Just plain awful but glad you're safe and sound. I definitely would do something and writing to Branson sounds like a great idea.

Hi Nonna,

Sorry to hear about your problem.

Glad that you didn't turn into a sourpuss.

((I))

I would definitely write to the CEO/Chairman with copy to the COO. Your experience was a pathetic display of ineptitude by an airline which employs a marketing campaign attempting to show "another way" to travel. I'd even spend a little money and send the letter by FEDEX to garner slightly more attention than snail mail.

In my other life, I worked as the executive assistant to the CEO/Chairman of a major multi-national corporation. Perhaps my boss had more integrity and customer concern than most, but I have to say that a letter describing your experience would have definitely attracted his attention.

Although the weather was out of their control, customer service was not. Don't let them off the hook.

nonnafelice, if there was an award for having the true spirit of a traveler, I would give it to you. Not only did you retain your sense of humor, you actually made an art event out of this fiasco. Trip report, photo essay on website -- now that's making lemonade! You are my kind of traveler.

I'm glad you have held onto your outrage as well and are taking action to protest the crummy treatment you and the other passengers received. Branson has always seemed like a good guy to me. Can't wait to hear if you get a response.

I can't get over your photos, how goood-natured everyone looks under such bad circumstances. I want whatever you are all eating :)

Jeans comment," although the weather was out of their control cutomer service was not" is IMHO the basis of nonnafelice's complaint.

Stuff happens. But companies can give good customer service and then the customer feels satisfied that they are valuable to the company that they spent their hard earned money with.

I too will be interested about the end result of this sad story.

Cigale, believe me you don't want what we were forced to eat in the airport. But maybe the stereotype about bad British food meant that the Brits weren't particularly upset by the menu. :-!

As I said above though, the saving grace of the non-trip was that all the passengers mainly hung together, and cracked a lot of jokes. Of course, most of the humor was directed against the airline, but still, it made it a lot more bearable to be able to relieve the frustration with laughter.

One of the most amazing passengers was the 11-week-old baby. His father (a Scot) was shepherding a group of 20-some skiers, and often took the lead in trying to get some action (he was the one who called London on his cell phone to attempt to get some answers when nobody was showing up in Boston). Anyway, I never heard that baby cry even once in the whole time. Maybe that says something about the British temperament!

How horrible! You wrote a great report on your website I hope you sent it to Virgin. Please keep us updated!!!!

Looks like fodor problems again. I posted under this, but for some reason it posted under another discussion. Sorry.

Anyway, I'm sorry to hear of such an awful experience on Virgin Atlantic. Ironically, the same thing happened to me on Continental and Virgin rescued me. My delays weren't as long as yours, but they were long. I tried for hours to get a hold of Continental by phone and when I did reach them, they said they couldn’t do anything over the phone and I would have to see a gate agent. Eventually, I was one of the lucky four (the rest of our group of 20 people) to be put on Virgin Atlantic. The other 20 people didn’t leave until the next day and was flown on Aer Lingus through Ireland and then Ryan Air into London.

Like you, I too wrote a letter. Of course, nothing happened but I did receive a letter back.

It basically stated that Continental wasn't responsible for weather delays and they would not provide any compensation. I wasn’t asking for any form of compensation. All I wanted was to be informed during the delays. This was back in 2000. I flown Continental many times since and have been very satisfied.

I checked out Virgin's website and it states the following:

“Compensation will not be offered if the cause of the cancellation is beyond the control of Virgin Atlantic, or for cancellations which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. This includes, the impact of weather conditions or air traffic management decisions, national disasters, technical faults with the aircraft that may affect its safety, industrial disputes, political instability and security risks.”

Like other most other airlines, they won't provide any form of compensation or hotel arrangements due to weather related issues.

I feel the same way you do. The experience wouldn't be as bad if the airlines would just tell the truth and update us with information.

The only airline that I have found to offer any type of compensation, food, etc. has been Independence Air. It’s too bad they don't fly internationally.

I don't mean to downplay your misfortune, but to have a photo essay of the non-trip is hilarious. Thanks for the chuckle.

Re: "Like other most other airlines, they won't provide any form of compensation or hotel arrangements due to weather related issues."

Well, first of all VIrgin steadfastly refused ever to admit that the flight was cancelled -- probably because more stringent regulations would come into play for a cancelled flight. I don't know what the legal definition of "cancelled" is. To me if your flight doesn't go for more than 24 hours, and when it finally does, it has a different flight number, your original flight was cancelled. But Virgin didn't see it that way.

I wasn't looking for compensation, anyway, which, under the EU rules, means an additional payout beyond a ticket refund or rebooking.

But regarding hotel rooms, Virgin does clearly state under the Delay (not Cancellation) section of the regs, that "if your flight is delayed until the next day we will offer hotel accommodation." There are no hedges regarding weather in this section.

The website reference is:
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb...sno2612004.jsp

As I said elsewhere, I have learned my lesson, and hereafter will print a copy of those regulations and bring them with me the next time I fly. If you don't know what your rights are, you aren't likely to get them!

What an ordeal. You did indeed handle it with grace and humor.

I've been stranded at Logan (by American) when only the Dunkin Donuts was open. They gave us all $15 food vouchers. Who in the world can eat $15 worth of doughnuts?

Oy. Hope you get a real trip sometime soon.