LHR-LAX fleet changes

On a related note, I'm booked to fly to LA in April and the seat map opened several weeks ago. However I have checked just now and the seat map is showing block grey (PE section). So either all the seats have been assigned or could this mean aircraft change? *Praying for switch from a340-300* There still seems to be availability in PE on the flight so surely it can't be that all the seats are assigned.

Are you travelling in PE? Because the seat map only shows availability in your cabin.

Yes I'm travelling PE and my seats I are highlighted but all other seats are now showing grey yet theres still availability in PE in that flight. It also no longer says 'view or change seats' it says 'view seat map'.

Then that probably means the 60% of seats that are available to request before check in have been allocated.

The remaining 40% will open up when OLCI opens at T-24. On some flights, a block of PE seats are also held back for Virgin Holidays, these will also be freed up before OLCI opens if VH don't need them.

Really I'm just clutching at straws to avoid the old IFE!

It is a 1 in 3 chance of G-VSUN... and from SEPT it becomes 50/50.

As for not having the 343 on the LAX route - it has frequently been a visitor at LAX in the quieter months in past years.

I've decided to switch to the earlier LAX flight, as a G ticket opened up. A cost of £100 each to change the ticket details, seemed a pain to pay more but happy to guarantee the experience I want out of UC.

It seems that only 4 people are booked to fly UC on the entire 747 so far, so should be about 3 cabin crew each? haha

I've decided to switch to the earlier LAX flight, as a G ticket opened up. A cost of £100 each to change the ticket details, seemed a pain to pay more but happy to guarantee the experience I want out of UC.

It seems that only 4 people are booked to fly UC on the entire 747 so far, so should be about 3 cabin crew each? haha

I really wish G availability would show on my early flight instead of the VS23 . ii) ii) ii) ii)

It seems that only 4 people are booked to fly UC on the entire 747 so far, so should be about 3 cabin crew each? haha

Something maybe to be wished for, but more likely that not everyone is obsessed as V-F'ers about pre-allocating seats.....

It seems that only 4 people are booked to fly UC on the entire 747 so far

Booked, or requested seats? There's a big difference!

If you're basing that assumption on the fact that only 4 seats are shown as taken on the seat map, all that means is only 4 people have requested seats so far, not booked tickets. Relatively few passengers request seats early on - from experience most tend to leave it till a week or two before the flight, or even till check in.

I suspect you'll see it gradually fill up over the next few weeks, and on the day it'll be pretty busy.

It seems that only 4 people are booked to fly UC on the entire 747 so far, so should be about 3 cabin crew each? haha

Something maybe to be wished for, but more likely that not everyone is obsessed as V-F'ers about pre-allocating seats.....

Surely even people who don't go in to pick their seat will be allocated one automatically, so they would be showing somewhere on the seat map if they've booked onto the plane?

I'm sure it will up before we go.

No, people who don't request a seat up front will be allocated one from what's left at check in.

Only 60% of seats are available to request in advance though, so once they hit that the seat map locks out and you have to wait till check in when the remaining 40% open up.

One final question; my flight has now been very slightly altered so I'm on the 23 out to LA on Friday 6th june and back on the VS24 on the 11th June - can anyone tell me what type of plane is likely to be (subject to change as always) flying the VS24 on the 11/6/14 given the recent changes discussed at the top of this thread?

Many thanks. y)

It's showing on seatguru as an A346.

It's showing on seatguru as an A346.

Is that after the recent changes they've announced, or is that the "originally" planned plane?

Thanks.

I've been told the planned use of an A343 to LAX has been cancelled as of June (but will still happen in April & May).

That ties in with what seatguru and seatexpert are saying - they're both showing the VS24 as being operated by an A346 every day from June 1 onwards.

Common sense, it would seem, has prevailed although another route will, presumably, get the pleasure instead.

I've just noticed that my September inbound VS008 has morphed in to an A340-600 from the 747 as it has shown from booking. Or rather that's what it says on the "flight details" screen on my booking, in the bookings engine it's still down as a 744. Oh and now the flight details are blank, someone somewhere is tinkering with the fleet planning.......

And now back to a 747, I feel like Bobby Ewing...

Is there a pattern to the planes used?

Starting looking at flight histories to see which plane might be used on May 12th, but couldn't see a pattern.

The dropping of SYD has free'd up another 346 and is expediting the retirement of another 343 so perhaps that has also played in the decision making.