Online check in - what seats become available?

[SimonF]

I've never done an online check in before... I guess I'm old fashioned however do all the seats become available to anyone or are some still blocked? Just wondering if it's worth my effort. Any difference or say plat compared to gold compared to statusless person?

 

[SimonF]

Wow over 200 views and no replies.

 

[quokka77]

Depends on your status. If you are platinum you get access to row 3 (if not already taken by other platinum pax). Golds can get rows 4 to 7 (I think). Silver back to the over wing exit. Red and no status behind that. At some point nil status pax can book into the forward half I think (not sure at what point) if seats are not taken. None of this is actually official, just my (perhaps flawed) observations of what I have been able to allocate to myself / family members.

 

[JohnK]

Surprised it has lasted this long without an answer as well.

In my experience as a Gold I have been able to move further forward from row 7 to row 4, 5 and 6 but hardly ever to row 3.

I did get to move into business class on a ROK-BNE flight last week though.

 

[bullerdude]

I've never done an online check in before... I guess I'm old fashioned however do all the seats become available to anyone or are some still blocked? Just wondering if it's worth my effort. Any difference or say plat compared to gold compared to statusless person?

Non-status members can select seats up to about Row 5 as soon as online checkin opens of available.

 

[NFF]

I have sat in row 3 despite having no status. It was a counter check in though.

 

[apacau]

Non-status members can select seats up to about Row 5 as soon as online checkin opens of available.

Someone in the know may correct me here, but from experience I don't believe it's as simple as this. I think additional rows open up for check-in the closer to departure you get. Ie: when online check in opens at -48hrs, as a non-status member, you have less options than if you check-in online less than, say, -24hrs from departure. But of course you then take the risk that others have taken the best seats!

 

[clarkkent]

I think additional rows open up for check-in the closer to departure you get.

I agree, checking again later often gives a few options in rows 3-4 (as Gold) that weren't available 48 hrs out. e.g., might move from row 7 (chosen at booking) to row 5 when online check-in opens, then to row 4 a day later. I suppose in some cases the increased availability could be because someone has flown ahead.

 

[dk4]

Many Y VA frequent fliers don't check-in online, they do it at the lounge/airport - so they retain the ability to "fly ahead" (platinum or gold Velocity) / change flights (flexi tickets). Once you have checked in with Virgin, you have basically committed to taking that flight. :idea: So it might take a while to get some depth to this thread, from those who use VA's online check-in.

 

[vmile]

Many Y VA frequent fliers don't check-in online, they do it at the lounge/airport - so they retain the ability to "fly ahead" (platinum or gold Velocity) / change flights (flexi tickets). Once you have checked in with Virgin, you have basically committed to taking that flight. :idea:

This is not my (limited) experience. Both times we have done Fly Ahead, we had on checked in on line, printed boarding passes, and the nice ladies of the front desk of the Lounge in Adelaide and Melbourne could not have been more helpful taking the passes we had printed and issuing new ones for our new flights.

 

[webslave]

Agreed. I always check-in online and have never had trouble with fly-ahead except when booking through a travel agent.

 

[dk4]

Well that's good news isn't it.

 

[tasmarshall]

To add some more data points I'm a pretty lowly silver and was able to check in to row 3 at a kiosk on a (pretty empty) early morning CBR-MEL flight. I've also been able to check into row 4 via online check in about 15 hours before boarding HBA-SYD. So clearly it does open up but I couldn't tell you exactly when unfortunately.