"Non-Window" Seat - Bit of a Problem

Hello everyone. I've got a bit of a problem, and I'd be very grateful if anyone could assist with any ideas for resolving it.

We're off to JFK on Friday, travelling PE on the VS9 which is an A330. I pre-reserved row 21A&C some months ago. I've now realised that this row doesn't have an actual window, it's just aircraft wall.

Problem is, my GF is not a good flyer, particularly during take off/landing when she finds looking out of the window somewhat reassuring. She's normally in tears, gripping my hand/the arm rest during take off and landing. I just find the idea rather claustrophobic. However no other seats are available to pre-assign in MMB.

I called Virgin today and after trying 'existing bookings' and the line going dead, I called special assistance.

The lady I spoke to was moderately sympathetic, but also firm in saying there is nothing she can do. She said some seats might come up in OLCI, but can't guarantee it. She also said she can't put a note with a request to be moved on the booking because "the check in staff use a different system and won't look at the notes". She then said that as I'll be standing in front of the staff, I'll could just tell them when we drop our baggage anyway so there's no point in making the note.

The long and short of this is that I'm in a bit of a predicament, and Virgin don't seem to be willing to offer much help. If there's any advice/help anyone can offer I'd be very grateful. y)

Make sure you do OLCI at T-24 and there's a reasonable chance there'll be some empty seats.

Failing that get to the airport nice and early and be very nice to the check in agent. They're normally pretty helpful.

There's absolutely no point stressing about it as it'll just ruin the build-up to your trip.

Is there anyway you could get to the airport really early or do you live close enough to LHR that you could pop in and check in really early?

As you know, some seats are kept back and if you explain the problem, there may be some seats somewhere??

If no joy, would you feel comfortable speaking to the couple behind and see if they would swap with you? Worth a polite question?

When OCLI opens up, people do change their minds. There is a website http://www.expertflyer.com/seat-alerts, worth logging on and click a few seats?

Good luck and I hope you get it sorted.

I have been flying Virgin frequently for the last 8 years and in all my flights with them at OLCI there have always been other seats available to change to. However they tend to be individual seats (not ideal in your case) and tend to be the middle seats (no window). It is worth a try though, if not mention it at every stage possible (checkin/bag drop, boarding gate, cabin crew) and they may be able to ask others on your behalf. Thats what I would do because asking people directly can sometimes get a bit of a hostile response :s . And you never know you may end up with a free upgrade out of it!

I would suggest getting to the airport as early as possible too - especially if a window seat is of great importance. I think sometimes OLCI seats can be changed if they need to seat a family together, for instance.

When I went to NY in jan it was a late booking and when I selected my seats the choice wasn't great ,I ended up choosing 2 seats in PE in the middle row but then at240 gave me a great tip of rechecking the seat map again 7 hrs before OLCI opened and 16 more PE seats were available so me and my boy got seats on side instead of the middle so I would urge you to try the same
Blacky

As Blacky says, check from T-31 onwards and I suspect you will find that some of the window pairs towards the front of the cabin (apart from the front rows) become available. This is a different procedure from the 346s where everything in PE except row 18 is bookable prior to check in.

If this fails, I guess you'll have to plead your case at LHR, or even see if some kind souls will swap onboard?

Thanks folks will bear all of the above in mind.

Hi,

We had a similar problem coming back from MCO. We only booked four weeks out but PE was relatively full on the way back. As it was a reward flight/Credit card upgrade, there was no extra cost to book PE on the way back and with economy almost empty we resigned ourselves to requesting a downgrade if necessary.

The chap on the phone processing the booking noted the booking re the medical issue and suggested mentioning this as checking and referring them to the booking.

About 36 hours before the return flight was due to depart, our booking changed to show allocated seats meeting our requirements. At checkin the lady commented that we had been allocated special request seats and were these ok.

Very joined up and wonderful customer service. Therefore my advice - make sure its noted on the booking exactly what you want.

Good news. Just checked the seat map, and the 3 rows further forward have appeared. We're now in 19A/C, just behind the bulkhead.

I really hope these seats have the full window allocation!

Does this row have any issues with galley noise? Perhaps 20A/C would be better for that?

Good news. Just checked the seat map, and the 3 rows further forward have appeared. We're now in 19A/C, just behind the bulkhead.

I really hope these seats have the full window allocation!

Does this row have any issues with galley noise? Perhaps 20A/C would be better for that?

19 A&C are good seats, i'd keep.

I too have switched from 21 to 19 AC on the A330. Is the noise of the galley or queue for the WC a problem?

I too have switched from 21 to 19 AC on the A330. Is the noise of the galley or queue for the WC a problem?

The toilet queue can be an issue if you are unlucky and are bothered by such things - the problem is that this toilet is shared with the UC passengers, so sometimes lines build up.

But in other ways these are good seats in my opinion.

Hmm not sure what to do! There are 3 of us on the flight tomorrow and we want 3 seats close together e.g 19AC and 20A. The thing is there aren't that many seats further back available so its either 19AC 20A and then we're quite close to the galley and toilet or 21A, 22AC and one of us will have no window? Opinions please!

So we're in the gate area at Heathrow, and find that the aircraft awaiting us is actually 'Bubbles' a 340-600. Row 19 on that type definitely doesn't have a window!!

What are the chances of the same happening tomorrow?

Regardless of the window seat issue, which wasn't the end of the world, I must say that the flight was very disappointing.

Arm rest (where it covers the tray table) came off in my hand, none of the old things that used to make PE a nicer way to travel than the competition (ice cream, fruit bowl, amenity kit etc) and a fairly mediocre crew.

The crew included one chap who was a unbelievably jobs worth about passing the curtain at the front of PE to stretch next to the galley/get a seat, to the extent that he wouldn't allow us to so much as put our heads through the curtain to ask for anything, and ordered us to the very back of the plane to stretch if we wanted to do.

This was our first PE flight for a year and on this evidence, Virgin really are flying as the face of ordinary.

Regardless of the window seat issue, which wasn't the end of the world, I must say that the flight was very disappointing.

Arm rest (where it covers the tray table) came off in my hand, none of the old things that used to make PE a nicer way to travel than the competition (ice cream, fruit bowl, amenity kit etc) and a fairly mediocre crew.

The crew included one chap who was a unbelievably jobs worth about passing the curtain at the front of PE to stretch next to the galley/get a seat, to the extent that he wouldn't allow us to so much as put our heads through the curtain to ask for anything, and ordered us to the very back of the plane to stretch if we wanted to do.

This was our first PE flight for a year and on this evidence, Virgin really are flying as the face of ordinary.

This does sound disappointing v( Full details in a TR?

Had the same problem with armrest cover coming off on tubular belle in jan ,

Wow clarkey, sounds like a bit of fun.... TR please

Had the same problem with armrest cover coming off on tubular belle in jan ,

Ahhh, so blacky was the one that broke it Come on VS, get it fixed..

Young Harry b actually broke it honest !