Virgin seats

[SEVANS2208]

When we've been with Virgin before we've either sat in their "special needs" rows as we have travelled with my brother who's disabled, or in the bulkhead seats as we've had a baby who needed a skycot.

Next year though it will just be the 4 of us (2 adults, a very tall for her age 12 year old and a 6 year old) and I don't know where to sit (or at least request seats for)! I prefer sitting by the window & towards the front of the plane. I guess though that because there's 4 of us we'll have to sit in the middle 4 seats?

Also, what's the seating configuration if we decide to upgrade to PE (still can't decide on this as it will cost over £1500)?

 

[mrsminniemouse]

Someone on here recently recommended this website: www.seatguru.com

It is great! It will answer some of your questions I think.

Mandy

 

[SEVANS2208]

ooh yeah - it's v. good. Thanks.

Looks like we'll be in the centre then if we want 4 together - getting 2 windows seats with 2 of us sitting behind the other 2 is an option but I'd feel awkward about the 2 poor souls having to sit next to us!!

Perhaps I will consider PE..................just reluctant to spend that much money!

 

[lilyjosh]

Even better than seatguru is http://www.v-flyer.com - this site tells you everything you ever wanted to know about your Virgin flight - it's great.

 

[Manatee]

you could ask for the rows at the back of the plane, the last three are usually 2 4 2 across instead of 3 4 3

 

[SEVANS2208]

Hi manatee

Yes, that's an option but I prefer to sit at the front so you can get off the plane quicker!! I know I want everything!!!

 

[Hilary]

We usually travel as a foursome and, when flying with Virgin, have mostly pre-requested two sets of the two seats at the back - but even though that's been confirmed we've never got them when it came to check-in!

We've always (by 'always', I mean eight flights on four trips) been switched to a group of four in the centre We've also tried requesting three seats on the side with one across the aisle on the end of the centre row, but still been allocated a centre row when we've checked in.

I'm afraid I have absolutely no faith in the Virgin pre-booking system as I am sure the check-in staff just give in to the demands of people who are able to check in earlier than those who may have pre-requested their seats 6 months ago, but are later to check in. I have witnessed this happen on check-in at Orlando when the couple in front of us asked if there was a set of the two-at-the-back seats available. When told they had all been pre-allocated the couple just stood their ground and repeated their request until the check-in girl switched some seats around to accommodate them. Presumably whoever had pre-booked those seats were going to be disappointed when they checked in!

 

[patdavies]

You may be being a bit harsh on Virgin.

CAA regulations demand that family groups be seated together as far as practicable. So 3 + 1 across the aisle is not as 'together' as 4. Also, as modern families may not all have the same surname, most airlines take any combined booking as a group

 

[Hilary]

You may be being a bit harsh on Virgin.

CAA regulations demand that family groups be seated together as far as practicable. So 3 + 1 across the aisle is not as 'together' as 4. Also, as modern families may not all have the same surname, most airlines take any combined booking as a group

I'm only giving an opinion on my experience of the Virgin pre-booking seat requests - and I know they are only requests, not guarantees.

If, as you suggest, the reason we're given a block of four seats in the centre is because we're a family group, then I don't understand why Virgin accept the request when I phone them. Couldn't we be told at that point that there's likely to be a change? After all, my booking details must be in front of them when they enter my seat requests, so they can see we're a family group of four.

It's not the fact that we can't sit where we'd prefer that annoys me, it's the fact that Virgin offer a seat request option, but seem unable (in my experience) to carry that through to actually giving the seats that have been requested, even when there was apparently no problem with the request when it was made. Obviously there will be times when operational changes make the system unworkable, but I've experienced too many changes at check-in to believe they are all down to that.

Sorry, just one of my particular niggles with Virgin!

 

[patdavies]

But you also need to remember that all the other family groups need to be seated together as well.

Seat preference is just that - expressing a preference. Virgin then have to do the 'jigsaw' and fit everybody in. As an example, your 3 + 1 actually leaves 1 seat empty in the centre seats - a single seat is not easy to fill as on MCO routes, most people are travelling in groups.

You say that it is one of your niggles with Virgin; my point is that this practice is common to all airlines.

 

[gilld]

Well, I can only speak from personal experience and that is that every time I have made a request, usually for the 2 at the back, sometimes 2 x the 2, I have always got them. I am talking about 5 holidays, so 10 flights. Perhaps I have just been lucky.

 

[Hilary]

You say that it is one of your niggles with Virgin; my point is that this practice is common to all airlines.

I'm not sure whether things may have changed recently but, in the past, I haven't been able to phone BA or Britannia to choose particular seat numbers on flights I have booked with them. I may have been given the option of asking to sit together / request extra legroom / etc. with them, whereas Virgin actually invite passengers to pre-book (or request) certain seats and they tell you at the time of pre-booking whether or not those seats are available for you.

My 'niggle' is that I don't like being invited to choose seats, have that choice confirmed (as a request) and then, at check-in, be told it's been changed!

Well, I can only speak from personal experience and that is that every time I have made a request, usually for the 2 at the back, sometimes 2 x the 2, I have always got them. I am talking about 5 holidays, so 10 flights. Perhaps I have just been lucky.

Maybe I've been equally unlucky! I did get the Virgin seats I'd requested (2 at the back) when there were only two of us travelling, so I know it can work sometimes.

 

[snookhams]

I have pre-booked seats with virgin on numerous occassions and must have just been lucky as I have almost always got those seats, the times when I didn't get them they had told me there were better seats available (nearer the front etc.) and it has almost been our choice to change. We have on several virgin flights to Orlando had 3 seats at a window and 1 seat either in front/behind or across the aisle no problem. The reason that we have done this is so that either DH or myself gets some rest whilst the other entertains the children. Saying that we flew PE last year and will be again this year because I have trouble with my legs and would not get a exit row seat and the extra leg room was such a bonus when myself, DH and DS (aged 13) are all over 6' tall!!!!

 

[keziah]

I'm afraid I have absolutely no faith in the Virgin pre-booking system as I am sure the check-in staff just give in to the demands of people who are able to check in earlier than those who may have pre-requested their seats 6 months ago, but are later to check in.

The very first time we flew with Virgin (to Boston) we pre-booked seats. When we checked in they told us there were no seats left in non-smoking (this was 1994!) & that we'd have to sit in smoking. We objected & they got nasty, showing us their computer & saying we hadn't pre-booked seats. Turned out that we had booked seats with Virgin HOLIDAYS but should have also phoned Virgin ATLANTIC- the two do not communicate!

Since then we have been careful to prebook and to double-check. In 2003 we flew to Orlando with Virgin & got the seats we had pre-booked. (Having phoned Virgin Atlantic AS WELL)

We travelled last week with BA as a 4 & had 3 + 1 across the aisle (as requested). Last year we travelled with American Airlines & theirs were 2 & 2. On the way home the people in the middle were moaning & asking the stewardess "why can't we sit by the window like those people" (duh, because we pre-booked these seats a year ago!!) & one old lady seemed to think she was on a bus & was "choosing" where to sit!!!

How hard would it be for the booking staff to have a computer with the seats on & actually book you a specific seat when you booked, like they do in theatres?!

 

[Sue88UK]

From my experience with Virgin, we didn't want window seats and called to request 4 seats in the middle, got the seat numbers etc and on check-in got the 3-1 combination. When I said these were not our requested seats for combination they said that the 3-1 was still sitting "together".
Another time we got three by window and one behind and they said that this was still sitting "together". Our group consisted of me, my husband of our two daughters who still paying Virgin child prices, so what can you say to that???

 

[anna68]

People need to get the code from Vigin Holidays and use it to'Manage their flights' on the Virgin Atlantic website.

Also if flying from LGW use twlight check in to increase chance of getting the seats you require.

There is always going to be some change of requested seats on the day because they will want to seat famlies together and they must adhere with law and seat very young children with at least one parent.

No where does it say (with Virgin) that seats are guaranteed even if you phone up 8 months prior to departure!

 

[Sue88UK]

My experience was before you can Manage Your Flight etc. I booked my seats right on the designated date that it was possible to book, got seat numbers, 4 in the middle as we had small children and wanted to sit together, thus decreasing the possibility of disturbance to other passengers, so why put 3 by window a 1 across the aisle, and 3 by window and one behind and class that as "together"???