Virgin Atlantic new seat plus programme.

[Samaya]

Virgin's new Seat Plus Programme.

Seat Plus frees up the seat next to you in economy, so it gives you more space to stretch out and you can book Seat Plus for each person in your group.

Seat Plus is available up to 72 hours before your flight, and prices start from £99.

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/e...mc=UK Email-_-Email UK-_-Seat PLus FC-_-Nov12

But doubt if we will ever try this.

Not sure if a previous Dis-thread has already mentioned this and sorry if it has.

 

[wilma-bride]

Sounds like a complete waste of money to me

 

[Pootle]

Sounds like a complete waste of money to me

LOL, just goes to show .... I was thinking 'What a good idea, I bet it's popular'

I've not travelled across the Atlantic in economy for many years, but I actually thought that a row of three seats for two of you might just make it okay!

Still not rushing to try it though .

 

[wayneg]

LOL, just goes to show .... I was thinking 'What a good idea, I bet it's popular'

Me too and you know how tight I am

I can't see many seats beeing offered at £99 in school hols.

I just came on to post about this but beaten to it

I was reading about it here http://techblog.smashing.net/2012/1...tics-way-of-marketing-the-idea-of-extra-seat/

Totally different airline, we have just been with American Airlines, 2 rows of 3 seats, if we had been offered a seat at £99 I would be very tempted, hate sitting in a row of 3 when there are just 2 of us.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Great until someone decides to move into the 'spare seat'!! I have been on flights where people have moved into empty seats - one man left his wife and kids to go sit with someone else - he must have wanted a bit of rest!!

 

[Tinker74]

Great until someone decides to move into the 'spare seat'!! I have been on flights where people have moved into empty seats - one man left his wife and kids to go sit with someone else - he must have wanted a bit of rest!!

Yeah thats a point...how will they handle that?

 

[wilma-bride]

A group of passengers travelling under the same booking reference can avail themselves of the Seat Plus option on the basis they purchase the whole seat block e.g. 2, 3, or 4-seats depending on aircraft configuration.

This bit of the T&C's is interesting - I take that to mean if you are travelling as a couple and you have only managed to pre-book seats in a row of 4, you must pay for both seats in order to be able to use seat plus, meaning £198 (minimum) and not £99. And you have to pay for each leg

I still maintain it's a complete waste of money.

 

[Samaya]

To implyment a new programme it makes one think Virgin is getting more concerned about the amount of spare seats on some flights.

And I suppose from their point of view it's one novel way to entice passengers to pay for a spare seat that they might have actually ended up being next to without paying, think I would rather take the chance?

Isn't Virgin allowed to offer last minute discounted flight like Thomson, and if so don't you think they would sell more of those spare seats to new passengers rather than to seat plus passengers?

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

so its cheaper to have an empty seat for 99 quid than fill it with a paying passenger of over 600 quid?

or have I missed something here totally?

 

[Kath2003]

so its cheaper to have an empty seat for 99 quid than fill it with a paying passenger of over 600 quid?

or have I missed something here totally?

72 hours before the flight they're not going to sell that seat.
So rather than have an empty seat next to some random (fortunate) person, sell it to sme mug for £99!
If the flight's full, Virgin will simply say there are no "Seat Plus" seats available.
Genius...

 

[wayneg]

72 hours before the flight they're not going to sell that seat.
So rather than have an empty seat next to some random (fortunate) person, sell it to sme mug for £99!
If the flight's full, Virgin will simply say there are no "Seat Plus" seats available.
Genius...

Its many many (15+) years since I went on a plane with empty seats, as I only travel in school hols they are always full but if I did go in low season what are the chances of me getting one of those empty seats next to me? Ihave never had one in 30 years of travelling abroad even in low season so I would be very tempted at £99 to guarantee one next to me but I am not the smallest person, having 3 seats between 2 of us would make a big difference to me, I would like that as much as the extra legroom, I guess smaller people wouldn't be as interested.
Will have to watch and see what happens, sounds better value than prebooking seats on BA to me, something I would never pay for others do, there is a market for everything.

 

[Chilly]

Its many many (15+) years since I went on a plane with empty seats, as I only travel in school hols they are always full but if I did go in low season what are the chances of me getting one of those empty seats next to me? Ihave never had one in 30 years of travelling abroad even in low season so I would be very tempted at £99 to guarantee one next to me but I am not the smallest person, having 3 seats between 2 of us would make a big difference to me, I would like that as much as the extra legroom, I guess smaller people wouldn't be as interested.
Will have to watch and see what happens, sounds better value than prebooking seats on BA to me, something I would never pay for others do, there is a market for everything.

I've had empty seats next to me on a few flights it is nice but I wouldn't pay for it.

 

[DCLMan]

If no one pays for the empty seats then they will still be empty and people will have the good fortune of getting one for nothing.

 

[LeaversOnTour]

Sounds like a complete waste of money to me

And me. I dont get it. This presumably is because they have so many "unsold" seats suring the winter months, that some bod at Virgin has thought, lets get people to pay for something they would normally get anyway.

The reason that they only go one sale 72 hours before is because they then know how many empty seats there will be. I'd rather take my chances, could still end up with a spare seat next to you even if you didnt pay. As we did this year, and the year before that

I fear that this is an exercise in ripping people off. But thats just my opinion. Maybe I am just synical

 

[2Tiggies]

Great until someone decides to move into the 'spare seat'!! I have been on flights where people have moved into empty seats - one man left his wife and kids to go sit with someone else - he must have wanted a bit of rest!!

If it's paid for you can say no! Besides, the likelihood of someone coming and sitting in an empty seat in a row of 3 for example, when there is a party of two in the others, is unlikely. If it's a concern, I would simply ensure that the empty seat is between myself and the person with me as that usually acts as a deterrent. As does placing a bag or jacket on there when you are not stretching out across your extra £99 seat (and trust me, if I paid for it, I'd be occupying that space )

hate sitting in a row of 3 when there are just 2 of us.

Same here! We've had a few flights in the last 3 trips where we've had an empty seat next to us, usually on the inbound flight and it's great as DD can sleep. If she sleeps, I get to sleep and I can sleep sitting up with no trouble at all!

 

[Giddy Kipper]

Sounds a little like Air Newzealand where you can purchase 'extra' seats but the seats configure so you can lay down to have a snooze.

 

[Rohais]

We flew out from Manchester on 15th September and were sat the row behind the exit seats on the left. There was just DH and myself in that row of 3, only 2 people in the row in front and no one - just 3 empty seats - the row behind us. I think there were 390(?) on the flight out.

I really enjoyed that spare seat, even just to put out bits and bobs on it or for DH to move up one so I could lean into him etc, but I need a bit more room due to my disability. Not sure if I would pay the extra though, especially as we tend to go off season whilst we don't have kids etc

 

[crabbie1]

If they did not charge so much in the first place they may not have to try these scams. Shows how desperate they are. They are always trying to flogg PE at the airport. Im sure its better to get more bums in seats and the plane filled than charging such ridiculous prices anyway even in quieter months

 

[Holstar]

As a group of 5 including three children, I'd definitely pay it!

Our girls change their minds every five minutes about what order they want to sit in, and who with.

But, I'd only pay it if we're (for example) seated in either two groups of three, or a two and a four (buying the third seat or the fourth seat respectively) to allow the girls to space out a bit or give us some space!

In saying all of that..... We're flying to Florida at the end of August... No chance it'll be available!

xx

 

[2Tiggies]

If they did not charge so much in the first place they may not have to try these scams. Shows how desperate they are.

You made me laugh. That's so true!