Here's an interesting experience! When I booked Sydney to Munich for travel in October, the VA 16 flight was the only one on which I could select a seat. The itinerary came in showing seats N/A on the Etihad operated flights - Abu Dhabi to Munich, and return to Sydney. I am a Platinum Altitute member.
I just upgraded the VA 16 and the ever so nice operator advised for Etihad seat allocation to call them, and she gave me the different Etihad reservation reference.
Called them, and got reasonable seats. Opened my email to find the new Itinerary from V.A. showed the BEST seats on the Etihad flights - which I had inadvertently now downgraded by calling them!
So to sum up: while your seats may not be initially shown on your V.A. itinerary, ASK ETIHAD what is allocated BEFORE changing them!
Of course I called ETIHAD back, but could only restore 1 of the three brilliant seats.
I just upgraded the VA 16 and the ever so nice operator advised for Etihad seat allocation to call them, and she gave me the different Etihad reservation reference.
Called them, and got reasonable seats. Opened my email to find the new Itinerary from V.A. showed the BEST seats on the Etihad flights - which I had inadvertently now downgraded by calling them!
So to sum up: while your seats may not be initially shown on your V.A. itinerary, ASK ETIHAD what is allocated BEFORE changing them!
Of course I called ETIHAD back, but could only restore 1 of the three brilliant seats.
