Seat Selection - Trans Tasman VA Booking on NZ Metal

[flying_duck]

Hi All,

Has anyone had any luck doing pre-checkin seat selection when travelling on Air NZ on a VA booking?

Velocity line tells me they can, but it wasn't actioned. Rang back, apparently they can't?

Air NZ tell me they can give me a seat at the back of the plane. Rang back, apparently they can't give me any seat and I need to ring VA?

I'm confused.

 

[davidsilver]

I had similar situation last year when travelling MEL-BNE-AKL, booked VA codeshare flexi ticket and both airlines bounced me back and forth saying it was each other that had to seat selection.

I gave up in the end, turned up at airport to check in and was given a seat in Y+ but was only Y service. Coming home was no issue as I won a decent amount at casino the night before that I decided to pay for J upgrade at check in

 

[flying_duck]

Well, I guess I can hope for a decent seat but thats all it will be. I'm actually flying AirNZ to LAX next week so I might ask at both their check in counters and the lounge to see if I get a different answer. I was just wondering if anyone had actually managed to get a straight answer.

 

[davidsilver]

Have you tried asking VA for the NZ PNR and select a seat that way?

Might be different story flying long distance, mine was only a short hop.

Maybe try a dummy booking on NZ website for your flights and seeing what seats are available? VA WP will show you frequent flyer seats

 

[flying_duck]

I have the Air NZ PNR, I cannot log in on their website to choose seats. I have used their website to select seats before on AirNZ bookings/metal.

Doing a dummy booking, I see the seats I want. Just no one will allocate them to my booking.

 

[Teal747]

Would it help to have status with both virgin and airnz to be able to select a seat?

 

[flying_duck]

I'm a VA Plat and as VA Plat when I book direct with AirNZ I get offered frequent flier seats. It just seems that NO seat can be booked, let alone a seat that I am offered when I book direct.

 

[serfty]

Is it trans Tasman? There are reports on FT there are some aircraft subs going on with the widebodies that is interfering with the ability to select seating.

 

[flying_duck]

Sorry serfty, been travelling. It is trans Tasman. Interesting, the seat selector shows the older plane, and the lady at airnz checkin desk when I left for the USA confirmed I had the seats I wanted after all. So no idea why both call centres would continue to refuse to help me when it was already confirmed.
just an all round not pleasant experience.

 

[jackthomas]

I had similar situation last year when travelling MEL-BNE-AKL, booked VA codeshare flexi ticket and both airlines bounced me back and forth saying it was each other that had to seat selection.

I gave up in the end, turned up at airport to check in and was given a seat in Y+ but was only Y service. Coming home was no issue as I won a decent amount at casino the night before that I decided to pay for J upgrade at check in

If you don't mind me asking, how much was the upgrade they charged you? I usually do an Upgrade Me bid but wondering if its best to wait until check in...

 

[davidsilver]

The upgrade AKL-BNE was I think $450NZD at the airport. I wasn't offered VA Upgrade Me bid because it was NZ metal. I normally wouldn't do this, but as I said I had won a decent amount at the casino the night before and figured I would spend some on an upgrade and slept all the way back to BNE. Was a massive stuff around though, the check in lady said I need to check in first and then go to the service desk to pay for upgrade and they will issue new boarding pass. Service desk said I couldn't upgrade because I had already checked in, they did manage to sort it out

I flew MEL-BNE Christmas Morning and received an opup in the MEL Lounge.

 

[jackthomas]

Ahh.
I usually book through NZ directly and then place one of their upgrade bids around 200.. Haven't been denied (yet)
Maybe I need to start hitting the casino..

 

[davidsilver]

Now that I know that NZ does this, I will make future bookings directly with them and then bid for an upgrade

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

NZ118 can sometimes can be downgraded to become NZ718.
I had an upgrade bid, can't remember the amount I bid, was hoping to try it, ... got denied.
If your upgrade request gets denied, check and see if your wide body plane has subbed into a narrow.
Didn't realise at the time, but what had happened, but then had a look after, and now see that on some days, the narrow body NZ718 flies without a J class SYD - AKL.
Some days there is an evening 767 at 18.45 that flies from SYD - AKL too.

 

[flying_duck]

Well I've just done MEL - AUK - LAX with Air NZ, and multiple times lounge ladies confirmed my seats for the trip in question. So they did "take" but I have no idea how.

also, Y to PE upgrade AUK - LAX is $1495 nzd at the lounge, pending availability. I didn't see the point, I can sleep anywhere with NyQuil and a few drinks but it is an option if you miss out on upgrade bids.

 

[Andrewt]

Just managed to get seats allocated VA booking ANZ metal. Called Virgin to get ANZ PNR then had to call ANZ convoluted but it worked (allocation was free as VA Gold otherwise $35)

 

[davidsilver]

It really shouldn't be this difficult. But it's still better than what SQ offers up

 

[Mogul]

It really shouldn't be this difficult. But it's still better than what SQ offers up

SQ is a lot easier as you can do online, all you need is SQ reservation code.

 

[davidsilver]

Yes but I was referring more to the 6 or 7 random seats that are available for selection. Off topic but I have flights coming up in Oct and was assigned 37E and no other seats are available (not even preferred seats). All this as VA WP and *A Gold, have to play to check in lottery with SQ