Virgin PE - the bubble?!

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Oh, so if you haven't been able to pre-request a seat on the upper deck then there is no chance of sitting up there???? We were told that upper deck seat requests are all taken for our flights, but that if we use online check-in 24 hours before we should be able to secure them???? Is this not true?

Can you check our flights? December 27 VS27 and January 6 VS16

Thanks!!

I take it you are booked direct with Virgin Atlantic, not Virgin Holidays? the VH seats are block booked until 24 hours before.
VS27 on 27/12/09 lots of seats available
seats
76 H, K
78 A, H, K
79 A, C, H, K
All of row 82 downstairs (81 is blocked for disbaled etc again until 24 hours before)

VS 16 on 06/01/10 is full.
No vacant seats in bubble, no vacant seats downstairs
However, plenty of seats in UC!

This means you have been allocated seats and are some of those showing taken.

 

[oceanscape]

I take it you are booked direct with Virgin Atlantic, not Virgin Holidays? the VH seats are block booked until 24 hours before.
VS27 on 27/12/09 lots of seats available
seats
76 H, K
78 A, H, K
79 A, C, H, K
All of row 82 downstairs (81 is blocked for disbaled etc again until 24 hours before)

VS 16 on 06/01/10 is full.
No vacant seats in bubble, no vacant seats downstairs
However, plenty of seats in UC!

This means you have been allocated seats and are some of those showing taken.

Thanks for your help!

No, I booked with Funway Holidays.....

What do we do?? Is there no chance of sitting upstairs on the return flight?

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Thanks for your help!

No, I booked with Funway Holidays.....

What do we do?? Is there no chance of sitting upstairs on the return flight?

Contact them and get your Virgin Locator code and see what seats have been reserved for you. This is the code to login into your flight details on the Virgin Atlantic web site

24 hours before the flight leaves, go online at Virgin atlantic (if you can login when away) or get to DTD checkin as soon as it opens and see if you can get the exit seats, or (hopefully) VH won't have sold all their allocation

 

[ClareH37]

Thanks for your help!

No, I booked with Funway Holidays.....

What do we do?? Is there no chance of sitting upstairs on the return flight?

Don't worry, I posted earlier that I hadn't been able to pre-book my parents seats in PE as the allocation downstairs and the bubble were full.

I also heard a rumour that the front of the bubble had been 'blocked' for VH but based on our current experience I would say it's not. When I checked my parents in online for coming home (they booked with Virgin Atlantic, not Virgin Holidays) Virgin Atlantic had already allocated their seats for them at check-in and they were in the front half of the bubble in 71 H&K. I had been told earlier by Virgin Atlantic that the front half of the bubble would 'open up' at online check-in, this was obviously the case based on my experience.

 

[oceanscape]

Contact them and get your Virgin Locator code and see what seats have been reserved for you. This is the code to login into your flight details on the Virgin Atlantic web site

24 hours before the flight leaves, go online at Virgin atlantic (if you can login when away) or get to DTD checkin as soon as it opens and see if you can get the exit seats, or (hopefully) VH won't have sold all their allocation

So we have definitely been allocated SPECIFIC seats on the return trip? They told me that I have not been allocated seats and that "seats will be allocated on check-in"....

 

[oceanscape]

Don't worry, I posted earlier that I hadn't been able to pre-book my parents seats in PE as the allocation downstairs and the bubble were full.

I also heard a rumour that the front of the bubble had been 'blocked' for VH but based on our current experience I would say it's not. When I checked my parents in online for coming home (they booked with Virgin Atlantic, not Virgin Holidays) Virgin Atlantic had already allocated their seats for them at check-in and they were in the front half of the bubble in 71 H&K. I had been told earlier by Virgin Atlantic that the front half of the bubble would 'open up' at online check-in, this was obviously the case based on my experience.

Thanks. How long ago was this? Apparently the VH having the front half "rule" is a new thing....

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

So we have definitely been allocated SPECIFIC seats on the return trip? They told me that I have not been allocated seats and that "seats will be allocated on check-in"....

they do that when a flight is full, this allows them to move people around to sit couples together etc, plus of course, moving people up to Upper class

Yes, if VH don't sell all of their allocation, the front half of the top deck will become open at 24 hours prior to take off, as what seems to have happened in Clares case.

 

[ClareH37]

Thanks. How long ago was this? Apparently the VH having the front half "rule" is a new thing....

2 weeks ago

Obi, don't know how true this is but a little bird has told me although the front is blocked out for VH they're still allocating it to passengers booking directly with Virgin Atlantic who request a seat 'upstairs' with them if there's no preselectable seats left.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

2 weeks ago

Obi, don't know how true this is but a little bird has told me although the front is blocked out for VH they're still allocating it to passengers booking directly with Virgin Atlantic who request a seat 'upstairs' with them if there's no preselectable seats left.

All airlines overbook, so yes, that may be happening. I would imagine that being part of the same company structure they will have an idea how seat take up is going.

 

[alibeau]

yes, they have just been on sale for our trip in November, but they do sell quickly it seems. In reality thereare now only 22 seats available on the top deck now due to this agreement with Virgin holidays.
As you can see, our flight out near the end on November is already showing virtually full, our return flight, in the lowest demand period is only showing 5 seats total free upstairs!

Obi, how do you know all this info about how many seats are taken etc?
Do you have a crystal ball?
I'm hoping it's something a little more reliable than that

Ali

 

[Netty]

Obi, how do you know all this info about how many seats are taken etc?
Do you have a crystal ball?
I'm hoping it's something a little more reliable than that

Ali

He's really Richard Branson....

 

[Funky_dino]

When I booked our flight in Jan and said that I wanted PE, the guy on the phone said would I like downstairs or up in the bubble. I said bubble and he said that we had taken the last 2 seats so we were lucky

 

[alibeau]

He's really Richard Branson....

Well I never

Ali

 

[nannyj]

I booked in January for our trip in October and the bubble was empty so we have seats 79 A&C on both legs of the journey. I have been told are very good so I hope they don't change.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

He's really Richard Branson....

That's the last time I take you to Necker Island Netty!

The infor is from the same data which the airlines themselves use and is in real time, its available on various web sites.
Most of the charters are NOT available however.

 

[Frances999]

Obi, are you saying that there is no limit to the number of seats which can be pre-requested? I have always been told by VA staff that some seats remain un-assigned right until OLCI opens up 24 hours before.

 

[Netty]

That's the last time I take you to Necker Island Netty!

Back to Barry Island for me then!!!

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Obi, are you saying that there is no limit to the number of seats which can be pre-requested? I have always been told by VA staff that some seats remain un-assigned right until OLCI opens up 24 hours before.

Straight answer
yes and no

In Economy, 40% are held back.
In PE however apart from one row downstairs (Row 81) and the emergency exit seats on the top deck, all other PE seats are available.

HOWEVER
From this year onwards, Vurgin Holidays have the first choice on their holiday routes for the front part of the top deck, in effect blobking them from being available to PE booking passengers on the VA web site, until 24 hours gefore the flight.