Flying on Monday on Virgin? I see a Sunday & Tuesday flight from London, and a Thursday flight from Manchester, but no flights on Monday?

Check your info - is it direct (i.e. not via the US) or on a charter flight (i.e. Thomson).

It's very unusual for them to downgrade you before check-in, unless for some reason they are now flying a plane without premium economy at all.

Can you advise further details of your flight?

Sam, the flight is definately on monday, LGW to UVF 0900...

ATB,J.

See what you mean... VS031 sunday and tues @0900, VS037 tues @ 1000

Methinks that Thomson are giving me BS, getting angrier by the minute!!

ATB,J.

You need to contact them asap - no 'scheduled' flights non-stop London - St Lucia on Monday.

If it's anyhelp Sunday & Tuesday Virgin flights wide open in Premium Economy.

I'm 'guessing' that you're down to fly Thomson, or similar. Do report back when you've spoken to them.

what does it say in your paperwork? Are you by any chance flying via somewhere else?

They were direct flights...actually, have made a mistake, flights ARE on the tuesday...still doesn't make up for the fact that we had booked and paid for PE seats and now we've been told that we can't have them...

J.

OK - that makes sense. You're saying you've been downgraded for the Tuesday flight?

Tuesday flight - LGW-UVF VS 31 - Premium Economy = Wide Open = Someone's not telling you something = I wouldn't leave it there.

Unless it's something to do with your return flight - I would do the following:

Contact Virgin, request them to check P.E availability for your flights, they will say no problems on your outbound flight. Take a name / reference. Call Thomson, speak to someone senior.

Tip: Don't lose your rag!
Tip 2: They will say something along the lines of 'maybe, but we book in a particular sub-class'. Advise them all- Premium Subclasses have availability, and request the real reason why you have been downgraded.

Additional Info:

Premium Economy is very busy / full the following 2 Tuesdays on the return, which I suspect is the issue (but I don't know when you are returning).

However, I wonder two things:

1) Why you can't fly out on Premium Economy
2) Why, if you booked so long ago, they didn't issue your tickets, which would have ensured your seats? How has this happened? Again, to re-iterate, it's very rare to be downgraded, and tends to happen at check-in. I'm still highly suspicious of Thomson's here.

Sam, they have got back to me to say that the outbound is no prob... it's the return that they can't provide... BUT I have a booking confirmation from thomson clearly stating which seats we have been allocated from months ago!!

My local Thomson shop have now handed it over to their head office...

To update you.. Thomson cannot get me either PE of first class... Virgin Atlantic say that the return leg was never booked, but I have a reciept...

Thomson will not go the extra mile and speak to someone at VA to "secure" seats with extra legroom for the return journey...

CRAP service from both companies....

J.

What date are you returning?

Both companies can look at the 'PNR history' which will show you whatever has been booked on your booking, ever. This does feel like a Thomson mess up entirely, i'm not sure what Virgin can do. If Thomson's did book you initially into economy, and then find out all PE / Upper Class seats were gone when it came to correcting the error, then there is little Virgin can do.

Thomsons wouldn't upgrade you (free) into Upper Class, but they should be working damn hard to waitlist / pull favours for that Premium Economy Seats.

Hi there, returning 11th dec... It's now clear that it's a thomson foul-up... they didn't book the return seats...what REALLY annoys me though is that they won't negotiate at a "higher level" with VA to get me a promise of seats with extra leg room... having messed up so badly you would think that they would go "the extra mile..."

NOTE TO MODS... Can you re-title this thread to "Thomson foul up" as it's clear that VA are not to blame...

According to the safe and sound brochure, having paid for PE seats and now having been downgraded, we're entitled to 75% refund of the airfare.. that is what I'll be seeking from Thomson... will let you know..

ATB,J.

Unfortunately it looks like there is nothing in Premium or Upper Class at all on that date.

However, I seem to remember (someone else might confirm) that Virgin will guarantee Emergency Exit seats for £50 per seat. Maybe Thomson should be doing this for you.

Knowing most of the facts now, this was quite a basic error, in fact I struggle to see how it could have been made, and I hope Thomson look after you.

Most importantly, have a great trip, and do let us know on your return if Thomson 'pulled out the stops' for you.

Requesting exit seats may cause a problem if you have already stated you need the PE seats because of a bad back!

Hi

I was just about to say the same, if you have stated you need the seats because of back problems you will not get an emergency exit seat. I am really sorry they have messed you about like this and so close to your departure, hope something gets sorted for you.

chazy

well, we're back after a great two weeks in St Lucia... report to follow elsewhere...

Now as to the seats, we were Ok going, PE seats on the upper deck as requested... the day before we flew back I contacted the VA office in St Lucia (as I had been advised by VA customer relations before we left UK)

I spoke to a supervisor there who, having been appraised of the problem informed me that the PE and upper class was fully booked on the return flight... but she did agree that we should be allocated "evxit seats" with extra legroom at no charge... she then gave me a specific pair of seats and told me that the details had been entered into the computer... she further told me that as our original return seats had already been issued, that the staff doing the "check in chill out" service were to be made aware to alter the issued boarding cards and to quote her name....

Well as we waited to be "checked in and Chilled out" the following morning, the couple immediately in front of us in the queue asked to buy extra legroom seats.... imagine my dismay when they were allocated the very seats that had ALREADY been "allocated on the computer" to us!!

I just had to bite my lip but when our turn came, the clerk was non-plussed...

we DID get some extra legroom seats, but the journey home was not as comfortable as I would have liked, didn't get hardly any sleep and only just coped with the four hour drive home....

Now, how to take this up with thomson (who promised to phone me the day before departure from the UK, but didn't)

Advice, anyone?

ATB,J.

Well as we waited to be "checked in and Chilled out" the following morning, the couple immediately in front of us in the queue asked to buy extra legroom seats.... imagine my dismay when they were allocated the very seats that had ALREADY been "allocated on the computer" to us!!
I just had to bite my lip but when our turn came, the clerk was non-plussed...

I'd have gone through the roof there and then.

"Blessed are the meek" is for losers, "For they shall be walked over!"

I agree with Peter I'd have said something there and then but how did you know they got your seats? Did you hear them saying the numbers to the passengers? If so I'd have piped up with 'Excuse me etc'

J,
As your question is about what to do now, the approach I would take is this:

You made local arrangements with VS for extra legroom seats in standard economy - and this was provided albeit not the actual seat numbers given to you by the supervisor. Therefore VS fulfilled their part of the bargain (and more - by not charging you the extra legroom seats suppliment).

As for Thomsons, they made an administrative error (have you this admission in writing?) by not booking your return seats with VS at the time of your booking which led to you not getting the PE seats you paid them for (and were falsely "allocated" on your confirmation documentation).

Therefore I would be approaching Thomsons for a refund of the PE costs for the return leg plus additional compensation for your time, stress and worry. You state that the "normal" compensation for this type of event is 75% of the airfare - then I agree that is what to go for. Do not be fobbed off by TOM claiming that you got extra legroom seats as that was, as you tell it, a local arrangement between yourselves and VS and not facilitated in any way by TOM.

Cheers
Jet