Pre Booking Seats & Online Check In

Evening,

Im not due to fly until next September, after some research i've found that i can pre book my seats 336 days before we fly which will be the 5th Oct 2011. ( can i book these at 00:01am on the 5th ? )

I have booked my flights via Travel City Direct flying Virgin PE. What details do i need to provide when i go online to book these seats.

If/when i book the seats beforehand what is the benefit of online check-in ? I will still need to check my bags on the day of travel due to Manchester not having twilight check-in, is this correct ?

Thanks,

Ben.

[honey lamb]

Hi Ben, yes you should be able to pre-request your seats from that date. What you need for the Manage my Booking page is your PNR from Virgin Atlantic which is a six digit alpha-numeric code on your e-ticket. If you haven't got it try to get it from Travel City Direct.

Even if you have pre-requested seats you do need to do OLCI at least 13 hours before travel to secure them otherwise they go back into the pool of seats for allocation. Be aware also that seat requests are just that, requests and can be changed at any time, for example if there is an aircraft change. When you go to the airport you then take your bags to the bag-drop desk

Hi Ben, yes you should be able to pre-request your seats from that date. What you need for the Manage my Booking page is your PNR from Virgin Atlantic which is a six digit alpha-numeric code on your e-ticket. If you haven't got it try to get it from Travel City Direct.

Even if you have pre-requested seats you do need to do OLCI at least 13 hours before travel to secure them otherwise they go back into the pool of seats for allocation. Be aware also that seat requests are just that, requests and can be changed at any time, for example if there is an aircraft change. When you go to the airport you then take your bags to the bag-drop desk

Thanks honey lamb, sorry to sound dumb, what does PNR stand for ? You said 13 hours before but i can go on 24 hrs before right ?

Thanks again, very helpfull.

Hi Ben,

PNR is Passenger Name Reference.

If you hover your curser over the PNR it will give you a description.

Luke

OLCI opens 24 hrs before the flight time but if you have not done it by 13 hrs then your previously allocated seats go back into the pool - but this is only if you fly from LHR.

The advantage of doing OLCI is that you beat the crowd at the airport and basically get a choice of a wider range of seats. Pax who check in at the airport essentially get what is left if they havn't already pre requested.

Thanks again, one last question then i'll leave you all alone. I've been reading up on this API which we have to provide, does Virgin or Travel City Direct ask for this or will i have to provided it.

This forum is a godsend.

Ask as many questions as you want!

You will be able to enter it once your flight has been transferred into VS 'manage my booking' system.

I assume you have your ESTA too (or planing on applying for one before you go?)

Ask as many questions as you want!

You will be able to enter it once your flight has been transferred into VS 'manage my booking' system.

I assume you have your ESTA too (or planing on applying for one before you go?)

Yeah, i'll be applying for our ESTA's once i check my passport expiry date. $14 is it not ? Wish i updated it before the cut off but forgot.

Yeah, i'll be applying for our ESTA's once i check my passport expiry date. $14 is it not ? Wish i updated it before the cut off but forgot.

yes $14

i'd wait till much closer to your trip date then it will have a longer life after your trip in case you want to go again!

It lasts for 2 years or until the expiry days of your passport if that is less than 2 years.

Yeah, i'll be applying for our ESTA's once i check my passport expiry date. $14 is it not ? Wish i updated it before the cut off but forgot.

yes $14

i'd wait till much closer to your trip date then it will have a longer life after your trip in case you want to go again!

It lasts for 2 years or until the expiry days of your passport if that is less than 2 years.

My son is going out to work at Disney for the summer. He has a J1 visa but will he require an ESTA as well or is he okay without?

[Neil]

No he won't need ESTA. ESTA replaced the visa waiver forms for so people could visit without the need to get a proper visa, as he has a visa, he is covered by that.

No he won't need ESTA. ESTA replaced the visa waiver forms for so people could visit without the need to get a proper visa, as he has a visa, he is covered by that.

Fab - thanks Neil.

Presume the prebooked seats only get thrown back into the pool at T-13hours only if you're in economy, and not PE or UC though?

Presume the prebooked seats only get thrown back into the pool at T-13hours only if you're in economy, and not PE or UC though?

THe T-13 only applies at LHR

Yep, so VS19 from LHR to SFO: if you're in UC are your seats secure right up to the last minute or do you need to OLCI to guarantee the ones you've picked?

[honey lamb]

Yep, so VS19 from LHR to SFO: if you're in UC are your seats secure right up to the last minute or do you need to OLCI to guarantee the ones you've picked?

The reality is no-one's seat is secure as any pre-allocations are merely requests but, yes, you do get the seats you request for the most part. Personally I always do OLCI as it makes me feel that the trip has already started

Yep, so VS19 from LHR to SFO: if you're in UC are your seats secure right up to the last minute or do you need to OLCI to guarantee the ones you've picked?

No, all the cabins are the same (so need to do OLCI) and as Honeylamb has said they are never guaranteed, even when OLCI is used.
DL

Too slow - beaten to it by HL

Awesome, thanks all.

I've always normally done OLCI (although only via the web, not iphone app) but just wondered whether it was necessary. Don't want anyone else to bag those nice seats in the nose