Reimbursement and Compensation: Virgin Atlantic Airways

Regardless of whether you're at home or abroad when you find out about your Virgin Atlantic Airways flight cancellation, you're going to have a lot of questions and concerns. The first thing to know is that Virgin Atlantic Airways should find you a new flight, or offer you a full refund.

But because flight cancellations almost always play havoc with your travel plans, you should check whether you're also entitled to claim Virgin Atlantic Airways canceled flight compensation to help make up for the disruption.

Under EU regulations, Virgin Atlantic Airways should pay passengers up to £520 per person when they cancel flights at late notice — that is, any flight cancellation less than 14 days before it was due to depart.

Exceptions:
Virgin Atlantic Airways will not have to pay compensation if they were able to offer a replacement flight with similar departure and arrival times to the original. You can check the exact requirements on our flight cancellation compensation page.

Airlines also don't have to pay compensation if extraordinary circumstances were at play. That means that if an unusual situation occurred that was outside of the airline's control but forced a cancellation, there's no Virgin Atlantic Airways flight cancellation compensation owed. Typical examples include bad weather or a strike by air traffic control.

Whenever you're kept waiting by Virgin Atlantic Airways flight delays, it's worth checking whether you're entitled to compensation for your time. If Virgin Atlantic Airways is responsible for the delay, EU regulations say that passengers are owed up to £520 per person when they're delayed by 3 hours or more.

When you're claiming flight delay compensation, Virgin Atlantic Airways will check what time the flight arrived at the final destination. That's because for flight delay claims it is the time that you arrived that is important, not the time of departure. AirHelp owns one of the most comprehensive databases of flight stats available, so we can always back up Virgin Atlantic Airways flight delay compensation claims with the exact delay time.

Exceptions:
Airlines like Virgin Atlantic Airways do not have to pay out compensation if there's some external reason for the delay. That means delays caused by bad weather, an incident at the airport, or air traffic control strikes are not eligible for compensation. These kind of situations are called extraordinary circumstances.

You can learn more about what is and isn't included on our flight delay compensation page.

UK 261 is the EU regulation that covers situations like flight delays, cancellations, and overbookings. It lays out the care passengers can expect from airlines in the event of any of these disruptions, and it clearly states in what situations passengers are owed compensation.

Travelers are allowed to claim for past flights under UK 261 — often you can still claim for flights in the past 3 years.

The regulation applies to all flights that depart from a European airport, but as Virgin Atlantic Airways is a European airline, passengers are given extra protection by UK 261, and flights into Europe are covered too, even when they depart from outside the EU.

Which Virgin Atlantic Airways Flights are Covered by UK 261?

Table shows values in € as specified in UK 261

As with any law, there are exceptions and special circumstances that can affect each specific claim, including how much compensation is owed. AirHelp makes it simple to check compensation here.

Virgin Atlantic Airways is a renowned British airline company that has been providing exceptional air travel services since its establishment in 1984. With a fleet size of around 40 modern aircraft, including Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A350s, Virgin Atlantic ensures a comfortable and safe journey for its passengers. Covering over 30 destinations worldwide, Virgin Atlantic connects travelers to popular cities across North America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. London Heathrow and Manchester airports serve as the airline's primary hubs, offering convenient connections to numerous domestic and international flights. Passengers can expect top-notch amenities onboard, including spacious seating, delectable meals, and a wide range of entertainment options. The airline's friendly and professional crew members strive to deliver a memorable travel experience, making Virgin Atlantic a preferred choice for both business and leisure travelers.

Contact Information:

• Website: https://www.virginatlantic.com/
• Customer Service International Number: +1 800 862 8621
• Headquarters Address: Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited, The VHQ, Fleming Way, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9DF, United Kingdom