No seat allocation when booked through a partner

[Kremmen]

I have an Air Canada booking that includes SQ and VA. I can do seat allocation on SQ's site fine, of course, but on the VA web site, if I try to get seat allocation, I get the message that I can't "modify" such a booking. I haven't had issues like this with other carriers for years. How can VA's IT be that bad?

Dropped by check-in at MEL today and asked if they can do seat allocation for me. Two agents claimed that seat allocation is impossible on any flight until a few days before departure. This is either an outright lie or something has changed radically recently.

 

[henrus]

It needs to be done via the phone. The VA website struggles when multiple carriers are in the same booking.

The social media team may also be able help.

 

[Denali]

I vaguely remember when I did VA redemption flights I would phone VA and ask for the partner airline PNR and then phone the partner airline with that info to select my seat but that was at least 3yrs ago and its all very vague. So maybe Air Canada can give your the VA PNR?

Hopefully someone can remind me/set me straight on this as its been 3yrs and Im getting old.

 

[Kremmen]

It needs to be done via the phone. The VA website struggles when multiple carriers are in the same booking.

The social media team may also be able help.

If phone agents can do it, airport agents should be able to. Or at least phone someone who can instead of being lazy liars.

Who wants to sit on hold on a 13 number for who-knows-how-long? Anyhow, I'll be overseas until I take that flight. Phoning a 13 number from overseas is not a reasonable option.

 

[henrus]

I vaguely remember when I did VA redemption flights I would phone VA and ask for the partner airline PNR and then phone the partner airline with that info to select my seat but that was at least 3yrs ago and its all very vague. So maybe Air Canada can give your the VA PNR?

You're correct, when booking VA flights on partners it was nessecery to ask for the partner PNR. More recently this can be found on the eticket emailed to you during booking however in this case the OP actually has the VA PNR.

If phone agents can do it, airport agents should be able to. Or at least phone someone who can instead of being lazy liars.

Incorrect, airport agents only have access to flights once they've been passed to airport control. So they're correct when they state they're unable to do it at the airport.

Who wants to sit on hold on a 13 number for who-knows-how-long? Anyhow, I'll be overseas until I take that flight. Phoning a 13 number from overseas is not a reasonable option.

VA phone lines are rather quick but like I said I'd try social media (facebook messenger or a twitter direct message first).

If you do decide to call there are other options instead of the 13 number
The regular AU landline number +61 7 3295 2296

If you don't want to pay to call then Skype can call toll free numbers in some countries including the UK and US for free.
US toll free - 1855 253 8021
UK toll free - 0800 051 1281

 

[Kremmen]

You're correct, when booking VA flights on partners it was nessecery to ask for the partner PNR. More recently this can be found on the eticket emailed to you during booking however in this case the OP actually has the VA PNR.

This is all irrelevant. Someone didn't read the second sentence of my post. Obviously I have the PNR or I wouldn't be able to get to the point of VA's web site giving me the error message when trying to do seat allocation.

Incorrect, airport agents only have access to flights once they've been passed to airport control. So they're correct when they state they're unable to do it at the airport.

They said it couldn't be done. At all. Not just that they couldn't do it. If they can't do it, they can contact someone who can. Clueless and/or lazy.

If you don't want to pay to call then Skype can call toll free numbers in some countries including the UK and US for free.
US toll free - 1855 253 8021
UK toll free - 0800 051 1281

Thanks. I'll give that a shot sometime.

 

[Thibault]

Have you tried the Virgin Australia app?
On EY 607 tickets, I can never choose my seats for the VA-operated segments on VA marketed or an EY marketed flight via the website, but it worked using the app most of the time.

Otherwise, it's via the Guest Contact Centre.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I can confirm you can’t do seat allocation on Air Canada bookings for virgin australia.

You need to ring VA (in my case it was around 10 minutes hold). Reservations said they couldn’t help and put me through to the Velocity FF team. They did it in a couple of minutes.

 

[Must...Fly!]

The rule is that airport staff can't touch these bookings. But it technically is possible, I believe - just don't ever expect it to be done. It's for a number of very good reasons.

You can also try using the app, on occasion I've found the app will do a seat selection when the website won't. But YMMV

 

[Kremmen]

I expected that VA wouldn't have a toll-free US number as the new incarnation doesn't fly there.

Used Google Voice for a free call and was answered immediately by a Filipina who sorted it out. Definitely the way to go if you are outside Australia.

 

[henrus]

I expected that VA wouldn't have a toll-free US number as the new incarnation doesn't fly there.

VA has had a UK toll free number for ages despite never flying to the UK.

Unlike in Australia, toll free numbers in other countries are really cheap to operate hence VA seems to have retained their overseas numbers.

Used Google Voice for a free call and was answered immediately by a Filipina who sorted it out.

Worth nothing that the call centres and queues are the same regardless of which number you call.