Pre-allocated seats and on-line check-in

[honey lamb]

I was browsing through the VS website and came across this little nugget:
quote: Seating is a service we offer free of charge. Seats can be pre-allocated after you have booked your flight, by logging into 'My Booking' online, or via your travel agent. We offer this service up to 24 hours before your flight departs.

Please use our 'Online Check In' facility, within 24 hours before your flight departs, to reserve your chosen seat. Where you have pre-assigned a seat online, check in needs to be completed no later than 13 hours before departure time to enable us to honour this request.
I hadn't been aware that to ensure your pre-allocated seat (even though they are only requests) you needed to do OLCI at least 13 hours before departure. Usually I do it straight after OLCI opens but if there is a delay for whatever reason......

[preiffer]

So what happens at T-13 hours? All 'requests' get thrown out?

[honey lamb]

Seems to be. philadam in this thread mentions that he was late doing OLCI and lost his assignment

Assume those with multi-leg flights on same booking ref, who are unable to view their 'booking' online, will have same 'computer says no' when trying to OLCI before first flight, and in turn run the high risk of losing their requested seats?

[Neil]

That is interesting to know, I wonder why 13 hours? What difference does it make if you do OLCI 24 or 4 hours before the flight to the system I wonder?

Im sure this has got something to do with the flight editing done by the ground handling agent, obviously there will be some people who haven't used pre-allocation for their seating and if you're in a situation where you need to seat a family of 4 and theres only individual seats scattered around the A/C, it provides an option to move people that haven't done OLCI.

I know it sounds rubbish, but it does save a lot of time both at check in and on board. [n]

honeylamb are you a proof reader or something? Thank goodness for people like you who do browse the small print! I normally do OLCI as soon as it's open just because I can, but in future I shall make sure I do it as soon as it's open! Thanks for the info.

[Nottingham Nick]

I didn't do OLCI last night more than 13 hours out. It was a VERY full flight (overbooked in UC) and we kept the PE seats we had been allocated.

One example is not exactly scientific, but I don't think they will delete seat requests just for the sake of it just because you don't do OLCI.

Nick

I think that one of the reasons for this is to balance the plane to get the centre of gravitiy in the right place for maximum fuel efficiency.
If it is a full flight then they don't need to move people around but on the empty flights, if they have everyone up the front then this adds to an already front heavy plane (espacially the A346) the plane is not as aerodynamic as it should be.

I passed that bit of info round the office here and had quite a few replies from staff who had customers complain about being moved from their pre-allocated seats.
Honey Lamb you are as sweet as honey and gentle as a lamb, thank you very much!

Ed

[mitchja]

I did OLCI for the VS45 earlier this year at T-23hrs 59mins and selected one seat, only to get to the airport and be given a completely different seat. So it works both ways.

That's actually the first time ever, I've not had the seat I'd selected at the time of booking.

Regards

quote:Originally posted by honey lamb
I Usually I do it straight after OLCI opens but if there is a delay for whatever reason......



Me too [y][:)] and, he says grabbing a chunk of wood, it has always worked in the past.

I've never done OLCI but have always got my pre-assigned seat, however in view of this information I think I will in future.

We're travelling to washington and onwards to tampa tomorrow (virgin/united) in PE - have gone to do OLCI, and got computer says no.

Will be very unimpressed if we lose our seats...

quote:Originally posted by clarkeysntfc
We're travelling to washington and onwards to tampa tomorrow (virgin/united) in PE - have gone to do OLCI, and got computer says no.

Will be very unimpressed if we lose our seats...


That happens to me when I have a conecting flight. Assume your seats are lost and if they are still there when you check in it will be a bonus [y] Afterall they are only a request . . . .

HG