place? I know that my specific trip isn’t for at least two months, but I imagine that VS pax might be reconsidering their travel to China, including Shanghai, for example.

marcokng

Here's the latest from Virgin:

GrayAnderson

My guess is that if this is still raging in about two weeks, the waiver period (and reschedule period) will be rolled forward. It might even get rolled forward one week at a time depending on how things are going.

A321neo

Will they let me change a PVG flight to DEL/BOM for no fee?

UVAhoo06

Based on the language on the website, it seems that they'll completely waive your change fee. You will, however, need to pay any difference in fare. So, if your ticket to PVG was $1000 and your ticket to DEL costs $3000, you would need to pay an additional $2000.

That said, if VS is totally flexible about destination, please report back! I'd like to head to another destination.

windboater

good for Virgin!
While Expedia HK posted a blanket confirmation statement regarding changes and refund, the response to those who booked on the US Expedia site is much more nuanced. You might receive a credit, if the airline we booked you on agrees!!!!! WOW. read below:Expedia's coronavirus courtesy has not been extended to US flyers. while customer who booked their flights on the Hong Kong site were assured penalty free change/cancel option, those booking on the US expedia site were given no such assurance. I booked a ticket for my wife on the US site and was told it's up to the airline (who they booked it on) if a refund is even possible. We have waited days for them to get a definitive answer from Latam/Iberia on a second request. The first request was rejected out of hand according to Expedia. All the while alternative flights options are quickly disappearing...

All airlines Im aware of, allow fault free cancellation .

Why airlines shouldn't force customers to fly to Hong Kong during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Hong Kong government has declared the coronavirus an emergency at their highest level, due to the very real risk you could get it. There is an excellent chance your flight will eventually be cancelled but only after other passengers have cancelled on their own forgoing a refund. By then there will be few alternative bookings available and they will be massively expensive. Once you're in country there will be few, if any options to get back out: Most countries won't accept you. Most airlines have shut-down. All ticket counters at Hong Kong have been closed and will remain closed until after the crisis has subsided. The few flights out remaining are at crisis pricing, $2k for a 1 hour $118 flight. If you do manage to get out get you face a 14 day quarantine anywhere you fly that will accept you.

Passengers are like elephants, they never forget!

Only airlines facing an existential threat would force their consumers to fly there. No Reputable Airline would fail to wave the fees .


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craigthemif

Your issue is with Expedia, not Virgin Atlantic.

There is very little reason to book via an OTA instead of direct from the airline. This is one such example.

In my experience, Expedia pretends to contact the airline on your behalf, but doesn't. Depending on the dates of your flight, I have no doubt that VS would waive the cancellation fees.

However... "No Reputable Airline would fail to wave the fees". I would reply "No Reputable Traveller would fail to have travel insurance".

UKtravelbear

Is any of that post relavant to VS?. The poster mentions LATAM and Iberia that they are having an issue with alongside Expedia.

What this comes down to is that different airlines have different policies and there is no one size fits all policy.

I'm not away of any airline that allows a 'fault free cancelation' unless you have bought a full fare fully flexible ticket (which most people don't buy)

36902BRF

I don't disagree but you should amend that to "any reason cancellation" travel insurance as very few policies otherwise cover pandemics. Any reason is only issued by some carriers and is considerably more expensive and has to be bought promptly. Even then it usually only covers a certain percentage.

Theirin

I would think in most cases it would be covered by general travel insurance, not insurance of the specific fare sold by the airline or the travel agent, in the case of an actual pandemic (which this is not, at least at this point).

I've been shopping around for a better deal recently and almost every policy I look at will cover around Ł5k worth of expenses if there is a travel advisory out or if your doctor has recommended you don't travel (due to circumstances arising after you bought the ticket.

If there's no travel advice and no doctor's advice and you're just not wanting to travel any more, that's a different story.

36902BRF

I am talking about general travel insurance policy purchased for whole trip and/or annual policy at least in the States. Many of the policies I have looked at specifically exclude pandemics, outbreaks and the like and they often use multiple terms and seem to specifically target the situation we are in. Of course if you can get a Dr.'s note that may be a different story. Perhaps UK policies are more generous than US policies? Also you can get weird knock on effects that aren't directly covered by a travel advisory. For example I was going to Thailand in March via CX from Dulles. CX suspended all of their Dulles services through March. That led my flights out and back going from 20-ish hours each way to 35-40ish hours each way and added three days to my trip after CX rebooked me via the west coast and I had insanely long layovers. There was no travel advisory for Thailand from the US and while CX happily refunded my money for their flights, I had other fees that were not refundable and would only be covered by any reason coverage, given my reason was I wasn't travelling 40 hours one way for anything that wasn't life or death.

choosethedrew

Delta has just caved and is allowing all March international dates to be changed, will Virgin follow suit as they are affiliated?

UKtravelbear

Virgin will make its own decisions on what waivers will be implements.

Just as Af and kL even though they are also affiliated with DL.

Duke787

Looks like VS has somewhat matched DL though not as generous on the backend rebooking (Delta is allowing rebooking for any travel through EOS that's booked in March where VS is only allowing for travel booked through end of September):

choosethedrew

AF, KL and Delta all allow changes to bookings made before March now. Virgin doesn’t.