Virgin flights

[Claire Bear]

I don't really see the point in pre-selecting seats if you don't get them. At 90 days out I logged on straight away to get the bubble seats but although I'm not happy, I figured it doesn't really matter where we sit in our circumstances. Now your situation is completely different, can you phone Virgin and explain your sons medical needs to ensure you keep the seats you choose?

 

[Claire Bear]

The lady at the check in desk told us our seats have been moved because the flight isn't full and it's to do with weight distribution.

 

[ashearer]

Wonder if its to make stewards job easier if its not full?

 

[sarah4291]

Our reason for moving was to accommodate families! It annoyed me a bit that I went on at 90 days for it to be changed! Virgin will know how many people are in groups and so should be able to sit people where they select! It didn't really matter though - I was still sat next to the husband! Although our new seats were in between 2 windows so didn't really have a window to look out of! That was very annoying!

 

[tinkerpea]

I don't really see the point in pre-selecting seats if you don't get them. At 90 days out I logged on straight away to get the bubble seats but although I'm not happy, I figured it doesn't really matter where we sit in our circumstances. Now your situation is completely different, can you phone Virgin and explain your sons medical needs to ensure you keep the seats you choose?

I know that I got up early to make sure that I could get the seats,
So frustrating. If you can moved that easily why let you pick them at all.
I wish now that I had choose not to go in the bubble and had just picked the 2,2,2 at the back of the plane! That way my son wouldn't know about the bubble and we won't have a huge meltdown with him refusing to get on the plane at check in a the seats are changed.
I'm going to call up today and ask if a note can be put on that our seats are not changed for disability reasons.
Hopefully that will work, thank go we do twilight check in so my son has the night to get used to it. Of course it's not just him the twins will be mega upset too if it happens

 

[ashearer]

I know I had laptop out and ready to go at 7.30 am at 90 days because there are 5 of us and last time husband had to go with one daughter 7 rows behind me and other daughter(it wasn't Virgin).i think Glasgow flights are normally pretty full so hopefully being empty shouldn't be a problem and being a family hopefully they won't split us up.

 

[Elise79]

You need to remember choosing seats on virgin are "requests".

They will empty the upper deck if they can as it makes service easier for them and they will move people around to distribute weight.

I would never tell a child that they were going to be sitting in the bubble on virgin if it would cause an issue if they got moved. The plane could even be changed to a different config or type if there are technical issues.

There is enough other things to worry about without adding stress about plane seats

 

[tinkerpea]

You need to remember choosing seats on virgin are "requests".

They will empty the upper deck if they can as it makes service easier for them and they will move people around to distribute weight.

I would never tell a child that they were going to be sitting in the bubble on virgin if it would cause an issue if they got moved. The plane could even be changed to a different config or type if there are technical issues.

There is enough other things to worry about without adding stress about plane seats

I must be an awful mother then lol,
Unfortunately when you have a child with autism, they need to know these things! He needs to know in advance what plane it is what the configurations are and what seat he will be in wether it has a window etc,
If I wasn't to tell him and he then had to go upstairs in the plane he would scream the place down as he wasn't told in advance. He then would not even go upstairs.

I'm not the only mother of a child like this an I won't be the last, this is why we do everything we can to makes sure things go the best they can, day before check in so we know for a fact what seats we are in,
Stay at the airport the night before so Brandon can walk around have a look and see the planes, meet security etc, I've spoken to Virginia today and they have put notes next to our seats that thy are not to be changed.
Hopefully that's what will happen. If not then he is my child to deal with and I will do my best.

 

[wilma-bride]

I must be an awful mother then lol,
Unfortunately when you have a child with autism, they need to know these things! He needs to know in advance what plane it is what the configurations are and what seat he will be in wether it has a window etc,
If I wasn't to tell him and he then had to go upstairs in the plane he would scream the place down as he wasn't told in advance. He then would not even go upstairs.

I'm not the only mother of a child like this an I won't be the last, this is why we do everything we can to makes sure things go the best they can, day before check in so we know for a fact what seats we are in,
Stay at the airport the night before so Brandon can walk around have a look and see the planes, meet security etc, I've spoken to Virginia today and they have put notes next to our seats that thy are not to be changed.
Hopefully that's what will happen. If not then he is my child to deal with and I will do my best.

You can still tell him in advance. Once you get to the airport and do bag drop, if they have changed your seats that is when they will tell you. As you are going the night before, presumably you will do Twilight Check-in and then you would be safe to tell your son whether you are sitting upstairs or downstairs, whereabouts on the plane etc. As Tracy says, though, things can change and, while I appreciate the issues you are facing with an autistic child and preparing them for travel, there are ways where you can minimise the possibility of any issues by not making promises you can't keep and preparing him for the fact that things may change (or at least not telling him until you are fairly sure that things won't).

 

[CAROLINE4]

Awe I feel your pain tinker pea! I teach children with autism so am very aware if the effects a change can make! One of my autistic children needs weeks notice for a class trip which he asks questions about for weeks! One nights notice would not prevent a breakdown as children with autism run on a high anxiety level! Hopefully with the note on the system you all will not be subjected to do much anxiety and stress before hand! Hope it all goes smoothly for you!

 

[joolz1910]

My eldest has acute anxiety disorder and we were so convinced of the possibility that she would not get on the plane that we made alternative arrangements for her. We had my brother-in-law travel to Manchester with us and had agreed that she would return home with him and stay with her Nan. I requested the bulkhead seats with Virgin on the grounds of my daughter's special needs. I had explained everything to her before the flight, looked at photos etc. Virgin honoured the request and everything was fine.

It is very stressful trying to organise your trip around a child with special needs. I hope you get what you need.

 

[tinkerpea]

You can still tell him in advance. Once you get to the airport and do bag drop, if they have changed your seats that is when they will tell you. As you are going the night before, presumably you will do Twilight Check-in and then you would be safe to tell your son whether you are sitting upstairs or downstairs, whereabouts on the plane etc. As Tracy says, though, things can change and, while I appreciate the issues you are facing with an autistic child and preparing them for travel, there are ways where you can minimise the possibility of any issues by not making promises you can't keep and preparing him for the fact that things may change (or at least not telling him until you are fairly sure that things won't).

Unfortunately like you can see from the other posters who have posted, it's not that simple!
I wish it was but its not,
Also we have been going on holiday for year and we are well travelled, so I'm sure I know what is best for my child and 1 nights notice in advance is not going to cut it,
I have to tell my son well in advance so he is prepared.
If it all falls on it face then so be it I will pick up the pieces but until then he will know well in advance and we will plan around his needs
Thanks

 

[tinkerpea]

Awe I feel your pain tinker pea! I teach children with autism so am very aware if the effects a change can make! One of my autistic children needs weeks notice for a class trip which he asks questions about for weeks! One nights notice would not prevent a breakdown as children with autism run on a high anxiety level! Hopefully with the note on the system you all will not be subjected to do much anxiety and stress before hand! Hope it all goes smoothly for you! ddc4d Xx

Thank you for your understanding, no unfortunately one night won't make a difference to him at all,
He needs to know well in advance look at pictures etc,
If he found out the night before he was going up into the bubble I can't imagine what would happen, I guessit would be like the time they wanted to sit us in the middle of the plane next to strangers.
It resulted in him not getting on the plane and us being moved seats so he was next to a window, luckily it was at check in he refused and so we could change it with out it effecting others.

I don't promise my child things that won't happen, but we do have to have these things known in advance, then if on the off chance it changes that's when we deal, it's easier to do it this way then to tell him nothing until we fly ( that would be like letting a cannon lose) x