Twilight Check-in & Exit seats on Virgin

[lewisturek]

Hi Everyone!

This is my first post ever D ) so thanks to everyone that replies (hopefully some of you will lol)

I'm due to fly to Orlando (woohay!) with Virgin (flight VS027) later in the year. I just called them up for details about reserving seats and they told me about this thing called twilight check-in. As i'm staying at the Gatwick Hilton the night before it sounds like it might be perfect for me, but the person I spoke to on the phone didn't really know any details....so can any of you guys enlighten me?!?!?!

Secondly, the virgin person told me that they charge £50 mad: ) for emergency-exit seats. Is it me, or does this seem utterly ridiculous or is the norm with trans-atlantic carriers.

Thanks in expectation for all your help.... may this be the start of a great relationship with me and disboards.com ()

Thanks again


Lewis



PS how do you get one of those cool countdown timers at the end of your messages? lol , thanks v. much

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Welcome to the DIS.

Twilight check-in is great. From (I think) 6pm to 9pm (please check times) the day before you fly you can check-in in the standard way for your Virgin flight from Gatwick. You will check-in your hold luggage and be issued with your boarding cards. This means you do not need to get to the airport early on the day you fly (I think 45 minutes before flight time). We've done this a couple of times (we live quite close to Gatwick) and it's a relaxed way to start your holiday.

A couple of things to remember:

1. All your party will need to be with you when you check-in. No exceptions to this rule will be allowed.

2. Once you have checked your luggage in you will not see it until you arrive at Orlando, so make sure that you have organised what to do with the stuff you will need for your overnight stay at a nearby airport.

Can't help with the exit seat charge I'm afraid. I recall some posts about Virgin trying this out to see how customers would react, but I thought that this had been scrapped. I'm sure others will help.

Regards

Rob

 

[KayleeUK]

Hi Lewis

Welcome to the Dis We are doing twilight check-in for the 1st time this year, so it is new to us to - so Thank you Rob

Here is the <a href="http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=367834">Countdown information</a> for you.

HTH

 

[neilybealy]

hi and welcome to the DIS

we did twilight checkin last year and it made a wonderful start to our holiday

it opens at 3pm and you'll need ALL luggage, tickets and passports then you'll be issued your boarding cards and told what time you'll need to be in the departure lounge - last year it was about an hour before your flight

then you take your hand luggage back to the hotel with you and you go off and relax - you're on holiday !

as for the exit seats, i'm sure i've read on here a while ago that virgin have started charging for exit seats as they offer more legroom - another way of getting more money from us

enjoy the planning

neil

 

[signtalker]

I think the others have answered your questions, but I just wanted to say hi and welcome to the boards

Were also on flight VS027!!(but were leaving in a matter of hours!! spooky!!.

jules

 

[lewisturek]

Thanks for your all help... it is definitely the start of a byooooootiful relationship!!! (lol)

Thanks again

Lewis

 

[UKDEB]

Hi, Lewis and welcome to the DIS!

We've never been charged for exit seats on the Gatwick to Orlando route. I know Virgin do charge on some routes, but for some reason, they don't seem to on the LGW-MCO.

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

Hi Lewis and WELCOME

Twilight check-in is a fantastic service offered by Virgin, we use it and always feel like our holiday starts the day before we fly out. We travel up from here on the South Coast and stay, like you, at the Gatwick Hilton. They have a pool there, if you feel like a swim.

Did you book the Hilton through Virgin? If you did, it's great because you get a parking space reserved in the Hilton's car park right next door to the hotel. This means in the morning you can just go dump your overnight gear in the car before you pop over to the terminal. If not, it's still great because you're car will be about 10 mins walk away (or 5 mins on the courtesy bus) in the main NCP type car park, which you can see from the hotel.

Virgin started to charge £50 last year for exit seats, although it seems a bit hit and miss as to when they do charge. We flew back from Miami and even though we were in PE we got my DH's seat changed to an exit and were not charged, but I've seen a few people on the DIS who have been. Ridiculous, we pay enough money to fly with them in the first place.

 

[lewisturek]

Hi MrsDazzle

I booked the Hilton through ABC Holiday Extras. They were offering £80 for a double or £100 for an executive double (i went for the executive, hehe ). This deal included no parking however, but as I'm going up by train, that didnt matter to me.

Thanks to everyone for replying.


Lewis


PS those of you going in the next few days - have fun you lucky people!!!!

 

[BiGGy]

Hi Lewis

Were heading off for 2 weeks on the 31st of october this year, we have been nov/dec twice before and also have stayed at the gatwick hilton the night before flight.

if theres anything u want to ask feel free i'd be more than happy to help if i can.

maybe even meet up for a coffee and compare new trainers and nike t-shirts over there hehehe

either post here or you can email me on chasjarvis@blueyonder.co.uk

rgds

BiGGy

 

[Scottish-Helen]

We flew from Gatwick last Nov and asked for the exit seats and they wanted to charge us. They only charge FROM the UK not going TO the UK from what I understand

 

[SidB]

And don't forget that you can check in early on the way back too. I think we checked in at lunchtimeish and then went off shopping for the afternoon. So much easier.

 

[jwhiting]

I have received an email from Virgin confirming that they do now charge for the exit seats and that these can be pre-booked.

I thought one of the conditions of getting the exit seats was that you have to be 100% physically fit, surely by pre-booking these seats Virgin are unable to ensure that this is the case?

As to the cost of these seats I have been asked to contact Virgin direct to find out, and also check on availability.

If, as rumoured, it is £50, suddenly PE becomes a viable option in my opinion.

I am a little annoyed, as the sole purpose for us booking the Hilton the night before was so we could take advantage of the twilight check in and get these seats. At no time during the booking process were we informed that there may be a cost implication to this.

Oh well, I'm still going to WDW in 5 weeks.......

Julian