Your Virgin Atlantic compensation claim is denied.
Handling a denied compensation claim can be particularly aggravating, especially when you’re navigating the process independently, and you’re uncertain about your eligibility for compensation. What’s your next move? Should you give up now? The answer is a resounding no. It’s certainly worth pursuing. You can consider handing your claim over to a flight compensation company to handle it on your behalf. However, that’s not your only choice.
You have the power to continue advocating for your rights on your own.
Your Virgin Atlantic Compensation Claim Is Denied. What’s Next?
Your Virgin Atlantic compensation claim is denied.
Should you give up? No, you shouldn’t.
There are other methods to secure compensation from Virgin Atlantic.
But before exploring other options, it’s crucial to brush up on the relevant laws and refresh your understanding of your rights.
1. Collaborating With Flight Compensation Companies
The simplest approach is to collaborate with a flight compensation company.
All that’s required is to complete an online claim form, submit copies of your boarding pass and passport, and sign the claim. The majority of the process is handled by the company, freeing you from further communication with Virgin Atlantic. If additional inquiries arise that only you can address, the flight compensation company will get in touch with you. The only downside is the cost. These companies typically charge fees equal to about 25-45% of the compensation.
Our partners provide these services.
When choosing this option, here is all you will have to do:
And that’s it — the rest is handled by professionals.
* Your boarding pass and passport or ID copy.
What’s the cost?
Generally, the fees equate to roughly 25 to 45 percent of the compensation amount. The remainder is sent directly to you. If no compensation is awarded, you are not obligated to pay.
Read more:
- How to Claim Virgin Atlantic Compensation?
- Your Virgin Atlantic Refund Is Taking Forever. What Can You Do About It?
2. Reaching Out to the NEB of the Flight’s Origin Country
Partnering with a flight compensation company isn’t the only option available.
If you’ve attempted to liaise with the airline independently and your efforts have been met with denial or no response, reaching out to the National Enforcement Bodies (NEB) could be your next step. This service is free of charge, but it isn’t as straightforward as working with a compensation company and can be a lengthy process. Typically, it takes a minimum of two months for the NEB to process your compensation request.
The biggest downside is this— a favorable response to your request doesn’t guarantee compensation. Virgin Atlantic may still reject the compensation request.
You can find a list of the National Enforcement Bodies here.
The National Enforcement Bodies assist passengers in the event of denied boarding, flight delay or cancellation, as well as enforces the regulation Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and makes sure passengers are treated according to these rules.
3. Escalating the Case to Court
If your Virgin Atlantic compensation claim is denied, you can take legal action.
It’s strongly recommended to secure a positive ruling from the NEB beforehand. Having this in your possession will significantly bolster your case against the airline (Virgin Atlantic in this instance).
While it’s the most complicated route, it’s also very effective. Before escalating your complaint to a courtroom setting, verify the validity of your claim. Revisit your rights and formulate your case. Only with this prepared can you confidently determine whether court action is worth pursuing. If you have an NEB verdict confirming your right to compensation, include this in your court documents.
Remember, court proceedings will incur costs.
Extraordinary Circumstances
Airlines often avoid disclosing the true reason your claim is denied.
They tend to provide a generic explanation and leave it at that.
They frequently default to attributing claim denials to “extraordinary circumstances”.
The rationale here is straightforward — paying compensation is not profitable. Hence, airlines do their utmost to avoid compensation payouts. They are aware that many passengers lack comprehensive knowledge about their rights, and they exploit this lack of awareness. Therefore, be wary when this term is used in future.
As per EU regulation 261/2004, airlines are not obliged to pay flight compensation when the disruption is due to extraordinary circumstances. These include severe weather conditions, political instability, civil unrest, and undisclosed manufacturing defects. That’s right, only hidden manufacturing defects are considered extraordinary circumstances. Most technical issues, same like staff strikes, fall under the airline’s responsibility.
Moreover, adverse weather isn’t always deemed an extraordinary circumstance. In some scenarios, the weather conditions are entirely predictable. For instance — snowfall during winter months (unless snow is rare in that location). In these instances, the airline is expected to take necessary measures to ensure the flight operates on time.
Establish the actual cause of the delay or cancellation.
It’s important.
When Can You Get Flight Compensation From Virgin Atlantic?
A host of scenarios present the opportunity for you to legitimately demand flight compensation. These encompass instances of flight delays, abrupt cancellations, and denied boarding due to an oversold flight.
1. Flight Delays
Under the provisions of EU regulation 261/2004, you are eligible to demand compensation in the event your flight reaches its final destination with a delay of three or more hours.
The amount of compensation is dependent on the duration of the delay and your flight’s distance. For instance, if your flight from London to Paris, a relatively brief journey under 1,500km, is delayed by four hours, you are entitled to receive €250 as compensation.
Discover more: Virgin Atlantic Flight Delay Compensation
2. Flight Cancellations
Should your flight be cancelled without a preliminary warning of a minimum of 14 days, you are eligible to claim flight compensation.
The compensation amount varies based on the travel distance and the duration of delay in arrival at your ultimate destination. For example, if your flight from Rome to New York, a long-distance journey exceeding 3,500km, is cancelled without sufficient notice and you arrive at your final destination more than four hours late on a replacement flight, you are entitled to €600 in compensation.
You may also opt for a full Virgin Atlantic refund, instead of an alternative flight.
Explore further: Virgin Atlantic Flight Cancellation Compensation
3. Denied Boarding Due to Overbooking
Airlines at times overbook flights in anticipation of some passengers not turning up. If you face denied boarding on account of overbooking and you did not voluntarily surrender your seat, you stand eligible for flight compensation.
The compensation sum is determined by the distance of the flight. Consider you are flying from Berlin to Madrid, a moderate distance between 1,500km and 3,500km, and you are denied boarding because of overbooking. If your arrival at your final destination is delayed by more than three hours, you are entitled to €400 in compensation.
Read more: Virgin Atlantic Denied Boarding Compensation
What is your experience with Virgin Atlantic compensation claims? Do you have a first-hand experience of denied Virgin Atlantic compensation claim? Did you take the case to NEB or court?
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