Virgin Atlantic - no seat requests for LGW PE passengers

[oceanscape]

I just called VA because the seatmap was not available on my booking. The agent said flights departing from GATWICK for passengers in PREMIUM ECONOMY can no longer be pre-reserved online, apparently this is a new policy!

Can anyone else flying PE check their booking and let me know if your seats are still showing? Thanks!

 

[wickesy]

My booking is saying that the seat map is unavailable but that is common when all the seats available to be pre-reserved have gone. Personally I think the agent was having you on - I can't think of any logical reason why VA would stop PE passengers alone. from pre-requesting seats.

 

[wayneg]

Just checked my booking, glad I did as they had bumped me from my seats, relatives still had theirs row in front but ours have been taken off us. Thankfully still 6 seats together and now near the exit so better for immigration, although I will miss being on row 48 where we try to get every Virgin flight.

Coming home we are in PE on the new A330 but into Manchester, no problem there, still have our seats and could change if I wanted, can't see how Gatwick is any different.

 

[todds34]

We are flying PE to MCO from Glasgow in August and have just checked and the seat map is still there for both outward and return journey.

 

[oceanscape]

Thanks everyone.

Personally I think the agent was having you on - I can't think of any logical reason why VA would stop PE passengers alone from pre-requesting seats.

Me neither, but she seemed pretty shocked herself when she asked the supervisor what was going on. Apparently it's a brand new policy. Nobody on this thread has yet confirmed she is wrong.

If anyone flying LGW-MCO in PE can access their PE seat-map and requested seats, please let us know.

 

[CAROLINE4]

how far in advance can you pre book seats? we travel 18 dec when could we pre book with virgin?
thanks

 

[Goofyish]

Just checked my booking on the Virgin site and my seat allocations have gone and there is no access the seating plans anymore!

There is a message saying that:
Your flight details have changed!

Please check and click the checkbox to confirm you've read and acknowledge the change.

No where does it say what has changed!

 

[oceanscape]

Just checked my booking on the Virgin site and my seat allocations have gone and there is no access the seating plans anymore!

There is a message saying that:
Your flight details have changed!

Please check and click the checkbox to confirm you've read and acknowledge the change.

No where does it say what has changed!

Exactly the same happened to me! But there was no change!

I've no idea what is going on, but it seems there are some "issues" with PE LGW-MCO flights at the moment!

 

[Goofyish]

Exactly the same happened to me! But there was no change!

I've no idea what is going on, but it seems there are some "issues" with PE LGW-MCO flights at the moment!

I have emailed VA customer service for an explanation.

If it is a change on policy then when were VA going to let us know?

 

[oceanscape]

I have emailed VA customer service for an explanation.

If it is a change on policy then when were VA going to let us know?

I've no idea. I called up and was placed on hold for 25 minutes whilst the agent tried to figure out what was going on. She seemed genuinely shocked when her supervisor told her that ALL LGW-MCO PE passengers had lost their requested seats and could no longer complete the seat request process, due to a "new policy" (whatever that means!). The agent told me that even she couldn't access the seat maps, which was "extremely unusual" (her words). Who knows what they're up to.

 

[15isto2]

I was doing a load check on expert flyer and UC and Econ are showing but not the PE seat map, I thing VS system is having issues

 

[Monorail UK]

Having seen the thread, I have checked my booking for next month. The option for viewing or changing my seat has gone. I have just phoned Virgin Atlantic and was told that Premium Economy passengers departing Gatwick are no longer allowed to pre-book seats. The official announcement is due on Virgin Atlantic's website tomorrow.

 

[wayneg]

Welcome to DISboards Monorail UK and thank you for taking time to post.

 

[steve_rob]

Same as everyone else - logging on to view my booking I see the banner telling me to tick the box to acknowledge changes to my flight, but the times and flight numbers are exactly the same as they were before, the only difference is a lack of seat numbers next to it.

I haven't accepted the changes yet, mainly cause I'm going to play naive (i.e. pretend I didn't see this thread) and wait for Virgin to actually tell me that they've made changes...

To be honest, for us it isn't a huge deal - as long as we end up with seats in the bubble, we're not too fussed about where we sit.

 

[oceanscape]

Having seen the thread, I have checked my booking for next month. The option for viewing or changing my seat has gone. I have just phoned Virgin Atlantic and was told that Premium Economy passengers departing Gatwick are no longer allowed to pre-book seats. The official announcement is due on Virgin Atlantic's website tomorrow.

Yep, that's exactly what I was told. But why on EARTH would they introduce this change?! Why can Economy and Upper make seat requests, but not PE?!

 

[Goofyish]

Yep, that's exactly what I was told. But why on EARTH would they introduce this change?! Why can Economy and Upper make seat requests, but not PE?!

Seems strange - usually only time the seat allocations change or are removed is if there is a plane change - but that would affect FC and Economy too

 

[STOCKYJIM]

I saw the same thing on the site for our PE return flight from MCO to LGW on 10th June- asked to confirm flight change although no details have changed and then when confirmed the seat allocation option was no longer available.

Just spoken to VA this morning and they can see me seat allocation on their system and thought it may be a glitch on the website- I didnt go into to much depth as she confirmed the allocation (in the bubble - hence my panic)

Im not sure this helps but thought Id update.

Jim

 

[Laurafoster]

Glad i saw this thread.

Yesterday i logged into my booking to check what plane we were on. It advised me that my outbound flight details had changed and asked me to confirm the change. The new details appeared exactly the same as before. I didnt think anything of it and assumed they had possibly changed the aircraft type or configuration or something and acknowledged the change.

At that point when i tried to access our seat map it told me that it was no longer available. At this time my return flight had not been changed.

Now that ive seen this thread i have again logged into my booking and noticed they are asking me to confirm flight changed for the return flight (again no difference in times) and that they have removed the seat map for the return flight too.

We have spent far more on this flight that i ever would normally purely because this is a really special trip to celebrate my nans 70th birthday and my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. We had prebooked the seats we wanted (downstairs PE, 2 lots of 2 and 3 in the middle) as this was the only place we could all sit together. If this has changed i will be gutted.

 

[oceanscape]

If this has changed i will be gutted.

It has been changed - ALL LGW PE passenegers have LOST their requests. You'll now need to complete OLCI 24-hours before and keep your fingers crossed that you can secure the seats you want.

 

[alibeau]

I've been checking our bookings for the last few days and this morning, houston we have a problem!!!

Our outbound flights from MAN on VS075 PE on the new A330 for this August and next March are ok, our seats are still showing. For both our return trips on the VS074 I had to acknowledge changes by ticking box (although times still the same?) and now I cannot access the seat plan at all. I'm not too happy as we had 'reserved' seats in the bubble but equally we have booked and paid for PE which we will get (I hope!!!) and given that we doze most of the way home I guess it doesn't matter too much........

I just wish that VA would provide the reasons for what is happening and if/when it may be resolved rather than saying nowt......

Ali