Seat assignments changed for MEL-ADL return flight

[guerre64]

Howdy.

I'm a Silver Velocity member and fly quite a bit each year back and forth between MEL and ADL.

Did a lot of flying this year in June because my Mum was sick (luckily recovered after major surgery!).

I occasionally use points to book my flights, but for the June roundabout, I paid for all flights.

Now, for those flights I was always able to select and was assigned 13A (exit row 737, but with no extra fee associated due to non-reclining seat) and have never had an issue.

Just checking a flight that I am doing in a few weeks back to ADL to see the family, for which I have once again paid (booking made on Sept 16 via the VA web site), and when I booked selected 13A for both sectors, no problems. However, checking my booking online today I noticed that I had been re-assigned to 12B (arrrgggh a middle seat) MEL-ADL and 12C for the return.

Called customer service to enquire as to why, was speaking to a Philippino gent (who was trying to be as helpful as possible), but tried to tell me in this order that:

1. row 13 should have required an extra payment because it's an exit row
2. row 13 can only be assigned at the airport to able-bodied individuals

I corrected him on both of these because this has not at all been my experience this year on VA.

Anyway, long story a little shorter, he has not re-assigned me because row 13 is now "locked" and can only be accessed by airport staff but he has sent them my details for the manifest with a request that I be assigned 13A for both legs, as shown on the original itinerary received by email from VA, in my possession.

So VFF, why would this re-assignment have occurred when it's never been a problem in the past and, am I going to run into issues at the airport on the day and have to fly in the currently assigned seats??

Cheers.
Phil.

 

[serfty]

Have you tried to re-select seating online? ( this has been available for a week or three )

 

[eastwest101]

Agree about trying to reselect on-line, will be interested to hear if you can do it or not.....

Could it be a planned substitution from a B737-800 to a B737-700 or the reverse? Is the VA seat selection clever enough to handle changes from B737s to B738s? Who else has seen what happens when a VA B738 becomes a B737 lately?

 

[bullerdude]

I just did some dummy bookings for later this year and the whole of Row 13 was 'blocked' and not selectable - this was done logged in as a Plat and I could select any other seat on the plane.

VFF - has there been a policy change around Row 13?

 

[guerre64]

Yes, I did try re-seating myself while looking at the booking online, but row 13 was blocked out, which has not been the case at all.

Would be very interested to know if there has been a policy change on this, because it is a great seat assignment, but obviously can't/shouldn't be charged an extra fee for due to that fact that the seats don't recline - though I'm sure if VA feel it's another way to make some extra bucks then they may just start implementing a fee for these seats.

 

[Phillippe M]

I noticed the same thing on my booking the other day for a DRW-SYD flight in Decemeber, I had selected 13A when I booked the ticket about a month ago and the other day, had noticed I have been moved to 14A now, and all of row 13 is blocked out. Still happy as I have an exit row

 

[guerre64]

Phillippe, at least you were re-assigned to another exit row, whereas I've been reassigned to a middle seat and then an aisle in a non-exit row without any explanation for VA whatsoever. I'm spending a bit of time on the phone today to the call centre to sort this out - not good enough to have no notification in my opinion.

 

[guerre64]

Still on the phone some hour later and call has been escalated to a Supervisor in the Manila call centre.

What has been made clear by the call centre Supervisor is that VA made a policy change on September 26 which means row 13 will no longer be available to be booked online and can only be allocated by airport staff - part of the reasoning, which I don't quite understand, is apparently because seats in row 13 are non-reclining. Perhaps some passengers have been getting jacked off about it - who knows?!?!

 

[guerre64]

Okay, so final update for now - no joy in getting re-assigned by the call centre and I can't be bothered spending any more time on the phone.

I've been advised to call them back 6-9 days prior to the flight/s and they can then ask airport staff to re-allocate 13A to my booking so that it matches the original online booking. What a crock.

The simple fact that VA haven't bothered to notify anyone of this retrospective change and, the seemingly random re-allocation as evidenced by Phillippe's post above, is pretty annoying and shows a lack of respect for their loyal customers - I'm about to go Gold FF soon because I give them all my business.

I can understand if there was a change of aircraft etc. etc., but this is pretty poor VA.