Extra Leg Room/Upgrate at Airport

[KELLY'S]

With only 3 weeks until we fly my mind has turned to the possibility of upgrading. We'd love to do PE as we were spoilt in 2007 when we managed to get an upgrade both ways for £500 for 4 of us both ways!!

I know this time this won't be the case but after being quoted £30 per person per seat for an extra 3inches I just wondered what your thoughts were on paying this? My hubby is 6'4" and he will struggle being in economy but is it worth the extra £240 both ways for the leg room??

I've read about upgrading to PE at the airport but what would this cost do you think for both ways??

Any help you could give is as always appreciated as I'd like to get something sorted this week really.

Thanks again x

 

[orangetiggs]

on our last flight it was £150 each just for the one way to upgrade to pe

i beleive the extra leg room seats are the bulk head seats and some exit seats but you have to be 100% fit to have the exits seats

 

[KELLY'S]

Thanks OT, I'm not sure if to just wait until we check in - but then that may also risk the seats I've pre-allocated with the 4 of us together

I also worry that we've been spoilt going PE previously - not helpful when you can't afford to do it again!!

 

[orangetiggs]

it will be more expensive if you book before check in as it will depend on the tye of economy ticket you hold (it may not be upgradable before the flight)

also i'm not sure but if you have 4 tickets booked together i dont know how it works at check in to only upgrade 2 of them, never worked at check in for VA so I dont know the whole ins and outs of what they can and cant do

never travelled PE so it doesnt bother me really as I enjoy virgin's economy, ok it has got worse over the years but I still love the airline

 

[KELLY'S]

Is economy that bad OT?!!?? It's more the leg room I'm concerned about and the cost of PE is just not justifiable when we could use that money when we are there!!

 

[2Tiggies]

It's a risk you take. If you really want to fly PE, then it is safer to just go ahead and book it. We did leave it once until check in (it was '08 or '09) and also paid £150 per person at check in but the flight was nowhere near full. Last year I phoned about 6 months before we flew and there were only a handful of PE seats left on the outbound and 3 left in UC on the return (PE full on that let). There was no way I was paying the upgrade prices they wanted for PE so I left it and there were no upgrades for sale at check in as the flight was chock full both ways.

 

[orangetiggs]

I dont have a problem in economy, what i meant is when i first flew with them I got a little glass with my meal now I dont think you do. Its little things like that i mean

The leg room for me is fine and the seat widths and I'm not a slim lady and we dont have any problem on them.

The difference between pe and economy is really not that much anyway, just a different cabin, leather seats a couple of inches extra and was better luggage

you will be fine and dont forget your flying to the best place on earth!

 

[KELLY'S]

I had to re-read that then I thought you said you'd got a little glass IN your meal!

I think we'll leave it you know - hubby will have to stretch his legs to the side - or over our legs!!

If he really has a bad time going out then maybe on the way back we'll try to get extra leg room??

Thanks to you both for your advice - I just need to get excited now but I'm one of those worrying types that won't relax until I open that door of the villa........!!

 

[orangetiggs]

oh that would not be worth paying for!! no sorry i meant the little wine glasses with my meal!

 

[2Tiggies]

If he really has a bad time going out then maybe on the way back we'll try to get extra leg room??

You can try for extra leg room both ways, also at check in. A LOT cheaper than PE upgrades. The only thing I would suggest is with extra legroom if you do get an option to purchase those seats, ask if you can see where they are. The ones at the emergency exits are often right at the toilets and people congregate en masse there. I felt quite sorry for those folk last year as they had paid for the extra space and seemed to have hordes of folk standing in it and/or watching them eat whenever we walked past.

 

[starrysky]

We paid extra with Aer Lingus last year and this year to get the bulk head seats, DH is nearer to 6' 10" and for us its too much to pay for PE on any flight but we don't mind the smaller cost of paying for the bulkhead.

That way we know DH will have a comfortable flight and be able to stretch out his legs.

This year we could not get us both on the way out so I made sure he got the last bulkhead seat and I am behind him, Ok I'll be a bit squashed but its ok.
We don't go until october but the comfort of knowing we have the seats sorted its a weight off my mind.

 

[Elise79]

Virgin have a few rows near the rear they sell for an extra £30 that have 3" extra leg room.

With the height of your DH I would try for these.

Details on VA website

 

[irisheyes123]

We paid extra with Aer Lingus last year and this year to get the bulk head seats, DH is nearer to 6' 10" and for us its too much to pay for PE on any flight but we don't mind the smaller cost of paying for the bulkhead.

That way we know DH will have a comfortable flight and be able to stretch out his legs.

This year we could not get us both on the way out so I made sure he got the last bulkhead seat and I am behind him, Ok I'll be a bit squashed but its ok.
We don't go until october but the comfort of knowing we have the seats sorted its a weight off my mind.

Do you mind me asking how much do they charge for the bulkhead I would not mind paying for that

 

[starrysky]

Do you mind me asking how much do they charge for the bulkhead I would not mind paying for that

Well from what I remember it was about £22 each about 30 euro per person per leg so for the three extra leg room seats £66 i think. Still much cheaper than a PE seat. Plus with the 10kgs hand luggage (plus one personal item like a lap top bag or hand bag) and the 23kgs of hold luggage its a pretty sweet deal. You can add an extra hold bag as well if you want to and its £36 for another 23kgs. Like I said in my pp its a much better deal for us than PE. Though we have never felt the need for the extra bag as we now know to pack light on the way there

Just call them and ask if they have any available. Yes as 2tiggies said they are by the toliets but we found with our legs stretched out no one even thought about standing there. Plus its only two seats so the is not a huge ammount of space for that.

Check under the manage my booking option and see if they are available the seats are ringed in yellow. Then give them a call first person I called said there were none but when I called back and said the map showed them as available no problem.

 

[irisheyes123]

Well from what I remember it was about £22 each about 30 euro per person per leg so for the three extra leg room seats £66 i think. Still much cheaper than a PE seat. Plus with the 10kgs hand luggage (plus one personal item like a lap top bag or hand bag) and the 23kgs of hold luggage its a pretty sweet deal. You can add an extra hold bag as well if you want to and its £36 for another 23kgs. Like I said in my pp its a much better deal for us than PE. Though we have never felt the need for the extra bag as we now know to pack light on the way there

Just call them and ask if they have any available. Yes as 2tiggies said they are by the toilets but we found with our legs stretched out no one even thought about standing there. Plus its only two seats so the is not a huge ammount of space for that.

Check under the manage my booking option and see if they are available the seats are ringed in yellow. Then give them a call first person I called said there were none but when I called back and said the map showed them as available no problem.

Thank you I still have to book going around november I will be giving them a ring to see if we can get them seats as soon as i book I don't mind sitting near the toilets I have never went pe myself I don't mind economy but thanks for the info on it all I have often payed to bring extra baggage home I travel light over not so much coming home lol

 

[Helen B]

You can try for extra leg room both ways, also at check in. A LOT cheaper than PE upgrades. The only thing I would suggest is with extra legroom if you do get an option to purchase those seats, ask if you can see where they are. The ones at the emergency exits are often right at the toilets and people congregate en masse there. I felt quite sorry for those folk last year as they had paid for the extra space and seemed to have hordes of folk standing in it and/or watching them eat whenever we walked past.

We had the emergency exit seats last year going out, and loved them. I actually preferred them to the normal seats. I'm only little (5'1") so I had the seat next to the door and my boyfriend had the middle seat. However, we were lucky and didn't have to pay as they were what we got assigned at the airport. The VA website wouldn't let me check in online, or at the kiosk at the airport, when I asked it's because we hadn't been assigned our seats (I did call VA when trying online and I didn't get told this,) when the VA agent came back, she asked if we were fit and able, as she had got us some extra leg room, we were then able to check in at the kiosk.

I think unless you are assigned them like we were, then you can either purchase them at the airport or upto 48 hours before travelling. Extra leg room seats are £30 and emergency exit ones are £50.

 

[starrysky]

Just a wee note for those planning to do the extra leg room pre booking on Aer Lingus, I was told no when I first called and then on a second call I was able to book them no problem So make sure if you are told no unless there are none available call back and speak to somone else.

Last person I spoke to was going to get her manager to put out a memo to staff about this to avoid people like me having to call back.

 

[KELLY'S]

You can try for extra leg room both ways, also at check in. A LOT cheaper than PE upgrades. The only thing I would suggest is with extra legroom if you do get an option to purchase those seats, ask if you can see where they are. The ones at the emergency exits are often right at the toilets and people congregate en masse there. I felt quite sorry for those folk last year as they had paid for the extra space and seemed to have hordes of folk standing in it and/or watching them eat whenever we walked past.

Thanks - this is the problem I have really as they cannot tell you when you pre-book on the phone which seats these would be - how annoying you'd think they'd know!

 

[Jakey Rowling]

Thanks - this is the problem I have really as they cannot tell you when you pre-book on the phone which seats these would be - how annoying you'd think they'd know!

The problem is that there are two 747 aircraft configurations on the LGW/MAN/GLA routes and the actual aircraft can't be guaranteed.
The extra legroom seats (standard EC seats with 34" seat pitch) vary between the configs.

Config 1 has the extra legroom seats as follows:

Row 50 - Seats A/B/C/H/J/K
Row 51 - Seats A/B/C/H/J/K
Row 53 - Seats D/E/F/G
Row 54 - Seats D/E/F/G

Config 2 has the extra legroom seats as follows.

Row 22 - Seats A/B/C/H/J/K
Row 31 - Seats D/E/F/G
Row 32 - Seats D/E/F/G
Row 62 - Seats H/K
Row 63 - Seats A/C/H/K.

If you are on the A333 however, the extra legroom seats are fixed at rows 51 to 56 - A,C,H,K.

Extra legroom (£30 pp each way) and exit seats (£50 pp each way) can be booked anytime these days if you have booked direct with VS by phoning 0844 209 7777.

If booked indirect then they can only be had at airport check in, some are held back for this purpose.

 

[KELLY'S]

The problem is that there are two 747 aircraft configurations on the LGW/MAN/GLA routes and the actual aircraft can't be guaranteed.
The extra legroom seats (standard EC seats with 34" seat pitch) vary between the configs.

Config 1 has the extra legroom seats as follows:

Row 50 - Seats A/B/C/H/J/K
Row 51 - Seats A/B/C/H/J/K
Row 53 - Seats D/E/F/G
Row 54 - Seats D/E/F/G

Config 2 has the extra legroom seats as follows.

Row 22 - Seats A/B/C/H/J/K
Row 31 - Seats D/E/F/G
Row 32 - Seats D/E/F/G
Row 62 - Seats H/K
Row 63 - Seats A/C/H/K.

If you are on the A333 however, the extra legroom seats are fixed at rows 51 to 56 - A,C,H,K.

Extra legroom (£30 pp each way) and exit seats (£50 pp each way) can be booked anytime these days if you have booked direct with VS by phoning 0844 209 7777.

If booked indirect then they can only be had at airport check in, some are held back for this purpose.[/QUOTE

Thanks for this - my only concern is not so much where we sit on the plane if we decided on extra leg room but that we are all sat together!?

Hubby has decided to go with it on the way out and if it really is torture - we'll book the extra leg room on the way back. Fingers crossed he can cope alright!

Thanks for all your help x