Which seats with Virgin?

[Princess Leia]

Booking seats on Virgin Boeing 747-400 at 60 days. We are a family of 4 flying economy and usually take 4 seats in the middle downstairs. I know some people like 'the bubble' so I checked to see what's available. We can get 2 together there and am wondering whether 2 of us should take the chance of seats there.The children are now 14 and 10. However if we has 2 up there that would mean we would get off the plane at different times so I'm not sure.
There are another 2 single extra legroom seats as well up there. I'm not sure how that works with booking costs as we booked earlier we do not have to pay for booking seats at this stage but wonder if we would have to pay £35 each for these seats. Any advice appreciated.
TIA

 

[Pinkgirl]

The bubble is PE so there will be a lot of cost involved to have those seats.

 

[Princess Leia]

On this flight the first section is PE and the back section is Economy.

 

[peajay18]

The economy seats in the bubble get off the plane waaay before the rest of economy, so if getting through immigration/customs quickly is a priority then grab 'em.

 

[maclondon]

you have to pay £25 to book seats / £35 for the extra room ones.
none are free at 60 days anymore

 

[maclondon]

ah you said you booked earlier
i booked a year ago but still had to pay to book bubble out and back 2's on the way home.

 

[Princess Leia]

I booked them last night for free at 60 days for the outbound flight. I checked with Virgin online chat and could have paid £70 for 2 exit row seats in the bubble but DH and DS decided they would stick with downstairs. My DD was really keen to try upstairs so we booked 2 seats together. The boys have gone for 2 seats with a window seat in the first section of economy downstairs. I'm just waiting till 60 days out for the return flight. We've agreed we'll get 4 together in the middle.

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

So are they free. If you wait until 60 days?

 

[Princess Leia]

They are free for people who booked their flight before 12 November 2014 you can select a standard seat free of charge 60 days before flight departure. I was able to book them online.

 

[bazzanoid]

The economy seats in the bubble get off the plane waaay before the rest of economy, so if getting through immigration/customs quickly is a priority then grab 'em.

THIS. Last time we went we were off the plane, sailed through immigration with only upper class passengers in front of us and were waiting for the luggage within 15 minutes. Then we were very lucky as our bags were amongst the first off by sheer coincidence, so we were out into the rental garage within 20 minutes of deplaning.

 

[Princess Leia]

Wow - that was quick! Do we need to wait for the other 2 downstairs to get off and go through immigration as a family? If they are the front of economy downstairs how much later do they get off?

 

[bazzanoid]

We were very lucky, we had the later flight from gatwick and we must have landed in the odd patch at orlando when no other international flights had been in just before!

If memory serves, Upper Class and PE downstairs first, then economy and PE upstairs then economy downstairs from front to back.

With immigration you technically don't need to go through as a family but god forbid there was an issue of any kind you could be stuck landside and them airside if you went through first...

 

[saintrob]

PE downstairs get off first as they're nearest the exit. Usually the crew will hold the upstairs passengers and UC follow although some from the 'bubble' do get off. The upstairs then follow and then downstairs economy, front to back.

 

[Princess Leia]

Thanks that's helpful - yes I think I would rather go through as a family. Probably would look suspicious if we split up.

 

[Tony Bush]

It's not so much the getting off the plane, it's more if you land after a couple of other large planes. We were on the later Virgin flight last year and had 3 extra legroom seats in the middle of the plane. We were the only flight in the customs/immigration hall and we were through passport etc and had our luggage and were picking our hire car in 1hr 10 minutes. And we didn't rush anywhere