Virgin 747s economy seating

[Bear]

Virgin seem to have changed when you can choose seats and I'm all confused - I thought it was 90 days pre-flight, but as of last month they've got all sorts of different dates. I'm going back to the Virgin agent, but in the meantime can someone please advise which are the best seats to try to go for for a family of 4, vanilla economy tickets going to the States in one of their 747-400s. We all want to sit together and can't afford to shell out any more for premium or extra leg room. And we've had too many flights right next to the loos feeling like we're zoo exhibits to those in the queue. Where would you try to nab? Have been looking at this seatplan Thanks
Bear

You need to read this link carefully from VA.

www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/en/manage-your-flights/seat-assignment.html

I would try and sit somewhere in the first three to four rows at the front of the economy section; that also keeps you away from the toilets at the back. Never sit at the back.

Check out www.seatguru.com - brilliant site with seatmaps and tips for every flight in the world!

What VA also say on their website:-

"Between 18 December 2013 you will be able to assign seats for flights departing on or before 01 March 2014 for free of charge. For most flights between 02 March 2014 until 01 June 2014 seats will be available to select 30 days before departure. Seats can be assigned through Manage Flights which is available up to 24 hours before departure. To request seats before check in opens, please go to Manage Flights or contact your travel agent.

From 1 April 2014 If you are in Upper Class, Premium Economy, Economy booked in Y Class or you are a Flying Club Gold member, you can choose your seat free of charge any time from making your booking. Other Economy passengers who want to choose seats in advance of check in will be able to pay to do this from 1 April 2014 and this will start happening on a route by route basis. See the table of rollout by route.

• If there are no seats showing as available to request, your seats will be allocated to you at the airport. However it's worth visiting Manage Flights online at regular intervals because people do cancel and seats become available.

• Seat assignments for Seat Plus customers are made and confirmed during check in at the airport by an airport agent, which means online seat assignments and online check in are not available.

• If you are travelling with infants, you will be unable to request seats online. You can however call one of our contact centres to request seats. Whether you choose seats before you get to the airport or not, we will always make sure that every child is sat next to at least one parent or adult guardian, children will not be seated alone. We define a child as being less than 12 years".

This airline are basically doing what many other carriers have already done.

My guess is that your economy tickets are not Y class (fully flexible economy tickets that cost far more than a basic economy ticket) so its basically pot luck unless you pay out in advance.

Hi - thanks everyone, despite everything that they've said (can assign seats up to 30 days before flight) I still can't choose seats in Manage Flights. And I'm more than a little put out, having already shelled out a fortune for this holiday, to all of a sudden have to pay ANOTHER £200 to ensure that we're sat together. DS is 10 so will be sat with a parent, but DD is 12 so is classed as an adult. So if we don't pay up we could sat in three different places around the plane. Not an ideal way to start or end a holiday, especially with nervous flyers involved. The more I think of it, the crosser I get. I was told when we booked last year that we could choose seats from 90 days out and there was no mention of charges. Surely it's only fair for Virgin to apply charges to new bookings. Grrr.

ring them up directly. explain the situation re the nervous flyers. no one wants something kicking off because a nervous flyer is sat by themselves and see what they can do. we usually speak to BA a couple of days before our flight. having said that, we are just about to fly with air Canada and everyone gets to choose their seats at time of booking and you only pay if you have one of the premium leg room seats.

Have you got the booking reference from the agent?. You need this also in order to use their manage my booking facility. When do you actually fly out?.

Re this comment:-
"The more I think of it, the crosser I get. I was told when we booked last year that we could choose seats from 90 days out and there was no mention of charges. Surely it's only fair for Virgin to apply charges to new bookings. Grrr."

Not justifying their stance at all but Virgin are only now doing what many other carriers like BA have done for some time. Its a good income stream for them. They also charge pax for choosing seats (unless you are a Silver or Gold Executive Club member) if seats are chosen more than 24 hours in advance of the flight itself.

I feel your pain. There are 9 of us (including 5 children) flying to the US with Virgin later this year and we now face the prospect of our party being scattered about the plane (£450 to reserve seats will tip the budget over the edge). I know that Virgin are only doing what others do, but that doesn't help!

They updated their release about this today. But it's still not conclusive about economy flights leaving in April IMHO. So I called VA and they said I can choose seats online 30 days out. I asked would I be charged and she said "no". Then, "Mmm". Then "No". I'll believe that when it happens...

The mistake that Virgin made here was to bring in such changes gradually and by route.

Have a look at my link from VA in my initial post and see if that further clarifies anything.

It very much depends on a) your actual departure date and b) destination. If you're going to Orlando for instance such changes in economy take place from 1st May onwards.