LAS-MAN Extra Legroom Seats, you pays your money...

Just made a return MAN-LAS. Paid for extra legroom seats both ways. On the way out we got 31DEFG on G-VTOP.

On the return we got the refurbed G-VAST, nice surprise; but at check in we got split rows with one of us wedged into the window, three behind - no good with two children really.

I stood my ground through the usual wall of platitudes and we got 30DEFG which aren't the leggy seats but are bulkhead, which was OK (beware though, the bulkhead seats on the new config 747s are really narrow - if your backside's swelled from Las Vegas buffets, you won't fit!).

I know there's no guarantee on seating (and this is the second consecutive bad return flight experience I've had with Virgin Atlantic, so it could be just me) but there has to be a better way for airlines to do this. In this case the flight wasn't full, so you would have thought the check-in staff would realise that splitting a family wasn't ideal and explained alternatives rather than make the customer forcibly extract them.

Just spent 40 minutes on the phone being passed from pillar to post - three different people - trying to get my money back on the return leg - "We need to investigate","Could take up to three months to get your money back","I believe you Sir, but we need to confirm","Please let Richard keep your money, he's just had all that pointless expense with the West Coast Train Bid" (Not the last one, obviously).

After last year's PE return from BGI with the seat in front resting on my knees, VS bunged some miles in my flyer account but didn't even bother to reply to my complaint. Should I hope for better this time?

I'm really struggling to like Virgin Atlantic at the moment.

If there are 4 of you.. and only 3 seats at each side.. How would you prefer to be seated? (The new refurbed aircraft don't have Extra Legroom Seats in the middle)

Exactly StillRedHot - bit of an oversight in the refurb? I mean, people never travel in fours or two couples do they?
So, going forward, the rule of thumb would be - once all of the tourist route 747s are refurbed, never book extra legroom seats if there's more than three in your group and you want/need to sit together.
On this occasion, it seemed like a late aircraft switch, it wasn't full and there were options, but I had to be quite 'robust' at check in to get access to those options.

Exactly StillRedHot - bit of an oversight in the refurb? I mean, people never travel in fours or two couples do they?
So, going forward, the rule of thumb would be - once all of the tourist route 747s are refurbed, never book extra legroom seats if there's more than three in your group and you want/need to sit together.
On this occasion, it seemed like a late aircraft switch, it wasn't full and there were options, but I had to be quite 'robust' at check in to get access to those options.

Well you were sat on adjacent rows, which was probably the best possible way of seating you and fitting you around other passengers (leaving 2 spare seats on one row, instead of 1 spare seat over 2 rows, had you been sat as a 2 and a 2).

You could easily say the same about normal seating on a 747..

I'm not sure I see it as unreasonable to get a 3+1 seating arrangement, in fact it's the one we often go for when travelling as a family. I generally get the 1 (ah.... peace and quiet....) and there's at least one window seat for the kids, which they always want. We've also had a 2+2 which has worked well (then they both get windows...)

Matter of personal preference I know, but never been a big fan of the middle 4 arrangement.

That said, it would be nice if you could at least pick your seats online rather than just get what you get at the airport. Can't see why this would be a major technical challenge - you already only get to select seats within a specific class, surely extra legroom could just work the same way, especially as they are excluded from selection right now.

Hmm, all interesting stuff. I like the idea of the peace and quiet single seat - unless you get someone else's kid in the middle!
I guess the question at checkin could have been "Would you rather sit together than have the extra legroom seats?"

Hmm, all interesting stuff. I like the idea of the peace and quiet single seat - unless you get someone else's kid in the middle!
I guess the question at checkin could have been "Would you rather sit together than have the extra legroom seats?"

It must have been very frustrating and I do empathise.. There is usually always a valid reason for things like this though!

The best situation would be to be able to choose these seats in advance, maybe it's something coming in the future..

The best situation would be to be able to choose these seats in advance, maybe it's something coming in the future..

"choose" and pay up front know doubt ): ):

However I think this could be the only way around this constant battle for specific seating for families I for one would gladly cough up some more cash to more or less guarantee my seats altogether as a family or being able to sit next to my travel partner. A certain percentage could be kept aside for those who don't worry about seating.

I really sympathise with the checkin and cabin crew though, it must be a nightmare to have a constant barrage of folk wanting to change their allocated seats. Of course I also understand peoples' frustration when being seated apart. Coming back from NYC two years ago, there was a very large notice warning people not to waste their time as "no seat changes possible" It was a very quiet gate desk ii)