Platinum Shadows?

[ashish100]

When I was Silver (close to gold) I often had blocked off seats next to me! Sometimes they'd even tell me that

Gold now

 

[Batesy]

Not sure about any shadow but my recent experience with myself and Mrs Batesy we had row 3 with great legroom on Sydney to Ballina with middle seat blocked and yesterday we flew Sydney to Denpasar same row with middle seat blocked.
We are both status match gold with virgin.
Virgin also allocated our friends who have no status in row 4 with empty seat for their 7 month old infant. (I had linked our bookings and spoke with a great guy at the call centre about seat allocation a couple of weeks out)

Row 3 is the best on the new 737 configuration. Already have it allocated on the way home. Just hoping for blocked seat again. Good service for a six hour flight but as a well informed longer haul LCC flyer we had all our food, snacks iPads NC headphones planned so sat back relaxed and watched movies when not entertaining the 7 month old on her first flight!!!!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

it's made me wonder, are Virgin (unofficially) proactively blocking off seats for Platinums? Lately it sounds to be like I've gained a shadow.

As for shadows there's no such thing. It just comes alot down to luck and who is the supervisor for the editing of a particular flight

I don't think Liam was suggesting an official policy. I posted here on AFF previously that the lovely check-in angels have given me a shadow (numerous times) and have told me that as well.

they may block seats next to plats / golds

Isn't that a shadow??

 

[VRC]

9 out of 12 this year had MT seat next to me, 4 of these in row 3.
Where possible I do select my seat, on line, 2 weeks out from the flight
2 out of the 3 where seat occupied, flight very full (one due to previous flight being cancelled).
As a regular flyer I certainly do appreciate this extra level of service.
My take on it, very appreciative when I receive it, a bit dissapointed when I don't when flight isn't near full.
So all in all very happy.

 

[Simo]

I haven't seen the shadow yet.

I have only had 3 flights and all of them I have either been travelling with someone or it is has been a very full flight.

I didn't mind because one day I was flying and the check in agent said to me do you want the flight that is about to leave but it is a full flight so no spare seats.

I just wanted to get home that day.

 

[DSFlyer]

I would say that the times that I do travel in economy, its probably only 50/50 on whether the seat is empty in the middle.