New advance seat reservation system now LIVE

All ok with seat map now, maybe it was user error, anyway 12A & K secured for flights to & from JFK in May, all UC seats were available to us.

oldboy

Seems to be some confusion going on with different messages being given on Twitter and Facebook regards what date a flight was booked and if flights booked before 12 November actually have to pay to request seats

Just reserved our PE seat VS75 out of MAN to MCO, 18A&C out, APRIL 13th, great for a quick exit at MCO. Also, return MCO-MAN, VS74, MAY 13th in PE again, up in bubble for a quieter flight home in 24H&K. System was fast and no issues, hopefully we do not get moved. Somewhat cool here in Florida today, 10c last night with a high of 16 today Brrrrr!!! Weekend promises 25-28c whew!

For my flights LGW-LAS-LGW next April/May the two UC seats I've reserved are still the only ones reserved!

My guess is that in the overall scheme of things there are a small minority of folk (like me & others here!) who are in fact clued up on this whole seat booking thing.

Just spoken to my travel agent and they have someone continuously booking seats that have been paid for ,including mine ....so give it time.

I need to book my seats for flight to/from SFO next April - currently is wide open both ways. I need to call as we have infant, however as she is too big for the bassinet, I'm hoping we can select our own seats with baby being on lap. The plane is Airbus A340-600.
I was thinking seats 12-14 A or K - anyone have any better suggestions?

Happened to stumble across the new booking system accidentally just now. Looked at my booking for Delhi next April and spotted the reserve your seats button was active. Very pleased to get 4A/5A both ways on the new 787, no one else had booked so had the whole cabin to chose from. Decided to be further from the bar, hopefully that will work out best.

Saw this thread and have gone and selected my seats for my flights next year in Sept to Florida

Just went to book my seats for our trip next May.

Flying MAN - LHR - LAX return JFK - LHR - MAN

The UK legs are with BA so (obviously) cant assign those seats.
The new system lets me assign seats for my VS flights, but then, right at the end gives me the following error

"Unfortunately we haven't been able to complete your booking online. We will contact you soon with further details. Return to My Bookings to follow the progress of your itinerary."

One thing I do notice is that you can stay logged in for over 24 hours now. Or at least I did.

[mitchja]

Just went to book my seats for our trip next May.

Flying MAN - LHR - LAX return JFK - LHR - MAN

The UK legs are with BA so (obviously) cant assign those seats.

You should still be able to select (and of course pay for) your BA seats via the BA website if you really want to (though not worth the money IMHO)

There is a form on the BA website that tells you your BA PNR when your have a mixed airline PNR booking like yours. I did this when VS re-booked my VLR flight with BA.

You should still be able to select (and of course pay for) your BA seats via the BA website if you really want to (though not worth the money IMHO)

There is a form on the BA website that tells you your BA PNR when your have a mixed airline PNR booking like yours. I did this when VS re-booked my VLR flight with BA.

I wasnt too bothered about the BA element, I just wanted to make sure I got the seats on the VS Metal, but the website wouldnt let me. I used the chat feature and managed to get the ones I wanted, just waiting for confirmation now, but all looks well.

Thanks

Just gone back and checked my seats for my next booked long haul flight. I am still the only one to of selected a seat in the cabin

Just gone back and checked my seats for my next booked long haul flight. I am still the only one to of selected a seat in the cabin

Ditto, we are billy no mates alone on our Feb flight at the moment.

We actually did get that once on a flight from Bulawayo up to Victoria Falls. We were told there were no economy seats and so paid for First Class. It was a clear lie as there were loads of spare seats, but we got the first class cabin to ourselves.
Only a short flight and only $50 so actually worth the money for the experience.
Dick D

I see the website has had an amendment re booking seats if you booked before 12 November http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/en/tr ... nment.html

I've just checked my seat plan again, and after almost 3 full days of being live, we are no longer the only UC pax on the map!

I got on super early at 6am on launch day, to beat what I thought would be a fight to the death for the cosy 6A & 6K right at the front in the nose, and bagged them straight away, and now finally we have seat friends, though they have skipped an aisle and gone for 8A&K.

I'm happy either way. I just wonder if 6 was their first choice too?

I see the website has had an amendment re booking seats if you booked before 12 November http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/en/tr ... nment.html

Thats interesting, i was quick off the mark as there are only 2 of us flying to Vegas in march so we wanted a pair of the 2 seats together at the back so I paid £100 to reserve them for both legs. I now find out that i could have waited until the 60 day period and got them (potentially) for free.

What do the experts on here suggest

If you wait till 60 days before, those seats will most likely be taken

Drewery,

If you felt it was worth £100 to reserve your seats then you did the right thing.
Waiting till January might well end in you losing them. Although as Virgin don't seem to be advertising the fact their new booking system is online there doesn't seem to be the take up we all expected so far.
I would have paid the £100 and reserved now.

Dick D

I see the website has had an amendment re booking seats if you booked before 12 November http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/en/tr ... nment.html

Thats interesting, i was quick off the mark as there are only 2 of us flying to Vegas in march so we wanted a pair of the 2 seats together at the back so I paid £100 to reserve them for both legs. I now find out that i could have waited until the 60 day period and got them (potentially) for free.

What do the experts on here suggest

I didn't know of that arrangement until after I'd shelled out £250 for 5 seats in the Bubble. However pretty sure those seats wouldn't be there come T-60 and since I was actually trying to get PE seats I'm happy with what I've got.

If you're happy to pay £100 then it was the correct decision at the time and it's giving you peace of mind for the next few months, don't think back with the benefit of hindsight.

What a shame they finally fixed this and introduced the £50 per flight price increase.

Oh sorry yes its 'optional'. Not that risking being sat on your own at the back for 11 hours is really that optional.

I picked a different carrier for my last trip - who offered free seat selection when I booked - and had an enjoyable trip. My first non VS TATL flight and picked mostly because at the time VS claimed they would charge us £100 to both pick our seats.

Once the whole thing fell down into a disaster a few months ago I was back to looking at VS for my next flights. Sigh.

This is SUCH a crappy budget airline feature. I don't mind it on a £19 Easyjet flight but given VS currently want £900 each for flights to LAX next September plus another £50 each for seat selection it quite obviously isnt a 'budget airline'.

This is SUCH a crappy budget airline feature

I'm not sure you can describe BA as a budget airline - and they charge quite a bit more. Given their soaring profits it clearly isn't putting customers off and is obviously working for them, so no wonder VS - who've been losing money - are following suit.

As a BA AG I get free seat selection - at which tier do seat selections become free on VS now?

At which tier do seat selections become free on VS now?

Au - the equivalent to BA Ag (ie third tier).

At which tier do seat selections become free on VS now?

Au - the equivalent to BA Ag (ie third tier).

Silver and Red FC members also get free seat selection 14 and 3 days out from departure.

Erm..anyone else had this problem? I chose 6K both outward and inward and wanted to go back a few days later and see how the cabin was filling to get a message "Seat Plan cannot be displayed, contact XXXX". Once chosen, can't we go back for a nose around?