OLCI - Lost our reserved seats in UC

I reserved seats 7A/K and 8A for the 3 of us in UC. I had my wife and daughter in 7A/K and I'm in 8A. Wanting to secure our reserved seats near the nose, tonight, I used OLCI for our flight out tomorrow. I went through the OLCI process then hit "send". After waiting for about 15 seconds, I received the confirmation that the OLCI was successful. To my surprise, we have been re-assigned to 17D/G and 18D. I called VS and the agent said, because we're travelling with a child, therefore, they had to move us to seats that are closer together. Arrgghh!. Also, she can't change us back to our original seats because it's under airport control.

Did I make a mistake by using OLCI?

once you check in online you can click on change seats to change your seats before logging out.

once you close the window you cannot reopen it to change seats then the only option is to get to the airport early.

When I travelled with my kids, we ended up sat in 6, 7, and 8A for this reason. I can't work out why your arrangement got bounced, unless for some reason the system doesn't think that kids sitting opposite a parent is close enough.

Of course the really stupid thing is that IIRC, the seat reservation will not let you reserve a pair of seats in a different row. I'm not sure what it does with threes...

There is a policy somewhere on the VS website that says there is a regulation that they have to follow requiring familys sit together (providing seats are available).

I don't remember exactly where it is on the website, but I have read it. My guess is that the agent at the airport can allow you to voluntarily seperate your family, but the OLCI doesn't know if that's what you really want, so it automatically puts you together if seats are available.

I would ask at the airport. Once you checkin online, the agent at the airport can still change it, but you need to be there. They can retake control, but need your original boarding pass back to do so. At least that's the policy we use at DL. We often get people coming up asking if they can change their seats, get a bulkhead, etc.

With respect to selecting seats online:

CAA regulations mandate that carriers make every effort possible to seat families together. If you are travelling with a child, and there are not enough available seats that are grouped together, the seat map button will not be displayed.

Likewise, my guess is that the computer will automatically take away your seats and assign you seats within this regulation if they are available. That is, if your selections fail to pass this check.

Thanks all for your response.

I'll try to get to the airport early today. Hopefully, our original seats are still there. If I knew the "rule", I wouldn't have done OLCI for UC check-in.

Originally posted by webdes03
There is a policy somewhere on the VS website that says there is a regulation that they have to follow requiring familys sit together (providing seats are available).

I don't remember exactly where it is on the website, but I have read it. My guess is that the agent at the airport can allow you to voluntarily seperate your family, but the OLCI doesn't know if that's what you really want, so it automatically puts you together if seats are available.

I would ask at the airport. Once you checkin online, the agent at the airport can still change it, but you need to be there. They can retake control, but need your original boarding pass back to do so. At least that's the policy we use at DL. We often get people coming up asking if they can change their seats, get a bulkhead, etc.

So what you're saying, if I understand correctly, is that it doesn't matter if pax reserve seats at OLCI, these can be changed at the whim of check-in staff. Where does that leave me for instance if the seats I have booked become the ones you want[?]

Originally posted by Treelo
So what you're saying, if I understand correctly, is that it doesn't matter if pax reserve seats at OLCI, these can be changed at the whim of check-in staff. Where does that leave me for instance if the seats I have booked become the ones you want[?]

The checkin staff won't change them just because they feel like it. They are required, by CAA Regulations to seat families together if seats together are available. If he had checked in at the airport, not online, they probably would have said, "sir you're not seated together". At that point he could have said, "yes thats fine", and they probably wouldn't have cared. OLCI doesn't know that you know you're not together, and therefore forces a change in your seats to comply with CAA Regulations. That is my assumption in what happened anyway.

In answer to your question though, they won't take away your seats just because they feel like it, they would have a reason. Also remember that those seats you select are NOT guranteed, and can be changed by VS for operational reasons or to comply with various regulations.

What happened with imm2b wasn't that his seats were changed by the staff at the airport, but rather when he did OLCI, the computer moved him and his family to different seats.

Would I be right in thinking that if you had made 2 seperate bookings - 1 for wife & child, seperate 1 for yourself - that this wouldnt have been an issue? OLCI would seat them as 2 seperate bookings? Of course you run availability issues & possible different prices (unless making bookings at same time on 2 seperate PCs).
I like the idea that across an aisle is "together" but the row behind isnt. Whats the difference... a few inches??

Originally posted by williestott
Would I be right in thinking that if you had made 2 seperate bookings - 1 for wife & child, seperate 1 for yourself - that this wouldnt have been an issue? OLCI would seat them as 2 seperate bookings? Of course you run availability issues & possible different prices (unless making bookings at same time on 2 seperate PCs).
I like the idea that across an aisle is "together" but the row behind isnt. Whats the difference... a few inches??

You'd probably then run into issues with having an unaccompanied minor if you tried to book them seperately. I'm not sure what VS' policy is on unaccompanied minors. Does anyone know?

I'm not entirely sure what all the rules are. I'm single so I've never had this problem. If you are worried about a real problem, you might just want to give support a call before using OLCI.

[preiffer]

Originally posted by webdes03
You'd probably then run into issues with having an unaccompanied minor if you tried to book them seperately. I'm not sure what VS' policy is on unaccompanied minors. Does anyone know?

Details of the policy are here - although not in huge detail. Further info. is here though.

^^ Passengers often have seperate bookings for family members.

Unless there is an SSR code in a booking stating the pax in an an unmin, you can check in online so long as an adult is checked in at the same time regardless of what booking they are in.

'Proper' Unmins can't check in on line if their booking specifically states they are travelling alone, but this doesn't happen all the time.