Hi Ground Bound
"Whilst I have sympathy with your plight I would like to point out that Virgin Atlantic's terms and conditions are clearly laid out on their website. I know on good authority that call centre staff do not have the means to "decide prices in their heads"; the fares displayed on thier screens reflect the seat prices available at that time and these, believe me, can change by the minute. The staff do not have the authority to override this."
I would never deny the mistake was ours - We made a mistake and had hoped for a little flexibility on something which really is insignificant to change 3 hours after making an E-Ticket booking for a June departure.
As for the prices being clearly laid out I cannot agree - the operator I spoke to put me on hold for ages to get a "second opinion on something" and twice stated "Oh I forgot about xxxx, so that will add £nn" so it really appeared like a make it up as you go along process which went from the fare difference of £12 + £50 change fee incrementally up to over £200 in a couple of minutes - and the differences were always changes to the fee with the £12 fare always staying fixed.
However I have emailed their customer services on Monday evening and so far I've heard absolutely nothing other than an automatic response with a case reference. I was hoping for a little compassion and understanding as we can all make mistakes, but we'll have to see the final outcome.
Either way I intend to enjoy the trip to the USA with my wife for her 40th, and that includes the flights. It's just sad that the type of personality she is, it has soured the experience for her.
Steve