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#865932 by Hutchinson79
03 Feb 2014, 23:53
Just used virgins calculator for my June 7th flight to mexico upper class. It came up with April 8th to select seats. So not gonna be April 1st as I thought :(! n(
#865937 by fiona
04 Feb 2014, 00:22
We spoke to Virgin and received an email regarding the above. We too are travelling in June but the dates are not being rolled out universally, it depends where you are going as to when you can book the seats. In our case we can book the return leg from Orlando on the 1st May but cannot book the outward bound leg to Miami until 1st June We are travelling upper class but have been told this makes no difference apart from the fact that we won't be charged. If you phone Virgin the staff seem to be as confused as the customer and the email seemed the only way to get it clarified.
#865950 by dickydotcom
04 Feb 2014, 09:38
It has been said elsewhere but in case you missed it:
8 a.m. is the time seat bookings become available in the UK. (apparently that's midnight in the land of the Virgin computer.)
So don't bother doing as I did recently and get up at 3.30 a.m. in the hope of bagging the best seat. As it happens I still got the seats I wanted at 8 a.m.
Dick D
#865951 by gumshoe
04 Feb 2014, 10:05
Hutchinson79 wrote:Just used virgins calculator for my June 7th flight to mexico upper class. It came up with April 8th to select seats. So not gonna be April 1st as I thought :(! n(


That is completely at odds with the website, which says quite clearly that passengers who are exempt from paying (ie Au, UC, PE) can request seats on any route at T-336 from April 1st.

The staggered roll-out by route, it suggests, only applies to those economy passengers who have to pay.

So as usual the information on the website does not tally with what people are being told by customer services.

Which is right? I guess we'll find out at 8am on April 1st as I sincerely doubt we'll get a definitive correct answer in the meantime!
#865952 by at240
04 Feb 2014, 10:11
dickydotcom wrote:It has been said elsewhere but in case you missed it:
8 a.m. is the time seat bookings become available in the UK. (apparently that's midnight in the land of the Virgin computer.)

I don't think that's right -- I had seats supposedly opening up today at T-60; in fact they opened yesterday evening. It was purely by chance that I noticed.
#865956 by gumshoe
04 Feb 2014, 10:29
at240 wrote:I had seats supposedly opening up today at T-60; in fact they opened yesterday evening. It was purely by chance that I noticed.


Could you actually select them? The seat map does usually open up several hours before T-60 but if you try and make a selection it just says "sorry not available".

I've never been able to request seats before 8am but if that's changed that'll open up a whole new Pandora's box!
#865958 by gumshoe
04 Feb 2014, 11:08
at240 wrote:I selected them at some point after 10 pm last night! They seemed to stick...


Very curious! In theory flights on April 5th shouldn't have opened up until 8am today.

Maybe the new system's already in place for flights post April 1st? VS IT strikes again ....
#865963 by marpusbean
04 Feb 2014, 11:45
I am afraid my above post was wrong, I had not seen the update of 31/01. Sorry.
I have now used the calculator for my UC MAN/LAS flights in september, and the return flight in October.
Calculator says both bookable on 1st June.
This follows the explanation that the changes apply to MAN flights 01/06
#865979 by Janusian
04 Feb 2014, 13:31
I am a little confused on this subject. I have a flight on the 31st May from JFK to LHR. I am in economy with my family. I am au. According to the website I should be able to choose my seats but the online booking manager will not let me. Do I need to phone up and do this or do I have wait until 1st April?
#865985 by MoJoJo
04 Feb 2014, 14:10
Even the website is confused with different pages saying different things...

https://www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/en/m ... nment.html
London Gatwick to/from Orlando, Antigua, Barbados, Havana, Montego Bay, St Lucia, Tobago, Grenada
London Heathrow to/from Cape Town, Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Lagos, Mumbai, Shanghai or Sydney

You may choose your seats free of charge 24 hours before departure via on line check in.
Or from 1 May, you may choose to pay a fee from £25 each way to select your seats from 336 days before departure via manage my booking, or at the time you make your booking with our contact centre.
If you have a booking for a flight departing on or before 29 June, you can assign free of charge 60 days in advance before 30 April.

http://virginatlantic.custhelp.com/app/ ... il/a_id/86
London Gatwick to/from Orlando, Antigua, Barbados, Havana, Montego Bay, St Lucia, Tobago, Grenada
London Heathrow to/from Cape Town, Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Lagos, Mumbai, Shanghai or Sydney

You may choose your seats free of charge 24 hours before departure via on line check in.

Or from 1 April you may choose to pay a fee from £25 each way to select your seats from 336 days before departure via manage my booking, or at the time you make your booking with our contact centre.

If you have a booking for a flight departing on or before 29 June, you can assign free of charge 60 days in advance before 30 April.
#865986 by marshy11
04 Feb 2014, 14:17
MoJoJo wrote:The calculator definitely is not showing the same as every other piece of information. The LGW route is supposed to be April 1 but most flights excluding Cancun show May 1

Confused!


My LGW ANU for 8 July is showing 1 May too.
#866186 by maz
07 Feb 2014, 12:55
So, just about everyone who has been waiting can choose their seats on April 1st?

VA's website can't cope on a normal day like today when it never brought my booking up. What on earth is it going to be like on April Fools Day? Why couldn't they have staggered this? We fly on April 24th and have to attempt to do this with others flying much later.

Have I got this wrong and am missing something?
#866190 by dickydotcom
07 Feb 2014, 13:57
LaurenH wrote:Out of interest when seat selection becomes avaliable does an option/link pop up when in your flight details window?

We are flying in May but booked in Jan. So as I understand it we are T60. Still doesn't stop me checking before then though, just in case.

Not so much a pop up, but there is a box that says 'Where's my seat' It will say not available up to the time you can select then changes to a link 'View or change seat'

Dick D
#866197 by gumshoe
07 Feb 2014, 15:31
maz wrote:We fly on April 24th and have to attempt to do this with others flying much later.

Have I got this wrong and am missing something?


I'm pretty sure you'll be able to request your seats at T-60, so 23rd Feb if my maths is right.

April 1st is only really a key date for UC, PE & Au pax flying on May 31st or thereafter, as that's supposedly when you'll be able to start requesting seats at T-336.

And for economy pax who have to pay, April 1st is when the first routes switch over to the new system but until then T-60 will still apply.
#866199 by marshy11
07 Feb 2014, 16:00
LaurenH wrote:Out of interest when seat selection becomes avaliable does an option/link pop up when in your flight details window?

We are flying in May but booked in Jan. So as I understand it we are T60. Still doesn't stop me checking before then though, just in case.


When you log in with your booking ref, you are taken to the main screen of your flight details. At the bottom you see this……..Image

When the seats are available it will take you to the aircraft layout and show the seats for the cabin you are flying in. Until then you just see the 'not available' warning.
#866228 by maz
08 Feb 2014, 14:21
gumshoe wrote:
maz wrote:We fly on April 24th and have to attempt to do this with others flying much later.

Have I got this wrong and am missing something?


I'm pretty sure you'll be able to request your seats at T-60, so 23rd Feb if my maths is right.

April 1st is only really a key date for UC, PE & Au pax flying on May 31st or thereafter, as that's supposedly when you'll be able to start requesting seats at T-336.

And for economy pax who have to pay, April 1st is when the first routes switch over to the new system but until then T-60 will still apply.


Thank you so much for that. Things change, keep changing and you don't find out.
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