Why have VA changed my seat allocation

[heatherbelle]

I'm really fed up, I have just been into update my passenger info, and VA have changed our seat allocation.

We are flying out of LHR on as airbus plane to LAX. I had three seats booked, 2 by the window, for DS and DH and one across the aisle for me. Anway they have now changed our allocation and we are sat in the middle.

The seat configuration is 2 4 2. Does anyone know why they have done this? There are no other seats available in my booking to move them back. I guess we will have to ask at check in for window seats.

If I tell them that DS gets air sick and needs to sit by the window, do you think this will work? I doubt it!

We have flown with VA four times and this has never happened before, but then we have only ever gone to MCO out of MAN.

 

[Kath2003]

They probably assume that you want to sit together, and that in moving you so you are all sat together, they can seat couples by the windows. Is the window seat particularly important? You're only able to see out of them for the first/last ten minutes? You still have two aisle seats.

 

[Frances999]

It's probably a non-issue. Utilize online check-in exactly 24 hours prior to your flight's departure and you'll have a whole host of seats to pick from.

 

[orangetiggs]

when you prebook seats on any virgin plane they are not guarenteed due to aircraft and operational changes

they can do this as many times as they like till you actually have boarding passes

 

[champagnegirl26]

They usually allocate the 2s for couples and so families often get shifted to another area im afraid.

 

[heatherbelle]

They probably assume that you want to sit together, and that in moving you so you are all sat together, they can seat couples by the windows. Is the window seat particularly important? You're only able to see out of them for the first/last ten minutes? You still have two aisle seats.

Yes the window seat is important, or for my DS and DH anyway, they always like to sit next to a window. I will try and grab some other seats when checkin opens. I've been told that when we are about 1-1/2 hours away, we will be able to see over the mountains, before we come into LA.

Sorry I have put the wrong seatconfiuration in my original post, the seats in the middle are 4 in a row, so we only have one aisle seat, and someone sat next to us. I guess. If we wanted to sit together I would have booked them in the middle in the first place. The window is more important. I don't mind sitting next to a stranger.

 

[heatherbelle]

It's probably a non-issue. Utilize online check-in exactly 24 hours prior to your flight's departure and you'll have a whole host of seats to pick from.

Thank you I'll do that.

 

[Danauk]

. I've been told that when we are about 1-1/2 hours away, we will be able to see over the mountains, before we come into LA.

Yes you will be able to see over the mountains before you come in to LA, like this I took last year!

Our pilot also pointed out Las Vegas to us as well (you could see the strip and all the hotels). And when you come in to land at LA you will definately see the brown LA smog that you have to desend through!!

 

[marbella_chris]

they move people all the time,

we are booked with 3 seats together right now for our flight on sunday, but we have a 1 year old with his own seat, and i know we will get moved to the small section just behind Premium economy in front of the exit/entrance door where they put all young kids (not that i mind, i think its a great area and you can't prebook it) so they will have 3 seats available where we had pre-booked.

its weird how they mess around with the configuration.

i wouldnt want to be in premium economy just in front of our son though for 9 hours - wow, all that extra money to hear him whining for hours....LOL

 

[orangetiggs]

they dont always put young kids int hat bit, we have flown before and have had kids behind us in like row 35 or something so dont bank on getting that little cabin

 

[marbella_chris]

even if i dont i'm not too concerned, our prebooked seats are 3 rows back from the exit/entrance on the left hand side of the aircraft, so its no big deal.

from speaking with virgin before our last trip, they said that they DO try and put babies and toddlers there, for obvious reasons of disturbing the bulk of other passengers if they are evenly spread throughout the cabin. however i was aware that there were people with kids not in that section of the aircraft on our last trip.

 

[orangetiggs]

When working with them I used to get calls all the time for that cabin but its never there to prebook, I do find though if you use online check in you can get the seats! It helps that it has 3 bulkhead for the skycots so thats why they have the young kids in there

 

[ScotsMinnie]

This happened to us last summer. It was a nightmare. We booked our seats months and months in advance. Then they moved us to the back row. We could not change back and then the same happened with our return flight.

I would also not bank on being able to change at the 24 hour online checkin time. We could not change at all. There was nothing left which was not prebooked. Same on the way back except they split the 4 of us up and at exactly 24 hours before it opened and we could not change. If you think about it most people will prebook so it is rare you can change.

I was really annoyed with Virgin and booked with BA this year.

Their customer service is atrocious.