LAX-LHR VS 6/11 maybe bumped what to do?

Hey everybody,
So I leave with my mom June 11 for a wedding in Malton, England.
I called VS and tried to book the flight, but the agent told me they where booked. I almost booked the flight from Las Vegas. Then I looked and booked an economy flight thru Orbitz. We are Q outbound and X inbound. After the booking, I checked VS so I can grab a seat, but no way, Jose. So I figured this flight is going to be packed or oversold. My mom is 88 and I would like to sit with her.
Checking flightstats, W/1 S/1 K/1 Y/0 B/0 R/0 L/0 U/0 M/0 E/0 Q/0 X/0 N/0 O/0
At this time, I figure there is 3 seats left?
My question is are we going to be bumped?
And if so, how should I cut the deal?
Of course, I will be at the airport 3 hours early. Good news is LAX is half an hour away, so I can come back home if bumped.
I am trying to figure out my options and how to max the situation.
Thanks everybody for your thoughts.
Mark

[honey lamb]

Hey everybody,
So I leave with my mom June 11 for a wedding in Malton, England.
I called VS and tried to book the flight, but the agent told me they where booked. I almost booked the flight from Las Vegas. Then I looked and booked an economy flight thru Orbitz. We are Q outbound and X inbound. After the booking, I checked VS so I can grab a seat, but no way, Jose. So I figured this flight is going to be packed or oversold. My mom is 88 and I would like to sit with her.
Checking flightstats, W/1 S/1 K/1 Y/0 B/0 R/0 L/0 U/0 M/0 E/0 Q/0 X/0 N/0 O/0
At this time, I figure there is 3 seats left?
My question is are we going to be bumped?
And if so, how should I cut the deal?
Of course, I will be at the airport 3 hours early. Good news is LAX is half an hour away, so I can come back home if bumped.
I am trying to figure out my options and how to max the situation.
Thanks everybody for your thoughts.
Mark

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the reality is that the flight in chock-a-block. There aren't three seats to be sold but only one in Premium economy - and that's seats to be sold, not seats available. All airlines oversell because they know there will always be no shows.

What you absolutely MUST do is on-line check-in for you and your mom. Don't worry that there are no seats to select. Only 60% are released for pre-selection and the fact that you are travelling with your 88 year old mum will mean that VS will do their best to accommodate you - on board if necessary. If you have booked through Orbitz make sure you have your VS PNR which is a 6 figure alpha-numeric code. If you have tried to grab a seat you probably already have it but the crucial thing for you is to do OLCI as soon as possible as it opens at T-24.

*Hint - Look at the seat map a few hours before OLCI and keep on checking. It often opens up beforehand and gives you an opportunity to select a seat but still do OLCI. Even if it doesn't still do OLCI and grab whatever seat you are offered. There is still scope at the airport or even on board to swap

[honey lamb]

Ooops! I forgot my manners.

Welcome to V-Flyer and good luck with your flight y)

I have to ask,how do you put your countdowns in,are they updated manually?

[honey lamb]

I have to ask,how do you put your countdowns in,are they updated manually?

Are you asking me?

IF you are bumped VS have a standard package for those they deny boarding to and those that volunteer. It is on the website

It seems that with VS the offer is the offer and there is no negotiation over it (unlike domestic US airlines).

The people most likely to be bumped (again VS had a protocol they follow) are the late check-ins so do as HL suggests and do OLCI for both you and your mum.

Seating assignements are secondary to getting on the plane but it is more then likely that you will be sat next to each other and if not VS will try and get you next to each other.

You don't say which flight you are on - VS has two flights from LAX to LHR - VS8 and VS24. Chances are if they bump people of the 8 they will be put on the 24. If it is the 24 then that is a bigger problem.

[honey lamb]

I have to ask,how do you put your countdowns in,are they updated manually?

Are you asking me?

If you are asking me, I've sent you a PM so as not to hi-jack this thread

If both pax PNRs are seperate then might be wise to call VS and get them linked so if seats get shuffled round then both parties should remain seated together.

Thank you for your response and ideas.
I really appreciate your help.
I am booked on the VS008, so if bumped, most likely I will go on VS024.
It took me a bit to figure the OLCI, but the plan is to call T-48 and try to book seats together. T-30 start looking to OLCI until OLCI opens.
I am not sure what you mean by, "chock-a-block." I think it means packed like a can of sardines. Next, "scope at the airport or even on board to swap." That one I am lost. The great news is after this leg I will be a Silver member.
Again, mucho mahalo,
Mark

[honey lamb]

I am not sure what you mean by, "chock-a-block." I think it means packed like a can of sardines. Next, "scope at the airport or even on board to swap." That one I am lost. The great news is after this leg I will be a Silver member.
Again, mucho mahalo,
Mark

Ah yes, England and America, two countries divided by a common language! ) (With thanks to Oscar Wilde for that quote - or was it George Bernard Shaw)

You are right about the meaning of chock-a-block.

With regard to my mention of being able to swap what I meant was that you could still change seats if you are separated from your mother either when you drop your bags off at the airport check-in even after OLCI or even on board where the crew may be able to assist

Ah yes, England and America, two countries divided by a common language! ) (With thanks to Oscar Wilde for that quote - or was it George Bernard Shaw)

Twas GBS dear lady (but both fine Irish writers)

Hey Gang,
thank you for your thoughts and help.
Yep, I got bumped.
Hanging out at the 4 points Sheraton Hotel, having dinner.
I was thinking of going home, but Mom said let's go to the hotel.
Vrigin told me tomorrow's flight is "Chock-a block', so maybe we will go for round 2, bump.
Again, many thanks to everybody here at V-flyer.
Any thoughts on how to book a N class ticket or should I start a new thread?
Mark

I must admit I'm astonished that they bumped you considering you were travelling with your 88 year old mother. Also no mention of being transferred on to the later VS24? Makes me wonder what VS's 'bumping criteria' are!? Surely to goodness travelling with a very elderly person must have some sort of influence?

All the very best for making it on to the next flight.

James

I'm interested in what compensation VS offered you, but I too am surprised that you were, I didn't believe VS overbooked economy, now we know.

I'm interested in what compensation VS offered you, but I too am surprised that you were, I didn't believe VS overbooked economy, now we know.

They certainly used to. Between 2000 and 2006 I / we responded 3 times to the call for voluntary bumpees.

[Neil]

I'm interested in what compensation VS offered you, but I too am surprised that you were, I didn't believe VS overbooked economy, now we know.

They certainly used to. Between 2000 and 2006 I / we responded 3 times to the call for voluntary bumpees.

Yes, on a recent trip back from MCO when checking it they had a list of the over bookings and there were a number in Y.

Yes, on a recent trip back from MCO when checking it they had a list of the over bookings and there were a number in Y.

And there was I believing it to be even less likely on the 'leisure' routes where you get fewer people needing the flexibility of open tickets!

Yep, I got bumped.

Did you volunteer to be bumped then?

If not, when did you check in?

I'd be amazed and concerned VS forcibly bumped two people who checked in 3 hours early, like you were planning to.

The only time it happened to me, I checked in at LHR at T minus 61 minutes knowing full well I'd be on the next flight to JFK in a couple of hours and would still get the miles. Naughty but hey .....

This got me thinking about my recent VS20 SFO-LHR, for those of you who read my TR I had been worried about being bumped because this flight was consisently showing zeros across all fare classes over a prolonged period. I just looked again on Expertflyer (out of sheer curiosity and being prompted by this 'bumping' thread) and the situation is still the same! I got as far as checking up to Sun 24th June and there's not one spare seat in Economy on the VS20. The same goes for the VS42 on the days it operates. UC & PE are pretty much non-existent apart from on a couple of dates when there's a single seat in UC or PE. On days when there's a 20 & a 42 it is solid zeros across all fare classes across both flights.

Perhaps VS are overselling more than we all think?

Thanks
James

This got me thinking about my recent VS20 SFO-LHR, for those of you who read my TR I had been worried about being bumped because this flight was consisently showing zeros across all fare classes over a prolonged period. I just looked again on Expertflyer (out of sheer curiosity and being prompted by this 'bumping' thread) and the situation is still the same! I got as far as checking up to Sun 24th June and there's not one spare seat in Economy on the VS20. The same goes for the VS42 on the days it operates. UC & PE are pretty much non-existent apart from on a couple of dates when there's a single seat in UC or PE. On days when there's a 20 & a 42 it is solid zeros across all fare classes across both flights.

Perhaps VS are overselling more than we all think?

Thanks
James

Always knew this to be the case on some routes like JFK and more so in the premium cabins, but I am surprised that it appears to be more widespread.

As to the VS19/20 and 41/42, for some no doubt good reasons these seem to be doing incredibly well for VS. I returned on the 42 last Friday and it was chocka, as was the 20 on that day too. Will be on the 20 in July and forecast the same then.

The LAX-LHR route is certainly very popular! I tried to check-in right when it opened last night only to find the system wouldn't let me. Because I had a connecting flight I turned up at LAX five hours early in the hope of grabbing an aisle seat - and they weren't able to give me anything! My boarding pass just says 'Open' where my seat number should be, and I'm meant to get one at the gate. We shall see what happens...

This got me thinking about my recent VS20 SFO-LHR, for those of you who read my TR I had been worried about being bumped because this flight was consisently showing zeros across all fare classes over a prolonged period. I just looked again on Expertflyer (out of sheer curiosity and being prompted by this 'bumping' thread) and the situation is still the same! I got as far as checking up to Sun 24th June and there's not one spare seat in Economy on the VS20. The same goes for the VS42 on the days it operates. UC & PE are pretty much non-existent apart from on a couple of dates when there's a single seat in UC or PE. On days when there's a 20 & a 42 it is solid zeros across all fare classes across both flights.

Perhaps VS are overselling more than we all think?

Thanks
James

My VS20 flight last month involved an oversell situation, heard them asking for volunteers as peopled checked in. In chatting to them they said that 42 was chocka too.

I notice someone on my Facebook was bumped coming back from LAS to LGW this week. They were given a free return Virgin Atlantic flight to any destination and then moved to the MAN flight according to the status.

[honey lamb]

The one and only time I flew back from LAX the VS8 was chock-a-block and for our flight, the VS24, they were looking for volunteers without onward flights before check-in opened. We couldn't because we had an onward flight but we managed to grab 2 upgrades to UC on K fares y)

Our bumping offers came in Economy on LHR-LAX, LAX-LHR, EWR-LHR and LHR->JFK. One yielded an upgrade to PE, and another 4x
Reward vouchers....

I notice someone on my Facebook was bumped coming back from LAS to LGW this week. They were given a free return Virgin Atlantic flight to any destination and then moved to the MAN flight according to the status.

Best warn your FB friend it isn't any destination (Australia is excluded), I don't think it's free anymore (ISTBC but I think you pay taxes and charges) and it is subject to availability. That said, ours were a real treat and allowed us to play a game of "where should we go that we wouldn't have otherwise gone".