Virgin Pre-Booked Seats

[mandymouse]

Hi Guys

I was just on the Dibb, when I noticed someone had started a thread about pre-booked seats on certain Virgin flights and how they had changed the seats that had been allocated to them. I went on-line to the 'Manage your Flights' part, found my booking and Virgin had indeed changed my seats for our return flight next May. I would advise you to check your seating arrangements so you don't get a nasty shock at check-in.

mandymouse

 

[Goofyish]

Even if you have pre-booked, the seat allocation is only a 'request', and you can still end up with different seats when you check in. The only real way to guarantee the seats you want is to arrive at check in as early as possible

 

[Kevin Stringer]

We've had our outward seats changed as well Mandymouse.
This is particularly annoying as we had planned to sit next to our friends.

I also confirm what Tim said. I have generally found pre-booking to be a waste of time. The last two times we have travelled with Virgin we have failed to get the seats we booked despite using twilight check-in.

Kev

 

[Miffy2003]

Same for us too

I am trying to look on the bright side as it may now mean I don't have to sit next to MIL & FIL (or my children ) LOL

 

[gilld]

We have always received the seats we asked for...so far!!!!! Perhaps we've just been lucky. We've several times changed them at the airport for exit rows though.

 

[Hilary]

I'm afraid I'm another one who has been switched from our requested seats more often than not

I still can't understand why Virgin offer pre-booking if they seem uanble to be able to meet so many of the requests. Even if they are only 'requests' and not 'reservations', it builds up passengers' expectations and you then have disgruntled passengers if those requests haven't been met. If there were no expectations, there'd be less scope for disappointments!

 

[allie5]

Hi guys. It was me who posted the thread on the DIBB. For some reason I was sure I had seen someone post the info here so didnt duplicate my post....it seems I was confused as there doesnt seem to be one before this!

Anyway, a bit of an update, as I rang Virgin yesterday. Tremendously friendly, but totally and utterly clueless as ever. I was tearing my hair out in the end. The upshot is, due to the majority of their fleet being refitted over the coming months, the seat plans are changing. As each flight is allocated its new plan, people are being shuffled about all over the place. Existing allocations are not now valid on many flights.

Personally, on my return flight, my family had been seperated by TWENTY rows. The Customer service bod said that most of the aircraft seating hadnt been reserved yet and couldnt understand why they had split us up at all.

I would STRONGLY advise that people check their seat allocations soon as Virgin dont think it important enough to inform their customers about this change. I do understand that seating is never guaranteed, however, how many families are going to be devasted to find on check in, that they are scattered randomly over the aircraft?

Yet another black mark in my book of Virgin c*ck ups! I will be able to write a book soon .

Allie

 

[Wednesday till I die]

Hi Allie.

I am sure that you won't be scattered around the plane.
Virgin hold a large amount of seating back to allocate on the day. They always try to seat families together. They are still the best option for direct to Orlando.
Calm down already!

Barry.

 

[kazzie]

Barry,

The thing is often family members have different surnames, in which case the computer (not live person) that re-allocates seats in the event of an aircraft change won't recocnize and could easily split up immediate family members,eg Mum and dad with differenmt surnames!

 

[allie5]

Exactly Kazzie, my Mum is travelling with us (she has a different surname) and was split from the rest of us.

Also, my FIL has been seperated from his wife several times with Virgin and they are just a couple, not travelling with children.

Barry, my point was, its just worth checking before you go IN CASE there is a problem. Forewarned is forearmed! I for one would rather know about it beforehand. I have had experience of some pretty awful Virgin stuff ups in the past which makes this seating arrangement mess seem quite tame in comparison!

 

[Shropshire Saint]

They did it to us just over 2 weeks ago on our flight out from Manchester. Not only that, in the PE section the seats run 2-4-2, they sat us 3 together isle then a seat & didnt tell us. That meant I had to sit in the middle with my 3 year old next to me & his 2 year old brother next to him, then the isle, then my wife. They basically said that it was tough doodoos. My kids meals which i had confirmed in writing & at check in were not listed on the log on either the outward or return journey AND my wifes PE seat did not recline. The screans in the seats suffered much interference. On the whole not impressed with Virgin or PE. Its even more of a prolem as we are using them again next April. I am thinking of upgrading to Club Orlando, anyone used that service?

 

[Bekki]

Hello,

I thought I would have a look to see if they have moved our seats as there is 6 of us all with different surnames and all I got was "sorry cannot find your booking" Marvelous!!

 

[Bekki]

Managed to get through to Virgin and all 6 of our seats had been rearranged, not one of us was sitting together, we were scattered everywhere. Luckily the seats we orignally wanted were still available so I have re-reserved them. I must admit that I have always been allocated the requested seats before so fingers crossed it works this time. I asked why these had been moved she didn't know why but advised me that there had been a flight schedule change and this could have caused it and this is the reason I could not log on at the "manage your flight" section. The flight was orignally due to fly out at 11:15 and has now been rescheduled for 11:15 The poor girl didn't even click that it was the same time, sorry Virgin but you need to employ some more "brighter" people.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Originally posted by Bekki
Managed to get through to Virgin and all 6 of our seats had been rearranged, not one of us was sitting together, we were scattered everywhere. Luckily the seats we orignally wanted were still available so I have re-reserved them. I must admit that I have always been allocated the requested seats before so fingers crossed it works this time. I asked why these had been moved she didn't know why but advised me that there had been a flight schedule change and this could have caused it and this is the reason I could not log on at the "manage your flight" section. The flight was orignally due to fly out at 11:15 and has now been rescheduled for 11:15 The poor girl didn't even click that it was the same time, sorry Virgin but you need to employ some more "brighter" people.

The reason is that your aircraft has been re assigned as the new 747 400 seat format, i.e. the aircraft will have Upper Class suites fitted and more Premium Economy sats downstairs.
I had the same thing, which was down to the fact that the seats we had chosen did not exist anymore, so the system did not recognise the booking. A quick call to Virgin, new Upper Class suite numbers allocated and the booking re-appeared.
I would also surmise that the computer does not have a setting for same flight, new seat layout, so calls it a rflight schedule change (Probably the standard aircaft appears on the system as a 744 and the new suites as 744s)
have a look on v-flyer for the new layout.

 

[tracyjane]

hi
just checked my seating arrangments and they are still the same, this will only be my second flight with virgin,although i must say i thought the first one was great . when are they likley to rearrange the seating if they do so? do they ever inform you?? . anyway cant wait to go
tracy x x