Missing return Virgin flight

[Olivero]

I am booked to fly back to the UK at the end of the week with Virgin from NYC. I know I am going to miss the flight as I am in Mexico and will be here for the next two weeks.

What is the best thing to do in terms of letting Virgin know?

I don't want to be charged for a higher priced single fare but am also not sure when I could use the return leg.

[Boozy]

Phone them?

[200bhp]

The outcome of the phone call will be dependant on the type of ticket that you have. Whilst, on the face of it, there appear to only be three ticket types (economy, premium and upper), each one of these has a sub tier with different options for flexibility.

Which class of ticket you get will depend on where you bought it, when you bought it, who you bought it from and your level of Flying club membership.

Too many variable here for us to give any kind of constructive assistance.

Phone Virgin.

[Olivero]

I am trying to work out what the difference is between telling them I can't make the flight and just not turning up.

My ticket was cheap, having been booked some time ago. I have not had a problem changing tickets in the past but this time don't really need the return part.

[TEKNOPUG]

Olivero said:

I am trying to work out what the difference is between telling them I can't make the flight and just not turning up.

My ticket was cheap, having been booked some time ago. I have not had a problem changing tickets in the past but this time don't really need the return part.

So basically you will just lose your money, surely, unless you have some cancellation policy as part of the deal you bought? You don't need a single ticket, so they can't charge you extra for changing to another flight. Just ring and tell them that you'll know longer be using the return leg of your ticket and the can then sell it to someone who does what to travel on that flight.

I can't see how thay can in any way charge you extra for cancelling? You just won't get a refund I guess.

[NDA]

Why tell them? Just miss the flight....

[HoHoHo]

If you don't have a flexible ticket I think you can expect to hear the following sound on the end of the phone when you call.....

Kerrrrrrching....

[TheHeretic]

NDA said:

Why tell them? Just miss the flight....

Courtesy? Someone else will be able to get on the flight without the nightmare that is 'standby', and so on.

[NDA]

TheHeretic said:

NDA said:

Why tell them? Just miss the flight....

Courtesy? Someone else will be able to get on the flight without the nightmare that is 'standby', and so on.

Unfortunately any such courtesy could be manipulated. He's paid for the seat, if he chooses no to use it that's his prerogative.

I would simply miss the flight. Job done. If it was a fully flexible ticket, different story.

[TEKNOPUG]

NDA said:

Unfortunately any such courtesy could be manipulated.

How?

[NDA]

TEKNOPUG said:

NDA said:

Unfortunately any such courtesy could be manipulated.

How?

By imposing a surcharge on the (now) single ticket.....

[TEKNOPUG]

NDA said:

By imposing a surcharge on the (now) single ticket.....

In which case you tell them that you've changed your mind and will be flying after all

[NDA]

TEKNOPUG said:

NDA said:

By imposing a surcharge on the (now) single ticket.....

In which case you tell them that you've changed your mind and will be flying after all

Why even have these long distance conversations? Just miss the feckin flight. Far easier.

[sunbeam alpine]

I have little experience with airlines, but am a regular user of the Chunnel and Dover/Calais ferries.

Several years ago I regularly used to book 2 day return tickets and use the appropriate half of each as a much cheaper alternative to a 7-day ticket. The companies soon got wise to this and changed their terms and conditions such that anyone failing to use the return portion would be charged a full single fare - normally to the credit card used to book the ticket.

I got charged once after having broken down (car was transported back), and they automatically charged my card the extra. Took quite a while (and a letter from my breakdown company) to get it credited, so my experience suggests that not turning up/calling to cancel without good reason could lead to you being charged more - it will depend on Virgin's terms & conditions (which of course nobody reads when booking online - they just click the box).

Maybe if you didn't pay by credit card you would have a get-out?

Or maybe you could have a medical problem which prevented you from flying back on that ticket?

AARGH: Edited for split infinitive

Edited by sunbeam alpine on Wednesday 19th December 11:29

[TEKNOPUG]

sunbeam alpine said:

I have little experience with airlines, but am a regular user of the Chunnel and Dover/Calais ferries.

Several years ago I regularly used to book 2 day return tickets and use the appropriate half of each as a much cheaper alternative to a 7-day ticket. The companies soon got wise to this and changed their terms and conditions such that anyone failing to use the return portion would be charged a full single fare - normally to the credit card used to book the ticket.

I got charged once after having broken down (car was transported back), and they automatically charged my card the extra. Took quite a while (and a letter from my breakdown company) to get it credited, so my experience suggests that not turning up/calling to cancel without good reason could lead to you being charged more - it will depend on Virgin's terms & conditions (which of course nobody reads when booking online - they just click the box).

Maybe if you didn't pay by credit card you would have a get-out?

Or maybe you could have a medical problem which prevented you from flying back on that ticket?

AARGH: Edited for split infinitive

Edited by sunbeam alpine on Wednesday 19th December 11:29

Looks like OP will have to call Virgin and have a hypothetical converation. Your policy may say something like "failure to cancel within 48hours will lead to a surcharge if you do not use yuor ticket" or it may say that there is a cancellation fee but nothing about simply missing the flight. or it may say nothing at all. Who knows.

[trickywoo]

You should count yourself lucky. Virgin has gone way downhill recently and I'd rather swim than use them.

[NDA]

sunbeam alpine said:

I have little experience with airlines, but am a regular user of the Chunnel and Dover/Calais ferries.

Several years ago I regularly used to book 2 day return tickets and use the appropriate half of each as a much cheaper alternative to a 7-day ticket.

I thought I was the only person doing this.....,

I used to split with the hovercraft and ferry. About £20 each way (a day return ticket) instead of £280.

[Olivero]

TEKNOPUG said:

Looks like OP will have to call Virgin and have a hypothetical converation. Your policy may say something like "failure to cancel within 48hours will lead to a surcharge if you do not use yuor ticket" or it may say that there is a cancellation fee but nothing about simply missing the flight. or it may say nothing at all. Who knows.

I guess this is what I will end up doing, just hope I end up with a real person rather than some who just wants to follow a script...

[dazco]

I could easily be wrong here but I thought if you cancelled any part of your ticket then you could claim back the tax paid, usually a fair sum.

[GCH]

Just do a no show - done it hundreds of times myself (although on ba and others, never virgin-id rather swim).

Technically you can claim back the taxes for the unused sector, but there will be an admin fee deducted, and you also run the risk of them re-pricing as a one way and pursuing you for the difference. This can-and does-happen.

If it is a cheapy one, then any change fee+fare difference will make moving the return to a future date ineffective cost wise anyway.

Anyone on standby will still get on once you dont check in and miss the deadline, so ignore any rubbish about that.