A333 SEAT PLAN NOW OPEN

[Darren Wheeler]

VS operate the "330 day rule" for releasing seats. 330 days (or so) is the earliest seats will be released for general booking. VH can request seats earlier but will still not get them allocated any earlier.

It's also worth noting that seats are never guaranteed either - so even if you manage to pre-assign seats there is no guarantee you will actually get them.

Flying club cannot help, they have the same system and said other travel companies may say seats are booked, but it is by request only.There is not a seat allocation map for virgin A330 to use to do this at the moment, told to keep trying my booking every week.This nice lady also checked with other staff members who confirmed the same message.they are very frustrated too. The seat map is for reference only for A330. !

and said other travel companies may say seats are booked, but it is by request only.There is not a seat allocation map for virgin A330 to use to do this at the moment,

Does this mean that as soon as the seat map becomes available for us to pre book seats, that these pre-requested seats by other companies will already be greyed out on the map and limiting our options? =( that sucks


*Edit*

Just rung virgin and the guy said to try again in Jan or Feb for the seat map! oh my days, its just getting further and further away =P I dont fly till August however.

Lucydog. Ag FC assured me that they have taken all the action they can to pre-select seats for my flights in May 11. However, as is always the case, this is merely a request and not cast in concrete. It can still be changed even up to check-in. But, if there isn't a seat selection map available, what's that lurking on the VS site?

As a footnote, isn't it about time that VS came out with an announcement so that pax would no longer have to speculate on when seat pre-selection will be available?

[Darren Wheeler]

As a footnote, isn't it about time that VS came out with an announcement so that pax would no longer have to speculate on when seat pre-selection will be available?

But what happens if the delivery date slips?

Everyone will be complaining that they were allocated for the new Airbus, but then found it had changed as a 744 was on the route.

We have an A330 flight booked for April. I had the seat plan open on expert flyer when I called FC after reading this thread. It was no problem being allocated seats in and outbound and when I refreshed my EF page hey presto my seats were now shown as allocated, so it appears to work for some flights.

We have an A330 flight booked for April. I had the seat plan open on expert flyer when I called FC after reading this thread. It was no problem being allocated seats in and outbound and when I refreshed my EF page hey presto my seats were now shown as allocated, so it appears to work for some flights.

Dont suppose you got the name/extension of the op you spoke to did you Alec? We could perhaps all trying ringing him/her and get out seats allocated too ?|
This really is a poor show on the part of VS but seems to be par for the course with them at the moment Even a general anouncement on the log-in page would be helpful.
Think I will just log-in each morning and hope I happen to hit it right one day and have the ability to upgrade/select my seats.

[Nottingham Nick]

SNOMO - sorry if this sounds a little harsh, but I think you are obsessing about this needlessly.

As others have said, Virgin don't pre-allocate any seats.

They allow customers to request them, but as I know only too well - all pre-requested seats can be changed by VS without reason or warning, in the months, weeks, days or even hours before your flight.

They will always try and seat families / parties together if they can.

Just because you can't request seats at the moment, doesn't mean you will finish up with bad ones. Just because you are shown in good seats in the period running up to the flight, doesn't mean that they are the ones you will finish up in.

Nick

...and like I previously said in this thread, I have been able to pre-assign seats for some passengers and not others. Maybe down to which aircraft of the new A333 will be operating each flight, or maybe on a date-by-date basis.

Exactly!

I had chosen the "best" available seats on my last VS flight, and when online check-in opened, there were better ones available.

The flight is one part of your holiday, don't let it take over!

Why is there this obession with trying to request seats for a flight that is months and months away and people checking every day to see if they can?

Similarily I dont get the obsession with being on a certain type of plane and type X is inferior to type Y.

VS (any airline I suppose) dosen't guarentees a certain seat or a certain plane for any route and as Nick says it can change at anytime (and multiple times).

Is anyone seriously not going to travel because at the last minute VS changed a plane type and all the seat requests went to pot?

I amy flying to Boston next week on SWISS. I can only choose (change as I have been alocated one via expedia) my seat at OLCI that opens 23 hrs before the flight. Am I getting ansty over that? nope because the important thing is I will have A seat on A plane !

:O)

I amy flying to Boston next week on SWISS. I can only choose (change as I have been alocated one via expedia) my seat at OLCI that opens 23 hrs before the flight. :O)

Possibly because you are flying SWISS, not VS, who traditionally open pre-selection options at 300 + days ii)

Oh for the old days of getting to the airport when check-in opened to get first pick of the seats - such happy and simple times! )

I amy flying to Boston next week on SWISS. I can only choose (change as I have been alocated one via expedia) my seat at OLCI that opens 23 hrs before the flight. :O)

Possibly because you are flying SWISS, not VS, who traditionally open pre-selection options at 300 + days ii)

Well yes but shows that we have spoilt by VS!

Oh for the old days of getting to the airport when check-in opened to get first pick of the seats - such happy and simple times! )

Ah yes where-

wearing a suit would get you an upgrade
ditto going on honeymoon
where 'beef or chicken' wouldn't put the fear of god into you
ladies wore hats and kept then on during the flights
hand luggage meant hand luggage

Oh for the old days of getting to the airport when check-in opened to get first pick of the seats - such happy and simple times! )

Ah yes where-

wearing a suit would get you an upgrade
ditto going on honeymoon
where 'beef or chicken' wouldn't put the fear of god into you
ladies wore hats and kept then on during the flights
hand luggage meant hand luggage

Happy, happy times. )

Oh for the old days of getting to the airport when check-in opened to get first pick of the seats - such happy and simple times! )

Ah yes where-

wearing a suit would get you an upgrade
ditto going on honeymoon
where 'beef or chicken' wouldn't put the fear of god into you
ladies wore hats and kept then on during the flights
hand luggage meant hand luggage

Happy, happy times. )

Where you could light up during a flight (provided you were in the smoking section of course!).
When a cheap fare meant a Saturday night away
When Ryanair had a business class cabin
When DanAir was a big player.



Happy days. Oh hang on...

Why is there this obession with trying to request seats for a flight that is months and months away and people checking every day to see if they can?

VS (any airline I suppose) dosen't guarentees a certain seat or a certain plane for any route and as Nick says it can change at anytime (and multiple times).

Well for me its a comfort thing and even though it can be changed last minute it still feels pretty certain on the run up to the holiday that you'll get that seat. I get really air sick and anxious with the small space and id rather be sat next to a window than in the middle of the aircraft while i throw up into a bag because i feel too dizzy to move to the tiny toilet cubicle =P I'm gona try n get some hard hitting drugs from the Drs though!

If i do end up with crap seats in the middle, can you request to be moved to a window seat when your at the airport? i dont know how it all works =P

If i do end up with crap seats in the middle, can you request to be moved to a window seat when your at the airport? i dont know how it all works =P

You can 'try' doing so during OLCI, Sarah. Although, as always, all pax can do is request a specific seat

Id be happy to just sit on the floor the entire flight and just lie down, i think that would help me feel better haha =P

SNOMO - sorry if this sounds a little harsh, but I think you are obsessing about this needlessly.
As others have said, Virgin don't pre-allocate any seats.
They allow customers to request them, but as I know only too well - all pre-requested seats can be changed by VS without reason or warning, in the months, weeks, days or even hours before your flight.
They will always try and seat families / parties together if they can.
Just because you can't request seats at the moment, doesn't mean you will finish up with bad ones. Just because you are shown in good seats in the period running up to the flight, doesn't mean that they are the ones you will finish up in.
Nick

No Nick don't worry it doesnt sound harsh, your absolutely right of course, its just that the flight is such a big part of our holidays and the other two that I have in the pipeline at the moment have both got our seats allocated already (both with airlines othere than VS!)so I just wanted to have the 3rd one all sorted to make up the trio - just love planning well ahead.

:0 I am one of the oldies that has been on a six hour flight to Teneriffe on a prop plane, Really when i plan my flights now,I like to know time, seats, and type of plane i am flying on. After lots of flights, i still get all knotted in the tummy wandering whats to come,Food being the least excited about. Flying is always the start and end of my trip, and yes it is important, to me. I dont like sitting in the middle, i prefure a window seat.If ts a choice between me or a child sitting there, then sorry but i want it. v(

:0 I am one of the oldies that has been on a six hour flight to Teneriffe on a prop plane, Really when i plan my flights now,I like to know time, seats, and type of plane i am flying on. After lots of flights, i still get all knotted in the tummy wandering whats to come,Food being the least excited about. Flying is always the start and end of my trip, and yes it is important, to me. I dont like sitting in the middle, i prefure a window seat.If ts a choice between me or a child sitting there, then sorry but i want it. v(

Know just what you mean Lucydog. I'm also just hoping that with the new 'tapping the screen' IFE system on the 330's, I don't get the child I got on Air Canada (same tapping screen system) in February, who when not kicking my seat back spent most of the rest of her time 'tapping' while the parents slept v(

Know just what you mean Lucydog. I'm also just hoping that with the new 'tapping the screen' IFE system on the 330's, I don't get the child I got on Air Canada (same tapping screen system) in February, who when not kicking my seat back spent most of the rest of her time 'tapping' while the parents slept v(

This is precisely why I am hoping my pre-selection via FC of the last (back) 2 PE seats for our forthcoming trip to the US was a success. This will mean no little angels - or anyone else for that matter - sitting behind us. y)