Seat selection in new system?

[burmans]

Surely it's not too much to expect a status member and their +1 can sit together!

Apparently it is!

 

[pointwilliams]

yep, same problem here...Gold and Platinum have problems sitting together, and even selecting a seat in the front half of the plane!!

 

[ataline]

Just made a booking for gold+red, was able to select from the gold allocation, but after payment "Seat selection cannot be confirmed for some/all guests. Seats will be assigned upon check in." Haven't seen that one before. Seats listed as N/A. Hmm.

I booked a couple of nights ago and got the same. I'm platinum, and the booking was just for me. So probably a problem with seat selection rather than status and non-status.

 

[clarkkent]

I booked a couple of nights ago and got the same. I'm platinum, and the booking was just for me. So probably a problem with seat selection rather than status and non-status.

Heh so they fixed the mixed-status-handling code but broke seat selection more generally. One step forward many steps back...

 

[alister]

I checked in at the airport again today with no prior seat selection. I was given without asking 3A and my wife was put next to me. Plane was pretty full. Rocky to brisbane on the recently upgraded embraer 190's. next flight bris to sydney was better though in J upgrade (using them up).

 

[garoz]

I booked a couple of nights ago and got the same. I'm platinum, and the booking was just for me. So probably a problem with seat selection rather than status and non-status.

Had the same problem today booking 2 seats, both gold. Selected row 7 from seat allocation but then after payment got the message that seats will be assigned upon check in.

I also noticed today while checking another booking I had, my previously confirmed seats in 06D and 06E had changed to 15A and 15B. A call to Velocity got me reallocated to 07D and 07E. Their only explanation was that maybe since my initial booking, they have changed the plane and now rows 1-6 are reserved for platinum instead of 1-5 as per the old plane. Why we got shunted back to 15 though, I have no idea.

 

[aupirate]

Flew BNE - AKL last night allocated 7D when booking at checkin I asked for a seat further forward very efficient checkin person looked for me but remarked that there were no seats with an empty seat adjacent. Therefore I had been given a shadow on an almost full flight. Thankyou Virgin!

 

[RooFlyer]

Not sure if this is "old news - boring", (and apologies if so) but in my Velocity statement e-mailed to me tonight are 2 comments marked by a " ! "

Thank you for your patience following our transition to a new booking and check-in system. If Points and Status Credits have not been awarded to your Account at least 14 days after your flight, you can claim flights taken with Virgin Australia, Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand online after logging in to your Account. For claims with other airline partners, please send a copy of your itinerary to [email protected].

Seat selection can be made online at the time of booking or when checking-in*. To select a seat after a booking has been made, please contact the Guest Contact Centre.

The latter one appears to codify the experience of posters. Select seat at booking, or at check-in, but between those times, phone!
*online and mobile check-in is available 48 hours prior to flight departure tim

 

[JohnK]

I have not flown Virgin for a while but I have pretty much given up anyway.

So on Friday OOL-SYD the system makes me look life a fool. I did not use OLCI or select a seat prior to flight and was allocated 4C at checkin.

Is the system now doing allocations at T-48 hours and looking at those with status and allocation seats?

P.S The wanker sitting in 3D and the lady sitting next to me in 4A did not turn off their mobile devices for descent even after being told by the FA who then went to sit down. Should I have said something to someone?

 

[Fruitcake]

P.S The wanker sitting in 3D and the lady sitting next to me in 4A did not turn off their mobile devices for descent even after being told by the FA who then went to sit down. Should I have said something to someone?

Please see the 140+ post AFF etiquette guide on exactly what one should do when confronted with a flagrant flaunting of electronic device instructions from the crew:
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....hes-dealing-electronic-devices-off-40191.html

 

[medhead]

I have not flown Virgin for a while but I have pretty much given up anyway.

So on Friday OOL-SYD the system makes me look life a fool. I did not use OLCI or select a seat prior to flight and was allocated 4C at checkin.

Is the system now doing allocations at T-48 hours and looking at those with status and allocation seats?

Check in now opens at T-48. So highly likely seats are allocated then as well.

 

[eastwest101]

Not sure if this is "old news - boring", (and apologies if so) but in my Velocity statement e-mailed to me tonight are 2 comments marked by a " ! "





The latter one appears to codify the experience of posters. Select seat at booking, or at check-in, but between those times, phone!
*online and mobile check-in is available 48 hours prior to flight departure tim

I noticed that too Rooflyer - as you said - its about 7-8 weeks too late but an admission that online seat selection between time of booking and checkin is picking up the phone and calling VA to assign a seat. So they have succesfully removed a clunky old online system that did sort of work, with a new system that involves all customers ringing up and cluttering up the phone lines and the time of VA call centre staff.

 

[oz_mark]

The latter one appears to codify the experience of posters. Select seat at booking, or at check-in, but between those times, phone!

Hasn't the website been saying that since the changeover?

 

[JohnK]

And then today I am given boarding pass for 5A! Still trying to work out how that ties in with aisle request in my profile.

Handed boarding pass back and luckily enough 3D is available. I checked in quite late so could have been stuck with 5A or somewhere down the back.

One of the last to board the flight and there was someone standing in front of 3D and looked extremely disappointed that I had boarded. I think he was going to claim seat and it appeared his girlfriend was in 3E. Just as well he did not ask to swap seats as he walked somewhere down the back.

 

[Elbobbo]

Poor guy, wonder how he managed to be seated so far from his girlfriend. would have been a long walk to the back of the plane having got his hopes up the longer 3D stayed empty...

 

[alister]

2 flights yesterday, sydney to brissy and then onto rocky. I didn't check in online or choose seats when booking, first flight was free upgrade to business (one of the 4 free ones as platinum). 2nd flight I was just flexi, I was put in 2D, a Business seat but only a flexi meal. No one in business was offered a business meal (not sure if they even do that brissy to rocky) so I guess they were all just put in the seats like me to make room further back, the flight seemed full.

If I had pre-chosen 3A I might have missed out on having the business seat. So far in the 12 flights since the new sabre upgrade I have had great seats without choosing during booking and just rocking up and taking my chances. Long may it continue

 

[JohnK]

Poor guy, wonder how he managed to be seated so far from his girlfriend. would have been a long walk to the back of the plane having got his hopes up the longer 3D stayed empty...

Possibly different PNR's. I guess if you are not able to pre-allocate seats it could be too late by the time you get to airport especially if you arrive close to boarding time.

 

[jneufeld]

Possibly different PNR's. I guess if you are not able to pre-allocate seats it could be too late by the time you get to airport especially if you arrive close to boarding time.

On a similar tangent, I have made 2 bookings for my partner who has no status on flights that I already have bookings on one Int'l and one Domestic. For these flights I am allocated seats up the front in Y (row 3 dom, row 20 int'l). Both times after I booked her flight I have called up to see if it's possible to seat her next to me up front and both times the operators have been very surprised when then have been able to allocate her in the WP zones next to me.

 

[Elbobbo]

Very gentlemanly or perhaps just unlucky then for his lady to be at the front and him at the back - who says chivalry is dead?

 

[RooFlyer]

Hasn't the website been saying that since the changeover?

Dunno, has it? But as I haven't been flying Virgin much since the change-over (and selected my seat at check-in even then) , you may have noticed the first line in my post:

Not sure if this is "old news - boring", (and apologies if so) but in my Velocity statement e-mailed to me tonight are 2 comments marked by a " ! "
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