DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: My wife and I planned a trip to London and Paris using points that we had transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Virgin Atlantic specifically for our flights. The itinerary included a flight from Washington, D.C., to London, the Eurostar train from London to Paris, and a return flight from Paris to Washington on Air France.
Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter
The morning of our departure we received a flight cancellation notice. I immediately called Virgin customer service and spoke to a representative who put us on a British Airways flight the same day. I received an email with no locator number, so I called back. The next representative said that the British Airways flight was not available and that the original representative would call me within 60 minutes to confirm us on another flight.
I never received a return phone call and when I continually called back over a five-hour period nobody called me back as promised. I have screenshots of my phone calls with the time I spent on the phone.
Virgin offered to rebook us on a flight two days later, but the cost of our hotels and the Eurostar were significantly higher and my wife only was able to take her vacation on our planned days. I’d like a refund of the value of Virgin Atlantic points that were transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards. Can you help?
— Peter Ross, Washington, D.C.
ANSWER: I’m sorry to hear about your ruined vacation. Virgin Atlantic should have refunded your points promptly. So why didn’t it?
It looks like you had a dispute with the airline after the initial cancellation. A Virgin representative rebooked you on another flight but didn’t send you a record locator, so you couldn’t be sure it was a confirmed reservation. You then found an empty seat on another flight, but Virgin Atlantic wouldn’t book you on that flight. So you canceled your trip.
Worse, Virgin Atlantic promised to call you back to fix the problem but never did.
Here’s the thing: It doesn’t matter why your flight was canceled or what kind of alternate flight your airline offered. When an airline cancels your flight, you get your money or your points back. Full stop.
A brief, polite email to one of the customer service managers at Virgin Atlantic or Chase might have helped. I publish both on my consumer advocacy website, Elliott.org.
Even a quick review of your itinerary would have revealed the problems of rebooking you on a flight. But if it didn’t, then Chase should have been able to claw back your points.
As I look at your correspondence with Virgin Atlantic, it appears that the airline was trying to pressure you into taking one of its upcoming flights. That’s understandable — it didn’t want to issue a refund. But rules are rules, and the airline couldn’t just keep your points.
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I contacted Virgin Atlantic on your behalf. A representative contacted you, and you furnished the airline with additional proof that things had gone sideways with your European vacation. The Virgin Atlantic representative admitted to “multiple failures in customer service.”
Virgin Atlantic credited your points and added a flight voucher for the inconvenience. It also reimbursed you for the nonrefundable Eurostar tickets you lost.
Christopher Elliott is the author of “The Unauthorized Travel Manual” and founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.
© 2025 Christopher Elliott.
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