Problems with Virgin Atlantic

First problem was caused by us as well as them.  I have a videographer coming in from Wales for my wedding.  His name is Jack.  We bought his ticket in January.  Virgin never asked if Jack was the name on his passport.  In late March we found out his proper name is JOHN.  The airline refused to reissue the ticket to match his passport.  The only thing we could do was cancel the first and buy another.  Can't happen we have a wedding to pay for.  Days go by.  Emails are sent.  No reponses after 3 days.  Call and find another person who will refund my money if another person books the new flight.  But they will allow him to make another flight with the name JOHN.  Not one apology for the stress we've been under.

Fiance's sister booked her travel in January same as we did.  She used her credit card for her flight, her friend used her own credit card for her flight.   Virgin tried to book both tickets on sis's credit card.  So when that didn't work her booking went to the bottom of some cue.  Was she called or sent an email?  NO.  If fact sis in law said call her cell phone first.  Was that done?  Nope! So the final ticketing day was Monday (yesterday) was it handled by then?  NO again.  There should be an email when she got home.  Was it there? NO.  So now another phone call has to be made.  She's been waiting for her confirmation email for her eticket since January.  

To me this is such outrageously bad service that I'm nearly speechless with anger.  

Any suggestions?  I'll be having my first (AND LAST) flight with Virgin on April 18.  Please pray for me, I think I'll need it.
Thanks for "listening".

Oddly enough, I was watching "airport" on the TV last night and seeing some unhapy Easyjet customers having to buy new tickets because the names didn't match.  It got very heated ...

I've always been very happy with Virgin and have had bad experiences with other airlines but everyone slips up sometimes, and occasionally all the problems compound together.  Lokk at the negative posts on Lufthansa and Iceland Air that are running on other threads.

Personally, I would phone the customer service supervisior and confirm the converstaion I had with him / her in a well worded email. I would make sure I had the name and the number of the person I spoke to, and if they were less than 100% helpful I would get a contact point for their manager too.   Worst came to the worst, I might let the Virgin organisiation know that they were getting themselves a bad name in your eyes and that you're telling your friends  

Oh - and be firm but friendly.  "I know you personally didn't make the error - I really appreciate you sorting it ... ".   Works a treat

I agree with Graham - but the first problem really wasn't Virgin's mistake.  If you booked it online, I know for a fact that they tell you the name you make the reservation under has to match the name on the passport.  As far as over the phone, last time I made phone reservations I know they asked me after each name (booked hubby and 2 kids) if that was the name on the passport.

As for the mix-up with your fiance's sister - there isn't much excuse for that.  The point of an e-ticket is supposed to be LESS stress - not MORE!

Sorry your experience with Virgin has been so negative.  I hope you enjoy the flight enough to give them another try - like Graham, we've always been very happy with them.

Thanks friends.  We are coming thru our Virgin situation, I think.  As I said, looks like Jack will make the flight.  So after hitting the ground we can now dust ourselves off for the next upset with his sister's flight.  But again that too should be solved since it was their mistake.  I worry as it was supposed to be ticketed on Monday.  But they assure her that she has the reservation.  Guess I'll try patience and a bit of praying.

I agree that sending well worded emails and getting names and numbers is critical to getting a positive response.  We've done that in the Jack case and as you guessed and expected - it is turning out ok.  Just don't need this 10 days before the wedding.

Peedal we (chris and I) will have another shot at Virgin.  We are flying home this way.  My first flight on that airline.  I'll try to keep an open mind.  As it is Chris and I are booked in different classes.  Mine is higher than his.  So we are hoping they bump him up to the class I'm booked in.  Or me down to him.  Either way we just want to sit together.  Oh and nope didn't book them at the same time.  We thought we might go back a day or two earlier.  But that didn't work out.  Wish us luck?

Good luck Kizmet . It will all work out, you'll see. May the sky shine bright and the day be blessed for your wedding! I can't wait to hear all about it. Best wishes and lots of hugs.

D

Thanks Neessa!  Much appreciated.  

Just an update here.  Jack called to "buy" the new ticket and he got someone we hadn't spoken to before.  Well she saw the record and thought what went on wasn't right.  So she just reissued the ticket in his proper name!  Poof! Just like that.  

Sister still doesn't have resolution.  But we gotta trust here.  So we will.

This is awfully late, but I had to share me & hubby's Virgin experiences...

Back when hubby was young, he would come back to FL to vsit his Dad.  Once they went to Disney and hubby got some cool toy guns there (like dueling pistol-type.)

Virgin wouldn't let him take them in the cabin.  Fine.  They put them in the hold or something.  But when they landed, the guns were gone.  No explanation or compensation was ever offered.

A few years later.  Hubby is 16.  Virgin cancels his flight home to UK at last minute.  Does not offer him-a minor-any assistance in finding another flight home.  He finally gets a Pan Am flight, thanks to the assistance of the Pan Am people, NOT Virgin.

1999.  Hubby and sd make a visit to England.  Virgin loses their luggage on return flight, including a dress that MIL made sd from material hubby's stepsister brought back from Nigeria.  irreplaceable.  (Thank goodness he didn't pack our wedding rings, which he bought on that trip!)

2000.  We are ready to book our honeymoon.  Virgin is offering a deal to employees of my husband's work, $250 roundtrip if you fly between Feb 1-March 30.  Our wedding is April 8.
So hubby writes Virgin a letter.  He details everything I've just said here, and concludes by basically saying, "If youll extend this deal for me to go on my honeymoon I'll fly Virgin again.  If not, I never will."

So they did.  And it was a lovely flight.

If you get the right people, I think Virgin will really go out of their way.

But I agree, it certainly doesn't hurt to threaten them a bit.

Took Virgin during this past Cmas holiday from Heathrow to JFK/NY and reverse.

Got treated like gold on the way to NY; like crap on the way back to England.

Liked my American Airlines and British Airways flights MUCH better altho Virgins entertainment blew away both AA & BA. I had over 70 films downloaded and could play any of them at any time. Both BA and AA had 3-4 films and you had to watch them when they came on; not at your request.

  Just a thought you could always email Richard Branson via the airline, im sure he reads all his emails and im also sure that because of the wedding etc he may come into the picture and sort things for you.