Virgin 747-200 seat query (Manchester)

[Sweeney Todd]

Today I phoned Virgin Atlantic to double check our ressies and meals and was speaking to a very helpful lady there.

I asked her why row 61 could not be reserved in advance. She said the centre seats could but seats A, C, H & K could not. She then checked her seat plan and said that these seats were not even shown on the plan. She could not explain why.

Is there anyone out there that has recently flown the Manchester route and sat at the back?
Are the pairs of window seats in row 61 actually missing? Is there something else there or is there a luvverly big gap for us (in 62) to stretch our legs?


By the way, the lady in reservations affectionately referred to the 747-200 as the "Jurassic Classic."
Doesn't that just fill you with confidence?
I should have asked if our pilot was to be Orville Wright.


Sweeney

 

[bubblefactory]

there are two possible reasons why these seats may not show on the pre reserve plan - they are either exit seats to be allocated on the day or simply do not exist because they they are crew seats or storage.

Alec

 

[calvinjtodd]

Don't know if this is anything but the last time we flew on a jumbo at least 1/3 of the seats was empty due to an aircraft change so we could sit almost anywhere we wanted, we went to the rear and some of the seats were missing due to the shape of the plane, i.e a 3-4-3 seat plan went down to 2-4-2, can't remember if it went to a 1-4-1 though? might explaine the missing seats!!!

Calvin

 

[danandjackie]

are you sure there using the 200 from man i thought they had gone to 400`s..

anyway two main reasons why seat numbers are unavailable

1. they are allocated on the day because they are by the side of an overwing exit fantastic legroom but they wont allocate them if you look like you may keel over any moment. no prob if your young.

2. they dont exist because the rows have been changed to suit a schedule layout instead of a charter layout.

the rear of the plain has a 2-4-2 layout by the way i think for 3 rows from the back

the remaining 200s are now approaching 20 years old (the virgin ones that is) they have probably been through more take off landing cycles than any other wide bodied aircraft around.

in general though survival rates are better at the back...lol....i wouldnt worry though the 747-200 was built like a tank and has mainly analogue controls rather than the fly by wire status of the new generation which use up to 12 seperate computers to analyse the pilots joystick inputs before deciding if the plane can do that manouvre safely....by which time its flown into a mountain...only joking...

 

[Goofyish]

Check out this independant site for all things Virgin Atlantic

http://64.78.2.177/virgin/

It has loads of info. on the planes, etertainment systems and what planes are flying which routes etc.

 

[bubblefactory]

The two planes used on the Manchester route are definately 747-200's we flew on one of them and saw the other at Orlando only last week.

They are called "Honey Pie" and "Island Lady"


Alec