Seat map - low availability - why?

The seat map for my flight opened a few days ago - it's 747 config - prem econ both downstairs and in the bubble, but only the middle D - G seats are available. All window seats and bubble are greyed-out. I've never experienced such a small choice of seats and always had a window seat.

I have been checking each day since the seat map opened hoping they would release more over a few days but that hasn't been the case

Any ideas?? ?|

The first 2 rows of the 2s downstairs are never released (well not till the flight day) and virgin holidays takes most of the seats upstairs. On my flight which I pre booked at 90 days only 6 seats were available in the bubble for pe.
I managed to get the exact seat I wanted downstairs though.

I found similar, my PE flights on A330 to Florida for 3 opened last Friday, I logged on Friday night and there were only 3 middle rows availsble, so I chose row 22, all the window/aisle pair seats were gone, or are thery not shown as available as we are travelling as a family of 3 so the choice is restricted?

I then logged on the day after to see if any more seats had been released and the complete PE cabin is greyed out and unavailable which surprised me 1 day after the seat map became available for a flight at the end of May.

Gotta book return seats in 2 weeks, so will logon in the morning.

Seats will still be kept back for online check in...

Seats will still be kept back for online check in...

Whats the point of having seat map reservation if most of the seats are kept back and not available? I can understand holding back front row for baby baskets, emergency exit rows for physically able to open the doors, back row for passengers who need easy access etc, but seems allot more seats than this are not being made available.

[Darren Wheeler]

Seats will still be kept back for online check in...

Whats the point of having seat map reservation if most of the seats are kept back and not available? I can understand holding back front row for baby baskets, emergency exit rows for physically able to open the doors, back row for passengers who need easy access etc, but seems allot more seats than this are not being made available.

As odd as it sounds, not everyone has internet access and some choose not to do OLCI.

Ecnirp, I wholly agree with you!

Taking several flights a year, my preference is always VA where possible. The seating has never been a problem until this current return flight, I hope it's just a one off! v(

Hi

Mine opened last week and sad as i am i was sat refreshing so i could get my seats in the bubble - it is my wedding so I have a good excuse....
Just thought I would let you know that only 6 seats were available upstairs in PE on both legs.
The front seats/exit rows are always held back and the left hand side of the cabin is more that likely reserved for Virgin Holidays .

It may also be that some seats were also snapped up quickly - withing a minute of me knabbing my 4 seats the only other 2 seats left upstairs were gone and then within 10 mins so were about 8 seats in the PE cabin downstairs.

Seems almost the norm now that there are only 6 seats available in the bubble! I'll have to be on the ball to get a couple of them for my return leg in a few days.