Config changes (to XFA, XFB) and seat allocation

[Bofter]

Now I appreciate that this one impacts a niche group, but it's happened a few times to me at least.

An A332 config change occurs, to either XFA or XFB. This seems to be timed right on the airport control change. For reasons best known to VA there are mismatches in seat numbering, both in terms of front row numbers and seat letters.

The comfortable 10C or 10H I had for booking weeks ahead as a platinum just vanishes. It seems that it would be too much for the system or people to recognise the equivalent seat, although it is pretty obvious.

Sure, by continuously monitoring the seat maps (expert flyer doesn't alerts won't cover this) calling the call centre (online allocation changes fail), hoping the call centre succeeds in the new allocation request (sometimes) and ensuring that you OLCI at exactly 48 hours you can normally work around this.

I get that seat allocations aren't guaranteed, but surely this needn't be the same as seat allocations (to the equivalent seat) being discarded in this situation.

Fortunately I am even tempered and well prepared enough not to board and sit in row 6/7 with a row 10 boarding pass and then explode in rage upon realising the error, but I have seen a few other VA plats do just that.

 

[Velocity Frequent Flyer]

Hi Bofter, Can you PM a PNR/reservation number of a time where this happened?
We'll have a look into it.

 

[docjames]

Hi Bofter, Can you PM a PNR/reservation number of a time where this happened?
We'll have a look into it.

Are there any plans to upgrade the interiors of XFA/XFB?

 

[Moopere]

Are there any plans to upgrade the interiors of XFA/XFB?

Yes, I second that question. I hadn't flown XFA/B for ages, maybe 9 months or more, but copped one of them a few weeks ago coming back from MEL in J (can't remember which it was). Just terrible! They have really degraded. The seat I was in struggled to move, though it did if you kept trying - the fixed IFE just kept rebooting every 10 minutes or so, for me and my partner seated next to me. After complaining about this I "scored" a Samsung tablet, but the first one had no audio, the second had almost no battery and by the third I just about gave up ... it mostly worked but was loaded with rubbish ... sigh ...

IFE failure aside, the interior is looking and feeling _really_ tired - the thought occurs that the lease is ending and they will be handed back soon??? I don't know of course, but something doesn't feel right.

I flew on both A and B a heap when they were first introduced, and despite B having several long delay causing issues on a couple of occasions they were clean and reasonably maintained.

 

[Velocity Frequent Flyer]

Are there any plans to upgrade the interiors of XFA/XFB?

Sorry Doc, I don't have any info on this at this time.

 

[docjames]

Sorry Doc, I don't have any info on this at this time.

OK, thanks for answering.

Disappointing. Guess that'll keep the XFA/XFB threads going for a while yet!

 

[maninblack]

Sorry Doc, I don't have any info on this at this time.

Double triple quadruple

 

[lovestotravel]

Double triple quadruple

Yep it's pretty funny.

It should be a yes or a no not a "I don't know"

 

[day-heg]

I overheard the CSM on a MEL-PER flight today talking to some other pax in J. He was utterly convinced that XFA was in Manila at the moment for maintenance and a refit to the J cabin up to the spec of the newer birds, inc the IFE.
It can't be in Manila for that long, so I guess we'll see soon.

And yes, I know that we ought to treat cabin crew rumours with a wee bit of salt!

 

[markis10]

Yep it's pretty funny.

It should be a yes or a no not a "I don't know"

Pretty stupid to give your competition a heads up on equipment improvements in a public forum

 

[docjames]

Pretty stupid to give your competition a heads up on equipment improvements in a public forum

Equally not great if you cheese off current/future customers and they leak to the opposition......

 

[markis10]

Equally not great if you cheese off current/future customers and they leak to the opposition......

At the moment you have a one in 5 chance of getting equipment that is not superior to what the competition offers, seems a pretty poor reason to change in my books if I was flying the route on a regular basis.

 

[docjames]

At the moment you have a one in 5 chance of getting equipment that is not superior to what the competition offers, seems a pretty poor reason to change in my books if I was flying the route on a regular basis.

Whilst I was somewhat playing devil's advocate, there is certainly a number of members here for whom it is an issue.

How reflective is that of the "general population"? How many customers will that cost Virgin? Who knows - but i'm sure they are keeping an eye on it.

 

[maninblack]

Pretty stupid to give your competition a heads up on equipment improvements in a public forum

What would the "heads up" be? I don't think knowing could alter QF strategy in any way whatsoever.

 

[markis10]

What would the "heads up" be? I don't think knowing could alter QF strategy in any way whatsoever.

How and if you react often depends on how much notice you get from the competition in business, why give them a free run if there is nothing to really gain in any case.

 

[lovestotravel]

Pretty stupid to give your competition a heads up on equipment improvements in a public forum

Pretty stupid to continue to alienate loyal customers further by saying "no idea" instead of a yes/no.

Truth will be out in a few weeks/month or so anyways plus given the fact that QF is upgrading all A330's to a better standard that VA.......

 

[lovestotravel]

What would the "heads up" be? I don't think knowing could alter QF strategy in any way whatsoever.

Exactly, QF is clear that they are upgrading ALL A330's to a better standard than VA (based on information provided)

 

[markis10]

Exactly, QF is clear that they are upgrading ALL A330's to a better standard than VA (based on information provided)

Thats arguable given we know VA are also in the process of looking at new cabins and could well be in the position of actually doing it now, I hear the SQ J seat is a firm favourite to get a licence deal , given QF won't be done with their refit until 2016, should be interesting.

 

[lovestotravel]

Thats arguable given we know VA are also in the process of looking at new cabins and could well be in the position of actually doing it now, I hear the SQ J seat is a firm favourite to get a licence deal , given QF won't be done with their refit until 2016, should be interesting.

New cabins for the 737 I believe.

There is pretty much zero chance they would be ripping out interiors of A330's which are 4-18 months old. The only reason I see this happening is to remove some J seats for more Y........

 

[markis10]

New cabins for the 737 I believe.

There is pretty much zero chance they would be ripping out interiors of A330's which are 4-18 months old. The only reason I see this happening is to remove some J seats for more Y........

Nope, new fleet wide standard seats from what I hear, but who knows, there is always the question of who is going to pay for it no matter what airline!