V-Flyer

As is the nature of my OCD, I've always been something of a stickler for pouncing on OLCI the minute it opens to guarantee my fave seats and, in so doing, rest my fitful fretting.

Thing is, for our upcoming MIA flights, we'll be setting off for the wrong side of the Pennines for our MAN-LHR hop just before OLCI opens up. I'm planning on finally checking in via the old Mac once we're in the lounge at MAN (probably about 2 and a half hours after OLCI opens). That shouldn't be cause for stress on my part should it? Still, the prospect troubles me, especially as our party of 5 is on 3 different booking references...

Don't panic Doctor! I am also very much like you and I am usually sat waiting at my computer for OLCI to open. However for various reason with our SFO trip, I forgot about OLCI on the outbound until nrly 4 hours after it had opened and due to a trip to the Grand Canyon wasn't around until abt 3 hours after for our return. No problem on either one, with spare seats available for us to move to also if we required!

Neil

Originally posted by mdvipond
As is the nature of my OCD, I've always been something of a stickler for pouncing on OLCI the minute it opens to guarantee my fave seats and, in so doing, rest my fitful fretting.

Thing is, for our upcoming MIA flights, we'll be setting off for the wrong side of the Pennines for our MAN-LHR hop just before OLCI opens up. I'm planning on finally checking in via the old Mac once we're in the lounge at MAN (probably about 2 and a half hours after OLCI opens). That shouldn't be cause for stress on my part should it? Still, the prospect troubles me, especially as our party of 5 is on 3 different booking references...

In my recent experience of this route is that they have all been full in Upper Class. As a single business traveller I dont bother with OLCI at all but I am aware that Catherine, who happened to be on a recent flight to MIA with myself, and was a party of 6, lost her original/allocated seats and would have been split and had other issues so I would recommend you, as a large party, using OLCI at your earliest convenience on this particular route in both directions.

Regards,

Hackneyguy

Originally posted by hackneyguy
In my recent experience of this route is that they have all been full in Upper Class. As a single business traveller I dont bother with OLCI at all but I am aware that Catherine, who happened to be on a recent flight to MIA with myself, and was a party of 6, lost her original/allocated seats and would have been split and had other issues so I would recommend you, as a large party, using OLCI at your earliest convenience on this particular route in both directions.

Regards,

Hackneyguy

Eek! This is exactly what I was worried about (and bless you Neil for your attempts at reassurance but this is, disconcertingly, more route specific).

OLCI for our flights will open at half 12, and I'm hoping to be in the lounge at MAN and online - wifi permitting - by about half 2. They wouldn't give our seats away so soon after opening check-in would they? As I mentioned before, we're a party of 5 on three different booking references: my dad on one, my mum, Mrs V and myself on one and jr. all on her ownsome on another. The fact that she's on her own suggests that some kind of cross-referencing with the booking must have gone on, which might work in our favour.

It would be a ball-ache of monumental proportions if we were to lose our requested seats...

Originally posted by mdvipond

Originally posted by hackneyguy
In my recent experience of this route is that they have all been full in Upper Class. As a single business traveller I dont bother with OLCI at all but I am aware that Catherine, who happened to be on a recent flight to MIA with myself, and was a party of 6, lost her original/allocated seats and would have been split and had other issues so I would recommend you, as a large party, using OLCI at your earliest convenience on this particular route in both directions.

Regards,

Hackneyguy

Eek! This is exactly what I was worried about (and bless you Neil for your attempts at reassurance but this is, disconcertingly, more route specific).

OLCI for our flights will open at half 12, and I'm hoping to be in the lounge at MAN and online - wifi permitting - by about half 2. They wouldn't give our seats away so soon after opening check-in would they? As I mentioned before, we're a party of 5 on three different booking references: my dad on one, my mum, Mrs V and myself on one and jr. all on her ownsome on another. The fact that she's on her own suggests that some kind of cross-referencing with the booking must have gone on, which might work in our favour.

It would be a ball-ache of monumental proportions if we were to lose our requested seats...

One would hope not but it sounds very much like what they did with Catherine's booking - I can't find her relevant posts but she did report it on here in both a specific post about OLCI and a brief bit in her TR. I suggest you ask her for some tips - it was a nightmare for her party but it came good in the end (hurrah) ! She has just returned from the sun today so no doubt will be logging on later tonight. Sorry I cant be any more specific.

Hackneyguy

Hi all,

Sorry semi relevant question to your topic.

If you have selected your seat already, where you can manage your booking online, does it mean that's what you will get or can someone else take that seat if they book online??[:?]

Thx

Originally posted by Kittymins
Hi all,

Sorry semi relevant question to your topic.

If you have selected your seat already, where you can manage your booking online, does it mean that's what you will get or can someone else take that seat if they book online??[:?]

Thx

By selecting a seat online, you're essentially 'requesting' that seat. There are no guarantees you'll get it on the day. Once you've been allocated seats at OLCI, they're pretty much guaranteed, barring a sudden change of plane or suchlike.

On a brighter note, a delightful young lady from VS (V-Flyer member?) who spotted this thread 'phoned Mrs V this afternoon to assure us that we shouldn't worry, our bookings were cross referenced and - at the very least - we could expect to be all sat together. Thank you, mystery lady, whoever and wherever you are. And remember - keep watching the skies!

Thanks M, I will be there when OLCI opens!![:D]

Hi,

Yep Ian is spot-on, we had quite a few problems with our last flight. Me, the hubby and the children where booked under 1 reference and my mum and dad on another. We managed to pre-book our seats, a block of 4 for us, all facing the partition, one person inbetween us then my mum and dad. So we where quite happy with that. I tried to use OLCI, the second it opened to secure those seats but it kept saying could not check-in and to do it at the airport, i then went on to check my mum and dad in, without a problem.

I was feeling very worried at this stage that we were going to be split up, so i rang VA and they did advise that our 4 seats where all over the other side and separated, i was not happy, they changed them and to our luck the person who was sat between the original booking wasn't there, so we were all sat together, window seats, facing the partition. However when i tried to access my booking it kept telling me i had no requests.

As Ian was on the same flight, he did check for me and those seats VA told me, they reserved where still showing as available for allocation. (he never told me this bless him) xx.

We got to LHR very early, to make sure we got the seats and we did, so all was well.,

Sorry its so long winded.

(Had a fabby break Ian, Portugal is so lovely). xx

Originally posted by mdvipond

On a brighter note, a delightful young lady from VS (V-Flyer member?) who spotted this thread 'phoned Mrs V this afternoon to assure us that we shouldn't worry, our bookings were cross referenced and - at the very least - we could expect to be all sat together. Thank you, mystery lady, whoever and wherever you are. And remember - keep watching the skies!

Excellent customer service from the person who called [y]. One word of warning Mark. Jnr is ticketed separately. Do not use OLCI for her on her own, make sure you use the additional persons to check in feature when you log in. If you try to check her in on her own (using her booking reference) 'computer says no' mode flies into operation and stops the process (thinks she's an unaccompanied minor). As you can tell I've had some experience of this with DB on a separate reference (before I wised up).Hope that makes sense -if not PM me and I'll try and clarify things.
See you in sunny Miami [8D].

Originally posted by Catherine
Hi,

Yep Ian is spot-on, we had quite a few problems with our last flight. Me, the hubby and the children where booked under 1 reference and my mum and dad on another. We managed to pre-book our seats, a block of 4 for us, all facing the partition, one person inbetween us then my mum and dad. So we where quite happy with that. I tried to use OLCI, the second it opened to secure those seats but it kept saying could not check-in and to do it at the airport, i then went on to check my mum and dad in, without a problem.

I was feeling very worried at this stage that we were going to be split up, so i rang VA and they did advise that our 4 seats where all over the other side and separated, i was not happy, they changed them and to our luck the person who was sat between the original booking wasn't there, so we were all sat together, window seats, facing the partition. However when i tried to access my booking it kept telling me i had no requests.

As Ian was on the same flight, he did check for me and those seats VA told me, they reserved where still showing as available for allocation. (he never told me this bless him) xx.

We got to LHR very early, to make sure we got the seats and we did, so all was well.,

Sorry its so long winded.

(Had a fabby break Ian, Portugal is so lovely). xx

Thanks Catherine. So moral of this story is try OLCI asap, treat any verbal reasuring comments from VA prem line with suspicion, and get to check in in person asap. As this usually is a very busy flight in my experience, with full fare J pax turning up (or not) one can't really blame VA for having to move UC pax around like a game of chess. It makes flying to and out of LAX seem like a dream.

Pleased you enjoyed your hols to Portugal Catherine. Don't forget to do a TR ! We will do a joint one when we go to Dubai . ..

Hackneyguy

Yep, thats true, VA told the first time i rang that they had moved the seats, i wasn'nt convinced so rang back 10 mins later a guess what, they hadn't moved them. Good job i checked. We were on sale fare seats, so i am so glad we got to the airport early.

Our Joint Trippes will need to be sensored. !!!!!!!!!

No one ever said this flying malarky was meant to be easy, did they? I guess if we say a little prayer to the great VS god, and try and do OLCI as soon after opening as we can, that things will probably work out for the best.

Thanks to all for your help and suggestions.

Originally posted by mdvipond
Thing is, for our upcoming MIA flights, we'll be setting off for the wrong side of the Pennines for our MAN-LHR hop just before OLCI opens up. I'm planning on finally checking in via the old Mac once we're in the lounge at MAN (probably about 2 and a half hours after OLCI opens). That shouldn't be cause for stress on my part should it? Still, the prospect troubles me, especially as our party of 5 is on 3 different booking references...

Why not get someone else to do it for you?

Originally posted by slinky09

Originally posted by mdvipond
Thing is, for our upcoming MIA flights, we'll be setting off for the wrong side of the Pennines for our MAN-LHR hop just before OLCI opens up. I'm planning on finally checking in via the old Mac once we're in the lounge at MAN (probably about 2 and a half hours after OLCI opens). That shouldn't be cause for stress on my part should it? Still, the prospect troubles me, especially as our party of 5 is on 3 different booking references...

Why not get someone else to do it for you?

Not a bad idea (and don't think I haven't had offers...) but I'm aware - through bitter experience - that the three booking references/jr. on her own reference thing can be quite a hash sometimes and often needs a couple of 'phone calls to put things right. All of which is probably a bit much to ask of a third party, however kind and galant they may be...

Originally posted by slinky09

Originally posted by mdvipond
Thing is, for our upcoming MIA flights, we'll be setting off for the wrong side of the Pennines for our MAN-LHR hop just before OLCI opens up. I'm planning on finally checking in via the old Mac once we're in the lounge at MAN (probably about 2 and a half hours after OLCI opens). That shouldn't be cause for stress on my part should it? Still, the prospect troubles me, especially as our party of 5 is on 3 different booking references...

Why not get someone else to do it for you?

Yes why not ...sorry inside jokey type thing again [:?]

You could always get Neil to do it [:0]

Originally posted by slinky09

Originally posted by mdvipond

Why not get someone else to do it for you?

Isn't this very topic being discussed on another thread[:w]?!!!!

just a thought - what did we do before OLCI? - got to the airport early and hoped for the best I guess.

And off topic - it was 45 deg F (can't get on with centigrade yet!) here in Florida this morning!! - a record low for the time of year apparently.