Check how full your Virgin flights are...

[lewisturek]

Hi everyone,

I'm pretty new to the DisBoards and all you experienced people might know this trick already, but just in case you don't, here goes...

It is possible to find out exactly how full your Virgin flight is and more importantly what seats have and haven't been taken D). Go to www.expedia.co.uk, and click on a flight search. Put in your travel dates and select "Virgin" as the preferred airline. The results will come up on the next page. Select your flights and click continue as if you were actually going to book the tickets. Expedia will then ask you to login (if you are not already registered, this bit is slightly tedious as you will have to register rolleyes but trust me, its worth it). Once you have logged in it will ask for the details of who's travelling, fill these boxes in, and at the bottom of the page there is a link to the "SEAT PINPOINTER", click this link! And hey presto in front of your very eyes, is a picture of the plane showing which seats are free and which seats are taken.

I hope this helps any of you that didn't know about this.

 

[pegasusEH]

Thanks for the info.

Glad to see the seats that we have pre-booked are not showing up as available!

 

[Clarey]

There were no flights available on mine dates So it looks as thought it will be full.

 

[Enright78]

This also works with other airlines and some other consolidators sites, take the process as near to the paying point as you can and click usually on "airline information". Also works via Airlines own sites!!

 

[pegasusEH]

Originally posted by Clarey
There were no flights available on mine dates So it looks as thought it will be full.

Did you try processing for just the one seat? When I first tried for a family of 3 I didn't get any results.

Also, I don't think you see the entire plane (very short plane if it is!). I don't think all seats are available for prebooking and only the section of the plane with prebookable seats is shown (that's my guess anyway).

 

[DisneyBB]

I went through the process and was surpised to see that the seats I have reserved with Virgin are free! So just to check I phoned Virgin Atlantic and they informed me that there was a change in aircraft and my seats were reallocated! I was now in a 3 and 1 across aisle. When I asked to change to 4 in a row I was told that there was none available. She was very helpful moved a few people around to get our 4 seats. So check that your seats have not been reallocated with an aircraft change. She said that they work on the passanger list (a-z) and not your assigned seats when they have a change in aircraft.

 

[MalcolmC]

Vigin Atlantic only pre-allocate about half of the seats beforehand. The remainder are allocated on check in.

Several times our pre-booked seats have been re-allocated and DW has gone ballistic.

What is the point of booking them when that happens?

 

[neilybealy]

last year we booked with virgin group sales and we were allocated bulkhead seats because we needed a skycot

i was told that ALL seats were allocated by virgin atlantic 24 hours before the flight to allow for things like having to use a different plane

i only know this because when i phoned them and checked something i was told we hadn't been allocated a bulkhead seat for the skycot and that it wasn't an issue as it would be allocated 24 hours before the flight

 

[kazzie]

Hi Lewisturek,

That was a very helpful piece of information for me, many thanks.

A with DisneyBB when I checked my flight out there was a change of aircraft I had even gone through the secial assistance department to allocate my seats as my DS has special needs.When I phoned them this morning there had indeed been an aircraft change and the seats allocated to me were unsuitable.

They were unable to give me the seats I have on the way back (and usually have on the 747-400) as they must be being held back for allocation on the day (although I have been allocated them for the return flight from Orlando!).I'll try with special assistance in the morning to see if they can allocate them but I doubt it,I'll have to get to the airport even earlier for our 09.25 flight

 

[richard3330]

Thanks very much for this - I never knew either.

Richard.

 

[kazzie]

I can't see how to do this anymore,have they chnaged this option does anyone know?

It now just says 'We will chose seats for you based on your traveller prefences'

 

[Jacqui.s]

There is a lot easier method which can be used for most flights:

Visit:

www.seatmap.com

If you enter all your flight details you will be able to see the seats available for pre-booking.

Useful codes:

LGW - Gatwick
MCO - Orlando

VS - Virgin
BA - BA (Duh )

Ecomony Class - Y
Business - J
Premium Economy - W

I don't know about Virgin, but remember BA only pre-allocates around 1/3 of its economy seats, so it isn't that good an indicator of how busy a flight is.

You can get more information using Galileo Data as this gives you an indication of the amount of seats available to buy in the various fare codes (although will only show a maximum of 9). Since, there are more than 1 fare code for each class it can get very complicated, but basically the low the numbers the busier the flights:

 

[kazzie]

Jaqui that is briliant,thanks a lot

If it is correct there must have been an aircraft change again from when I pre-booked my seats on the flight out.I will be calling Virgin again in the morning!

 

[kazzie]

Jackie (or anyone please!)

I am supposed to be on a 747-400 for my flight in October.The seat number showing on the Seat Map site differs from the seat configuration when I booked.When I looked on the Virgin site at the two configurations of the 747-400 the seats on Seat Map are different to both those configurations.

For example the back row in PE upstairs is 74 on one configuration on the Virgin site and 80 on another.But on Seat map it makes the last row 77!

Does anyone know which is the correct one and/or why there are different 747-400 configurations to on Virgins own site??

 

[Jacqui.s]

Give Virgin a call if you are worried, but I am fairly certain that Seatmap has just got a bit confused about the configuration of the 747's where there are both upper class and PE seats on the upper deck.

77 is the last row of PE on these flights, but it is on the lower deck rather than on the uppder deck as depicted by seatmp. That it is a 2x2 configuration downstairs as well as up, is probably what got it confused.

Alas, none of these systems are flawless.

Another resgource you may be interested in is www.checkmytrip.com. The maps are the same as on seatmap.com, but by entering your name & reservation or PNR number (6 digit alphanumeric code - I don't know about Virgin flights, but I've had no problems finding it for BA or Qantas flights) - it SHOULD show you which seats, if any, you have been allocated.

 

[kazzie]

Back from having a Chinese!

Thanks Jaqui for your help and quick response

 

[BevS97]

there's an extra . in that link, you need www.checkmytrip.com

 

[BevS97]

I can't get any info out of the checkmytrip site for our flights in December with Virgin, is it too early? or because it's virgin?

bev

 

[squitty]

Bev
I have sent you a email