Seat selection in new system?

[medhead]

Do the mobile check in shopper dockets show status? If not its great to have a non-velocity person next to me in 3B with about 8 empty middle seats from row 6. Status benefits - virgin FTW!

 

[maomaocat]

I had a disappointing experience when I flew VOZ last Friday. I'd just landed on CA173 PEK-SYD and went to the VOZ dom transfer desk at about 0830h. The lady saw my height and gave me 1F, the exit row, on VA642A to CBR. I was very happy and sauntered off. Fast forward a few hours and I'm waiting at gate 36. First the flight was delayed by about half an hour and then I and some other people were paged. I was given a new ticket for 2F. The lady at the gate said initially that 1F wasn't assignable, then noticed that she had a new ticket for someone else for 1F; the reason given then was that someone had paid for the seat. I don't understand how they could have paid for it if I'd been assigned it? Or, how I could have been assigned 1F if someone had paid for it? Either way it was a stupid situation. When I said this was a strange outcome (rather than merrily accepting it) the lady rolled her eyes and muttered about the new booking system.

I know I didn't pay any extra for the special privilege, but if you give me something and then take it away... I was able to hear the middle aged, North Shore couple who ended up in row 1 loudly talk about how they rarely flew to Canberra and instead normally drove through it to the snow. imo it seemed as though they'd smuggled their ski poles into the cabin! The guy looked very happy with himself, as though he'd pulled rank at the checkin to score the seats.

(I was also tired after the 11 hour flight from PEK. Never again! Mrs Maomaocat has seen the light and next time we'll fly via HKG.)

 

[Boof1]

Does anyone know what the story is with seat allocation on the A330 services when booking?

I've got a couple of bookings cross country both in Y and J that connect to 737 services, I can select the seats for all the flights yet when I pay it tells me that there is a seating error and I need to select seats at check in. When I then check the bookings both through VA's website and through Sabre the 737 connecting flights are allocated but the A330 flights state check in required.

I rang to get our seats allocated and the lovely lady had no idea what I was talking about or why this was an error... and then to add insult to injury she told me that my partner and I would have to sit separately as I had status and my partner didn't!! I corrected this as we are on the same PNR and we are now sitting together as far forward as possible.

Anyone else having this issue?

Thanks,

Boof

 

[JohnK]

Do the mobile check in shopper dockets show status? If not its great to have a non-velocity person next to me in 3B with about 8 empty middle seats from row 6. Status benefits - virgin FTW!

Same same on Qantas when sitting in 9C and there are six middle seats vacant in front,

 

[robbie1984]

Does anyone know what the story is with seat allocation on the A330 services when booking?

I've got a couple of bookings cross country both in Y and J that connect to 737 services, I can select the seats for all the flights yet when I pay it tells me that there is a seating error and I need to select seats at check in. When I then check the bookings both through VA's website and through Sabre the 737 connecting flights are allocated but the A330 flights state check in required.

I rang to get our seats allocated and the lovely lady had no idea what I was talking about or why this was an error... and then to add insult to injury she told me that my partner and I would have to sit separately as I had status and my partner didn't!! I corrected this as we are on the same PNR and we are now sitting together as far forward as possible.

Anyone else having this issue?

Thanks,

Boof

I have the same issue on the A330 and B77W. Not sure if its a related to the seat map issue they had after the Sabre cutover. It's a bit annoying.

 

[Mak404matt]

I have the same issue on the A330 and B77W. Not sure if its a related to the seat map issue they had after the Sabre cutover. It's a bit annoying.

Also seems to be happening on the VA(NZ) 737s too!

 

[robbie1984]

Also seems to be happening on the VA(NZ) 737s too!

I havent had any issues with the VA NZ 737's, only the A330 and 77W's.

 

[kages]

I havent had any issues with the VA NZ 737's, only the A330 and 77W's.

I had same issue with dom reward flight on 73H yesterday.

 

[Cyberon]

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.

Before Golds could book from row 3 onwards.
Now it's restricted to row 7 onwards....

 

[wallacej]

FYI, booking made in October for travel at end of March had no seat allocation as yet. And no way of doing this online.
I am plat, made a call, which was answered within one minute. Requested to do a seat allocation (family coming on this trip), and no problem. Now is reflected online under My Bookings.

A bit of small talk and admission that there were still some issues that they are working on with their website

 

[Warks]

On Tuesday I was meant to be on VA1519 SYD-TSV but due to "commuter chaos" (see another thread soon to be written) I was put on a SYD-BNE flight an hour later I was given 4A which wasn't bad at such late notice but when I got on board I saw 4B, C, D and E filled with elderly folk who had obviously got the "board early" slot. The stupid thing about it was they were 'infirm' but B and C had to get up for me and the other two would have had to get up for 4F. The plane was only about 2/3 full and 3A in front of me was on his own in his set of three. I only realised they were 'infirm' when they got up for me when I arrived even though one of them was supposed to get a wheelchair they told me! I do wonder.

 

[eastwest101]

On Tuesday I was meant to be on VA1519 SYD-TSV but due to "commuter chaos" (see another thread soon to be written) I was put on a SYD-BNE flight an hour later I was given 4A which wasn't bad at such late notice... I do wonder.

Yes - I don't know what's worse - I assume you are referring to SYD airport and landside congestion plus the airside busyness, or the trip via BNE where you are garanteed to get delays inbound thanks to BNE Airport Corporation playing silly buggers with their runway "refurbishment" and demanding the airlines pay for their infrastructure, either way - its a lottery with connections.

I don't have the numbers but the OTP figures for any VA and QF services in or out of BNE must be appaulling now, almost as bad as SYD airports OTP figures.

 

[JohnK]

I don't have the numbers but the OTP figures for any VA and QF services in or out of BNE must be appaulling now, almost as bad as SYD airports OTP figures.

How do you think I feel commuting SYD-BNE?

Someone posted figures recently and BNE has the worst on time performance of any major city in Australia at ~65%-70% and SYD is the second worst at ~75%. Of course my on time performance is much worse.

 

[jmphoto]

Does anyone know what the story is with seat allocation on the A330 services when booking?

I've got a couple of bookings cross country both in Y and J that connect to 737 services, I can select the seats for all the flights yet when I pay it tells me that there is a seating error and I need to select seats at check in. When I then check the bookings both through VA's website and through Sabre the 737 connecting flights are allocated but the A330 flights state check in required.

I rang to get our seats allocated and the lovely lady had no idea what I was talking about or why this was an error... and then to add insult to injury she told me that my partner and I would have to sit separately as I had status and my partner didn't!! I corrected this as we are on the same PNR and we are now sitting together as far forward as possible.

Anyone else having this issue?

Thanks,

Boof

Hey Boof, identical problem. 3 bookings in J on the A330 and can't select seats. I note if I do a dummy Y booking then I can ​select seats. All 3 are allegedly the new config, so not sure if that has something to do with it. GCC happy to allocate seats.

 

[tickthelist]

On Tuesday I was meant to be on VA1519 SYD-TSV but due to "commuter chaos" (see another thread soon to be written) I was put on a SYD-BNE flight an hour later I was given 4A which wasn't bad at such late notice but when I got on board I saw 4B, C, D and E filled with elderly folk who had obviously got the "board early" slot. The stupid thing about it was they were 'infirm' but B and C had to get up for me and the other two would have had to get up for 4F. The plane was only about 2/3 full and 3A in front of me was on his own in his set of three. I only realised they were 'infirm' when they got up for me when I arrived even though one of them was supposed to get a wheelchair they told me! I do wonder.

Did you move into 3C after takeoff?

 

[Warks]

Did you move into 3C after takeoff?

Nah it was only to BNE so barely up and you're down again. In hindsight though it WAS BNE which means flight times are always 30 minutes longer than they say nowadays thanks to the runway shenanigans.

 

[JohnK]

Interesting comment at OOL checkin today.

I have been allocated 4F again on an Embraer on an aisle seat preference. :shock:

"Apparently seat allocations are being done manually as the new system is not working properly since the implementation!" :shock:

You did not hear it from me....

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Interesting comment at OOL checkin today.

I have been allocated 4F again on an Embraer on an aisle seat preference. :shock:

"Apparently seat allocations are being done manually as the new system is not working properly since the implementation!" :shock:

You did not hear it from me....

Last Sat, I tried at BNE valet to change an earlier selection for our J return flight from CNS. They could not even do it, the system rejected their attempts each time. The reason for the change was at booking, the seat map was for an old style Ejet where the J would have been one PE seat each with a shadow on the other seat, so I had booked 1A and 1F. By sat, all ejets had been refitted but a sub was made to a 738 leaving my +1 and I looking as if we never spoke to one another (a lot to be said for that). I was able to change them at check-in (Monday, for a Tues arvo flt) though and luckily a suitable seating config was still available (1D,1F).

 

[eastwest101]

Last Sat, I tried at BNE valet to change an earlier selection for our J return flight from CNS. They could not even do it, the system rejected their attempts each time. The reason for the change was at booking, the seat map was for an old style Ejet where the J would have been one PE seat each with a shadow on the other seat, so I had booked 1A and 1F. By sat, all ejets had been refitted but a sub was made to a 738 leaving my +1 and I looking as if we never spoke to one another (a lot to be said for that). I was able to change them at check-in (Monday, for a Tues arvo flt) though and luckily a suitable seating config was still available (1D,1F).

Pretty familliar story there - with VA online seat selection currently broken (or only able to select seats at the booking stage) then your point may be that if you have a flight booked and paid for by work for instance - then calling up about 48hrs in advance and selecting a seat over the phone may be the way to go? What a stupid clumsy way to run an airline - imagine the length of some of the phone calls that happen as VA pax ring up and have to go through all the process of finding out what the operating aircraft is, how full the Y and J cabins are, where the good aisle/window seats are, are exit row seats available? whether its full at the back or the front, can I get an empty seat next to me, if its rear door disembarkation and I'm in a hurry to connect is it worth it? etc etc

You know - all the stuff you used to be able to do consider looking at a seatmap online.

 

[jsoprano]

Sorry to bring out this thread again, but I experienced a new low last night. Booked return flights MEL-DPS for Aug/Sep for me and +1 who is Red only, of course seat allocation didn't go through. I was able to select row 3 for both of us in the booking process, but then the famous message came seats would be allocated upon check in. No big deal, already called them about 5 times for 5 other bookings for the same issue during the last 2 weeks, I get used to it and it always worked without fail (got through to the Plat desk with no waiting, very friendly, always fixed it up no problems). Yesterday first time I was on hold for ca. 5 minutes (no big deal), then Plat desk answers, I ask them to assign seats 3A and 3C for both flights. She does all that, but then tells me yes of course this is no problem for me, but for +1 as he is not Platinum, she can assign row 3 for him now but if another Plat member requests this seat he will be moved. What the... ! We're travelling on the same booking, never been a problem. I think she was a little bit to focussed on her procedures and as I challenged her a bit she clarified this would usually not happen, but she cannot guarantee it and she'd rather give me the right advise now then a bad surprise later etc. I left it at that, as seat allocations are never guaranteed and always subject to change for operational reasons, but I just thought if this really is the policy then I might look for a new airline for my private travels. I have new itineraries now stating the seat allocation, so hope these will stick.