New advance seat reservation system now LIVE

Am I alone in hoping it does follow VS precedent and crash?

We can't usually book our twice-yearly flights to NY to see family until three months or so beforehand. With the T-60 system we could sit with fingers poised, hoping to get good seats.

If the new system goes against VS IT tradition and sctually works, I'm concerned we'll find most seats already gone.

I am hoping it works.
OK the transition made be a bit fraught, with lots of people already in the system trying to bag their seats, but once that backlog is cleared it should just be a case of buy your ticket and book your seat.
I generally get my tickets as soon as the return leg is open so I think it should suit me.
Dick D

Just a few thoughts I haven't seen discussed:

I understand that VH block out sections of seats for "their" customers, I think I have read on here that the PE bubble frequently is blocked out? Is this still going to continue being the same, how will that work?

Is there then a risk with Y, that in theory that you might be a group, or a family of four and if you don't want to pay the £200 fees to reserve your seats you could be each of your plonked in seperate seats here there and everywhere? As I thought that generally speaking that they would place people logically to get people together in a big game of people/seat Tetris?

Superb can't wait to book our 5 seats in PE fly out on May 21st to Orlando on the vs15/vs16 booked through VH looking to book row 19

Just a few thoughts I haven't seen discussed:
Is there then a risk with Y, that in theory that you might be a group, or a family of four and if you don't want to pay the £200 fees to reserve your seats you could be each of your plonked in seperate seats here there and everywhere? As I thought that generally speaking that they would place people logically to get people together in a big game of people/seat Tetris?

The terms do say they will try and keep families together. If unable to do that they will ensure children are sat next to an adult so it shouldn't be 4 separate seats although two pairs may well be on the cards.
Dick D

Yes that's probably going to be the case, as they'll most likely usually allocate these last, which depending on how many people have pre selected before this, and where they have picked, will mean that you may be at two ends of the aircraft, unless you pay for 4 together.

Dick, when do you fly to MCO?

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The terms do say they will try and keep families together. If unable to do that they will ensure children are sat next to an adult so it shouldn't be 4 separate seats although two pairs may well be on the cards.

What happens to the more fecund of our group who don't adhere to the 2 parents + 2 offspring standard?

Dick, when do you fly to MCO?

T-100
Dick D

sounds like we might crossover, I'm at T-90

Personally I'd prefer it to go back to T-90, as I will always try and book seats as soon as the return date is available but how will this work with reward seats popping up a few months in advance then finding out your sitting next to a stranger and your partner is well away from you?

Any ideas what happens with Virgin Holidays customers? I've booked my flights through them but have the VS booking ref to go into the VS website. But do VH already have areas of the plane 'reserved'? (Hinted above)

I've pretty much given up on the hope of an upgrade so was going to pay to reserve rows 79 or 80 in the Bubble (5 of us split 3/2). I'll also have a 3 year old, are these seats ok with the proximity of the stairs?

Any ideas what happens with Virgin Holidays customers? I've booked my flights through them but have the VS booking ref to go into the VS website. But do VH already have areas of the plane 'reserved'? (Hinted above)

I've pretty much given up on the hope of an upgrade so was going to pay to reserve rows 79 or 80 in the Bubble (5 of us split 3/2). I'll also have a 3 year old, are these seats ok with the proximity of the stairs?

RE: VH seat selection, you will be able to select your seats at the same time as other can from 8am tomorrow. Although the booking hasn't been 'handed over' to VA fully until 72 hours before, they do still have your booking on the system, and it's only amendments and upgrades that you need to do with VH and not VA. So your seat selection, as this isn't a booking amendment, is held with VA. (I hope this bit all makes sense)

RE: Reserved sections for VH customers - VA no longer hold any seats specifically for VH customers, so you'll have the same selection plan as anyone that books direct with VA.

RE: Children near to the stairs - These are good seats for those sitting in Economy, as the location is good. Depending on whether its a LGW version or LHR version, you may or may not have a loo behind you, and the kids will be fine, if you keep them away from the stairs

Hope this helps?
^JR

So are all of our alarms set ready for 8am tomorrow morning then?

So are all of our alarms set ready for 8am tomorrow morning then?

Mine certainly is!

So are all of our alarms set ready for 8am tomorrow morning then?

Absolutely,

Good luck, unless you're on VS23 on the 16th of September...in which case may the better V-Flyer with

So are all of our alarms set ready for 8am tomorrow morning then?

I am in St Lucia so 4am for me. Honestly all this time to upgrade and they pick this week.

So are all of our alarms set ready for 8am tomorrow morning then?

I don't use alarms. I was up at 5.10 so thought I'd give it a try anyway. No luck.
Off to the gym now to practice walking with 24kg weights and will try again at 8
Dick D

We are currently in Florida so set my alarm at 3am (8am UK). Just woken up at 00.40 (5.40 UK) and was able to reserve my seats - screens looked very smart, although they took a few seconds to load!!

Yup all fine my end very smooth on my iPad!!

Well done VS!!

So are all of our alarms set ready for 8am tomorrow morning then?

I am in St Lucia so 4am for me. Honestly all this time to upgrade and they pick this week.

Just got 12A/12K for next July - very happy

[Darren Wheeler]

Hi Virgins New booking system up and running at 6am this morning seats booked for orlando 21st may on vs15/vs16, got 5 seats in PE row 19 just what I wanted, new system very smooth and easy. Well done Virgin.

Superb.

After checking that website so many time over the last 6 months the seats are chosen and first seats to go for both flights.
Must thank V Flyer community for keeping me up to date and helping me get great seats for the hols.

All done here too. Other than asking for email address and mobile number in order to confirm seats, which they already have, it was a slick process :-)

seems like a good system

Very easy and pain free. Not the nightmare I expected at all.