We want to assure you that in the event of a disruption to your flight schedule, we will be taking steps to minimise the inconvenience to you and make any waiting time as comfortable as possible. All our actions meet the requirements of the European Union’s Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights.

If your flight is delayed:

• For more than 4 hours

We will provide you with meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the waiting time, plus 2 short telephone calls, or telex, or fax, or e-mail messages.

• For more than 5 hours

In addition to the above, you have the choice

To cancel your booking and receive a refund of your unused ticket, and for the part of the journey already made if the delay means your flight no longer serves any purpose in relation to your original travel plans. Where relevant if you have already completed one or more segments of your flight we will also offer you a return flight to your first point of departure at the earliest opportunity.

Inclusive/package tour passengers should be aware that a refund would only relate to the airfare portion of the package and not the whole cost of the holiday. Your Tour operator should be contacted for further advice before you cancel your booking.

• Until the next day (local time)

In addition to the above If you have chosen not to cancel your flight we will offer hotel accommodation.

The care detailed above may be limited or declined if the provision of refreshments, meals and hotel accommodation would itself cause further delay.

If your flight is cancelled:

You have the choice

• To cancel your booking and receive a refund of your unused ticket, and for the part of the journey already made if the delay means your flight no longer serves any purpose in relation to your original travel plans. Where relevant if you have already completed one or more segments of your flight we will also offer you a return flight to your first point of departure at the earliest opportunity.

Inclusive/package tour passengers should be aware that a refund would only relate to the airfare portion of the package and not the whole cost of the holiday. Your Tour operator should be contacted for further advice before you cancel your booking.

• To take an alternative flight, under comparable transport conditions, to your final destination, where seats are available, at the earliest opportunity
• To take an alternative flight to your destination, under comparable transport conditions and where seats are available, at a later date. (You will be responsible for any hotel accommodation; meals and other transport costs should you choose this option)

In addition:

If your flight is cancelled without prior notification to yourself and you have commenced your journey to the airport we will provide you, whilst awaiting a later flight, with meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the waiting time, plus 2 short telephone calls, or telex, or fax, or e-mail messages. If your new flight departure involves an overnight wait, we will offer hotel accommodation and transport to and from the hotel. (This provision will not apply if you have chosen to take an alternative Virgin Atlantic flight at a later date)

If we cancel your flight within 2 weeks of your departure date we may offer compensation in the sum of 600 Euros. This depends upon the reason for the cancellation and the arrival time of your new flight.

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.

Neither will compensation, or other assistance e.g meals, refreshments or hotel accommodation etc be offered if we advised passengers or their travel agents and tour operators at least 2 weeks before departure date.

Where compensation is applicable the amount will be reduced by 50% if your new flight is scheduled to arrive within 4 hours of your original arrival time.

Any applicable compensation or other assistance will not apply if you have chosen to take a refund of your unused ticket or an alternative Virgin Atlantic flight at a later date.

If you are denied boarding due to a shortage of seats on your flight:

Virgin Atlantic operates a 'Voluntary' denied boarding scheme entitled 'Virgin Select' this scheme offers our passengers the opportunity surrender their seats and receive a refund of their unused ticket or fly on a later Virgin Atlantic flight in exchange for a complimentary or discounted flight or Virgin Holiday at a future date.

Passengers volunteering and accepted for the 'Virgin Select' scheme will also receive meals, refreshments and overnight accommodation depending upon the length of the waiting time. (Further details of the Virgin Select scheme can be obtained from member of our airport staff)

In the unlikely event that we have to deny boarding on an 'involuntary basis'

You have the right

• To compensation in the sum of either 300 Euros if your new flight is scheduled to arrive within 4 hours of your original arrival time, or 600 Euros if your new flight is scheduled to arrive more than 4 hours after your original arrival time.
  
• To cancel your booking and receive a refund of your unused ticket, and for the part of the journey already made if the delay means your flight no longer serves any purpose in relation to your original travel plans.

Inclusive/package tour passengers should be aware that a refund would only relate to the airfare portion of the package and not the whole cost of the holiday. Your Tour operator should be contacted for further advice before you cancel your booking.

• To take an alternative flight, under comparable transport conditions, to your final destination, where seats are available, at the earliest opportunity
  
• To take an alternative flight to your destination, under comparable transport conditions and where seats are available, at a later date. (You will be responsible for any hotel accommodation; meals and other transport costs should you choose this option)

Plus

• We will provide you with meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the waiting time, plus 2 short telephone calls, or telex, or fax, or e-mail messages. If your new flight departure involves an overnight wait, we will offer hotel accommodation and transport to and from the hotel. (This provision will not apply if you have chosen to take an alternative Virgin Atlantic flight at a later date)

Important note:

These provisions and services will only apply on the condition that passengers have a confirmed reservation on the flight concerned and have presented themselves at check in at least 60 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time of their flight.

These provisions and services do not apply to passengers travelling free of charge, or at a reduced fare not available directly or indirectly to the public. However it does apply to passengers having tickets issued under a frequent flyer programme.

If you are denied boarding for justifiable reasons such as health, safety, security or inadequate travel documentation we will be under no obligation to provide care, assistance, compensation, ticket refunds or alternative travel arrangements.

General Advice:

Where applicable compensation for flight cancellations and Denied Boarding situations due to a shortage of seats will be paid with the agreement of the passenger in future travel vouchers and/or other services, or cash, electronic bank transfer, or cheque. Cash, transfer or cheque payments will be made to the purchaser of the flight ticket by our central refunds department.

If you are dissatisfied with the assistance you were offered during your flight disruption and wish to contact the body responsible for the enforcement of the EC regulation please contact the Air Transport Users Council (AUC) at:

Air Transport Users Council
CAA House
45-59 Kingsway
London. WC2B 6TE
UK
Tel: 0207 240 6061
Fax: 0207 240 7071
E mail admin@auc.caa.co.uk

In addition our own Customer Relations department welcomes your comments or concerns:

Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd
Customer Relations
PO Box 747
Dunstable
LU6 9AH
E mail customer.relations@fly.virgin.com

The above information provides a summary of the relevant EU legislation Compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights: (EC) No 261/2004(OJ L46, 17.2.2004)

Any legal claim or action taken in the event of a dispute should be based solely on the legal texts concerned. These may be found in the Official Journal of the European Union

Passengers denied boarding departing from US airports:

Compensation for Denied Boarding

If you have been denied a reserved seat on Virgin Atlantic flight departing from the US, you are probably entitled to monetary compensation. This notice explains the airlines obligations and the passengers rights in the case of an oversold flight and is in accordance with the US Department of Transportations Code of Federal Regulations (14CFR part 250).

Volunteers and Boarding Priorities

If a flight is oversold (more passengers hold confirmed reservations than there are seats available), no one may be denied boarding against their will until we have first asked for volunteers to give up their seats willingly and partake in our 'Virgin Select' denied boarding scheme. If there are not enough volunteers, other passengers may be denied boarding involuntarily. In this event we may deny boarding to those passengers:

• Last to arrive at the check in or baggage drop off desks

Compensation for involuntary Denied Boarding

If you are denied boarding involuntarily, you are entitled to a payment of "denied boarding compensation" unless:

1. You have not fully complied with our ticketing, check in deadline and reconfirmation requirements, or you are not acceptable for transportation under our usual rules and practices.
   
   
2. You are denied boarding because the flight is cancelled.
   
   
3. You are denied boarding because a smaller capacity aircraft was substituted for safety or operational reasons.
   
   
4. You are offered accommodations in a section of the aircraft other than specified in your ticket, at no extra charge (any passenger seated in a section for which a lower fare is charged will be given an appropriate refund.)
   
   
5. We are able to place you on another flight that is planned to reach your stopover or final destination within one hour of the planned arrival time of your original flight
   
   

Amount of Denied Boarding Compensation:

Passengers who are eligible for denied boarding compensation will be offered a payment equal to:

• 100% of their one way fare (including any surcharges and air transportation taxes) to the passengers next stopover, or if none, to the passengers final destination, with a maximum of $400 if the new flight is scheduled to arrive within four hours of the original arrival time.
  
  

OR

• 200% of their one way fare (including any surcharges and air transportation taxes) to the passengers next stopover, or if none, to the passengers final destination, with a maximum of $800 if the new flight is scheduled to arrive more than four hours after the original arrival time.