Virgin Preassigned Seating (again sorry!)

[THE COLONEL]

We travel to Orlando on Nov 1st. This week I have made 4 calls to Virgin to enquire about the date I can make seating requests and have received 4 different answers. Yesterday I seemed to be getting somewhere and was told I should ring this morning. I did so and was told that Virgin Holidays were to blame as they had not released my details.

I rang Virgin Holidays and got off to a bad start when the operative laughed when I told her the travel date.

I was rather condescendingly told that "if you read our information Sir you would see that we only offer seats 11 months prior to departure." When I pointed out that I was within the 11 month window she changed tack and told me that it was 11 months from date of return. I pointed out that the Virgin Atlantic FAQs specifically state 336 days prior to date of departure. She then told me that I must have read it incorrectly. I assured her this was not the quoted and quoted the text exactly as it appears on their web site.

Reluctantly I accepted her premise that it was 11 months from date of return and asked her to confirm the earliest date I could make a booking if we were returning on the 11th. She told me I could not book before 14th December. I asked her for the logic behind this as it was neither 336 days nor 11 months ahead of the return date. She couldnt answer so I asked if I could complete the customer satisfaction survey. I was put through and recorded 4 for very poor when asked for my impression of the service provided during todays call but then found that the system refused to log my response to the next question leaving me in limbo and forced to hang up. A customer satisfaction survey that doesnt like negative responses? Surely not!!!!!!!!

Have now decided I that I regard this site as my holiday operating company and will confine myself to asking question only within this domain.

And I was so happy earlier this morning watching the cricket before deciding to speak to Virgin

 

[wideeyes]

it is 11 monthes after the return date and they only update on the first wedensday after the return date which is why the date she gave would be a few days later.

Also on the VH site it is clear that it is after the return date and it does not say that it is exactly on 336 days before your return day.

A limited number of seats are available for advanced seating from 336 days before your return flight to 24 hours before departure

 

[Claire L]

Yes it can sound confusing as it says 'from departure' and that means the date of the actual flight and with a return booking it mean the return flight so then both outbound and return are able to be booked at the same time. If it were just a one way trip then it would be 11 months from the outbound flight.

Also Dec 14th sounds about right as wideeyes says the data is transmitted from VH to VA across once a week, on a Wednesday, so Dec 14th would be the Thursday and the first day the data is on the system.

Claire

 

[THE COLONEL]

Thank you for replies. Genuinely helpful advice as always.

With respect to Wideeyes where does it make it clear that it refers to return flights? The following are extracts from their FAQ listing in respect to seating requests. I would not expect to look beyond a published FAQ page if it purports to cover the question I have? That is the whole point of FAQs.

Q Can I pre-allocate my seat?
A Seating is a service we offer free of charge. Seats can be pre-arranged through our website (during the flight booking process, or once you have booked a flight by going to the 'Manage Your Flights' section of the site and using the 'Update Booking' option at anytime or the 'DIY Check In' option 24 hour before your flight), or pre-requested through our Reservations department up to 336 days in advance of your departure date. Please note that seat numbers are never guaranteed and are subject to operational changes.

Where does it mention return flight?

And again

Q Why is the seat map button not appearing?
A Seats are available for assignment from 336 days to 1 day prior to scheduled flight departure. The seat map button will not be displayed if the date does not fall within this range.


I would have expected a large supposedly customer focussed organisation like Virgin to have ironed out inconsistencies or misleading information. I certainly would not have expected to have to receive a definitive response from 2 members of a discussion board after 5 fruitless phone calls to Virgin.

My main point is if its from the return flight then fine.To Virgin the message is Explain this in your customer information but also ensure that your staff are able to deliver a consistent clear message. If they display this scatter gun approach to dealing with my query then how can I be sure that any other queries I may need to make are being correctly dealt with.

As I stated in my previous posting. I will now rely exclusively on the knowledge bank that is this web site.

 

[meryll83]

I always prebook mine online.
You could do this and then just try each day around the time you think it should be available until it lets you do it - then you'll know you have grabbed it at the first possible chance.

 

[Kymie]

I can sympathise. Over this last week I had to phone 4 times over the transfers from the airport to the hotel. 3 times they told me I couldnt have free transfers as i had the option of car hire,which we dont want, each time i asked what had changed as we had free transfers each of the last 3 visits. Eventually i got passed on to a superviser on my 4th call and he said of course i could have free transfers!! But i cant have the disney dining plan as we have a twin centre holiday!

 

[THE COLONEL]

No doubt to your relief I can draw a line under this. I have found the quote that wideeyes refers to on the FAQs supplied by Virgin Holidays.

My extracts are from the Virgin Atlantic FAQs (the site you actually go to make your request online)

The Virgin Atlantic FAQs omits any mention to return flight.

Part of my day job is taken up with development of consistent information for my organisations customers. FAQs are a very handy vehicle for ensuring that customers can access essential information. I can at least see for myself that conflicting and/or misleading information is a cause of frustration for customers seeking information. I hope I am better at my job than the Virgin bods appear to be

Enjoy your weekend guys and apologies if I have distracted any of you from the real purpose of this site. ie planning and enjoying a fantastic holiday

 

[Elise79]

Just as point in defence of Virgins FAQ's - with Virgin Atlantic flights cannot booked until 336 days prior to the flight date and as they do one way as well as round trip flights it would not make sense for them to say 'return date' in their FAQ as it would not apply to all. Round trip flights can only be booked once the return date is released.

Hope this explains why

Elise

 

[Girlsontour]

Tell me about it!!!! For weeks i have been arguing with Virgin(and even posted a thread) because i was soooo annoyed with conflicting answers eventually i was able to pre book my seats last night - Virgin Holidays had "forgotten" to release our details to Virgin Atlantic I am very cheesed off with Virgin this year - and if i ever get a call, two week sbefore departure, as we have in the past (trying to sell me other excursions etc) I shall be telling them exactly what i think of their customer service!

If it is of any help there was plenty of seat options when i did eventually get on the website.

 

[THE COLONEL]

Just as point in defence of Virgins FAQ's - with Virgin Atlantic flights cannot booked until 336 days prior to the flight date and as they do one way as well as round trip flights it would not make sense for them to say 'return date' in their FAQ as it would not apply to all. Round trip flights can only be booked once the return date is released.

Hope this explains why

Elise

I take your point but why on earth cant Virgin clarify this.They need to cover both scenarios ie round trip and one way. I would suspect they sell far more returns than singles.

 

[tim june and sam]

As a seasoned Virgin, I think the only confusion in their wording is whether its 336 days or 11 months from the return date.

On the evidence of this thread, I think we can suffice to say that its neither and both!!!

Do think that this system disadvantages those who take longer holidays and find the initial pre-assignment on outward flight going to people who travel out with you but return earlier?

 

[Ware Bears]

Do think that this system disadvantages those who take longer holidays and find the initial pre-assignment on outward flight going to people who travel out with you but return earlier?

In theory ~ yes, because as we are going for 3 weeks next time we had to wait an extra week before we could book our seats as opposed to my friend who is flying out the same day as us but staying for 2 weeks.

In practice ~ no, it didn't affect us. I wasn't that fussed where we sat ~ so long as we all sit together that's all I am really bothered about and we actually managed to book my first choice of seats. Roll on March!

 

[Leanne1977]

I would just like to say to the OP that i would advise that you check the Virgin Atlantic website daily from now until the date you were told you could book them.

We tried to book our seats 336 days in advance not realising it was the return flight as the website makes you think it is your outbound flight. We telephoned Virgin to be told it was the return flight.

So, ok we try again 336 from our return flight. Still no joy. So we phone again, this time to be told the seats get released on a certain day so we would have to wait a further 8 days. Very frustrating.

But it didnt seem right to me. So i tried again that evening and couldnt book them. I then tried again the following day and low and behold we could book them.

So as far as i am concerned take anything you are told by Virgin with a pinch of salt. I would try everyday.

 

[abbylou6]

surely you dont need to book the seats so early?
abbylou

 

[Leanne1977]

surely you dont need to book the seats so early?
abbylou

The rows of 2 seats at the back of the plane are popular so it is advised that you select them early if you really want those.

We wanted 2 rows of 2 and got them no problem.

But remember it is only a request, you are not 100% guaranteed to get them.

 

[gilld]

Throwing a spanner in the works, the last three times we've flown with VA, we requested our outward and return seats at different times! And the most recent was last year.

Keep trying!

 

[lisaj]

I have found the same problem with virgin. Tried to book my flights as per what I thought the brochure stated (336 in advance of departure) and told to phone back on Dec 14th. Concern is that all those going for one or two weeks of school holidays will have chosen their seats before our seats are released. On positive (?) note friends who went at the same time this year pre-booked their seats and then when they checked in were allocated completely different seats.
Only want seats together not too worried about where they are.

 

[wildwoods]

You should remind these condescending (non)customer services staff that they are the "Overheads" and you are the "Profit"