Config changes (to XFA, XFB) and seat allocation

[lovestotravel]

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!

Hmm that would be interesting... SQ J seat on 737s.....

 

[kalboy]

XFA definatelly went to Manilla on the 3rd of January

 

[lovestotravel]

XFA definatelly went to Manilla on the 3rd of January

Yes but that's where the heavy maintenance is conducted for their A330's....

 

[markis10]

XFA definatelly went to Manilla on the 3rd of January

Its not her first time there, so we have no idea if its a simple c check (which is hardly simple) or some cabin enhancements at the same time, with the two airlines in cost cutting mode I doubt the taps are being made gold but I like surprises

 

[Bofter]

...and there are multiple reports specifically citing a C-check being carried out

The only open questions is whether it is only a C-check. My guess is yes, but I would be happy to have guessed wrong

 

[Fruitcake]

...I doubt the taps are being made gold but I like surprises

I've never been on XFA or XFB, but surely any tasteful interior refurb of an ex-EK aircraft would involve removing gold taps?

 

[docjames]

We'll know soon enough, but out of interest - does seating typically get removed during a C-check? If yes, then a refit would be "easier" in some respects.

I consulted Dr Google on this matter, but he wasn't very helpful....

 

[Moopere]

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!

I wonder what the IFE outcome will be? In my post above I whinge about IFE not working and Samsung tablets being barely any better. My CSR, whilst apologising mentioned that they were all pretty excited that the new tablets ... bigger, better and faster, where only weeks away .... I don't know what that means for the A330's though ... would a new refit of the cabin perhaps only have tablets as IFE and remove the seat back/shell back screens? I really hope not as I've never yet enjoyed the tablet experience.

 

[J-G]

Regarding the config changes affecting seat selection, my nicely selected 1A 1C pair became 3A 3B. How does this happen? Not a fan of the current lack of transparency around these changes. Surely 1A 1C should become 1A 1B?

 

[Must...Fly!]

Regarding the config changes affecting seat selection, my nicely selected 1A 1C pair became 3A 3B. How does this happen? Not a fan of the current lack of transparency around these changes. Surely 1A 1C should become 1A 1B?

Not if 1A or 1B is u/s, for example.

 

[Comoman]

Regarding the config changes affecting seat selection, my nicely selected 1A 1C pair became 3A 3B. How does this happen? Not a fan of the current lack of transparency around these changes. Surely 1A 1C should become 1A 1B?

This has happened to me many times. The system can't seem to cope with the change in the seating map from 1C to 1B (or vice-versa) so moves you to the back. Can be annoying.

 

[Bofter]

I have "won" the XFA/B lottery for VA697 this Sunday.

As a variant on the previous problem that goes that bit further: web check-in has now opened, but as a platinum member I cannot select any vacant seat in the Row 6 or 7 bulkheads. All 8 of these seats show as vacant.

 

[Bofter]

Whatever invisible blocks there were in place have been removed, so I have now been able to select my front row seat.

 

[kalboy]

So has she been reconfigured or not ?

 

[mannej]

So has she been reconfigured or not ?

No........

 

[Bofter]

Another version of this today: Config changed at around the midpoint of online check in to XFB (so 24hrs before departure). Luckily hadn't done check in by that point. Somehow the system had decided that 10H = 12J for me and filled up all the pair seats in front of that.

Luckily I managed to secure a row 6 seat that still showed vacant. Even got an empty next to me as a shadow, just as well as the tray table is broken on that seat (welcome to XFB).

I am pretty sure the people who ended up in the row 7 pairs didn't plan that, as they separately walked past and had to come back. It's not conclusive but I blame however allocations were realigned after config change. At this point I am thinking a random approach to re assignment after config change would be an improvement as whatever is being done now just adds extra layers onto the XFA/XFB LOTTERY.

 

[Bofter]

Lottery isn't meant to be capitalised, I am just having fun with the iPhone app that is also preventing me fixing that

 

[Bofter]

I am looking forward to XFA and XFB exiting the fleet, not because I particularly hate them, but because Virgin still can't get their act together on seat allocations for them.

I am flying PER-MEL on Friday afternoon. Around 9am this morning I check and see that the seat map has changed to show the XFA/XFB arrangement. I try changing my seat on line to retain my relative position (bulkhead aisle) as at this time every seat in rows 6-9 are empty. No luck online. I call up, no luck as it is under airport control, but puts a note in my booking as there is no chance to do anything before check-in opens.

Some time between 9am and 5pm (check-in opens), every single aisle seat in rows 6-8 are allocated. Check in opens at 5pm, I get sequence number 1 (so these aisle seats haven't gone to people checked in first via connecting flights) and yes every aisle seat in rows 6-8 is allocated and somehow the computer things 5 rows back is the equivalent seat to my previous bulkhead.

Now I fully know that I am entitled only to a seat and not a specific seat. I can even recognise that seat maps do change and that computers don't always map that across perfectly (mind you every time there is a change to XFA/XFB it doesn't seem like there is even an attempt to do that). Given that the plane was under airport control and allocations weren't possible either online or via the call centre, what annoys me most about this it would seem that someone somewhere has decided to do all these seat changes, or perhaps just to block all of those seats (you can't tell for Virgin flights) but in doing so make them unavailable to select. I hope there is a good reason, as otherwise all that has been achieved is annoying someone enough that they take the time to point it out to others.

For what it's worth, I am not strictly obsessive about having that seat as my seat, however getting that seat and it's extra comfort all helps with the downsides of being on the road enough to be a platinum member.