Refunds keeping you updated - a message from Virgin Atlantic

• 11 June 2020
• News
• Virgin Atlantic

• Our focus remains on supporting all our customers during the Covid-19 crisis.
• We have been inundated with an unprecedented volume of refund requests due to the travel restrictions in place.
• We have boosted the size of our teams processing refunds, using outsourcing support, so that we can increase the weekly payments to our trade partners
• We want to assure all our partners that you will be repaid in full, and we’re investing in resources to accelerate this.

We will keep you updated as our refund capacity expands, and we work to reduce turnaround times.

As a business we wanted to update you on our refund process. We know the difficulties Covid-19 is posing to everyone, and we don’t underestimate the importance of ensuring you have the funds to refund travellers. We want to reassure you that we are working through refund requests as a priority.

As a direct result of the crisis and the global travel restrictions, we have been forced to make significant cancellations to our flying programme, with all scheduled Virgin Atlantic flights now cancelled up to and including 19 July 2020. We have been inundated with an unparalleled volume of refund requests, which our teams are processing from home.  To date, we know that we’ve been unable to provide the clarity you need on when to expect payment of refunds to pass on to your customers - and this falls short of the highest standards we hold ourselves to.

Our message to customers, whether they have booked directly or indirectly, is that you absolutely will receive a refund. We’re making every effort to reduce our timeframes wherever possible boosting the size of the teams processing refunds and using outsourced support, so that we can increase weekly payments to our trade partners via BSPLink or directly, in certain circumstances.

Our absolute focus remains on supporting all of our customers during this global pandemic and emerging from this crisis so that Virgin Atlantic continues to provide essential connectivity on competitive terms to consumers and businesses in Britain and beyond. It is only with the support of you, our amazing partners, that we can do this. We know Covid-19 is affecting the entire travel industry and putting immense pressure on many of you, too. We don’t underestimate the challenges you face.

We sincerely apologise for the delays you’ve experienced, and we are grateful for the ongoing patience of all our trade partners, large and small.  We will keep you updated as our refund capacity expands, and we work to reduce turnaround times