V-Flyer

Hi All

I have had the pleasure of flying UC 4 times, and each time have managed to get 6A and 6K each time - book trip as early as possible, and choose seats as early as possible.

On each and every trip, when I have boarded the aircraft, someone else is sitting in those seats, and I have to ask cabin Crew to move them - what is going on? This has happened too many times to be a coincidence? It's not as if you can mix two rows up when you are at the very front.

Can anyone shed any light on it? Find it very strange.

I think sitting in the wrong seat is part and parcel of the herringbone experience. You've had a few redheads at the clubhouse, stagger down the jetbridge, the crew (rather than show you to the correct seat) point down the correct aisle and then you're left to randomly select a seat based on the hazy number and angled nature of the seat.

Bang you're in 6A.

Perhaps its a quirk of the numbering system - on the LGW fleet 1-5 used to be upstairs and 6> downstairs - and it confuses people?

You've just been unlucky the more times you travel the more likely something like this will happen

I suspect some people just chance it - "ooh they look nicer seats than ours, let's sit in them and hope no-one's reserved them".

Others, meanwhile, may just be confused, while some may think it's like a train where it's fairly standard practice to ignore your seat reservation and sit wherever you like.

There was a funny thread about this on flyer talk.. one even involved a well known pillocktician.

We have had those seats a few times now and never had a problem.
Mind you I do try to board early because there are no overhead lockers.

Dick D

Several years ago coming back from Vegas when we checked in - towards the end of checkin window - we were asked if we could move from 6A/K, we politely declined as we had booked them 11 months earlier.

When we boarded our seats were occupied, by two Virgin staff...

deep_south wrote:Several years ago coming back from Vegas when we checked in - towards the end of checkin window - we were asked if we could move from 6A/K, we politely declined as we had booked them 11 months earlier.

When we boarded our seats were occupied, by two Virgin staff...

Inquiring minds would like to know, what happened next? Did you boarding passes have 6A/K on them?

Personally I don't like them but each to their own.

Silver Fox wrote:

deep_south wrote:Several years ago coming back from Vegas when we checked in - towards the end of checkin window - we were asked if we could move from 6A/K, we politely declined as we had booked them 11 months earlier.

When we boarded our seats were occupied, by two Virgin staff...

Inquiring minds would like to know, what happened next? Did you boarding passes have 6A/K on them?

Personally I don't like them but each to their own.

The two off duty staff - tall chaps as I recall - did move their stuff back to their designated seats, incuding taking our water bottles, and so the suites weren't as "pristine" as they should have been. The CC only brought new bottles when we asked for them, and seemed to be a little embarassed about the episode. Our passes did have 6A/K; theirs didn't!

I do recall that at checkin, I did ask whether there was a medical request behind us moving, but they just said "OK" and continued. So the VS staff obviously "hoped" to have the best seats (well, I reckon they are!). I do wonder though if someone less savvy might have given them up.

That really is very naughty of them!

When on staff travel staff are expected to take the worst seats (even swapping if a paying passenger's is broken), take last choice of meals and move from the bar if other pax want to use it but it does appear to be more observed in the breach than the observance.

The VS staff I know get very annoyed when their colleagues don't follow the rules.

Still don't get it. First two seats in BA First are good, but angled outwards means you are facing forwards.

6A/6K angled inwards, so virtually flying sideways to direction of travel... Might be best seats for someone who has a very strong stomach, I don't have a problem on trains, either directions, or planes either directions (BA Club), but I'd be very queasy in those...

Smid wrote:Still don't get it. First two seats in BA First are good, but angled outwards means you are facing forwards.

6A/6K angled inwards, so virtually flying sideways to direction of travel... Might be best seats for someone who has a very strong stomach, I don't have a problem on trains, either directions, or planes either directions (BA Club), but I'd be very queasy in those...

I don't think they are angled any different from the rest of the cabin. They are just closer together, which for a couple travelling together is nice.
We always choose them.

Dick D (in 6K)

I don't think they are angled any different from the rest of the cabin. They are just closer together, which for a couple travelling together is nice.
We always choose them.

Dick D (in 6K)[/quote]

And you don't get anyone walking by and banging your feet !

Oh, they are angled differently from the rest of the cabin, even the seats behind them are angled differently from the rest of the cabin, but not quite as much. It's the curvature of the nose of the plane which forces them to be this way.

Regular users of them might be used to it, but they are at a different angle.

tontybear wrote:That really is very naughty of them!

When on staff travel staff are expected to take the worst seats (even swapping if a paying passenger's is broken), take last choice of meals and move from the bar if other pax want to use it but it does appear to be more observed in the breach than the observance.

The VS staff I know get very annoyed when their colleagues don't follow the rules.

On a flight back from Miami a few years ago in PE, my seat (window) couldn't recline. That didn't stop the two VS off duty staff in the seats in front fully reclining as soon as the seat belt sign was off, until breakfast was served. It was only then (by the staff interaction) that I realised they were on staff tickets. The CC were again embarrassed, and offered a good chunk of miles - which VS didn't seem inclined to offer until I pushed it...

The IFE was almost impossible to use, and getting in and out of the seat wasn't easy!

So on that occasion the staff certainly took precedence. That's the only time I have had an issue in this way.