Virgin Atlantic Seat Selection
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 81
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From: London
Virgin Atlantic Seat Selection
I've just booked some PE seats for the late Summer (London to USA) partly because Virgin advertise in at least two different places on their web site that seat choice is free and available from the time of booking. Having made the booking, I find that I cannot choose seats and by an e-mail exchange, customer service tell me that I won't be able to choose seats until 1st June.
Has anyone else had this experience or am I just unlucky?
Has anyone else had this experience or am I just unlucky?
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,652
Likes: 138
From: 50+ north
They've been embargoing seat selection for some time, limiting it to 90 days or less before departure. According to an email I received recently, they will be charging £25 to pre-select a seat on booking, effective 1 April. Looks as if Virgin is going the lo-co route, what next are they to charge for. I've been loyal to them for many years, am now looking at alternatives.
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 81
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From: London
They are making changes which include charging if you want to choose economy seats before a certain date but from the web site for PE, this is not applicable ie:-
Advanced seat assignment
Published 21/11/2013 02.44 PM | Updated 31/12/2013 10.37 AM
Will I need to pay to choose my seats in advance?
• If you are in Upper Class, Premium Economy or Economy booked in Y Class you can choose your seat free of charge any time from making your booking.
When you ask them about it they just ignore this statement and say that no-one can choose seats before 1st June. They also ignore the following and say that it is wrong:-
Selecting Seats and Exceptions
Published 17/12/2007 03.01 PM | Updated 23/12/2013 02.19 PM
If you already have a booking to fly in April seats can be assigned up to 30 days before departure. For flights departing and booked after 1 April seats can be chosen free of charge on booking or up to 336 days in advance.
It is difficult to see what their policy is.
Advanced seat assignment
Published 21/11/2013 02.44 PM | Updated 31/12/2013 10.37 AM
Will I need to pay to choose my seats in advance?
• If you are in Upper Class, Premium Economy or Economy booked in Y Class you can choose your seat free of charge any time from making your booking.
When you ask them about it they just ignore this statement and say that no-one can choose seats before 1st June. They also ignore the following and say that it is wrong:-
Selecting Seats and Exceptions
Published 17/12/2007 03.01 PM | Updated 23/12/2013 02.19 PM
If you already have a booking to fly in April seats can be assigned up to 30 days before departure. For flights departing and booked after 1 April seats can be chosen free of charge on booking or up to 336 days in advance.
It is difficult to see what their policy is.
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
From: US
If any Virgin pax are considering switching to BA to avoid this, that's frying pan into the fire.
For several years BA has not offered seat selection at the time of paid reservation, even for business pax.
On BA to get seat selection when booking, you have to have status in their frequent flier program, with a few other variations in rules according to status level.
For all but status pax, it's no-cost seat selection at 24 hours before departure when on-line check-in begins.
Some of us regular pax in Club World who don't have status have been purchasing the seat we want for several years now. And as more and more people join their status levels, especially the millions from OneWorld partners, to wait until online check-in at 24 hours is deadly on some routes.
BA have pretty much trained a lot of their regular pax to buy seats up front when we pay for the ticket. The rest of the good seats get snuffled by status pax.
It's not cheap either--it's $120 a seat (U.S.) each way for some business seats.
Virgin has long been much easier with this--especially giving seat selection to non-status premium pax, which BA has not done since about 2009 or 2010 if memory serves.
For several years BA has not offered seat selection at the time of paid reservation, even for business pax.
On BA to get seat selection when booking, you have to have status in their frequent flier program, with a few other variations in rules according to status level.
For all but status pax, it's no-cost seat selection at 24 hours before departure when on-line check-in begins.
Some of us regular pax in Club World who don't have status have been purchasing the seat we want for several years now. And as more and more people join their status levels, especially the millions from OneWorld partners, to wait until online check-in at 24 hours is deadly on some routes.
BA have pretty much trained a lot of their regular pax to buy seats up front when we pay for the ticket. The rest of the good seats get snuffled by status pax.
It's not cheap either--it's $120 a seat (U.S.) each way for some business seats.
Virgin has long been much easier with this--especially giving seat selection to non-status premium pax, which BA has not done since about 2009 or 2010 if memory serves.
Last edited by baggersup; 29th July 2014 at 00:11.
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,761
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From: Lemonia. Best Greek in the world
Any truth in the rumour that Virgin have placed a big order with Samsung for new pay-as-you-go locks on its toilet doors?
They are determined to make this innovation before O'Mouthy does.
They are determined to make this innovation before O'Mouthy does.
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 729
Likes: 1
From: San Jose
I've already expressed my opinion to Virgin CS on the move to charging. I wonder what happens if you're a family group of three or four - they guarantee to seat children with an adult, but nowhere do they say they'll try to seat the whole group together.
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 703
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From: United Kingdom
To be honest it's nice to have the option. It's a nightmare trying to not get stuck in a middle seat on American airlines unless you have status, same for BA. If you're not a regular traveller it gives you the option.
Joined: Apr 2010
Aviation Qualifications: Spotter
Posts: 843
Likes: 16
From: London
Why are they doing this?
Presumably because offering seat selection for free up to know was not differentiating them from BA (who have charged for some time.)
People make all sorts of noises when new charges come in, but then we pay them and it clearly, in the long run, didn't do BA any harm.
What's a loss making competitor to do?
Presumably because offering seat selection for free up to know was not differentiating them from BA (who have charged for some time.)
People make all sorts of noises when new charges come in, but then we pay them and it clearly, in the long run, didn't do BA any harm.
What's a loss making competitor to do?
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 796
Likes: 4
From: Back of beyond
Air New Zealand appears to be somewhat more sophisticated in their gouging...er..offering passenger the opportunity to purchase a Preferred seat...
This is a con?? | You Must Be From Away
This is a con?? | You Must Be From Away
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 440
Likes: 0
From: UK. East Mids.
baggersup,
Whilst you are correct about Club World, you are incorrect for First. All passengers ticketed in First have seat selection at the time of booking.
For several years BA has not offered seat selection at the time of paid reservation, even for business and first pax.
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 3,663
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From: Earth
Virgin has long been much easier with this--especially giving seat selection to non-status premium pax, which BA has not done since about 2009 or 2010 if memory serves.
Virgin carry 5m passengers a year.
BA carry 30m passengers a year.
Hence the reason BA need to focus on status passengers for seat selection priority, otherwise it would be one big fight. Virgin can afford to be flexible because they are a (relativley) tiny airline. They don't even feature in the top 10 of passengers carried. If Virgin ever manage to reach the top 10, my money's on them making stuff like seat selection more difficult.
Paxing All Over The World
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,842
Likes: 328
From: Hertfordshire, UK.
Indeed, but their business model has recently changed to try and differentiate themselves from their competition. So I thought it an amusing conincidence that two very different companies show us that there is very little left to play with.
It occurs to me that we now have four main categories:
It occurs to me that we now have four main categories:
- Legacy carriers still trying to do it all
- Legacy carriers trying to charge where they can
- Low cost carriers trying to upscale what they charge for
- Ultra low cost carriers trying to downscale everything
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
From: Surrey
VS will try to seat family groups together (as do BA) but they have to be on the same booking I believe. This makes the whole thing easier for all concerned, saving any hassle on date of travel. They cannot guarantee this but they will do their best.
Of course, if there is a problem, you are at the mercy of the check-in staff and the willingness of them to actually provide some sort of customer service. This will invariably be where "the wheels fall off" and all the trouble starts!!
Of course, if there is a problem, you are at the mercy of the check-in staff and the willingness of them to actually provide some sort of customer service. This will invariably be where "the wheels fall off" and all the trouble starts!!
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 266
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From: England
I will want to be selecting seats for May ASAP, nothing worse than being stuck in the middle row for a long flight. It's inevitable that all the big scheduled carriers will go down the route of charging for everything whilst not lowering costs. It's a shame really. I always put carriers like BA and VS above the charters because of actually getting something for your money (meal, entertainment, drinks) rather than having to fork over £2.50 for a cup of tea *cough* Thomson *cough* when you've already paid more than enough for the flight.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 706
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From: SALISBURY
I always pay to reserve my Club seats on BA when flying to Kenya, South Africa & USA. In the overall cost of the trip I'm happy to pay that bit extra to ensure that our vacation begins & ends in comfort. On our annual BA/ Amex reward flight in First we don't have to pay for the seat reservation.
Horses for courses as always.
Horses for courses as always.
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 81
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From: London
April Fool
'Published 17/12/2007 03.01 PM | Updated 23/12/2013 02.19 PM
If you already have a booking to fly in April seats can be assigned up to 30 days before departure. For flights departing and booked after 1 April seats can be chosen free of charge on booking or up to 336 days in advance.'
Well you didn't believe us did you? We meant 25th June not 1st April. (updated 31/3/2014)
If you already have a booking to fly in April seats can be assigned up to 30 days before departure. For flights departing and booked after 1 April seats can be chosen free of charge on booking or up to 336 days in advance.'
Well you didn't believe us did you? We meant 25th June not 1st April. (updated 31/3/2014)
Paxing All Over The World
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,842
Likes: 328
From: Hertfordshire, UK.
TimGriff6
Really? I booked two weeks ago for November in PE (cash + a companion seat) and was told I could book (and pay) for seats on/after June 1st.
For flights departing and booked after 1 April seats can be chosen free of charge on booking or up to 336 days in advance.
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
From: London, UK
I've already expressed my opinion to Virgin CS on the move to charging. I wonder what happens if you're a family group of three or four - they guarantee to seat children with an adult, but nowhere do they say they'll try to seat the whole group together.
up the pre-booked seat allocations so children were allocated away from adults. It took half a season to sort out as the airport manager was a particular shade of dull and didn't figure out what the agents were doing wrong, or actively sought to do anything about it. I still have nightmares about being the only rep on the desk, and trying to sort out 180 seat allocations with pax swarming around me.
Comes second only last minute check-in desk changes, and screaming at 200+ pax to 'not move a muscle', having to shift them across the airport in groups, with prospective line-jumpers trying to ram me out of the way with their trolleys. I had bruises along my calves for weeks.
