To think this isn’t appropriate compensation? Upper class virgin

[Essex8888]

Hiya
appreciate this is first world problems, but recently was lucky enough to fly upper class with Virgin but it was so disappointing I have complained. It was disappointing in general as really old plane and for complete transparency I paid for premium economy and used a flying voucher to upgrade to upper.

The button for seat and headrest recline were broken.
The screen had deep scratches all over it so I couldn’t see the screen if window blind was up

The power outlets didn’t work the whole flight.
The area was filthy and the remote didn’t work for the tv- was completely broken.

I have complained to Virgin and they offered me £50!! AIBU to think this isn’t enough?
I took photos of everything and they agreed it wasn’t up to their normal standard.
I paid £1800 for premium seats and if I had known this would be the experience I would have booked economy and upgraded to premium and saved myself some money.
But also not sure if my expectations are too high and I should suck it up.

Irrelevant that a voucher was used. You paid a high price to expect a high level of service and comfort and didn't get it so YANBU

Go on to FlyerTalk. They have details of what compensation various airlines offer for various issues. It will give you an idea of what is likely and what you should push for.

Heathrow - JFK

If I pay for a business class seat (by whatever means) it would be for my comfort due to mobility issues. A fully reclining seat is a minimum for long-haul business class and I'd have been asking to be put on a later flight if I'd discovered before take-off that it only worked in two positions. £250 compensation is pathetic - you didn't get anything like what you paid for!

Virginia is a budget airline, I would never fly with them. They sound awful. Loads of complaints. This points system sounds like a bit of a con.

My first thought was "Appropriate Compensation" was an odd name.

No. That's an insult. Being able to recline the seat into a bed is the entire point of business class. No one's paying all that money for the separate check-in, a branded toiletry bag and an edible, but hardly decent restaurant quality, meal.

It's Virgin not Virginia! And it's not a budget airline. 🤨

@Essex8888 I think that's awful. Were other seats also affected?

Their response rubs salt in the wound. £50?!! Are they for real? Shame them on socials.

Are they actually offering compensation or just a discount off your next flight with them? I think £50 is a ridiculous amount and any compensation should not be tied to flying with them again . You have nothing to lose by escalating.

Definitely put it on Twitter....as often as you van. It has worked twice for me.....

I had upgraded and paid to Virgin my hard earned cash, yet they couldn't find it in thr system so I had to fly economy. Virgin are crap and I wouldn't fly with them again

Sorry it’s a voucher not even money

I am happy to offer you a £50 voucher instead. This would be valid for 18 months and can be used on the following.

• A future flight operated by a Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd aircraft, and booked directly with our contact centre.
• A future Virgin Holiday, which includes a flight departing from the UK and booked directly with Virgin Holidays contact centre.
• Onboard duty free (up to the value of £100 per person)
• Pre order duty free
• Home delivery duty free
• Payment towards a VS marketed codeshare flight sold via the Contact Centre
• Payment towards the flight portion of a Virgin Holidays booking, including Virgin Holidays Cruises
• Taxes on VS Flying Club and Partner Airline rewards (only for VS operated or codeshare flights)

No not that I saw.
I did ask the air hostess about the reclines and remote not working and she tried and also failed but laughed it off as a ‘classic’ plane. It was a full flight so I didn’t ask to move.

Yeah I’d lay into them for that.

An example of how it should work:
I paid for premium economy for a long haul on BA last year and my entertainment remote was broken meaning the whole entertainment system didn’t work for the whole flight.
The stewards took a note of this on board with my details. Then they plied me (and my partner) with fizz and treats from business class, got me a wifi code to use for the duration of the flight so I could use my laptop and told me to flag it to BA when we landed. I got a £300 voucher which covered the flights for a weekend away.

Keep at them!

Write to the CEO about the issue.
I had an issue with a holiday cottage booking - last minute cancellation!! I was offered a £50 voucher in compensation. Eventually wrote to the CEO and got several hundred pounds compensation!
Trust pilot or public reviews often get results.
Worth making a fuss!!

Nope that is rubbish. Received £20.00 from Virgin 10 years ago in compensation for DD being left stranded on train us unable to get off with luggage (foot in cast). This was a free service which I had arranged with all the stations on her journey home from Scotland. Euston were at fault as it's their staff who failed to effect the transfer, but Virgin sent compensation as it was one of their trains. I would expect far more

PS all the transfers at other stations went very smoothly, just Euston who failed

I believe Virgin Atlantic are currently refurbishing their Upper Class product and you were unlucky enough to be on a plane which hasn't had a refurb yet!

YANBU that is ridiculous offer from them and insulting

Escalate higher - CEO and in meantime go on their instagram and post pictures showing the poor quality and warning others from flying with them - I expect it will garner a different response then

BA bumped a couple who had paid for business class, six months before the flight. He is a 'Sir' with 200,000+ followers on twitter.
Air travel is no longer viewed as a luxury experience by those who sell it, complain the same as you would over a more mundane purchase, with additional vehemence when significant (to you) amounts of money are involved.

This thread is such a let down after the title.

Leave them a nasty review OP- or tweeting at companies sometimes works.

You have to keep pushing. They offer standard responses because most people give up. Keep on escalating.

Ask for your voucher back valid for two years.

My husband is an avgeek and books all our flight using complicated algorithms of point and vouchers.

He checks the plane before we book (always 355 days before we fly as reward flight seat are limits) so he picks the good planes to fly on. I suspect this is why you are not getting much luck.

However if you could find out if you were on a replacement plane the was of less quality than the one you had booked then maybe you might get somewhere?

Sorry not much help - flying business is a lovely treat sorry it was ruined.

You need the difference between initial cost and upgrade back.
Compensation for additional efforts required following the £50 offer
Then a sum to reflect the inconvenience, disappointment and discomfort in flight due to broken equipment

I know of at least one firm who
paid (don’t know how much) to get Trustpilot reviews taken down too, so you may want to do one and see what happens
there