Flight to a different airport from the one booked
- By
- Aparna Patel
- |
- 31 Jul, 2023
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To close this off, here’s the outcome of my dealing with Virgin Atlantic.
I contacted VA customer service via their website, selecting option “critic/feedback about a flight taken” (or something like that). And wrote a very polite message describing what happened and what it meant to me, both time-wise and financially. I did not request any compensation, but did finish off saying something to the extent of “in the future, please try to ensure that you get your passengers to their intended destinations”.
I didn’t expect much, but about 2 weeks later I received an email from them apologising for the inconvenience caused and offering to reimburse me for the direct costs I incurred (i.e. £28 for the coach ticket). I have submitted the claim per their instruction (using specific claim code that they issued to me) – and was promised to that the money will be direct-deposited into my bank account within 10 days. I’ll update this answer once I receive the money.
All-in-all, this was a good interaction with the customer service.
UPDATE: I did receive the payment as a direct credit into my account – about 10 days after I submitted the details.
The airline has given you 48 hours notice, and offered you a complete refund if you didn’t want to fly to Gatwick. I imagine they might have also been willing to rebook you on a flight 24 hours later. You could have rebooked on a different flight, that day or another day.
You didn’t take them up on their offer so they feel, reasonably, I suggest, that you were happy to fly to Gatwick instead of Heathrow.
You don’t appear to have been delayed on arrival at Gatwick, and a two hour delay wouldn’t qualify for compensation anyway, so the liability of the airline, if there is any liability at all, is £28.
You can try to sweet-talk them into some goodwill gesture, but if they dig their heels in your only other option is some claim in the courts. Even if there is a liability the airline know you’re not going to do that for £28.
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