Seat selection in new system?

[medhead]

My past experience has been that taking the options to speak to velocity has got me straight through to the platinum desk, but any other option doesn't and also requires a wait.

They seem to have changed the phone menu options and I'm trying to answer those honestly, so I'd say I'm not picking the option that gets immediate service. Plus, of course, high call volumes.

Ok so called them this arvo. Got straight through to a person. Then had a rather surreal experience.

I said "I want to do seat select for my flight next week."
She said "Ok, let me ID you first" Lets start with your velocity number. Followed by 4 other questions.
I passed.
She said something like 'You want to do seat selection, I can't help you with that because we're having system problems, please call back later'.
I was so stunned I can't even remember the exact words. Why? Why ID me if you know that you can't do seat selection? Just bizarre.

 

[JohnK]

Which also has a knock on effect for Silver. I'm wondering if more Gold enhancements are coming or whether they'll actually consider some of the mentioned options to increase the platinum lustre. We know the QF definition of "enhancement" and I'm guessing we'll soon know the VA definition of "innovative".

If I stay at Gold then further enhancements are coming to Gold.

PS - I might also add I'm not at all disappoving of the seat changes. Highest status should get best seats but the proviso being that Golds get the first option to select further forward seats at checkin over silver, bronze and Velocity non-members. We believe this is the case, but I'm not sure yet whether the remaining seats < row 7 open up to all at T-24, or just Gold.

I think at T-24 unused row 3-7 seats are going to be free for all. I have finally managed to check-in for OOL-SYD in a couple of days and best I could do was 7D which in itself is not the end of the world. I will give it a shot tomorrow at T-24 hours and see what opens up.

But for me it is not just about seats. Virgin was supposed to be this shining new light that everyone is raving about. I was Platinum and now I am Gold but will maintain Gold easily this year. All I see are negative enhancements and nothing for me.

Anytime access has disappeared, now pushed further back in cabin and recent luggage changes have me worried.

 

[oz_mark]

I think at T-24 unused row 3-7 seats are going to be free for all.

Never fear. The unannounced enhancements that platinums will soon become aware of is that it is 3B and 3E that will become the free for all :mrgreen:

 

[medhead]

If I stay at Gold then further enhancements are coming to Gold.


I think at T-24 unused row 3-7 seats are going to be free for all. I have finally managed to check-in for OOL-SYD in a couple of days and best I could do was 7D which in itself is not the end of the world. I will give it a shot tomorrow at T-24 hours and see what opens up.

But for me it is not just about seats. Virgin was supposed to be this shining new light that everyone is raving about. I was Platinum and now I am Gold but will maintain Gold easily this year. All I see are negative enhancements and nothing for me.

Umm, isn't dropping a status level the definition of a negative enhancement? Not really Virgin's fault.

 

[straitman]

I don't see this as being any worse than Qantas and in fact is actually much better defined from what I can see. With Qantas it seems that the rows available vary with the flight.

At least in the case of Virgin the lines are distinct.

 

[JohnK]

Umm, isn't dropping a status level the definition of a negative enhancement? Not really Virgin's fault.

Anytime access has disappeared, now pushed further back in cabin and recent luggage changes have me worried.

Just in case you missed it in the post you quoted. All these benefits were there for Gold until recently. So negative enhancements it is then....

 

[medhead]

Anytime access has disappeared, now pushed further back in cabin and recent luggage changes have me worried.

Just in case you missed it in the post you quoted. All these benefits were there for Gold until recently. So negative enhancements it is then....

Anytime access for gold? Not as I recall. However, fully acknowledge my recollection may be rubbish.

 

[straitman]

Anytime access has disappeared, now pushed further back in cabin and recent luggage changes have me worried.

Just in case you missed it in the post you quoted. All these benefits were there for Gold until recently. So negative enhancements it is then....

I keep asking this without answer.

Is this any worse than with Qantas :?: (Not taking sides, just asking)

 

[oz_mark]

Anytime access for gold? Not as I recall. However, fully acknowledge my recollection may be rubbish.

Unfortunately, your recollection is rubbish :mrgreen:

Golds did indeed have anytime access. In fact, one of the discussion points was that it should have only been removed from golds.

 

[oz_mark]

I keep asking this without answer.

Is this any worse than with Qantas :?: (Not taking sides, just asking)

While my answer to this is no, but, as I have said before, it will be quite disappointing if we end up with two airlines that are copies of each other.....

 

[medhead]

I keep asking this without answer.

Is this any worse than with Qantas :?: (Not taking sides, just asking)

Probably better than qantas given no P1 on VA.

 

[straitman]

While my answer to this is no, but, as I have said before, it will be quite disappointing if we end up with two airlines that are copies of each other.....

I agree entirely.

I just get frustrated when people continually make one sided comparisons. (A general comment not aimed at any individual)

 

[JohnK]

I keep asking this without answer.

Is this any worse than with Qantas :?: (Not taking sides, just asking)

No it is not any worse but they are not the shining light that everyone makes them out to be. My personal opinion is Virgin is still way behind Qantas with a long way to go to catch up.

I agree entirely.

I just get frustrated when people continually make one sided comparisons. (A general comment not aimed at any individual)

I believe that is aimed me but my comparisons are not continually one sided. I rip into both airlines.

 

[Bugalugz]

So how do you change seats once you have a booking? Cant find it anywhere in the Booking Summary......I am going to use my upgrade on an OOL-SYD flight and want to choose my seat after I have received it. Chose 6C during the booking so can I change that or set in stone until check in?

Can you change it once you upgrade or have to be done over the phone?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I keep asking this without answer.

Is this any worse than with Qantas :?: (Not taking sides, just asking)

Comparisons I make aren't between VA and QF, it's between the changes within VA. IE what we had 18months ago, what we had last year, what we had last week and what we have now. As JohnK has said, we have (all of us) experienced joy and disappointment with VA. The comparisons with QF, JQ and TT (domestically) will no doubt also be ongoing as each new tier of "innovation" is bowled toward us. Some no doubt will be good and some not so good. So far I'm not terribly impressed with the much hyped Sabre changes and see VA yet again sliding "enhancements" in and making a multitude of botches in the course of things, but I agree this was bound to happen and I'll make final judgements when it's all up and running......trouble is, when is it all up and running? I've no idea. Sabre can apparently do a lot, but we have no idea (apart from gossip) as to what VA will use and what they won't. I tired ages ago with all their "secret squirrel" attitude and I now just wish they'd tell us what the big picture is (I'm half guessing, they're not sure themselves, winging it like with ATA). Luggage seems dopey as well. A few months ago we were allowed multiple items, then just 1 item, now it's multiple items again. Are they playing games with their contractors at our expense? (I'd almost bet that was a game of brinkmanship over luggage handling negotiations between VA and the luggage handlers......and that comment is taking neithers side).

I guess Bill, from my perspective, it's hard to compare the VA product with anything except previous VA product because the goal posts keep shifting.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

the proviso being that Golds get the first option to select further forward seats at checkin over silver, bronze and Velocity non-members. ......but I'm not sure yet whether the remaining seats < row 7 open up to all at T-24, or just Gold.

I think at T-24 unused row 3-7 seats are going to be free for all.

Never fear. The unannounced enhancements that platinums will soon become aware of is that it is 3B and 3E that will become the free for all :mrgreen:

This is what I was alluding to above. If seat selection becomes a free for all, 3B and 3E will never be empty meaning that "Plat benefit" becomes a farce. Frequent flyers regularly prefer a spare middle seat than extra legroom but the non-frequent flyers will often just want "up-front". But how do you protect this? Shaddows wouldn't work in a programme, they'd need to be added manually which probably needs a lounge angel doing it only. Perhaps the fairer way to deal with it is if gold wants closer to the front, rock up to the lounge or check-in and ask for it. It there is availability without unneccessarily impinging on a plat (shaddow) the angel perhaps should then be able to use discretion to move the gold forward. Of course on a full plane, the shaddows disappear in any case and of course you'll always have the odd plat who wedges into 3B or 3C regardless (especially if there are no more aisle/window seats available) which is just too bad.

 

[KiwiBob]

Just tried to get seats on POM-BNE-AKL return leaving next week. For past two years configuration has been 1-2 J/PE 3-5 Plat Gold rest Y. I have usually got 3-5.

Now (after a 40 min wait) I am told 3-7 J, 8-12 PE, best I could get was 13. Also my ff number didn't survive the wait, so no Gold queue I guess.

So this is not great. The inability to select seats online is a big disappointment. I hope this feature comes back.

 

[hydrabyss]

Not sure if this has been mentioned. Book by myself I can pick row 6 and back on an E190(Gold). Include my partner who is Silver in the booking and get row 9 and back. Hope this is a glitch as making Plat seems useless if the lowest status is the determination for seat selection.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Not sure if this has been mentioned. Book by myself I can pick row 6 and back on an E190(Gold). Include my partner who is Silver in the booking and get row 9 and back. Hope this is a glitch as making Plat seems useless if the lowest status is the determination for seat selection.

Good point. Previously, any member (or even non-menber AFAIK) was bestowed the same benefit as the highest status flying on the PNR.

 

[EuroKick]

Indeed. It is a known fault. Try booking with a non status companion. All I could get was row 16. Pathetic. Thankfully a call to the call centre put us in row 6. Staff said row 6 was the best they could now do for golds.