Check in online/Panicing about seating

Hi all, have joined to ask a question re a flight to New York tomorrow morning.

I've tried to book us in about 10 times today for the flight and every time it says I can't check in online, I have to go to the airport 2 hours before. I phoned Virgin and the 1st guy said there was a problem with the online booking system and to try later. I got cut off so phoned back and the next guy said that our booking was one of the random ones that couldn't check in online (he said Virgin have to have a quota of people who can't check in online )

Now I've tried one more time and our seat allocations that were on the original booking are now gone. What I want to know is for people with experience, are we likely to still get seats together if we turn up for check in 3 hours before? Im a very nervous passenger and have to sit with my boyfriend!!

Welcome - now breathe deeply and check the following:

- Did the payment for your flight go through?
- Have you made a change that requires an additional payment?

These can some of the reasons why you can't check in online.

Now, unfortunately, if you're on the VS3 your flight looks busy, so I would check in with loads of time to ensure you'll be OK, if you and your partner are booked on the same ticket, it is very unlikely that VS will seat you apart, but let the check-in agent know you are nervous just to be sure.

It is no doubt a pain, but I am sure things will be fine and you'll enjoy the flight.

Thanks for that. So the seats it said we had originally before check in was available, would they be gone now? Or are they still ours if we check in at 6am tomorrow - it is the 003 were on.

Hmm - I was just about to post your flight (assuming its the VS3) wasn't busy so not to worry. But I am only using the freebie flightstats, which shows lots of availability except in some of the cheaper economy fares. Not sure why Slinky and I have a discrepancy.

Other reasons for not being able to check in online are a name that matches someone on a "watch list", not having completed your Advanced Passenger Info or a perceived discrepancy, or that the IT is SNAFU'd. Still, if you can get there at around the 3 hr before mark it gives you lots of time to get it sorted. Don't let the worry spoil the start of your trip, things like this happen all the time. You would be extremely unfortunate to not sit together. Come back and let us know?

[honey lamb]

If it's any consolation, the website was playing silly beggars this afternoon so more than you would be affected. As RedVee says, you'll have plenty of time to get sorted

A watch list?! Lol I'm panicking even more now! Yeah can't do anything else now its still not working so we'll just turn up early and see what happens. Will come back next week and let you know

When this has happened to me it is so that you can get a special boarding pass printed at the aiport with SSSS on it which entitles yu to a free Secondard Security check at the gate.

It's possible this is what the agent was referring to when he said there was q uota that can't check in.

Also possible there is/was a system error though.

Recently happened to me and I had found that an Airbus was swaped out for a 747 and while they were allocating seats the online check-in facility wasn't working. Tried an hour or so later and it was fine.

Hmm - I was just about to post your flight (assuming its the VS3) wasn't busy so not to worry. But I am only using the freebie flightstats, which shows lots of availability except in some of the cheaper economy fares. Not sure why Slinky and I have a discrepancy.

That's because FlightStats merges Y and PE availability, look closer and you'll see Y3 and W9 merged into Economy 9 !

EF and FlightStats actually match, I looked at the detail in both.

Loubylou let us know the outcome?

Hi Slinky

By mousing over the figures, it does give you the breakdown - I don't look at the "headline" as it seems a bit arbitrary which fares get aggregated for each of the boxes. For BA, it quite often puts J into "other".

But last night when I replied, I was seeing the Y buckets at 4 (only zeros in some of the cheaper XNO fares), and with 9s in PE and Upper. So more of a difference of opinion/interpretation than a difference in data - glad to see it tallies with EF. y)

My take on busy is lots and lots of zeros in all cabins, potentially oversold, anything with a busy Y cabin but lots of PE and UC availability is an upgrade opportunity