Am I the only one that likes seat selection at T-90 ?

While I seem to recall some general mutterings here when it started to become impossible to select a seat sooner than 90 days out, I have come to the conclusion its a change for the better.

I think its fair to say most passengers are not greatly concerned about where they sit. Most though will pick a seat when they book if they can, and these people may book travel 12 months in advance. I on the other hand am very picky (OK, anal) about where I get sat for 6 hours or more. It always has to be a window (even though for 90% of the flight there is nothing to see) because I am just a big kid at heart, and don't have bladder control issues!

So now as long as I book at least 90 days prior to the flight (which even for work travel is generally the case) I can be sure to bag the seat I want, and not have to regularly check seat maps to see if a better seat has become available.

Particularly on a long sector, in the PE cabin (UC is a miles only perk for me sadly) on a 346 for example there are only 4 seats available I would want (pre OLCI) so knowing before I even book that I will be able to grab one of these at T-90 is brilliant.

I know that some desirable seats open at (or just before) OLCI opens, and while I may still try for bulkheads on occasion, I am not overly dependant on being at the airport ridiculously early hoping for the best as used to be the case.

T-90 works perfectly for me. Hopefully this is a policy that is here to stay!

I am also happy with the T-90 arrangement though I did also like it under the old system when you could "request" a seat at booking (which I have done on a few occasions in the past).
When flying PE I would simply "request" a seat at T-90 and then ask at the airport if a bulkhead seat happens to be available.
I am also a bit OCD about where I sit on a long haul flight.

I think it's more the supposed 'system upgrade' that has caused the 90 day rule, the end of which never seems to materialse. It also appears to be totally random in terms of whether people at virgin think its permanent or temporary.

Also, in the absence of a tiered priority system based on FC card colour, first come first served is surely the fairest way possible not 90 days.

I am most definitely in the other camp ! If VS have had my money for eleven months then I like to be able to request the seats that I want then - and I too am very picky ! Sometimes even then I have been unable to request my favourites even at eleven months ... Someone has beaten me to them. Life is stressful enough without having to sit, fingers poised at T-90 , hoping everyone else has forgotten ! !
Being able to request a seat at booking was one of the advantages of booking with VS in my opinion ! !

I suspected this would be contentious. xx(

As I said it works for me, although I can see the other side.

Hopefully if IT ever sort themselves out an available seat map pre-booking will be available as other airlines seem to manage.

Would also concur that certain seats should be available for AU and even AG selection only (what a perk for AG? Surely not!!!).

Suspect that pay to select is fairly inevitable down the line...

[Neil]

I'm not fussed either way to be honest, but think the system works well and it is clear for all to understand. It's not always possible or practical to book exactly at 11 months out so overall it makes it fairer for the majority of pax IMO.

[honey lamb]

On occasion I have found in the past, that when booking more than 90 days in advance the aircraft shown is not the one that is normally used for that flight. I remember booking a flight to JFK and ALL the flights were down as being an A343 :0 That of course changed with the passage of time.

While it had been nice to choose one's seats at the time of booking, the reality is that at T-90 very few people are sitting with their fingers poised ready to snag their preferred seats and the only time that this proves a difficulty is when the computer has preselected seats for families on popular routes such as MCO to ensure that they sit together.

On my up-coming flights, to date only two others have picked seats on the out-bound with 45 days to go.

I respectfully disagree with the OP - I think that people care a great deal about their seating, and the T-90 rule imposes an arbitrary constraint on seating bookings.

I am most definitely in the other camp ! If VS have had my money for eleven months then I like to be able to request the seats that I want then - and I too am very picky ! Sometimes even then I have been unable to request my favourites even at eleven months ... Someone has beaten me to them. Life is stressful enough without having to sit, fingers poised at T-90 , hoping everyone else has forgotten ! !
Being able to request a seat at booking was one of the advantages of booking with VS in my opinion ! !

hiljil, I am with you 100% on this one.

I also think its important for folk travelling in economy to be able to request seating in advance at the time of booking.

Let's face it, in UC most of the seats are satisfactory so I've never been one to charge in at T90. With PE, I have had the misfortune of being stuck in the middle section of a three or a four - hateful.

When I pay thousands of pounds upfront, I want to choose my seat at the time of booking - just like it was possible in the 'good old days' ii) ii)

I suppose with VS it is still free for all at T-90 compared to BA where it is only free for Au/Ag and full fare passengers, then Bronze at T-7 days and all passengers at check-in....otherwise it is a lot of money to choose you seats

I suppose with VS it is still free for all at T-90 compared to BA where it is only free for Au/Ag and full fare passengers, then Bronze at T-7 days and all passengers at check-in....otherwise it is a lot of money to choose you seats

I was thinking exactly the same GF i) i) I have to say initially I was not too pleased but for me the T90 has become part of the booking process - also part of my internal countdown to holiday

I was concerned when this new ruling came in, but as time has gone by and we have been lucky enough to secure UC seats on our last two flights.

It has not been a problem, in fact on our last remaining holiday of the year in 8 weeks time we had been the only seats selected for over a month and there is only one other seat selected now on both the outward and return. To be honest I was getting really worried till the other request was submitted as it is on a 340-600.

I am sure it will fill up in the next two months.

When we were travelling PE it was always a problem to get a good seat and I mainly managed to snag the ones that are released just before OLCI opens, when VH let theirs go for general selection.

I would happily pay extra to make my seat selection at the time of booking. This T-90 makes no sense to me at all.

I booked up about a month ago and hit this for the first time, which was a surprise, and I was disappointed.

What happens at t-90 = does an email appear saying you can place requests now?

If not, then I can see it may be an advantage, i.e. only people really bothered will reserve a seat, leaving more free seats available. (fewer people just reserve a seat because they think they have to at booking, but in reality they don't much mind where they sit)

If an email is sent and everyone piles in then I would be disappointed that "first come first served" doesn't apply.

That said, I won't worry too much, as it doesn't guarantee anything. And I won't be charged to make a request like I would on BA

You don't get sent an email
I think like me a few people probably mainly v-flyers set a reminder or just keep checking MMB until T-90

What happens at t-90 = does an email appear saying you can place requests now?

VS don't send emails for the simple reason that they don't have them for all passengers and especially those who booked via a travel agent - including V Holidays. Same applies if there is a flight schedule change etc.

Communication is done via who you booked via eg a few years ago I booked a Swiss flight via Expedia and despite Swiss having my email communications if there were any changes etc it was done via Expedia. It was only at T-24 that I got any emails direct from Swiss.

It is on the web site when seat requests open up but very few people are that bothered about where they sit.

I think Tontybear, Adastral and gfonk, you are all thinking like me.

Of course given the prompt when booking about selecting a seat most bookers will do so its just part of the process, but it is only folks like us who really care about the "journey" that are likely to diarise T-90 so it works to our advantage. You have to know the system and care about it, then you can pretty much get the seats you want.

From Virgin's point of view I think it works well as the loyal customers can be kept happy.

Don't shoot me for suggesting this please, but we are not the regular travelling public on this site. I don't know if Southeastern trains have a comparible site to V-Flyer (SE-Chuffer perhaps?), but if they do maybe the regulars discuss the best location to stand on each platform, the change in quality of the trolly beverages and the uniforms of the staff at great length. But I would think this slightly obsessive, even rather sad. Its just a journey afterall (right?)! Even though I spend longer on the train in a year than in the sky!

Personally though, I always look forward to flying, and as such frequent this site. My wife though considers my level of interest in the journey rather like I would consider those frequenting my fictional (god I hope so) SE-Chuffer web site...

In way then T-90 rewards us, the loyal Virgin customers... and costs us nothing. We should I think be grateful

@mr doob
I don't think it is too sad lol though others including your missus my beg to differ
However the time and money spent on a flight is a lot more than an hour or so commute on a train so it's justified right?
I think in a recent thread we debated about paying for seat requests. Personally I'm still undecided as it is still only a request.
The current system though in a way not as convenient as it was before does like you say in a way reward the loyal customer. ISTBC ofcourse.