Virgin Airlines Review

I just got back from Los Angeles, no thanks to Virgin America.  They got me there just fine but getting back was a hellish experience that could have and should have been easily averted by people in customer service actually doing customer service.

I am a very budget-conscious traveler.  Our family income is moderate and travel expenses are kept to a minimum in our family.  When I learned that I needed to make a trip to L.A., I asked around and found out about the low fare ($129) from Boston to Los Angeles.  This looked great so I booked two round-trip tickets for my husband and me.

We finished up matters in L.A. a little early so we contacted Virgin America about flying back East on an earlier flight.  Imagine our shock when the customer service rep told us that we were flying back a month early!  I checked our e-mail confirmation and saw that I had clicked on the wrong calendar (Virgin America's website displays two months side by side when you book tickets) when ordering tickets.  Since February and March have the same date on corresponding days of the week, I hadn't noticed the difference.  When I explained this to the service rep, she said, "That happens all the time".  Feeling relieved, I said that we needed to get back that day or the next and she replied it would be no problem as there were plenty of seats left on the plane.  Of course, we would have to pay $75 per ticket for changing our reservation as well as over $400 apiece for our new tickets, although they would credit the remaining $54 from the original ticket, bringing in a grand total of $860 to fly back.  Gasping for breath, I informed the service rep that that was more than our weekly income and we couldn't possibly afford that.  Her solution?  "I could book you on a flight out in four days and that would be less."  Since we both have jobs, not to mention three children, and could not afford staying in L.A. for an four days, that was not an option.

Remember, there are seats available on this plane!  Why couldn't they recognize a simple error on our part?  We would have gladly paid $75 per ticket for changing the flight date but charging us again is simply adding insult to injury.  Thank heavens for Orbitz and Continental Airlines!  We managed to get back at half the price quoted by VA.  Had Virgin America helped us out, I would have been a life-long customer.  Since they didn't, I am telling all my colleagues at work (some 60+ who travel a lot) to avoid VA and use Continental instead!

What should have been a very happy and fun trip was nearly ruined by the lack of customer service.  Thankfully, a nice federal marshall at LAX cheered us up and made lemonade out of our lemons!

Jeopardy contestant who ended up in jeopardy