Seat allocation changed

I'm feeling a bit peeved at the moment. Some time ago I phoned through for seat allocation for the VS76 in September and was able to choose 6, 7 & 8 H & K for 4 adults and two children. I have just visited the web site and found that my allocation has been changed to 6 A, C, H & K and 7 H & K. Probably no big deal but why would they have done that and what are the chances that they will change again or even split the party up? I wouldn't mind so much but I wasn't able to get my first choice of seats in the bubble despite phoning through on the dot of opening time on the day allocations opened for our flight. I was told that there were only two seats left.

Fed up.

Colin [:(]

[Bazz]

Hi Colin,

They may have had to switch aircraft which could have altered the seating config meaning some pax would need to be moved.

The apparent ability to organise seat assignments on the VS website is a mystery to me because I rarely get the seat I selected.

On one occasion on VS023 which is always an A340 I selected seat 45G because I prefer to sit on the end of the block of 4 seats since you often have a good chance of having the seat next you free. I checked-in and was assigned 46H. I was irritated but decided that perhaps the flight was full and that the row was being given to a family of 4. After boarding had completed it was clear that the flight was in fact very light with plenty of spare seats everywhere. Someone flying on his own had the seat I had originally selected. The seat in front of him was free and I moved there shortly after take-off.

I think in the last half-dozen times I have flown, I have received the seat I selected on the website only once. I understand that for operational reasons seating preferences may not be honoured but often I have not been able to see any obvious reasons for the change and I end up wondering why I bothered.

I am flying UC with my wife to SFO on Monday. It'll be our first time on the suites and I carefully selected the seats we prefer way back in March. I really, really hope that VS honour these seat preferences on that flight.

Thanks for listening to my whining.
Mike

[Bazz]

Mike, did you consider writing to VAA and asking for an explanation? After all it does seem to make a bit of a mockery of the online seat allocation process if you rarely get your chosen seat.

Good luck for your UCS flight, we are out to LAX UCS in four weeks and I will be pretty upset if I don't get the suites I have pre-assigned.

Can't comment on why it happened, but as far as the splitting the party up goes, CAA regs require families to be kept together and the VS website says that they treat all groups checking-in together as a family in order to comply with this. More info at http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/faq.view.do under DIY check-in (towards the end, just before pre-assigned seating).

quote:Originally posted by Bazz
Hi Colin,

They may have had to switch aircraft which could have altered the seating config meaning some pax would need to be moved.

Yeah! I wish! That would be great as it would mean a 744 instead of the old 742 that is normally flown on MAN/MCO. Holy flying machines! I might even get a suite. And tonight I'm going to win that 16 million jackpot on EuroMillions too...

Colin [8D]

Hmm, I had a similar problem:

http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2086

Pre booking a seat is only a REQUEST and never a guarantee.

It could change due to operational reasons or aircraft change.

Not sure why on an empty flight it would change maybe for weight and balance of the aircraft or an error from the website to the reservations system.

[Bazz]

Declan,

Let's not talk about "weight and balance" 'else mcuth, myself and a few others will be getting a complex

Pictures of the crew sitting myself and Michael on opposite sides of the aircraft to stop it flying in circles

Bazz

ROTFLMFAO - can you imagine what it'd be like if we ever have that social in LAS?

Cheers

Michael

Its a good job airlines dont charge fuel surcharges based on weight!;)
Although I guess they'd give AUFC more allowance!

[Bazz]

Jonathan, I read somewhere that charging pax by weight was being considered, not a fuel surcharge exactly

quote:Originally posted by Bazz
Jonathan, I read somewhere that charging pax by weight was being considered, not a fuel surcharge exactly

I can see new diets comming out - the airline diet maybe!
I think I should get cheaper tickets anyway as I rarely check anything in so i've saved the airlines a lot of weight over time - hmm this is getting a bit off topic!