Email regarding LGW PE cabin refurb and seat map problems

Whilst redesigning a new seat layout for the refurbishment of the LGW 747s, a system failure has resulted in passengers being unseated in the Premium Economy cabin if they were travelling from June 2011. Work is underway to rebuild the seat maps and it is hoped that this will be completed by the middle of June.

What does it mean for passenger travelling in Premium Economy (on the LGW based 747) between Jun 2011 and Apr 2012?

It means passengers will be unable to select or re-select their seats until the seat maps have been rebuilt. Once the seats maps have been rebuilt passengers will be able to select their seats via 'Manage Your Flights' or at Online Check In.

Anyone travelling before this piece of work has been completed will have to reassign their seats at Online Check In or at the airport.

What does it mean for passenger travelling in Premium Economy (on the LGW based 747) between 01 Apr 2012 - 01 Sep 2012?

Unfortunately, we will be unable to provide advanced seat assignment on these flights between 01 Apr 12 and 01 Sep 12 because we are refurbishing the aircraft to include amongst other things a new layout in Premium Economy. During this period passengers will be able to select seats at Online Check In or at the airport.

If you have any questions relating to this StopPress, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind Regards

Sales Support
Virgin Flightstore

[Neil]

Thanks for this.

I have changed the thread title to highlight what it is regarding as it is quite important both for the current seating issues and about the refurb.

Thanks,
Neil

So refurbs underway big time.

?| Have booked a holiday with Virgin holidays for May 2012 PE and was told i would be poss flying on the A340 fleet or the new A330 feet as the 747's having re-furb...Am now worried as i am a nervous flyer and was hoping to assign my seats 336 days
before...i am aware the seats are not guaranteed. How am i going to choose my seat if there is no seat maps available!!! :$

[Neil]

Seat maps will be available if you are on the new A330 - but if you are on a 747 flight then it looks like until they confirm a new seat map you won't be able to select any seats (of course that will be the same for all pax so it's not like your losing out)

so if we are travelling on the 747 fleet when would be the earliest time to pre-book (poss) seats,would it be at check in or could i do it online a day before??

Thanks for all your help in advance..

Great news that we can (finally) see that the LGW/MAN fleet refit project is gaining traction.

Expecting to see a lot of 'what about my seat?' type questions on this site and others in the coming months.

So VS staff were playing with their 'live' system rather than a 'test' system? Their IT people really do need a good telling off for causing so much grief for their CS colleagues having to deal with unnecessarily worried pax

[Neil]

so if we are travelling on the 747 fleet when would be the earliest time to pre-book (poss) seats,would it be at check in or could i do it online a day before??

Thanks for all your help in advance..

Unfortunately nobody knows - as the email above states - until they have confirmed the new config it will be unavailable.

Great news that we can (finally) see that the LGW/MAN fleet refit project is gaining traction.

Expecting to see a lot of 'what about my seat?' type questions on this site and others in the coming months.

Yes - it is good to see the LGW refits starting to happen - although I am slightly worried we might lose PE in the bubble and them go for a config based on the current LHR 747's - hope I am wrong.

Yes, I think we might have a few seat threads coming up

Great news that we can (finally) see that the LGW/MAN fleet refit project is gaining traction

However, I wonder if that means the re-fit will result in the LHR config of 747 with all PE seats being downstairs. That'll upset quite a few (myself included as I prefer the quiet space in the 'bubble') But on the other hand the refit is well overdue y)

One thing is for sure, they won't please everyone.

thanks for this barnstaple. Really helpful.

This is a bit of a result for us potentially as we had been assigned abysmal seats for our return leg, MCO/LGW. I booked through a travel agent so will I need to speak to them or should I be able to do OLCI as normal?

Cheers

Very interesting, thanks for posting.

Agree with Tonty - what sort of company tests or makes changes in a live system, surely testing was completed first?

Either way, for it to take almost a month to fix, it must be a substantial error!

Had booked 2 seats on both outbound and inbound in the bubble but glad the LGW fleet is getting a PE refit.

I would rather have the refit than losing my 2 bubble seats.

Does this mean the refit is happening right now?

[Neil]

Does this mean the refit is happening right now?

No - they are working on a new config now - but it looks to me like the refits will be from April time next year.

One thing is for sure, they won't please everyone.

every
or any......????

[Neil]

One thing is for sure, they won't please everyone.

every
or any......????

I think it is a little early to be moaning about a config change when we don't know anything about it

Now, now, I should say that my comment was purely pre-empting the moans that will no doubt appear I haven't flow on the LGW fleet since 2007, but am glad to see the work being planned.

April seems like an odd month to begin the project though. I'd have thought that the quieter Nov-March months (except Xmas) would've been the best time.

Nervous my bubble seats might be in jeopardy...

LHR 747s might make UC upgrades more feasible?

It means passengers will be unable to select or re-select their seats until the seat maps have been rebuilt. Once the seats maps have been rebuilt passengers will be able to select their seats via 'Manage Your Flights' or at Online Check In.

So does that mean when a particular seat map for a flight becomes available again, it's going to be a free-for-all with all previous assignments null and void?

[Neil]

April seems like an odd month to begin the project though. I'd have thought that the quieter Nov-March months (except Xmas) would've been the best time.

Actually that makes sense - I was reading it wrong.

If the flights from April/May 2012 won't be able to select seats at all - that would mean they expect the new config to start operating from then - meaning the refits would take place from late this year.

Ah right... I read it that the re-fits will begin in April, not be in service for customers from April.

[Neil]

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

whats interesting is the 330s have no UC due -it waxs rumoured to PE being more popular on the LGW/MAN routes yet now there is 'talk' of the LHR config being adopted.

You would hope ,as the current LGW/MAN format seems to work they will stick with it, especially as the bubble is one of the keys reasons for me to fly VS.

I'll be amazed if they adopt the LHR config at LGW. The routes there are more leisure-focused and will need a higher proportion of Economy seats.

My completely uninformed brain gives me a hunch that there will be an increased UC cabin, perhaps including the 'B Zone' and PE to remain upstairs, with a couple of rows at the front of the 'C Zone'.