Email regarding LGW PE cabin refurb and seat map problems

When did this happen and has it affected all flights or just some? I need to check mine tonight!

I presume that we will only know when our flights seat map has been rebuilt by checking the Manage Your Flights ourselves every day ....?

I haven't seen anything on the Virgin website about this.

Thanks for any thoughts

Just a suggestion:
Is it not worth having a front of house thread (sticky?) reminding all that:
Their seats aren't booked just requested at booking stage..
Also summarise this announced situation, as mentioned will hopefully remove a lot of repetitive posts?

NH

Ahhh so this is the reason why two days ago for my PE flight next month I was asked to confirm I had read about the new flight times (there was no change in flight time) and once having confirmed the seat map disappeared! It would be nice to receive an email from VS explaining this to all affected passengers.....guess they are too busy sending out blank messages to us all instead! Not a great week for VS IT Department.


This has worked in my favour though- because I booked my flight late, I could not get a set upstairs in the bubble. Now that all the reservations have been lost- fingers crossed at t-24 I will be able to nab a good seat!

well from what I can make out from that email the refit should all be over & done with by the time of my next VS flight from LGW in October 2012 (far too long to wait but needs must )

I'm sure it's going to cause all sorts of mayhem before that however but unfortuantely as the saying goes "you can't please all of the people all of the time" hopefully the finished refits will make it all worthwhile in the long run.

xx

Maybe we are both wrong - no doubt we will find out in due course!

I read it the same way that you did - new config and old config to operate side by side from April 2012 - allowing approx 2 month lead time, means first a/c will go in for refit in Jan/Feb 2012.

Two ways to look at the fact that it only affects PE seat reservations:

1) either they only fiddled with the PE cabin seat map and then realised what they had done and stopped (so it didn't affect UC/Economy).
-or-
2) they are only going to be changing the PE cabin config in the refit - the seat layout will stay the same in UC and economy.

Would substitution of the old PE seats with the new design seats allow them to fit more into the same spaces?

.... (so it didn't affect UC/Economy).
-or-
2) they are only going to be changing the PE cabin config in the refit - the seat layout will stay the same in UC and economy.

I note that R21-23 in Econ are not displayed in the EF seat maps - also R29-32 DEFG blanked out from Jan '12. The latter are displayed but appear block booked from Oct '11.

So perhaps VS are giving themselves flexibility for the start of the re-furb.

Looks like 2012 will be spectacular for VS then, what with a large scale 744 refurb coinciding with 8 A330s arriving. If the A343s go then the whole fleet will have AVOD in short order.

... and the LGW fleet will have better entertainment than the LHR fleet.

I must admit am finding it a bit difficult to accept that there isn't a "lets get the back-up tapes out and re-build" solution to this. Surely, if it was just a case of messing things up, they would be able to revert to a working copy - even Microsoft have managed to master that one for most times! I cannot believe it is just a case that the nerds were allowed to mess about with a live business-critical system and make an un-retrievable mess of it. Perhaps we should keep an eye out for a raft of adverts for some new nerds at VA? Or maybe better just to wait for the truth??

Hi,
All the talk seems to be about the PE seat maps being unavailable for the LGW flights, but I am flying from MAN and the seat maps are unavailable for this as well.

does this mean that they are also going to be refurnishing the MAN 747 flights?

Hi,
All the talk seems to be about the PE seat maps being unavailable for the LGW flights, but I am flying from MAN and the seat maps are unavailable for this as well.

does this mean that they are also going to be refurnishing the MAN 747 flights?

Yes, its the same fleet of 747's thats used at Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow. y)

David

... and the LGW fleet will have better entertainment than the LHR fleet.

As a whole yes, but don't forget some A333s are replacing LHR A343s ...

And of course until every LGW a/c is reconfigured no seats will be pre-allocated as they wont know which a/c will be flying which route each day.

Hi

I am being told that the refits are happening this year, I was advised this by two different people (virgin Head Office and Virgin sales agent in store).

I suppose we will only know if this is true when the seat maps have been uploaded mid/end June.

I believe the first refurbs are spring 2012 with completion by end of summer 2012

I suppose we will only know if this is true when the seat maps have been uploaded mid/end June.

I think you have misunderstood the info in the OP.

What is being (re)released in June are the PE seat maps that VS IT department managed to corrupt/delete whilst 'playing with the live system for flights between now and 31st March 2012 'and NOT the ones of the reconfigured aircraft.

For flights after 1st April 2012 to 1st Sept 2012 pax in PE will only be able to request their seats at OLCI.

Hello

I fly MAN-LAS VS85 on Thurs 9th June in PE and the seat map had disappeared for me too but I just logged onto the VA website and looked in "manage your flights" and the seat map had reappeared just for the outbound leg.

I hope this helps.

Hello

I fly MAN-LAS VS85 on Thurs 9th June in PE and the seat mdisappearedppeared for me too but I just logged onto the VA website and looked in "manage my booking" and the seat map had reappeared just for the outbound leg.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for posting, mine arent back for Jan, I expect yours is back because the flight is so close.

I keep checking daily, fingers crossed it is mid-June.

If they did not have a seat map backup, and were also testing this on a live system then their IT department should collectively fall on their swords. It is beyond retarded to not have a backup, and furthermore to play games with a live system, if indeed that is what happened. Virgin should be absolutely ashamed of themselves that the only notification was "confirm schedule change" (there wasn't one) and that they did not use the information on file if you were bored enough to login to "Manage your now messed up booking". I shall make the assumption that their IT department is offshore.

After having made the booking way in advance and chosing Virgin above BA (and other airlines) for my trip, it is beyond belief that they treat something like this so flippantly.

What next? An email (we should be so lucky) saying that all our credit card, API data, etc has been spirited away?

I am underwhelmed by Virgin who, until now, just did what it said on the tin and did it above other airlines. However this is beyond belief.

Hi All,

It appears Virgin have released the PE seat maps now, My seat maps for my November flight to Las is now allowing me to re choose my seat.

Just managed to bag myself an even better seat in upper deck.

Regards

Dave

I've also managed to re select my seats for my July flights

I guess there is going to be alot of passengers unhappy at check in, to find the seats they had originally booked now not available.

[Neil]

Yes, it seems the seat maps are now back, just re-selected our seats for October.

Hi All,

The PE seat Maps are now available, I have just re-selected a new seat on my flight to LAS in November, have got an even better seat now in upper deck

Looks like there is going to be alot of very unhappy :0 passengers at check in that were not aware of the problem to find that their seat they originally booked is no longer.

Regards

Dave

I'm flying out to MCO on Sun - PE seat map not back up for me yet even though I have friends travelling in economy which shows the PE config. Grrr !