OLCI PE LGW-MAN Aircraft

Checked in online tonight right on the time when it opened hoping for good seats in the bubble. The flight is VS86 LAS-MAN 12th April they had put us in seats 82 A,C,D downstairs in PE I then took the option to change our seats. When I looked at the seating upstairs wow only around 6 seats left! So how can this be as their is no seat assignment until 24hrs prior to departure due to the refits of those aircraft.When I printed our boarding passes I get SEQ 5,6,7.

[honey lamb]

Although the official line is that seats are released at OLCI the reality is that seats are often released a couple of hours or so before then. Those who are in the know will have had a look before then and nabbed the seats.

[Neil]

Just to add to what HL has already said, as you found out the system had allocated you some seats, so it is likely it will have done the same for other pax also. This tends to happen when the flights are full and they are trying to get as many families/groups sat together as possible.

I checked the seat map 6 hours before OLCI before MCO to LGW last week and the seat map was on there. Always worth checking before the 24 hours.

Are we saying that OLCI is open before T-24?

Dont quite understand, if VA have 'locked out' the seat selection/maps for PE due to the upgrades taking place how can somebody log on at exactly the moment OLCI opens and find that there are seats already greyed out?

[Neil]

No, OLCI opens at T-24.

What sometimes happens, is that the seat map becomes available a few hours before that, so if you log In to the MMB section you could select/change seats.

[honey lamb]

No, OLCI opens at T-24.

What sometimes happens, is that the seat map becomes available a few hours before that, so if you log In to the MMB section you could select/change seats.

Just to add, the time this happens varies from flight to flight. If the flight is particularly busy it may not become available until OLCI and even then you may not be able to change seats until you get to the airport as VS tries to keep families together.

From my experience I have looked on the seat map and have found that it does not become available until about two hours before the flight but on another occasion I was looking at the map five hours before the page. It wasn't available but when I refreshed the page a few minutes later it did.

So this is on the assumption, as currently due to the upgrades that are taking place the seat maps are 'locked out', that they know which aircraft will be flying the route a few hours before olci opens?

I was under the impression that you couldnt select any seat or view any seat maps for PE until OLCI opens at T - 24?

Sorry if im being finnicky (spelling?)

[Neil]

Yes, what you have said is correct.

Of course Virgin know probably 2 weeks in advance what a/c they are planning to operate each flight, but because things go wrong (delays, tech issues, medical diversions etc) things can change right until the last minute, so that is the reason they aren't realising the seat maps in advance.

[honey lamb]

I was under the impression that you couldnt select any seat or view any seat maps for PE until OLCI opens at T - 24?

Ah, but that's the beauty of V-Flyer - you get to discover these little tips

Hello, long time lurker....but my first post. Thanks for all the great information and tips I have picked up here.
Recently travelled to Vegas from Gatwick as we have many times in the past, obviously this time were unable to choose our seats at time of booking - for reasons discussed in other threads.
However, as advised here we kept checking for seats before OLCI opened without success....then the moment it opened (the very second) we checked in and....2 seats in the bubble at the back, ok fine, tried to change seats and the only option were 2 downstairs. At bag drop asked to change and the only other seats were another 2 at the back. These seats were absolutely fine and we had a great trip.
On our return....checked in as soon as OLCI opened...seats downstairs which we were not pleased about - and no option to change. This may have been because it was the recently cancelled 44 which became the 144 the following day. So we had an email regarding the cancellation stating check in needed to be done at the airport...great we got there early and were first to check in....definitely first, we had the same seats we had booked online so requested seats upstairs - none available! So we asked about the exit seats upstairs assigned at actual check in only so I believe....gone - how can that be, we were first to check in!
Anyway, not moaning, we had a great trip....more about the delay in my trip report elsewhere.
Any ideas why we had our seats restricted...it was almost like they were pre-assigned and were not able to be changed. Having always travelled in the bubble it was much less enjoyable downstairs.

I did try OLCI and kept trying an hour before it opened but no luck, after talking to some other unhappy passengers on this flight in PE. They had also done OLCI soon as it opened within 5 mins also to find few or no seats available upstairs!

Las56, can I ask did you pay full PE fare or use miles to upgrade.
Have a theory that maybe miles plus money peeps might get the inferior seats downstairs? Maybe others could comment here??

[Neil]

Las56, can I ask did you pay full PE fare or use miles to upgrade.
Have a theory that maybe miles plus money peeps might get the inferior seats downstairs? Maybe others could comment here??

I can 100% say that is not true.

As explained in this and other threads, sometimes if the flight is very full the system takes over the seat allocates, and works them (according to its settings) to sit as many groups/families together. It has no knowledge of your fare code or how much you paid.

Regarding the exit row, if you were first to check in, what often happens is that the exit rows are still blocked (will look to the agent as not available). It would just need a call by the agent to get them released and you would have been able to have been allocated in them, this has happened to me a few times and I have had to push the agent to make the call.

Thanks,
Neil

Great Neil thanks for that information....will know next time!
The flight was full, so it did seem that the system had taken over the seat assignments. I assume it has to assign something at time of OLCI else the system would crash with passengers checking in simultaneously which is likely at the moment considering seat allocation is not operational.
Chris

No, I don't think it's only M&M-ers that end up in PE downstairs
It happened to me on check in, and I'd paid for my ticket with money, booked it 334 days ago, and am a gold.

I'm hoping to change at the airport tomorrow to get in the bubble

Peter