Virgin - Online Check in help/advice

[AnnaTink]

Hi everyone,

I am more of a lurker round here than a poster lol (but am hoping to change that ), but I'm looking for some advice re Virgins Online check in!!


I have flown to America quite a few times, but for some reason am still a bit wary about checking in on line!!


Is it straight forward to do?

How far in advance can you check in - I'm thinking the morning of the flight before we leave for Gatwick?

Would you recommend checking in online over at the airport?

Any other advice????

Thank you

 

[Jakey Rowling]

Don't think you'll find anyone who would argue against online check in.

Provided you've entered you advance passenger info before its really simple. There is the online check in box on the right of the virgin home page, fill in the details and hit the check in box and just follow the on screen instructions.
Open 24 hours before departure.

More info here
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/faq/onlinecheckinandkiosk.jsp

No reason to join the queues at the airport that I can see unless you have some special request for seats not available to online check in.

I assume you know you can reserve seats well in advance with VA, get in early and reserve your seats, not guaranteed but its normally ok and these should be selected for you when you check in.

 

[AnnaTink]

Thanks,

I don't know why I've never used it, I'm going with my parents for this trip, it's pretty last minute, just to get away as the family has had a bad few months and I just want to try and make things as simple as possible for them.

We have seats reserved - row 56 (ewww - I'm a terrible flyer lol and that's a bit near the back for me) which is the other reason for considering checking in online, I wondered if it may be easier to try and get different seats allocated!!

Thanks for your help though

 

[wayneg]

Same here, cant believe anyone that does no check in online if you have a computer.
Twice last year we arrived at Manchester with check in lines that looked about 45-60 mins long. Just walked right up to bag drop with no wait, great service.
Also saved about 1 hour each visit by using Dollar express when picking up the car. Again walk past the lines both times right to the front.

 

[Jakey Rowling]

We have seats reserved - row 56 (ewww - I'm a terrible flyer lol and that's a bit near the back for me) which is the other reason for considering checking in online, I wondered if it may be easier to try and get different seats allocated!!

You can change your seating amongst other things if you have a booking ref or eticket number. Not sure how you booked your flights but you should have the booking ref, get it from the travel agent or phone virgin to get it.
Worth checking it works prior to online check in.

VA update your booking page -
https://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/manageyourflights/updatebooking/index.jsp

 

[AnnaTink]

Dollar Express? What's Dollar Express lol!!!

And there was me thinking I knew what I was doing when it came to Disney

Will definitely try and convince the folks re: online checkin

 

[AnnaTink]

You can change your seating amongst other things if you have a booking ref or eticket number. Not sure how you booked your flights but you should have the booking ref, get it from the travel agent or phone virgin to get it.
Worth checking it works prior to online check in.

VA update your booking page -
https://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/manageyourflights/updatebooking/index.jsp

We reserved the seats on the seat map once we had booked (direct with VA). I just wondered if more came available when doing the check in....it's a small hope but I was clinging to it lmao!!

 

[wayneg]

Dollar Express? What's Dollar Express lol!!!

And there was me thinking I knew what I was doing when it came to Disney

Will definitely try and convince the folks re: online checkin

http://ww2.dollar.com/Express/MainNonMember.aspx

Would not rent from Dollar without it.

 

[Jakey Rowling]

We reserved the seats on the seat map once we had booked (direct with VA). I just wondered if more came available when doing the check in....it's a small hope but I was clinging to it lmao!!

You won't get more available, VA only release a certain amount for reservation and/or online check in.

It's a common post for people to say they can no longer get to select their seats as once the allocation is taken you can't get this option on the web.
You can still see your seat allocation under another option, but not change it.

Even if you don't do online check in confused: ) use the link above to select meals and add API to save time at check in.

 

[AnnaTink]

http://ww2.dollar.com/Express/MainNonMember.aspx

Would not rent from Dollar without it.

Thank you - will try and sort this out as well, sounds like an excellent idea!!

Many thanks for your help

 

[AnnaTink]

You won't get more available, VA only release a certain amount for reservation and/or online check in.

It's a common post for people to say they can no longer get to select their seats as once the allocation is taken you can't get this option on the web.
You can still see your seat allocation under another option, but not change it.

Even if you don't do online check in confused: ) use the link above to select meals and add API to save time at check in.

Ahh I thought it was most probably wishful thinking!! never mind *braces herself for a bumpier flight* At least our seats are reserved!

It's not me who wouldn't consider online checkin - it's the parents....older more set in their ways

I appreciate your advice

 

[Alexandjohn]

We always check in on line 24 hours before we fly then we use twilight check in which is great. More time to sleep in the morning.

 

[orangetiggs]

if you check in online with virgin you do get more seats allocated. I checked in online for a cuba flight that was only booked 3 weeks before flying. Once I had the booking i wanted to reserve seats and there was none left but when i checked in online there was loads even the small cabin bit at the front just before PEconomy so well worth doing online. I'm flying in 29 days and I will be checking in online for this trip to florida

 

[castanea1985]

Same here, cant believe anyone that does no check in online if you have a computer.
Twice last year we arrived at Manchester with check in lines that looked about 45-60 mins long. Just walked right up to bag drop with no wait, great service.
Also saved about 1 hour each visit by using Dollar express when picking up the car. Again walk past the lines both times right to the front.

Wayneg, different story today at Manchester! Took 50 mins for my Mum to get through bag drop! Seems like everyone has cottoned onto it now!
If this is what it is going to be like, it beggers the question.. why bother!

Tracy

 

[AnnaTink]

if you check in online with virgin you do get more seats allocated. I checked in online for a cuba flight that was only booked 3 weeks before flying. Once I had the booking i wanted to reserve seats and there was none left but when i checked in online there was loads even the small cabin bit at the front just before PEconomy so well worth doing online. I'm flying in 29 days and I will be checking in online for this trip to florida

That's what I wondered.....i think I read something similar on here a few weeks ago and thats what made me start thinking about online check in. Did you check in the morning of your flight or the night before?

If not - if the queues are long anyhow it doesn't seem to matter which way we do it!

 

[wayneg]

Wayneg, different story today at Manchester! Took 50 mins for my Mum to get through bag drop! Seems like everyone has cottoned onto it now!
If this is what it is going to be like, it beggers the question.. why bother!

Tracy

How long was regular line? You can go in that either, 1st time we checked in online bagdrop was busy dealing with Upper class customers so they took us across in front of regular checkin line.
Only takes few minutes to checkin online, has to be worth doing, don't bother printing boarding cards anymore, they have always reprinted at bagdrop never been happy with my copy.
A good system I have used recently is AA, you use screens to check in and print you own boarding pass at the airport, no wait, called our name for bag drop within seconds of printing boarding passes.

 

[Jakey Rowling]

if you check in online with virgin you do get more seats allocated. I checked in online for a cuba flight that was only booked 3 weeks before flying. Once I had the booking i wanted to reserve seats and there was none left but when i checked in online there was loads even the small cabin bit at the front just before PEconomy so well worth doing online. I'm flying in 29 days and I will be checking in online for this trip to florida

That's interesting, ever had the same success on a busy MCO flight?

Whenever I've checked in online I've looked for "better" seats but never had any success, maybe I've been too slow off the mark.

 

[Daysleeper40]

We used online check in and twilight check in and everything worked perfectly. I am the most paranoid worrier ever so if I can use it I'm sure your parents can!


Seriously - it was the most stress free visit to an airport I have ever had so I think it is definately worth using.

 

[Snocky]

Sorry to hijack your thread but if you've already pre-booked your seats online, can you change them during online check-in? We've pre-booked our seats for April, but they're not ideal and when I checked with Virgin, they said more become available 24 hours before the flight. Does anybody know if I have to stick with my original choice if I were to use on-line check in?

 

[AnnaTink]

We used online check in and twilight check in and everything worked perfectly. I am the most paranoid worrier ever so if I can use it I'm sure your parents can!


Seriously - it was the most stress free visit to an airport I have ever had so I think it is definately worth using.

Thank you - I think I have convinced them to give it a go, I just want things to go as smoothly as possible

I'm still wondering if anyone knows if more seats do come available or not though - as that would be an added bonus