Virgin having a laugh

[Disney_Sarah]

Wow....i would of been speech less
x

 

[meldud]

So if I use the online check-in 24 hours before, do I then forfeit the option of attempting an upgrade at the airport?

 

[2Tiggies]

So if I use the online check-in 24 hours before, do I then forfeit the option of attempting an upgrade at the airport?

As far as I know, no it won't damage your chances. BUT VERY IMPORTANT: If you dont' do online check in you will most probably not have a choice of where to sit even without an upgrade. Unless you know you will upgrade and know there are seats available to purcase (in which case you need to do so before), don't compromise the whole flight by hanging onto a maybe.

 

[janiebubble]

Talking of extra leg room seats, do you know which seats that is on the MAN - MCO plane. I'm not gonna ask if they are right by the toilets for example.

we did it on the way out this year ... and yes the seats were right by the toilets - this meant that people congregated in front of us and sometimes even stood on my hand luggage, I'm not sure I'd do it again!

oh and I'd checked in online the day before, still managed to get these seats ... £50 each they are but they only charge for middle and aisle as the window seat has little extra leg room due to the emergency exit door. So we paid £50 for window and middle.

 

[meldud]

In that case I will stick with my original plan and do the online check in and book the seats and see if I can upgrade when I get to the airport.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Squidgyness]

I thought I was splashing out on a £720 Upgrade to Premium on Thompson!

(Hopefully - We always book premium seats as soon as we book the hols, but saying that Thompson economy is only 1" less seat space than Monarch premium)

That is INSANE! Our hotel AND basic flights for 14 days in June 2011 (2012 prices not out, obv) would cost £3700 for the 4 of us. £200 more and we could go on hols again!

 

[PoppyAnna]

Virgin are going crazy.
I'm looking for flights 22oct-5nov this year. I appreciate that in some circles this is a late booking and there is a half term in the middle, but Virgin want £13,500 for 2 adults and 2 children

 

[2Tiggies]

Virgin are going crazy.
I'm looking for flights 22oct-5nov this year. I appreciate that in some circles this is a late booking and there is a half term in the middle, but Virgin want £13,500 for 2 adults and 2 children

There was a time, not so long ago, when buying air tickets three months in advance was perfectly normal. THose who bought 6 months out were a bit OCD ..... just saying.

How old are your kiddies? Would you consider indirect?

 

[j9000]

Virgin are going crazy.
I'm looking for flights 22oct-5nov this year. I appreciate that in some circles this is a late booking and there is a half term in the middle, but Virgin want £13,500 for 2 adults and 2 children

um wow,
didnt think i did too well on my flight cost (leaving few days after you come back)
starting to feel like i made off like a thief

 

[igk]

Virgin are going crazy.
I'm looking for flights 22oct-5nov this year. I appreciate that in some circles this is a late booking and there is a half term in the middle, but Virgin want £13,500 for 2 adults and 2 children

A quick check on Kayak and for those dates to MCO Delta looks like £472pp indirect, BA £788 direct, so not ridiculous.
AA to Miami from LHR is still £440pp so with flexibility on direct/indirect/route/airline some decent deals are still available.

 

[dbriggsq]

While I do understand the underlying stategy Virgin are taking with their pricing I think they are majorly overplaying their hand right now. They no longer offer the premium product they once did and at this point they are simply driving a lot of their previously brand loyal customers away.

Makes me mad/sad (take your pick depending on my mood).

Can't help with where the best bulk head seats are I'm afraid.

I really agree with you on this. When we first started going to Orlando and flying with Virgin it was a great experience, even in economy. Lots of service and the crew could not do enough. I've noticed now though that little extras are being lost nearly every time we go. This time is was the small snack with the first drink service and also the cheese and biscuits with the main meal (which I enjoyed). Also on the flights I've been on this year some of the crew have seemed less than happy when asked for something like a drink of water - they have seemed to only want to stay in the galley and chat.

I feel they are becoming more like a 'no-frills' flight - I've flown with Thomas Cook on a really cheap last minute flight - £160 I think - and the plane and service on that flight were superior to that on Virgin lately.

 

[crabbie1]

I really agree with you on this. When we first started going to Orlando and flying with Virgin it was a great experience, even in economy. Lots of service and the crew could not do enough. I've noticed now though that little extras are being lost nearly every time we go. This time is was the small snack with the first drink service and also the cheese and biscuits with the main meal (which I enjoyed). Also on the flights I've been on this year some of the crew have seemed less than happy when asked for something like a drink of water - they have seemed to only want to stay in the galley and chat.

I feel they are becoming more like a 'no-frills' flight - I've flown with Thomas Cook on a really cheap last minute flight - £160 I think - and the plane and service on that flight were superior to that on Virgin lately.

I agree.I think there service standards have dropped.The last time I flew PE they had run out of meals(and we were in the bubble) so I had to have a kids meal.It was ok but no sorry or nothing.Thats all thats left was the answer I got. Everytime I have flown Economy had no real issues but for the extra money I wasnt impressed.Also had some idiot leaning on my seat half the way chatting to crew as we were in row 80 and I asked if he would move after 2 hours and the airstewardess said he had a right to stand there. I did right and complain and they sent a £50 voucher but it has put me off. I think I would do it on the return not outbound.

 

[2Tiggies]

The last time I flew PE they had run out of meals(and we were in the bubble) so I had to have a kids meal.It was ok but no sorry or nothing.Thats all thats left was the answer I got. Everytime I have flown Economy had no real issues but for the extra money I wasnt impressed.Also had some idiot leaning on my seat half the way chatting to crew as we were in row 80 and I asked if he would move after 2 hours and the airstewardess said he had a right to stand there. I did right and complain and they sent a £50 voucher but it has put me off. I think I would do it on the return not outbound.

Well it sounds like you got luckier than me. We had a similar issue in PE from MAN last year. DD is gluten free so I ordered her special meal through the TA when we booked. You have to phone them to confirm a week or so before you fly so I sat at the TA and listened in on the confirmation on the speaker phone.

We also flew PE. DD wasn't hungry in the morning so she had an apple and a bottle of water. Imagine our horror when they came around with the food and I asked about her meal only to be told it hadn't been loaded onto the plane. Let's just say it was not a pleasant flight. I eventually ended up in tears after about 6 hours of DD crying, already over tired and over excited it all proved too much and I was sitting there thinking about all the things I go without the whole year to pay for this ..... I simply could not take the risk of her having a reaction on the flight and she wasn't keen to have anything either.

Determined that it did not happen on the return - after all these things are one off flukes, aren't they? - I called and confirmed the meal on the return. Would you believe, the SAME DARN THING HAPPENED!!!

I also got a voucher but I got £25 - maybe they think a child's problem is only half the complaint

The customer service office is brilliant, but it is annoying. I will do DIY next year anyway, not because of VA, but since it is DIY to be cheaper, I know VA is unlikely to be my airline. I am sad. I have been a fan for years, but as you say, it gets to a point ....

Oh and taking away the cheese and crackers? Good grief! Does a £3500 upgrade not cover the cost of a few Tesco Value crackers

 

[PoppyAnna]

There was a time, not so long ago, when buying air tickets three months in advance was perfectly normal. THose who bought 6 months out were a bit OCD ..... just saying.

How old are your kiddies? Would you consider indirect?

No, I'm afraid with a five and an eight year old, I will not be flying indirect yet.

A quick check on Kayak and for those dates to MCO Delta looks like £472pp indirect, BA £788 direct, so not ridiculous.
AA to Miami from LHR is still £440pp so with flexibility on direct/indirect/route/airline some decent deals are still available.

I think £788 is too high for me, with four of us to pay for thats over £3000, too much IMHO and I'm not prepared to fly indirect with two young children.

I was highlighting a point about Virgin being out of touch.

 

[EPCOTFANROD]

As far as I know, no it won't damage your chances. BUT VERY IMPORTANT: If you dont' do online check in you will most probably not have a choice of where to sit even without an upgrade. Unless you know you will upgrade and know there are seats available to purcase (in which case you need to do so before), don't compromise the whole flight by hanging onto a maybe.

I go in 17 days with Virgin. I have already picked my seats through "manage my booking"

Are these seats definitely mine, or could they be reassigned to someone else?
Never flown Virgin so not sure of this.

 

[2Tiggies]

If I understand correctly there is no such thing as a guaranteed seat, but if you have pre-booked them you are generally pretty safe. However I have been told that if you don't confirm them online within a certain number of hours prior to your flight then you could lose them.

I haven't prebooked seats online before as previously I had some issues with getting the info from the travel agent. We had no choice of seats despite checking in early but I knew I was buying an upgrade anyway so I did and although we didn't have a choice of where to sit, we were quite happy where they put us in PE.

 

[EPCOTFANROD]

Thanks for the advice 2Tiggies. I'll do online check in as well.

 

[Twilight Terror]

I go in 17 days with Virgin. I have already picked my seats through "manage my booking"

Are these seats definitely mine, or could they be reassigned to someone else?
Never flown Virgin so not sure of this.

With Virgin, no seat is guaranteed. All seats are requests only, and treated in that manner. Once you have checked in, either online or at the airport, THEN your seats are safe. But until that point, anything can happen.

Our seats got moved about last year on the outbound flight, despite medical notes on our file to be sat in the configuration we had requested. So, yeah, nothing is safe until you check in with Virgin!

 

[2Tiggies]

With Virgin, no seat is guaranteed. All seats are requests only, and treated in that manner. Once you have checked in, either online or at the airport, THEN your seats are safe. But until that point, anything can happen.

Our seats got moved about last year on the outbound flight, despite medical notes on our file to be sat in the configuration we had requested. So, yeah, nothing is safe until you check in with Virgin!

Are your seats safe once you have done online check in? I thought they were only safe once you have your "official" boarding passes from the bag drop desk at the airport.

One more question: When you do online check in, if you don't have access to a printer, can you note down your check in number, or do you HAVE to have them printed? I have done it with BA but not with Virgin and BA didn't hassle about the piece of paper - they just looked it up on the system to see that I had checked in online. Sorry if this is a bit off topic.

 

[Twilight Terror]

Are your seats safe once you have done online check in? I thought they were only safe once you have your "official" boarding passes from the bag drop desk at the airport.

One more question: When you do online check in, if you don't have access to a printer, can you note down your check in number, or do you HAVE to have them printed? I have done it with BA but not with Virgin and BA didn't hassle about the piece of paper - they just looked it up on the system to see that I had checked in online. Sorry if this is a bit off topic.

Once you are checked in, you are checked in. Whether you print off your boarding card or not, you are checked in and on the plane. There is a boarding card hanging around in cyberspace for you, or at the bag drop desk depending on what you do.

There are several options. You can print your boarding pass there and then, or have it emailed to your account if you need to use a different computer to print it off(which we did this time around), or not print it at all and collect it when you do bag drop (as we did the trip before last). I can't remember what happens with the printed bit, because my sister normally deals with that. You either get to keep it and then get the official boarding card, or they take it and issue you with the official boarding card. Either way, you get a proper one!