Hi
Following the earlier posts regarding the £50 charge for exit seats out of Gatwick, I sent my thoughts to Virgin and received the following reply........
In order to explain, there have been many articles in the press recently
stating that passengers are willing to pay more for extra legroom and many
UK charter airlines already charge for these seats. The Sunday Times in
the UK ran a poll on the subject and found that 91% of people surveyed
would pay more for an additional 2" of legroom.
It was felt that some passengers did not wish to upgrade to Premium
Economy, mainly due to being on a budget. Therefore, Richard Branson asked
us to start selling exit seats out of Gatwick, for a trial period, and
closely monitor the results and passengers' feedback.
It is not possible to pre-book the seats. They are only available on a
first-come, first-served basis at the airport on the day of departure.
It is our aim to provide the very best in airline transportation and we are
always looking at ways to improve comfort. We do appreciate the time you
have taken to give us your feedback and thoughts regarding this and you
have my assurance that yours, along with other letters will be passed to
our Product Development Team for their information.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to address your concerns and
explain the situation. I do hope you have not been discouraged from
travelling with us again, and that future flights are enjoyable and trouble
free in every aspect.
I may be in a minority here, but I don't agree with charging for these seats. Perhaps if enough people send their comments to Virgin, this 'trial' may come to an end.
Maxine
Following the earlier posts regarding the £50 charge for exit seats out of Gatwick, I sent my thoughts to Virgin and received the following reply........
In order to explain, there have been many articles in the press recently
stating that passengers are willing to pay more for extra legroom and many
UK charter airlines already charge for these seats. The Sunday Times in
the UK ran a poll on the subject and found that 91% of people surveyed
would pay more for an additional 2" of legroom.
It was felt that some passengers did not wish to upgrade to Premium
Economy, mainly due to being on a budget. Therefore, Richard Branson asked
us to start selling exit seats out of Gatwick, for a trial period, and
closely monitor the results and passengers' feedback.
It is not possible to pre-book the seats. They are only available on a
first-come, first-served basis at the airport on the day of departure.
It is our aim to provide the very best in airline transportation and we are
always looking at ways to improve comfort. We do appreciate the time you
have taken to give us your feedback and thoughts regarding this and you
have my assurance that yours, along with other letters will be passed to
our Product Development Team for their information.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to address your concerns and
explain the situation. I do hope you have not been discouraged from
travelling with us again, and that future flights are enjoyable and trouble
free in every aspect.
I may be in a minority here, but I don't agree with charging for these seats. Perhaps if enough people send their comments to Virgin, this 'trial' may come to an end.
Maxine
