Exit Seats in PE

I am a regular PE flyer and always make a point of being the first at check-in and requesting the exit seats on the upper deck. Never had a problem.

My last trip (return leg) I was the 1st to check in and was told they had already been assigned.

Never thought to question it, thinking someone using on-line check-in must have nabbed them - just looked annoyed - but when I thought about it, I thought that you had to actually present yourself at check-in to get the exit seats (so they can ensure you are actually able to open the door if need be).

When we boarded the people who were in the seats were clearly friends of the cabin crew.

Can someone confirm please if you have to present yourself at check-in to get the exit seats or whether these people could have checked-in on-line and chose them.

If they can then fair enough, but I am annoyed about it at the moment as it seems that they only got them because they knew the crew.

[preiffer]

No, exit seats can only be assigned at check-in, in person.

I have been allocated seats on row 21 in Y (front row of the normally blocked-off 'mini-cabin' in Y on a LGW/MAN 744) that is normally reserved for families travelling with babies a long way in advance, a few years ago.

These seats were assigned in advance via a friend who worked for VS at the time. So in theory, there is a way that VS staff can assign 'blocked' seats to friends/family.

I won't even go down the road of suggesting that partners/friends of the crew get upgraded to J....[:w]

Slight hijack, but related question... Do they charge £75 for an exit seat in PE like they do in Economy? I'm flying back from DXB on Sunday and would like to try and bag row 18.

I'm happy to pay, but curious!

[Nottingham Nick]

I have had exit rows on my last two PE flights and haven't been charged.
AFAIK the charge is only in economy.

Nick

I may be wrong, but was under the impression that the exit row in PE is not chargable - you just have to be at check-in early to bag it.

James

Early start for me then! I'm already winning having secured a G upgrade on the outbound. [:)]

The front row of W on the A346 is not seen as an exit seat, they are generally blocked off by FMU for families etc as that is the only place in that cabin that has the fixture for the baby skycot etc.

With regards to the Exit seats, as it was obviously on a LGW aircraft, then I would imagine they were trying to sell it and therefore, IF they were with the crew, it would have been an upgrade at the gate for them to get those seats as they have to be ABPs.

To answer your comment with regard to companions of operating crew/crew on leave being upgraded, it is one of our perks that after our length of service we get our space available upgrades, kinda makes up for a lot of stuff that we put up with!

Originally posted by Boeingcat
To answer your comment with regard to companions of operating crew/crew on leave being upgraded, it is one of our perks that after our length of service we get our space available upgrades, kinda makes up for a lot of stuff that we put up with!

Very happy with that. However, since front row PE seats are only supposed to be allocated (foc) at check-in with priority to families needing sky cots on 340s or on LGW 747s to first comers, if the OP was correct and somehow a 'favour' was done for crew flying for free, then that's lamentable.

[Neil]

Originally posted by Boeingcat
With regards to the Exit seats, as it was obviously on a LGW aircraft, then I would imagine they were trying to sell it and therefore, IF they were with the crew, it would have been an upgrade at the gate for them to get those seats as they have to be ABPs.

That doesn't make sense. As others have said PE exit row/bulkhead seats are not sold like the Y ones and are free for PE pax. I think a lot of it is to do with them initially being blocked off for families/babies etc and the check in staff not making a call to get them released. When we have arrived at the airport early I always ask the agent (nice and politely) if they can make a call to get them released and it usually isn't a problem.

So I imagine with the check in agent not releasing the exit row seats, and therefore them not being allocated to paying pax when some crew in Y were able to upgrade as mentioned by Beoingcat the only (or best) seats still available will have been the exit rows.

Originally posted by Neil
I always ask the agent (nice and politely) if they can make a call to get them released and it usually isn't a problem.

Flying from PVG recently I tried this only to be told that row 18 on the 346 was reserved for FC Au PAX that were being upgraded from Y as Y was oversold, so all bets are off nowadays unless you hold the magic card.

[Neil]

Originally posted by McMaddog

Originally posted by Neil
I always ask the agent (nice and politely) if they can make a call to get them released and it usually isn't a problem.

Flying from PVG recently I tried this only to be told that row 18 on the 346 was reserved for FC Au PAX that were being upgraded from Y as Y was oversold, so all bets are off nowadays unless you hold the magic card.

Thats slightly different. If they already know that they are oversold in Y or J and will need to upgrade/downgrade some pax then saving what are consider by a lot to be the best PE seats for them if more than fair. My basis was on your standard flight where op ups aren't going to be necessary, and the check in staff don't know to call/can't be bothered to get the bulkheads/exit row seats unblocked.

Neil

Originally posted by Neil

Originally posted by McMaddog

Originally posted by Neil
I always ask the agent (nice and politely) if they can make a call to get them released and it usually isn't a problem.

Flying from PVG recently I tried this only to be told that row 18 on the 346 was reserved for FC Au PAX that were being upgraded from Y as Y was oversold, so all bets are off nowadays unless you hold the magic card.

Thats slightly different. If they already know that they are oversold in Y or J and will need to upgrade/downgrade some pax then saving what are consider by a lot to be the best PE seats for them if more than fair. My basis was on your standard flight where op ups aren't going to be necessary, and the check in staff don't know to call/can't be bothered to get the bulkheads/exit row seats unblocked.

Neil

But its clearly not fair to give op-ups from Y (even if they are Au) the best seats in PE over paying customers? I would be livid if that happened to me...

[Nottingham Nick]

Originally posted by capetownflyer
But its clearly not fair to give op-ups from Y (even if they are Au) the best seats in PE over paying customers? I would be livid if that happened to me...

I agree with that. I have been fortunate to have been upgraded to PE from Y as a gold a couple of times when Y was oversold, and on each occasion I was more than happy to accept the last seats available - in the middle of the a/c at the back of PE.

McMaddog - are you sure they weren't reserved for downgrades rather than upgrades? - that would be more palatable.

Nick

[Neil]

Sorry, I should have been more clear, I meant the best seats are ok to be saved for downgrades not upgrades. Obviously I 100% agree that a full paying PE pax should get priority of seat choice.

I still think this is more of a check in issue then anything else.

Originally posted by Nottingham Nick
McMaddog - are you sure they weren't reserved for downgrades rather than upgrades? - that would be more palatable.

No, that's exactly what we were told, I knew Y was bunged as there was 0 availability for 3 weeks beforehand and there were 3 seats in J free. The FSM chatted to me during drinks and said so. Also, one PE PAX was upgraded to J in flight as the headphone adapter on his IFE was faulty.

I don't know how to quote on this forum, but to answer slinky, the LGW B744 front of W on the Upper Deck is again for families but on certain sectors (mainly ex Caribbean) you can pretty much get those seats, but again ex LGW are generally reserved for families with babies (doesn't always happen, will try to accommodate them on the main deck I think). Having taken companions away with me and been on staff travel from LGW, I can almost 99% guarantee that not once have we gotten row 75 on the upper deck (exit row), so it will have come down to check in. Got to love Groundstar. My suggestion would be IF at check-in they are unwilling to do anything about it, then ask to speak to a VAA employee, as the check-in staff are all employed by a handling agent at LGW.