Schedule Change Policy

Only ticketed customers are guaranteed schedule change policy protection.

Virgin Atlantic will try to rebook all customers on the same class of service as their original booking, if applicable on the new flight or date change.

For bookings created using IT, Cruise or Charity fares, the amended itinerary can be issued using the original stored fare.  

The itineraries for IT, Cruise or Charity can also be amended to maintain the original duration of stay. If original class is not available, you can seek assistance from Virgin Atlantic Sales Support who may be able to offer further help.

PNR must be documented with the following OSI entry:

SI VS ORIG FARE USED DUE TO VS SCHED CHG

Should the Virgin Atlantic change not be suitable for your customers travel plans

-      Search for acceptable itinerary

-      Re-price for the new itinerary at the current fare, taxes, and surcharges

-      Issue ticket/s in accordance with the new ticket time limit 

When an advanced non significant schedule change occurs:

-      A change to the scheduled time less than 3 hours

-      Flight number change only

-      Aircraft change

When these guidelines are applied, no approval is required from Virgin Atlantic Sales Support.

Determine if the schedule change is acceptable to the customer and if Virgin Atlantic have revalidated the ticket, no further action is required.

-      If the ticket has not been re-validated, however your customer accepts the changes; the ticket must be reissued as an even exchange. In addition, the PNR and ticket must be documented as noted below

-      SI VS REISSUE DUE TO VS SCHED CHG

Please reissue tickets to include “REISSUE DUE TO VS SCHED CHG” in the endorsement box and where supported precede the fare calculation with an “S-“

Should the schedule change not be suitable for your customer’s travel plans?

-      Search for acceptable itinerary

-      Re-price for the new itinerary at the current fare, taxes, and surcharges

-      Re-issue ticket for the new fare, taxes, and surcharges filed 

If the advanced non significant schedule change causes a misconnection with a connecting flight or cruise with the agreed connection time originally provided and proof of misconnection can be given, you may:

-      Re-accommodate a customer on the next available flight either earlier or later of the original travel date, the original class of service must be available for the new desired flight(s). Other airline options included in the fare rules can be used in the applicable booking class only.

-      Re-issue ticket as even exchange and updated with the below:

-      SI VS REISSUE DUE TO VS SCHED CHG

Please reissue tickets to include “REISSUE DUE TO VS SCHED CHG” in the endorsement box and where supported precede the fare calculation with an “S-“

Should any alternatives not meet customers’ requirements, a refund may be offered. Please refer to below refund guidelines for relevant SI remarks. 

By revalidating the ticket, Virgin Atlantic preserves your control of the ticket. You will know that the ticket has been re-validated because the re-validation data will automatically be included when you request a ticket display, provided the GDS sends the display request to Virgin Atlantic, following normal industry standards.

The updated flight, date, time and booking class data, which have changed due to re-validation, on the impacted coupon(s) will display. This information is dynamic (real time), therefore ensuring you get the most current view of the electronic ticket. In addition, it will provide clear indication to you that the ticket is up to date and your customer is check-in ready, requiring no reissue by yourself.

The interline revalidation program will update the master ticket record in the validating carrier’s system, ensuring that the travel agency-issued ticket will now match the itinerary for the impacted coupon(s), resulting in no reissue required. Travel agents can easily verify the update by displaying the Electronic Ticket Record (ETR) to make sure it matches the itinerary in the PNR.

If the ETR does not match the itinerary in the PNR, Travel Agencies must manually reissue the ticket.

-      For VS 932 tickets that include segments operated by DL; if DL revalidates the DL-operated coupon, the revalidation message will be sent to VS and the DL coupon on the VS 932 ticket will be updated to match the revalidation data sent from DL

-      For DL 006 tickets that include segments operated by VS; if VS revalidates the VS-operated coupon, the revalidation message will be sent to DL and the VS coupon on the DL 006 ticket will be updated to match the revalidation data sent from VS

Not all schedule changes can be updated using Virgin Atlantic’s automated re-validation technology. Below is a list of instances when you must update the PNR, manually reissue the ticket and notify the customer of the changes.

Please note: This is not an exhaustive list, however the most common scenarios.

-      There is not a re-accommodation option booked for the customer (ex. UN segment)

-      The minimum connect times are not met with the alternative routing

-      An itinerary that requires a change in the number of flight coupons

-      When there is no E-Ticket in the PNR

-      The flight change has caused a misconnection, which requires re-booking of the customer onto alternative flights, dates, or times

-      The itinerary changed from a non-stop to connecting flights

-      Tickets are issued on another carrier’s ticket stock

-      Tickets contain other airline space

-      The PNR contains a 'G' header in the name field

-      The PNR contains select SSRs (example: UMNR, PETC, MEDA)

Review the customer’s PNR, determine what needs to be done to the PNR. If the customer needs to be re-accommodated, the new flights must be rebooked using the applicable schedule change process that the booking/s have been affected by  i.e., flight cancellation, etc.

Should the Virgin Atlantic schedule change not be suitable for your customer’s travel plans.

When these guidelines are applied, no approval is required from Virgin Atlantic Sales Support.

For other airline options, refer to the fare rules of the original ticket and check Cat 4, the applicable booking class must be used.

To re-accommodate your customer on a new flight :

-      Dates must be on the next available flight, same origin, and destination and class, if original class is not available

-      Rebook using the lowest class within original cabin

-      The original duration of stay may be maintained, return sector must be booked in the original class of service

Please reissue tickets as an even exchange or applicable new fare and include “REISSUE DUE TO VS SCHED CHG” in the endorsement box and where supported precede the fare calculation with an “S-“

Should any alternatives not meet customers’ requirements, a refund may be offered. Please refer to below refund guidelines for relevant SI remarks.

In some instances, your customers may be entitled to remedies under Regulation 261/2004. Further details and information on how to claim for disruption can be found at: https://help.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/flight-disruptions/eu-regulations.html.

When these guidelines are applied, no approval is required from Virgin Atlantic Sales Support.

Should the Virgin Atlantic schedule change not be suitable for your customer’s travel plans.

For other airline options, refer to the fare rules of the original ticket and check Cat 4, the applicable booking class must be used.

To reaccommodate your customer/s for any scheduled time change of 3 hours or more, or has added one or more stops to the original itinerary:  

-      Rebook your customer onto a new flight in the original class, origin, and destination, on to the next available flight either earlier or later of the original travel date

-      If original class is not available, rebook using the lowest class within original cabin

-      The original duration of stay may be maintained, return sector must be booked in the original class of service

PNR must be documented with the following OSI entry: 

-      SI VS REISSUE DUE TO VS SCHED CHG

Please reissue tickets as an even exchange or applicable new fare and include “REISSUE DUE TO VS SCHED CHG” in the endorsement box and where supported precede the fare calculation with an “S-“

In some instances, your customers may be entitled to remedies under Regulation 261/2004. Further details and information on how to claim for disruption can be found at: https://help.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/flight-disruptions/eu-regulations.html.

An irregular operation (IROP) is a delay or cancellation to a Virgin Atlantic flight within 72 hours or less of departure.  We may proactively issue a VSbulletin with specific rebooking options you can offer your customers, including all required SI entries. Our VSbulletins can be found here

If a VSbulletin has not been issued we will actively rebook your customers, and the ticket/s will be re-validated where applicable.

Notification will be sent directly to the customer depending on the availability of contact information in the PNR as per IATA Resolution 830d.

When these guidelines are applied, no approval is required from Virgin Atlantic Sales Support.

Should the Virgin Atlantic schedule change not be suitable for your customer’s travel plans.

• You can rebook your customer onto a new flight on the same day in the original class, origin, and destination
•  If original class is not available on the original date, rebook using the lowest class available within original cabin
• Rerouting is only permitted if the fare rules allow
• If the original travel date is no longer suitable you can rebook your customers to travel within 48hrs of the original travel date
• Should VS or VS* not be available rebook using original or lowest available booking class in the same cabin to another airline where Virgin Atlantic has an interline e-ticket agreement, priority option table below
• The original duration of stay may be maintained, return sector must be booked in the original class of service

PNR must be documented with the following OSI entry: 

-      SI VS REISSUE DUE TO INVOL VS SCHED CHG

-      Please reissue tickets as an even exchange and include “REISSUE DUE TO INVOL VS SCHED CHG” in the endorsement box and where supported precede the fare calculation with an “I-“

Should any alternatives not meet your customers’ requirements, a refund may be offered for any unused portions of their ticket. Please refer to our refund guidelines for relevant SI remarks.

In some instances, your customers may be entitled to remedies under Regulation 261/2004. Further details and information on how to claim for disruption can be found at: https://help.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/flight-disruptions/eu-regulations.html.

Indigo will notify Virgin Atlantic of all changes; once Virgin Atlantic have updated the PNR, a notification will be sent back to your GDS for review and processing. 

Should the schedule change not be suitable for your customer’s travel plans.

For other airline options, refer to the fare rules of the original ticket and check Cat 4, the applicable booking class must be used.

-      To re-accommodate, rebook your customer onto a new VS* flight in the original ticketed class of service, origin, and destination, unless alternative routing allowed in the fare rules

-      Dates can be on to the next available flight either earlier or later of the original travel date

-      The original duration of stay may be maintained, return sector must be booked in the original class of service

PNR must be documented with the following OSI entry: 

-      SI VS REISSUE DUE TO 6E SCHED CHG

-      Please reissue tickets as an even exchange and include “REISSUE DUE TO 6E SCHED CHG” in the endorsement box and where supported precede the fare calculation with an “S-“

Only 6E initiated schedule change calls for this exception as unlike other partner carriers, due to their system restrictions, they cannot update PNR as operating carrier which would typically be the case.

VS initiated schedule changes to follow same process as with other codeshare partners.

The operating carrier who runs the schedule change will be responsible for any re-booking or compensation.  Check relevant operating airlines schedule change policy.

When these guidelines are applied, no approval is required from Virgin Atlantic Sales Support.

For other airline options, refer to the fare rules of the original ticket and check Cat 4, the applicable booking class must be used.

If any of the options offered within the fare rules are not acceptable, rebooking is possible in the original or lowest available class within the same cabin on the following:

PNR must be documented with the following OSI entry: 

-      SI VS REISSUE DUE TO XX SCHED CHG (XX equals VS or airline code applicable to SC)

-      Please reissue tickets as an even exchange and include “REISSUE DUE TO VS SCHED CHG” in the endorsement box and where supported precede the fare calculation with an “S-“

Refunds will be processed via the ticketed carrier. 

-      Should any alternatives not meet your customers’ requirements, a refund may be offered for any unused portions of their ticket. Please refer to our refund guidelines for relevant SI remarks. 

When these guidelines are applied, no approval is required from Virgin Atlantic Sales Support.

Refundable Ticket

Refunds for a refundable ticket(s) due to a Virgin Atlantic schedule change can be processed using normal GDS processing.  Should you be unable to process the transaction through your GDS, we ask that you submit a refund application via BSP Link or for ARC user complete this form

https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/contact-forms/refund-form.html?webform=ticket-refunds 

Please refer to our Refunds Policy here

Non-Refundable Ticket

You can refund a non-refundable ticket(s) when there has been a Virgin Atlantic schedule change should one or more of the following apply:

-      A change in the routing of a scheduled Virgin Atlantic flight adds one or more stops to the original itinerary.

-      A change causes a misconnect on a through ticket, or cruise with the agreed connection time originally provided

-      A change or long delay of three or more hours occurs

-      Flight cancellation

PNR must be documented with the following OSI entry: 

-      SI VS REFUND DUE TO VS SCHED CHG